The Schaferhunde News
The German Shepherd Dog Club of Greater Kansas City
Founded 1923
Issue - March 2019
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE FROM CHRIS KIMERER
It is the first day of spring as I’m writing this message, and I must admit, I’m not sad to say good bye to old man winter! I am looking forward to moving our meetings outdoors starting in May. With that said, we have our April meeting coming up and it should be of interest to everyone, the topic will be feeding options for our dogs. We will have a panel of several of our own club members that feed Raw, who will share their knowledge and experiences as well as the pros and cons, the different ways of handling this such as purchasing already packaged meals, using available recipes on groups or the web, as well as what’s worked or not worked for them individually. We will also have a Q&A afterwards which I’m sure will lead to more interesting discussion. THIS WILL NOT BE A “FOOD FIGHT”! I know we are all very passionate about our dogs and develop strong opinions, the food subject certainly falls under such category. This is intended to share knowledge and give everyone “food for thought” (no pun intended, well maybe a little) LOL
April will also kick off our Tails & Treats in the Park classes, which are starting April 18th and run for 6 weeks. The class will consist of a beginner level class which will cover all the aspects of a Canine Good Citizen Test, which will be offered on Saturday June 8th in conjunction with our Specialty Show weekend. There will be more information regarding time and exact location to follow. Since we are in partnership with North Kansas City Parks & Rec, they will be handling the sign up of the class, it is listed on their website as well as the enrollment form. We hope to see many German Shepherds in this class so please pass the information along.
Bone-Anza, our first “co-sponsored” event will be the Easter Egg Hunt for dogs on April 13th, please plan to attend this fun afternoon with your dog. Last month and this month’s newsletter have all the information, hope to see all of you there!
Chris
The Heart of America & Leavenworth Kennel Clubs hosted an All Breed Dog Show on March 7 – 10 in Kansas City at the Hale Arena, American Royal Complex.
Look who made their debut in the Conformation Ring at only 6 months!!! Sally Hamm and Buddy, Valley View FaithRock Willie Nelson, took Winner's Dog and Best of Winner's; his very first time out with Mom handling. —
Sally and her puppy Buddy took Winner's Dog and Best of Winner's at Thursday’s show and Reserve Winner's Dog on Saturday.
Winner's Dog and Best of Winner's
Tammy Peterson and Zoey, attended the AKC Rally National Championship in Tulsa, Oklahoma on March 15. She shared that they had a blast at the Rally National event.
Becky James and Freya ended their first Nationals with 194 out of 200, placing 48th overall in AKC Nationals. Freya also earned her TKN trick dog Novice & Trinity earned her TKN & TKI (Intermediate) titles while attending RNC. Freya also earned her CD andRI titles. She took 1st all 3 shows in Rally Intermediate. Pictured below are Becky, Trinity and Freya.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Thursdays, April 18 - May 23, 2019
7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Wheel Park in Macken Park, 1000 E. 27th Avenue, North Kansas City, Missouri
GSDCGKC Members $50.00 / Non-Members $60.00
Six Weeks of Classes: Beginning Obedience Classes, introducing the skills to earn
the AKC Canine Good Citizen test. This class is for puppies (six month and older) and adult
dogs.
There is a 12-dog limit. Make checks payable to: GSDCGKC
Register on-line GSDCGKC.COM (TRAINING)
We are pleased to welcome Jose and Dollia Lemus to our club. They reside in Leavenworth, Kansas and have a six-month old German Shepherd Dog named Moses.
We would like to “Thank Jose for his service to our country.”
Jose serves in the US Army currently at Ft. Leavenworth, Ks.
Submitted by Pat Robinette
As most of you know, the club is considering to no longer host tracking events. This is primarily due to the amount of time and effort needed to put on a tracking event.
Examples of what must be done (not all inclusive): The event must be registered with AKC, judges must be retained well in advance of the event date, premium lists must be created, a Tracking Chairperson, Secretary and Chief Tracklayer must be appointed. Hotel reservations made for the judges, volunteers to take judges to dinner Friday and Saturday night, judges gifts bought, hospitality available the day of the event. And the biggest commitment is the tracklayer. Tracklayers must make a two-day commitment, Saturday and Sunday. Saturday to walk the track with the judges and on Sunday mornings to plot the tracks for the tests. And cross track layers are needed for the TDX. Needless to say, this is very labor intensive.
This might sound daunting, however, each position will have a mentor to guide us and there are documents in files on club members computers, where we could easily create the premium list, draw sheets, confirmation letters and catalogs.
So, with that being said, we would like to hear from you to know if you are willing to commit your time to make these events happen. Remember, it only happens once a year. The plan would be to form a committee and the various job duties would be allocated so that, unlike in the past, no one has everything to do. But with that, a lot of volunteers are needed.
