toplines - Keystone Labrador Retriever Club

TOP LINES KEYSTONE LABRADOR RETRIEVER CLUB

Spring 2016 President: Georgann Syphard Vice President: Karen Vare

Presidents Message:

Secretary: Edie Castor

Spring is in the air and everyone is loving it, especially the dogs. So, with that being said, the Club is sponsoring a series of Fun Field Days, culminating with the opportunity of completing a Working Certificate. The purpose of the Fun Field Days are to encourage the development and use of those natural abilities for which the Labrador Retriever was originally bred.

Treasurer: Wilson Smith Board Of Directors: Mickie Kelly, Terri Shober, Ann Tyler, Rocco Spinelli, Kathy LaFrana Committees: Conformation: Georgann Syphard (Chair) Obedience/Rally: Karen Vare (Chair) Field Day: Karen Vare (Chair) Judges: Georgann Syphard (Chair) Hospitality: Darlene Pors (Chair) Website: Renee Willis (WebMaster) Membership Coordinator: Terri Shober Sunshine Club: Faith Hyndman AKC Relationship Coordinator: Darlene Pors

The first day is on Sunday, April 24th (land work only), followed by Saturday, May 14th and the final day will be on Sunday, June 26th. The cost to members is $5.00 per dog. The location is Rocky Creek Acres Kennels, 74 Red Cay Road, Mohnton, Pa. The day begins at 9:00am. Bring a chair and water for your dog(s). Contact Karen Vare ASAP to let her know how many dogs you will be bringing, in order that we have enough birds. There is a great deal of effort in the planning and logistics of organizing an event such as this, in order to make it a success for both owner and dog. So come on out, with or without a dog, watch and learn and enjoy the company of your fellow KLRC members. We all hope that you will join us at the upcoming Fun Field Day on Sunday, April 24th. Both you and your dog will enjoy it!!! See you on the 24th. Georgann Syphard

Trophies: Mickie Kelly (Chair) Newsletter Editor: Kathy LaFrana; email: [email protected]

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BRAGS! BRAGS! BRAGS! BRAGS! BRAGS! BRAGS! Submitted by Edie Castor: At the shows in Lakeland FL, February 19-22, Lexi (GCH Whispering Pines Legacy by Breyer) won Best of Opposite Sex 3 of 4 days. All were GCH majors.

Submitted by Karen Vare: GCH CH Wyndale’s Enchantress of Gwynedd, CGC, UDX, OM, has been listed in the Top 25 Obedience Labradors of 2015 by the LRC National.

Submitted by Jacqui Hartranft: A SPECIAL HAPPY 14TH BIRTHDAY TO MY LITTLE POPPY. She turned 14 on February 13 and as you can see was not real happy about wearing her birthday hat. But she and Emmett and Abbey celebrated by having Frosty Paws as a special treat. She retired from all obedience competition last year but we still do Nosework to keep her up and moving and having fun!! And for those who do not know about her, she did not start competing until the age of 7. She got quite an array of titles to her name. Senior dogs rock!!! FRANKLIN HILLS POPPY CD RE CGC UCD CD-C CDX-C RL1 RL2 RLV

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Bucks County Kennel Club, Inc.

75th All-Breed Dog Show and Obedience & Rally Trial Saturday, May 7, 2016 Tinicum Park 963 River Rd Erwinna, PA Supported Entry by Keystone Labrador Retriever Club (Sweepstakes and Veteran Sweepstakes) Entries close April 20,2016 at noon

MID-JERSEY LABRADOR RETRIEVER CLUB, INC. SPECIALTY CONFORMATION MATCH With Obedience & Rally for All Breeds (Limited Entry) Horseshoe Bend Park 140 Horseshoe Bend Road Frenchtown, NJ 08825

Saturday, April 2, 2016 INDOORS - 2 Conformation Matches Match Entries: $10.00 for each class: taken from 9:00 – 9:45 AM Day of Match

EVENTS continued on next page 3

UPCOMING EVENTS

FUN FIELD DAYS!! Our fun club EVENT 3 Days of training and optional Working Certificate Test on the Last Day

April 24th, May 14th and June 26th Come on out and try field work if you’ve never tried it before or just come and watch. Location: Rocky Creek Acres Kennels, 74 Red Cay Road, Mohnton, Pa. Cost is $5.00 per dog

