FW: Canine DNA Project

I represent the Canine Heritage Breed Test through MMI Genomics located in Davis California. We are in the process of expanding the test, to help owners of mixed breed dogs not only satisfy their curiosity as to what their dog's breed make-up includes, but also to assist with possible behavior and health issues.

Unfortunately, one of the breeds we do not have the identifiers for is the Maltese. So, I am reaching out to you to see if there is an interest in assisting us with this project? And, ideally, spreading the word to your fellow Maltese owners to see if they might have an interest in helping too? We are looking to obtain at least 40 samples, from 40 different dogs within this breed. The dogs must be AKC registered Maltese dogs.

Donating a sample is simple, painless and does not require a visit to the vet. If you are interested, I will send you a sample kit, and all you have to do is swab the inside of your dog's mouth with the K9CheekSwab. That's it! Simple, painless, easy...and takes less than a minute to do. There will also be a simple form to fill out, and we ask that you also provide us with a copy of your dogs AKC registration for verification.

Privacy is extremely important to us, so we will not share your information, your dog's information, or their DNA sample, with anyone (that's a question we get a lot).

After reading this - if you are interested in helping out, or have additional questions, please feel free to contact me directly:

Robin Ray
MMI Genomics
robin.ray@mmigenomics.com
(530) 297-2904


Thank you for your time & consideration.

You can see the test and get more information at our website: http://www.mmigenomics.com

re: This could be the Cisco Kid!

Kenny, the Rooster

This farmer has about 200 hens, but no rooster, and he wants chicks.

So, he goes down the road to the next farmer and asks if he has a rooster that he would sell.

The other farmer says, "Yeah, I've got this great rooster named Kenny.

He'll service every chicken you got, no problem."

Well, Kenny the rooster costs a lot of money, but the farmer decides he'd be worth it. So, he buys Kenny.

The farmer takes Kenny home and sets him down in the barnyard, first, giving the rooster a pep talk. I want you to pace yourself now. You've got a lot of chickens to service here, and you cost me a lot of money. I'll need you to do a good job. So, take your time and have some fun," the farmer said, with a chuckle.

Kenny seemed to understand, so the farmer pointed toward the hen house and Kenny took off like a shot.

WH AM ! Kenny nails every hen in the hen house - three or four times, and the farmer is really shocked. After that the farmer hears a commotion in the duck pen, sure enough, Kenny is in there.

Later, the farmer sees Kenny after a flock of geese, down by the lake.

Once again - WHAM! He gets all the geese. By sunset he sees Kenny out in the fields chasing quail and pheasants.

The farmer is distraught and worried that his expensive rooster won't even last 24 hours.

Sure enough, the farmer goes to bed and wakes up the next day, to find Kenny flat on his back, stone cold, in the middle of the yard. Buzzards are circling overhead. The farmer, saddened by the loss of such a colorful, productive - and expensive animal, shakes his head and says,

"Oh, Kenny, I told you to pace yourself. I tried to get you to slow down, now look what you've done to yourself."

Kenny opens one eye, nods toward the buzzards circling in the sky and says,


Shhh, they're getting closer".

re: Congrats on a NEW CH!

To: castlemar3@hotmail.com

Keepsake Superabundance Is now a Champion in three straight weekends out with Luke Ericht. Levi attained his title with three majors at the tender age of 13 months old.

Levi follows the pace set by my first male maltese " Ch Cherub Calvin of Keepsake" Who also finished his title very quickly with Luke.

Thank you for selling me Calvin, pointing me in Levi's direction to purchase, and suggesting Luke Ericht as a handler.

Keep up the good work.

Rick Wilson
Keepsake Maltese

re: Monkey is a WINNER!!

Congrats to Brandi on Monkey ! He was best of breed both days
showing at 8:00. am :) .
Have to say if I didn't know better I would have sworn Brandi
is becoming a morning person!
Dale

re: OpenLetterToOprahWinfrey

Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:14:05 -0400
Subject: Check out http://www.akc.org/pdfs/press_center/OpenLetterToOprahWinfrey.pdf

To: castlemar3@hotmail.com

You should ad to your web site that CKC, APRI, etc breeders are subject to no inspections or DNA profiles. And many of those breeders are former AKC breeders that got suspended, or could not comply.

I saw somewhere in your web site you address these issues with those types of breeders.

http://www.akc.org/pdfs/press_center/OpenLetterToOprahWinfrey.pdf

re: Brandi's CH. MONKEY!

Who picks these ring times???

