Nov / Dec 2021

Fall is definitely here and there’s winter in the air. Some of us are not looking forward to freezing cold weather and others are looking forward to snow, but whatever you are hoping for it’s time to get ready.

UPCOMING SHOWS

Check infodog.com or showdays.com for current information.

More Info: Dog Food Advisor

Tuffy foods is recalling 1600 cases of NutriSource Pure Vita Salmon Entrée Dog Food in a Tetrapak carton due to high levels of VitaminD.

CLUB NEWS:

Vicki will also be instructing, along with Diane Darling, a scent work class that will start the first Saturday in December and continue for 6 weeks not including any holidays.
Please contact Vicki at 406.253.3971 to purchase a beginning scent work kit ($35) prior to the start of class. There will be a $25 charge for the class which Vicki and Dianne have offered to donate to our Club. Thank you, Vicki and Diane!

AKC Legislative Alert:

AKC has a very long list of bills impacting dogs and dog owners as well as breeders. So far, none of them directly affect Montana owners but we need to stay informed. Other legislation can affect our fellow breeders in other states.

bleachers are not open. The meetings will start at 11am. Hopefully this will make it

easier for more members to join us during daylight hours. There will not be a general

member meeting in December!

Plans are continuing for the Canine Expo to be held Saturday, April 23,
2022. Volunteers are desperately needed to help make this a great success; please contact Vicki Maeckle at 406.250.0154 to be a part of the excitement and offer your assistance.

And the final bit of news is that the Club now has an Instagram account. Please log on and follow the Club's account: Flathead Kennel Club of MT
If you would like to post photos of your dog's wins, please contact Kathy Maroney at katmaroney2014@gmail.com to load your photos. If you have holiday photos of your dogs, please send them to Kathy! Please also note that the Club's Facebook account has been reactivated with Kathy's assistance! Please log on to Facebook and post your news and photos!

Also, it’s time to renew club dues. Price for a family is $27.50, for a single is $20.00 and an

associate membership (non-voting) is $12.50. Get them to Vicki Maeckle as soon as possible.

Thanks!

BRAGS:

Diane Darling reports that Loki earned his novice container and interior scent work titles and his advanced exterior titles at the ECKC scent work trials in October. Congrats Diane and Loki, great job!

EDUCATION:

Inter Dog Aggression
Some dogs are only aggressive towards "stranger" dogs they don't know. Others are aggressive towards acquaintance/casual friend dogs. Then there are those who are

only aggressive towards dogs they live with. Of course, some dogs may be aggressive towards any & all dogs while others may not be aggressive towards any. When the aggression is directed towards packmate dogs, it is called Interdog Aggression.

Though male - female combinations usually have less aggression issues, there are never any guarantees. When there is aggression between two males it is often over "silly" things & not nearly as serious as issues between two bitches. Bitches can hold grudges & even fight to the death, so I'd caution people to err on the side of caution if in doubt & be willing to safely separate girls when not supervising. The biggest thing is preventing the relationship from ever advancing to that point because once it does, it may be impossible to even keep them with single barriers like baby gates & since management can fail, it can be a huge risk.

A lot of the information in my Slow Introductions article, applies here as well. Don't be in a rush to get dogs interacting/playing, simply aim to have them comfortable living together in peace. Being able to see, smell & hear one another through gates, pens, crates, etc. is one way to achieve this. Try to schedule "positive/pleasant experiences when the other dog is present," so they begin to associate being around one another with good things. Avoid likely triggers by feeding them separately & if possession aggression has ever been an issue, they may also need to have special edible chew treats separately or not at all. Be aware of common sources of stress & conflict, like doorways, kitchen, furniture, owner's bedroom/bed, owner/attention, toys, food,

etc. Obedience train all dogs individually & then work on practicing stays, etc.
together. Consider accustoming both positively (& separately) to a pliable vinyl basket muzzle to reduce the chance of injury while working through problems. Ignore pushy rude behavior. For example if you are petting one dog & the other solicites attention by trying to push his or her way between you & the dog you are petting, walk away & ignore both dogs. When attention is solicted & you want to give it, consider requiring a behavior to be performed in order for the dog to earn your attention. Cues/commands can be used to earn any & all privileges or simply coming in/going out, etc.

Some people believe in "letting dogs work-it-out" vs. managing them. I don't. My rule is no fighting. I expect my dogs to defer to me to make decisions & handle situations, rather than taking matters into their own paws. Letting dogs work it out can lead to trips to the vet or lasting relationship issues/anxiety/aggression. There are times when anti anxiety "tools" may be helpful in reducing tensions between dogs. These include things like Rescue Remedy, Thunder Shirts/Anxiety Wraps, Calming Caps, etc.

Don't forget that puppies turn into adolescents & relationships often change during this time. It's a good time to add a little more structure to their daily routine to prevent problems from developing. Adolescence usually peaks somewhere between 8-18 months. That's when I've found my own dogs "coming back at" or challenging

adults. Spaying & neutering is a complicated consideration. There are times when it would be recommended to look at the relationship & figure out altering which one would create the most "distance" between them. For example, with two males, neutering the older may actually increase conflict by reducing testosterone, while neutering the

youngest may creates more distance & reduce conflict. It works a little differently with bitches. If the aggression is affiliated with heat cycles, spaying may actually help. But if the aggression is not being controlled by estrogen, spaying could increase aggression by removing estrogen & leaving testosterone.

Again, there are never any guarantees. If an issue arises, it may be best to separate them for days or even weeks/months.

Mary Swinyer CPDT-KA maryswinyer.wixsite.com/modardogtraining maryswinyer@gmail.com

Breed study:

The Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen is a French scenthound. Somewhat active and never

high-strung, yet GBGVs are busy dogs who don't tire easily.

First, let's deal with the name. Roughly translated, it means 'Large, low, shaggy dog of the

Vende' and is pronounced 'Grand-Bah-SAY Gree-FOHN VON-day-uhn.' Now, let's have

a look at the dog: He's a sweet-faced, long-eared fellow in a shaggy coat whose

mustache, beard, and profuse eyebrows suggest the look of a worldly but amiable

Frenchman. Beneath the Grand's Old World charm is a rugged, sturdily-built bruiser who

is deceptively quick and light-footed. The stamina and courage of these longer-than-tall

hunters is the stuff of Gallic legend.

Dogs are not our whole life but they make our lives whole.