Sara Thornton’s Orchid, Jubilee and Visa EVENTS continued on next page 4

UPCOMING EVENTS (cont’d)

Register at http://bit.ly/1JGgmYq 5

Feature

Welcome to our Member Spotlight. Each newsletter will help you get to know one member of KLRC. This month we get to meet :

Sara Thornton DVM Canterbury Tails Labradors Having grown up with animals, always having pets along with competing in the horse world, I attended college with a major in Animal Science. While attending veterinary school, I got my first purebred dog, a Labrador bred by Springfield Kennels in Virginia. The daughter of English imports, Tiger was a lovely, sweet dog that remained by my side until she was over sixteen years old. After losing Tiger, I grieved for a while, but then decided to look for another Labrador. A client in my small animal practice was active in showing dogs and convinced me to try it. Another client had a lovely Lab with a wonderful disposition that had been purchased from Hemlock Ridge Labrador Retrievers. I gave the breeders a call and went to look at their dogs. Little did I know, I was also taking a big step into a new world. I eventually came home with Ruby, CH Hemlock’s Red Sapphire CDX JH CGC WCX. Bringing home that black puppy was the start of over twenty years of friendship with Ron and Jean Fortna of Hemlock Ridge. They are retired now, but to this day are valuable mentors for me. The show world that was introduced to me by clients brought more friends as well as valuable experience. I learned more and more about advancements in behavior and training that have helped me as a veterinarian as well as with all my animals. I have attended more training and conformation seminars than I can count. That black puppy, Ruby, introduced me to conformation as well as field work. She made it all easy. The obedience titles gave me confidence. The field titles gave me a chance to see a dog do the work it was bred for, the conformation title, well that gave me a chance to learn patience and persistence! I continue to compete with all my dogs in multiple venues. I believe in the versatility of this breed.

SPOTLIGHT Continued on next page 6

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT (CONT’D)

I bred Ruby several times and since then have developed a line of dogs that meet my idea of what a Lab should be in temperament, athleticism, type, and health. I only keep what I think are exceptional dogs, dogs that can do rally, field, breed, obedience and most importantly, be a dog that is easy to live with. My number of dogs is small. I always say I can’t have more dogs than I have room for on the couch. At the moment, I have a couple of seniors that are champions with titles after their names, a yellow girl with points and performance titles and Orchid, my chocolate girl who is out in the breed ring now. Several years ago, I purchased my first purebred cat. And yep, I was hooked. You may see me showing off pictures of my show RagaMuffin cats when standing around the ring these days! Check out Sara’s websites at: http://www.ctlabradors.com/ https://www.facebook.com/Canterbury-Tails-Labs-and-ICandyRags-296579380397165/

Sara and Orchid

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Tidbits

Dover and Ransom Owned and loved by Nanci Alldred

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Noteworthy articles Permission to cross post: From Dr Paula Henthorn, the geneticist that Dr Meg Sleeper is working with..... Tricuspid valve dysplasia (TVD) is a developmental anomaly of the tricuspid valve of the heart, seen in many dog breeds, that has clear evidence of a genetic predisposition in the Labrador Retriever. While inheritance patterns in this breed are not simple, the disease showed autosomal dominant inheritance with incomplete penetrance, in a previous mapping study in one pedigree of Labradors. In this study, a 4Mb region on dog chromosome 9 was associated with the occurrence of this disorder. The purpose of our study was to expand the study of this region, with the immediate goal of refining our knowledge of the location of the “TVD gene”. We identified additional useful polymorphic markers spanning the previously identified 4 Mb disease-associated interval for analysis on the original pedigree, and on a collection of TVD affected dogs and their relatives, and performed SNP chip hybridization and analysis on 194 dogs. Our studies in this larger population of Labrador Retrievers, not as closely related, did not identify the chromosome 9 region as associated with TVD. However, they have identified chromosomal regions that require additional examination. Consequently, we continue collecting DNA from additional TVD affected dogs and their relatives to enlarge our genome wide association study. As before these studies are aimed at the development of linked marker and mutation-based tests that can be used by breeders to reduce the incidence of this heart defect in the breed. Tricuspid valve dysplasia (TVD) has been documented in numerous dog breeds, including Boxers, German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Great Danes, Great Pyrenees, Irish Setters, Mastiffs, Newfoundland, Old English Sheepdogs, Shih Tzu, and Weimaraners, and may have a genetic basis in some of these breeds. We expect to generate knowledge and reagents with which to examine TVD affected dogs of other breeds to determine if their disease is related to that found in Labrador Retrievers. A successful outcome from this research could improve the overall quality of life of dogs of many breeds, and further the knowledge of congenital heart disease in veterinary medicine. It may also inform human pediatric medicine, since Ebstein anomaly in children is the comparable disease in humans. If anyone has a cardiologist diagnosed TVD affected Labrador Retriever, that has not participated in their study and would like to donate blood and pedigree, you can contact Dr Meg Sleeper at [email protected].