If you could step up and commit to making these events happen, I believe with all of us pitching in, we can retain tracking events for the club.
Please email me if you are willing to help, pat@gsdcgkc.com. If you have questions, please contact me. A vote will be taken of the general membership at the May meeting to determine whether we will continue with tracking events
Tuesday, April 9, 2019, 7:00 p.m., General Meeting, Macken Park Community Center, 1201 Clark Ferguson Drive, North Kansas City MO 64116
Note: Board members meet at 5:45 p.m. (All members are welcome to attend)
Program: Group discussion on "Raw vs Kibble for Your Dog"
Saturday, April 13, 2019, 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m., Bone-Anza, (Easter Egg Hunt for Dogs) NKC Parks (Volunteer opportunity to help promote our club and defray cost of meeting hall)
Thursdays, April 18 - May 23, 2019, 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., Tails & Treats in the Park
Six Weeks of Classes: Beginning Obedience Classes, introducing the skills to earn the AKC Canine Good Citizen test. This class is for puppies (six month and older) and adult dogs. Wheel Park in Macken Park, 1000 E. 27th Avenue, North Kansas City, Missouri
Tuesday, May 14 2019, 7:00 p.m., General Meeting, Macken Park Outdoor Shelter House
Note: Board members meet at 5:45 p.m. (All members are welcome to attend)
No June General Meeting Due to Conformation Show
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, June 7-8-9, 2019, Conformation Show – hosted by the GSDCGKC
Tuesday, July 9, 2019, 7:00 p.m., General Meeting, Macken Park Outdoor Shelter House
Note: Board members meet at 5:45 p.m. (All members are welcome to attend)
ICE CREAM SOCIAL
Tuesday, July 13, 14, 2019, Obedience Show – hosted by the GSDCGKC
Tuesday, August 13, 2019, 7:00 p.m., General Meeting, Macken Park Outdoor Shelter
House
Note: Board members meet at 5:45 p.m. (All members are welcome to attend)
Greater Kansas City Dog Training Club
"Tracking Workshop"
The Greater Kansas City Dog Training Club is holding a Tracking Workshop for Novice Tracking Handlers. The Novice participant will be paired with an experienced tracker.
The workshop will be held on Sunday, April 14 from 9:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. at Smithville Lake, 16311 DD Hwy, Smithville, MO. They will meet at the Litton Visitors Center.
$15/dog-handler team for members; $20 for non-members. Entry must be received by April 4.
Send registration and payment to GKCDTC, 9911 East 63 St, Raytown MO 64133
Come out and support the Bone-Anza event co-sponsored by the North Kansas City Parks & Recreation, Kansas City Parks, and the German Shepherd Dog Club of Greater Kansas City.
The club will be hosting a booth and assisting with the event.
Bring your German Shepherd Dog for some great fun! Only $5.00 per pooch.
Pet Poison
Awareness Week
M A R C H 1 7 - 2 3, 2 0 1 9
Follow the link below for a comprehensive list of information regarding Spring Time Pet Toxins
http://www.akcreunite.org/springtoxins/
Common Backyard Plants
That Are Poisonous to Dogs
Many plants poisonous to dogs are very common in backyards. These toxic time-bombs range from being only mildly toxic (for example, causing vomiting) to being responsible for more serious canine health problems. If you wish to err on the safe side, thoroughly research any vegetation, berries, etc. to which your canine friend has access.
In the case of some plants that pose a danger, only a particular part of the plant in question will be toxic (that is, the seed, leaves, etc.). But it is beyond the scope of this article to delve into those details. Such questions should be addressed to toxicologists. Nor is the following list of plants poisonous to dogs intended in any way to be complete. Rather, it is a sampling of the lists of plants poisonous to dogs provided by such organizations as the ASPCA and the Humane Society. Consider the list as a springboard to further research. Many (but not necessarily all) of the examples on this list are also toxic to cats and humans, as well.
This list of plants poisonous to dogs has been organized according to type (vines, shrubs, etc.), as an indication of the potential scope of the problem, as well as to make the plant list easier to read.
