Re: Rally Obedience 2004
Want Rally at BMDCA specialties in the future? Lobby for it and, as an added carrot, volunteer to help make it a reality. This is half right. Let me try: Want Rally at BMDCA specialties in the future? Volunteer to help make it a reality. Specialties are run by 100% volunteer effort. Any non-core specialty event will only happen if volunteers step forward to run it. And you are not allowed to volunteer other people to do the work. Remember that there are 3 basic requirements for any event such as Rally: 1 - You need a location. For rally this means a ring. 2 - You need a time slot to hold the event. 3 - You need volunteers to make the event happen. The most optional event at specialties is tracking. Tracking can run into problems with any of the 3 requirements, but the usual problem is #1 (location). I don't know where the 2004 committee stands on Rally. A problem of time slot or location may be difficult to solve. If the only problem is volunteers, lobbying isn't going to help -- people interested in Rally have to step forward and volunteer. --Tom Jaskiewicz From New Hampshire, where the bitches are ( Gita Kepler)strong, the dogs are good looking, and all [EMAIL PROTECTED]the puppies are above average.
Re: Yuck
Darn. Fulton devoured a dead chipmunk while out walking with the kids. What now? Feed Fulton a smaller dinner -- about 1 chipmunk smaller. --Tom Jaskiewicz From New Hampshire, where the bitches are ( Gita Kepler)strong, the dogs are good looking, and all [EMAIL PROTECTED]the puppies are above average.
NOT Lancaster County
Dear Berner-l, The 2005 BMDCA National Specialty Committee is currently negotiating a contract with a hotel which is NOT in Lancaster County. When that contract is signed I hope they will extend the courtesy of announcing the date and location to the BMDCA membership for long term planning purposes. In the meantime I respectfully ask that this hard working group of volunteers be allowed to focus on the huge job they volunteered to do on behalf of the entire Berner community. Volunteers are the very foundation and support of the BMDCA. Please take a moment and ask how you would wish to be treated if and when you volunteer for any project, Berner or otherwise. Many heated messages have been exchanged in the last few days on all sides of the specialty location issue. Many feelings have been hurt. The reason for these exchanges is now gone. Please, now is the time for healing, pulling together and offering a helping hand so each and every BMDCA National Specialty can be an educational and rewarding celebration of Bernese Mt Dogs for all who have the good fortune to attend. Sincerely, Alison Jaskiewicz Mason NH
Re: Backing while attached to cart
Since you are new to carting, I suggest you check out your equipment -- specifically your harness and traces. Beginners generally have no problem with the fit of the harness, but usually do not adjust the traces correctly. When the traces are properly adjusted and your dog is standing still, there should be ONE spot where the cart will rest. It should NOT be possible to roll it backward or forward more than an inch or two. It is not atypical for beginning carters to have eight (or more!) inches of movement. My own standard for adjusting the traces is that it should take a little work to make the last connection. It should be easy to position the trace three inches from the connecton point, but you should need to make some effort for those last three inches. When the traces are looser than this, the cart change position relative to the dog. When transitioning from pulling to the cart to applying the brakes, the cart will roll forward. This can be a problem when starting to go downhill. This same position shift occurs when you start to back up. Your dog will be more comfortable with backing up if the adjustments are correct. --Tom Jaskiewicz From New Hampshire, where the bitches are ( Gita Kepler)strong, the dogs are good looking, and all [EMAIL PROTECTED]the puppies are above average.
Re: puppy paws and snow HELP
Many years ago, we got our first Berner (Kibo) in early April. As luck would have it, a late winter storm had given us an inch or two of snow, so on our first morning with him I went out and shoveled a patch of grass to use. Kibo really appreciated my efforts. The first thing he did was climb to the top of my pile of snow and lay down on it. He loved it! Joe, it's your cold feet! The hardest thing about getting a puppy this time of year is that you should really go outside with him to praise him when he does the right thing. A Berner who doesn't like snow is probably defective. --Tom Jaskiewicz From New Hampshire, where the bitches are ( Gita Kepler)strong, the dogs are good looking, and all [EMAIL PROTECTED]the puppies are above average.
Draft Test Pictures
I have put up a page of pictures from the fall BMDCNV draft test at: http://www.mv.com/ipusers/jaskiewicz/bmdcnv_dt02.html