ARTICLES Continued on next page 9

Noteworthy articles (cont’d)

The Study Laryngeal paralysis is a disease that most commonly affects older (10+ year old) Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers, although other breeds can be affected. The condition results in dogs having difficulty with breathing and mobility, which can become life-threatening. Laryngeal paralysis is most commonly the result of a generalized progressive neurologic disease, meaning that the condition affects many nerves in the body, not just the nerve associated with the larynx (voice box). Although we now know the condition is genetic (inherited), the specific gene change is not known. This study focuses on understanding the genetic change that results in laryngeal paralysis and the changes nerves undergo as a result of the disease.

Who Qualifies There are 2 groups of dogs that currently qualify for the study:  Any dog with laryngeal paralysis  Any pure-bred Labrador Retriever over 11 years of age

What Happens This study requires one visit to UW Veterinary Care, and no sedation is required. All patients receive a free neurologic examination from a

board-certified small animal neurologist or surgeon. Blood is collected for DNA analysis. Some patients will also qualify to have free bloodwork to evaluate thyroid function. Owners are asked to provide pedigree or registration papers, if available. Dogs without evidence of laryngeal paralysis may be asked to return for repeat examinations every 6-12 months, to assure they remain disease free.

Why Participate This work is expected to result in the development of a genetic test for laryngeal paralysis. This test would be available for use by any veterinarian. A blood or saliva sample taken in puppyhood would identify dogs at risk for laryngeal paralysis. This will provide information for purchasing and breeding decisions and allow medical intervention to slow disease progression. Importantly, the results of this research in dogs are expected to help understand and inform treatment of human patients with a similar genetic disease. There is no charge to participate in this study.

More Information If you are interested in participating in this study, please contact: Dr. Susannah Sample in the UW Veterinary Care genetics laboratory at [email protected] Revised AMP 8/21/2015

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Noteworthy articles (Cont’d)

Do the Dew(claws)? M. Christine Zink DVM, PhD, DACVSMR I work exclusively with canine athletes, developing rehabilitation programs for injured dogs or dogs that required surgery as a result of performance-related injuries. I have seen many dogs now, especially field trial/hunt test and agility dogs, that have had chronic carpal arthritis, frequently so severe that they have to be retired or at least carefully managed for the rest of their careers. Of the over 30 dogs I have seen with carpal arthritis, only one has had dewclaws. If you look at an anatomy book (Miller's Guide to the Anatomy of Dogs is an excellent one – see Figure 1 below) you will see that there are 5 tendons attached to the dewclaw. Of course, at the other end of a tendon is a muscle, and that means that if you cut off the dew claws, there are 5 muscle bundles that will become atrophied from disuse. Those muscles indicate that the dewclaws have a function. That function is to prevent torque on the leg. Each time the foot lands on the ground, particularly when the dog is cantering or galloping (see Figure 2), the dewclaw is in touch with the ground. If the dog then needs to turn, the dewclaw digs into the ground to support the lower leg and prevent torque. If the dog doesn't have a dewclaw, the leg twists. A lifetime of that and the result can be carpal arthritis, or perhaps injuries to other joints, such as the elbow, shoulder and toes. Remember: the dog is doing the activity regardless, and the pressures on the leg have to go somewhere. Perhaps you are thinking, "None of my dogs have ever had carpal pain or arthritis." Well, we need to remember that dogs, by their very nature, do not tell us about mild to moderate pain. If a dog was to be asked by an emergency room nurse to give the level of his pain on a scale from 0 o 10, with 10 being the worst, their scale would be 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Most of our dogs, especially if they deal with pain that is of gradual onset, just deal with it and don't complain unless it is excruciating. But when I palpate the carpal joints of older dogs without dewclaws, I frequently can elicit pain with relatively minimal manipulation. As to the possibility of injuries to dew claws. Most veterinarians will say that such injuries actually are not very common at all. And if they do occur, then they are dealt with like any other injury. In my opinion, it is far better to deal with an injury than to cut the dew claws off of all dogs "just in case."