Cold-Hardy, Perennial Flowers
The toxic nature of some of the plants poisonous to dogs will probably come as no surprise to some of you. The danger posed by foxglove, for example, is fairly common knowledge. A few plants, such as dogbane, even announce their toxicity in their very names. If it were always that easy to determine which plants can make your dog sick! The only other entry on this list that gives itself away so easily is monkshood, provided that you know its other common name, which is "wolfsbane":
1. Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)
2. Mums (Chrysanthemum morifolium)
3. Lenten rose (Helleborus orientalis)
4. Lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria majalis)
5. Hosta
6. Bleeding hearts (Dicentra spectabilis)
7. Iris
8. Monkshood (Aconitum)
9. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Vines
Many vines, including those listed below, have the potential to be invasive plants. But vines are also incredibly versatile, serving many a landscaping need. If you own a canine friend who has the run of the yard, make sure you choose vines that, unlike the following examples, are not plants poisonous to dogs:
1. English ivy (Hedera helix)
2. Morning glory (Ipomoea tricolor)
3. Wisteria
4. Clematis
5. Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus)
6. Boston ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata)
Annuals
Annuals are sold in droves at garden centers and valued for the instant, long-lasting color they can inject into one's landscaping. But select carefully if you have a dog that goes outdoors and tends to eat your flowers, because some are poisonous, including:
1. Lantana
2. Begonia
In the North, where lantana is treated as an annual, it is popular in hanging baskets and other container gardens, in which its lively flowers grace many a porch or patio space. Not only is lantana an invasive shrub in warmer areas (where it is not annual), however, but it is also toxic. Growing the plant up high in a hanging basket thus serves two purposes (which is why even Southerners should consider growing the plant in this fashion):
1. The plant is contained, so it is less likely to spread.
2. It is located at a height where your dog will not be able to reach it.
Shrubs
Shrubs, along with trees and hardscape, help supply a "backbone" for the yard. Any good list of shrubs will offer a glimpse into some of the possibilities these workhorses of the landscape provide. But several shrubs are plants poisonous to dogs, including the following:
1. Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus)
2. Yew bushes (Taxus)
3. Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia)
4. Hydrangea
5. Burning bush (Euonymus alata)
6. Azalea genus (Azaleas and rhododendrons)
7. Boxwood (Buxus)
8. Privet (Ligustrum)
9. Daphne
10. Andromeda (Pieris japonica)
Trees
"An apple a day keeps the doctor away"? Our faith in this maxim is not shaken by the well-known fact that apple seeds contain cyanide. Nor should it be. But according to the ASPCA, even the leaves of apple trees (Malus) are toxic, and The Merck Veterinary Manual confirms this claim. Since the hawthorns are related to apples, it should come as no surprise that Washington hawthorn trees (Crataegus phaenopyrum), for example, are poisonous to canines. Here are some other examples:
1. Oleander (Nerium oleander)
2. American holly (Ilex opaca)
3. Yellow bird of paradise (Caesalpinia gilliesii)
4. Golden chain (Laburnum × watereri)
5. Oak trees (Quercus; leaves and acorns poisonous to dogs)
Bulb Plants
You may have heard that squirrels (a major pest for many other spring-flowering bulb plants) will not eat daffodils. But do you know why? The fact is, daffodils (Narcissus) are toxic. Other bulbs to be careful about if you have a dog include:
1. Hyacinths (Hyacinthus orientalis)
2. Tulips (Tulipa)
3. Lilies (Lilium)
4. Allium
Tropical Plants
Some landscaping stalwarts (including some tropical plants) are grown for their flowers, but others are grown for their vegetation. We sometimes refer to them as foliage plants. Some of the plant specimens poisonous to dogs that follow are also known for having large leaves, such as castor beans and the aptly-named "elephant ears." By contrast, bird of paradise and angel's trumpet are grown for their sensational blossoms. Meanwhile, Aloe Vera may be toxic for your puppy, but it is found in many skin-care products for humans. As for snake lily, this unusual specimen is in a class all by itself:
1. Castor bean (Ricinus communis)
2. Elephant ears (Colocasia)
3. Aloe vera
4. Bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae)
5. Angel's trumpet (Brugmansia)
6. Snake lily (Amorphophallus konjac)
Weeds and Other Wild Plants
Finally, as if weeds did not already give us fits in trying to control them, there are also some weeds that are poisonous to dogs. Yellow dock has some upside: namely, its leaves can be crushed to create a salve for stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) burns. Meanwhile, Mayapple, baneberry, bloodroot, and jack-in-the-pulpit have a place in wildflower gardens, and mistletoe is, of course, a classic for Christmas decorating, as is another poisonous plant, the poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima):
1. Yellow dock (Rumex crispus)
2. Bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara)
3. Creeping Charlie (Glechoma hederacea)
4. Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum)
5. Baneberry (Actaea)
6. Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
7. Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)
8. Mistletoe (Viscum album)
If you know you have plants poisonous to dogs growing in your yard, it is a good idea to keep your dog from accessing them, perhaps via some fencing. But seedlings (especially of weeds) can sprout up very quickly, so also be sure to monitor the grounds within the fencing, to ensure that it remains free of toxic intruders. If your dog becomes ill and you suspect that it has eaten one of these poisonous plants, contact your veterinarian immediately if you wish to be on the safe side.