Figure 1. Anatomical diagram view ing the medial side of a dog’s left front leg demonstrating the five tendons that attach to the dew claw . --from Miller’s Guide to the Dissection of the Dog

Figure 2. In this galloping dog, the dew claw is in touch w ith the ground. If the dog then needs to turn to the right, the dew claw digs into the ground to support the low er leg and prevent torque.

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IN the news

WE HAVE A NEW MEMBER! Meet Jodi Parisi I am Jody Parisi and my husband is Richard. We live in Warrington Pa and have 2 young adult children Ryan and Steph. I am a NICU (neonatal intensive care) nurse and work full time at Holy Redeemer Hospital. My husband is a structural engineer. Labradors have been a part of our family for 25 years. We purchased our first love from Cinders labs( Cindy Damiano) and came to be true believers in labs as perfect family dogs and very trainable. Early on I realized that I preferred labs with obedience background. We were lucky enough to reconnect with Cindy and she trusted me with a co-own that I worked to a CD with lots of help from Cindy and Hilltown Dog Training Club. Life then got very busy with active teenagers and college and had to put my love of dog shows on hold. Recently I was able to get back into dog shows with a beautiful bitch that I co-own with Anastasia Alston from De Soleil labs. My appreciation of being trusted by Anastasia to own this girl is immense. I have been fortunate to obtain a CGC, BN and RE on her in 2 years. I hope to continue to show her in obedience and possibly, depending on her abilities, to work her in some field work. I come from a family of hunters, grew up hunting and love the outdoors! I am very excited to become a member of KLRC. I look forward to learning and sharing experiences with this club.

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IN the news (Cont’d)

RESULTS of OUR 2016 SPRING MATCH Best Puppy for both matches was Taylor, owned by Rocco & Shirley Spinelli, 9 -12mo. bitch. Best of Opposite Puppy was Fred, owned by Edy Makariw. Best Adult was Alice, owned by Rocco & Shirley Spinelli. There was no Best of Opposite Adult. Another fun time was had by all! ……

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March obedience match

Obedience/Rally Show and Go Report March 12, 2016 The March 12th Obedience match was a tremendous success!! We made $994.80 after all expenses. Thank you so much to all of you who volunteered your Saturday to work the match, without you, there would be no match. I would like to thank all of you who helped out: Nanci Alldred, Brett Amdor, Edie Castor, Jane Frantz, Nancy Guerrini, Mickie Kelly, Kathy LaFrana, Jodi Parisi, Gail Scatton, Wilson Smith, Rocco Spinelli, Shirley Spinelli, Joanne Summers, Georgann Syphard, Christina Trojak, Steve Trojak and Stan Vare. The majority of you were there from 8:00 to the finish of the day. I would like to ask other club members to mark their calendars for July 23, 2016 for our next match. We have already received multiple entries. Please try to come and give us some of your time, even a few precious hours. Thank you for all your hard work! Karen Vare

And THANKS to Karen for another job very well done!

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March obedience match (Photos)

Just look at that attention!!

The tail just never stops wagging does it??

Is that dog happy or what??

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notices

Next Club Meetings Next Board Meeting - April 17th, Wegmans at 9:00am Next General Member’s Meeting - May 7th, at Bucks County Kennel Club Show

Don’t forget to visit our club website at www.keystonelrc.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/KeystoneLRC

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General meeting minutes Keystone Labrador Retriever Club Board Meeting January 16, 2016 Georgann Syphard thanked everyone for attending the match and staying for the meeting In attendance: Anne French, Kathy LaFrana, Gretchen Lerch, Kate Perry, Gail Scatton,Rocco Spinelli, Shirley Spinelli, Bob Shober, Terri Shober, Barbara Smith, Wilson Smith,Sarah Thornton, Georgann Syphard and Karen Vare. Guests were Brett and Tanya Amdor. The general meeting minutes from the November were approved. Treasurer’s Report Wilson Smith stated that we had almost $5,300.00 in the bank. Rocco Spinelli moved to accept, Sara Thornton seconded. Obedience Report Karen Vare stated that the March 12, 2016 match had been posted on Dogmatchshows.com and the Match Show Bulletin. The matches are very work intensive and we will need volunteers to help for the March match and the upcoming July 23, 2016. Bucks Supported Entry Georgann Syphard stated that the date for the Supported entry is May 7, 2016. The judge will be Diane Sullivan of Cedarwood Labradors. The judges committee has chosen Steve Trojak, of Stormy C’s Labradors to judge Sweepstakes. Bucks County KC has approved the judges committee choice of Roy Cone of Waterbound Labrador’s to judge in 2017. We will once again have the tent and hopefully have the special parking and location near the ringside that we had last year. Lunch will be provided by the club for a $5 charge. We will have the raffle once again this year. Trophy Committee Nothing to report. Recognition Program Nothing to report. Fun Field Day Karen Vare reported that the dates for the April, May and June fun field days were as yet to be determined. All efforts were being made to avoid conformation and obedience, and field training conflicts for optimal turnout. Lehigh Supported Entry Georgann reported that the judges committee had provided her with choices for judging our Bare Bones supported entry and she had submitted them to the President of Lehigh Kennel Club.

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Newsletter Georgann congratulated Kathy LaFrana for the fine job she is doing on the newsletter. Kathy asked for another club member to step forward and agree to be part of the newsletter’s spotlight feature. 2016 Slate Georgann Syphard thanked Terri Shober for serving as the Nominating Committee Chair. The positions that were up for reelection were; Vice President, Secretary and 3 Board of Director positions. The slate as presented to the members were: Vice President – Karen Vare Secretary – Edie Castor Board of Directors – Mickie Kelly, Darlene Pors and Rocco Spinelli. Sarah Thornton made a motion to approve the slate, Shirley Spinelli seconded. Website Kathy LaFrana asked if we could update and revamp our current website to make it more vibrant and engaging. Georgann Syphard said she would contact Renee Willis, who is the webmaster. KLRC’s facebook page was also mentioned for updating, Edie Castor is in charge of the club’s Facebook page. Membership Chair Georgann asked if anyone present would be willing to take on the responsibility of Membership Chair, Terri Shober, volunteered to run the committee. Motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Rocco, Sara Thornton seconded. There was a scheduled meeting of the Board of Directors to convene following the General Membership meeting, however, all of the agenda items for the board meeting were covered in the general meeting.

Respectfully submitted, Karen Vare

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Minutes from KLRC General Meeting March 6, 2016 Call to Order – Georgann Syphard We have two new members and a guest. Secretary Report – Meeting minutes approved they will be sent out to members via newsleter Treasurer’s Report - Wilson reported and presented financial report. The club has $2600 income including dues and a total of $7300 in the bank. We are ahead of last year, but we still have to pay the club’s insurance. Supported Entry - For Bucks we will have the same ring as last year, our club tent will be across from the ring along with parking. Judge will be Diane Sullivan Cedarwood Labradors and Sweeps judge will be Steve Trojak Stormy Labradors. Karen and Georgann are working on raffle. We will order sandwiches for our luncheon and buy sides and have members donate other food items such as salads, desserts and beverages. Lehigh will be the Fall supported entry at Macungie Park in September. It will be a Saturday. Trophies – Mickie has purchased the crystal. Will be adding toys for sweeps since we already have them. Will be handing out treats at the obedience ring for Labradors only Obedience Match –Collected $1000, paying most of the judges by giving them 2 free runs instead of money, just paying one judge. Heaviest times will be from 10-1. Club Recognition Banquet – Darlene and Mickie still working on it. Will plan to have in March of 2017. Rocco and Kathy will do a power point/reel of pictures we have. We will recognize achievements of dogs in all areas. Fun Field Day – Karen and Georgann working on the event and locations. We will be doing three fun field days. Looking at April 23 or 24 at Beverly Melcher’s in Bally. May 14th at Ann Metzler’s of Waterland Retrievers. Joanne summers will organize one for June for WC , members only. Will be a nominal fee of $5.00. Newsletter – Kathy needs member for spotlight. Would like to spotlight one of our new members, with picture and bio. New Business – Georgann will send out email to solicit new chairs and co-chairs for committees. Looking for suggestions for seminars to have this year, possibly partner with another club. Elections – Terri Shober reviewed the candidates and we proceeded with the vote. Submitted by Darlene Pors

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