This weekend is a local show and one of the few that we can drive to and back.
Both days we have our dogs in the ring at 8:00am ! That will be so much fun to
be up and going 4:00am to make that ring time :).
The good thing is Brandi will have to have her CH.Monkey (papillion) ready for
me to show and she is a real morning person!!
Dale

re: Windy night!

Wow, we had terrible wind storms last night and this morning
found 2200. damage to our trees & fences.
What is the point of a weather report to the CHERUB BLOG ??
Getting there, just takes a little longer these days :)!
This morning before I put the kids out to go to the bathroom
I thought it might be a good idea to take a flashlight and walk the
fence line.
Sure glad I did as there was two spots that limbs had gone right through
and would have opened the fence right to the highway!
Life lesson learned.
Dale

Become a friend!
http://friendsofpineridgereservation.org

re: Blog question

Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2008 22:48:13 -0400
Subject: (no subject)
To: castlemar3@hotmail.com

Hi Dale,
I read in your Maltese wrapping blog about "coat oil." I have only had Maltese companions, but I have heard coat oil can help in removing small mats in the coat. What is coat oil? I sure enjoy your site and thank you for the pics. I hope to hear from you when they are ready to go. Rhonda Schroeder

Hey Rhonda,
Using oil can help seal the coat and protect it from damage.
There are several great products that you can use for dogs, but our favorites are Neutrogena Bath Oil or
Avon Skin So Soft.
We mix two cap fulls of oil to 1 gallon of warm water and shake well
Just brush out the coat as normal shampoo and rinse, press out excess water with a towel, pour the
mixture of oil down the part starting at the head.
If you have several dogs to do you can use a pan and reuse your oil.
Dry the maltese allowing the heat of the dryer to spread the oil evenly through the coat.
I will take some photos of a maltese in oil for the BLOG, it really doesnt come off but they do have a
"greasy kids stuff" look going on.
The coat will not tangle tight and you can go about a week with no real brushing out with no serious
tangles (do the topnot and face every other day).
Even if you don't want to keep your maltese in oil all of the time, should you have to leave a dog in
coat with somebody or be unable to to regular grooming it can buy you some time.
Best,
Dale

re: BLOG Question

From: Sandra Williams
Date: 4/9/08

Hello Dale,
Love the CHERUB site, your dogs are wonderful!
The Blog is very educational and I wish it was available
before I purchased my Missy.
We of course love her, paid over $3000. to the person that was
selling her. She was not the breeder of the puppy. (breeder is in Kansas - they didn't mention that).
Our question is, the papers she came with are not AKC (we assumed they were), can we register her with AKC?
Missy will stay either way but we had hoped our daughter could show her in Junior showmanship to start with and then to her championship.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Sandra Williams


RESPONSE:
Date: 4/9/08


Dear Sandra,
So glad you are enjoying the BLOG! It has been alot of fun to do.
The person you purchased Missy from was most likely a BROKER who probably purchased
the puppy (very likely the entire litter) for probably a third of her selling
price (per puppy).
The commercial pet trade usually uses the bogus - non DNA backed papers
as they can fool the public into thinking that this dog is of documented DNA
backed parentage. Not to mention no regard for breed betterment which is the primary goal of most AKC show breeders.
If they were indeed AKC they would have to be inspected by AKC and the
DNA would be done for pedigree verification.
The USDA inspects the poultry/cattle/swine/ & commercially bred dogs.
We have seen (on Oprah, Dateline, etc) what appears to be acceptable standards for USDA kennels.
Unless Missy's parents are registered with AKC and her breeder in KS is a
member in good standing that could register her, her current papers will not
get you AKC registration.
Please consider spaying her and enjoying her as your beloved family companion.
If you are serious about the breed and want to learn about them, join a local
kennel club and look to work with a breeder of champion maltese to learn about
maltese. Most importantly, give your girl lots of love and don't feel badly, all Maltese are precious.
Take care,
Dale

PS. Send a photo of your girl with her family for the BLOG!

re: Blog Question

Name: Withheld by request
Date: 4-9-08
RE: Co-ownerships

Hi Dale,
Really enjoy the information you have shared on the CHERUB BLOG!
Have a question that I was hoping you could share some insight on with a puppy
I am considering buying.
The breeder is requiring a co-ownership with me, is this standard in buying a puppy?
Please don't post my name but I would really like to know if this is something that
all breeders require in purchasing a puppy.
Sincerely,
XXXXXXXXXX

Response:
Date: 4-9-08
RE: Co-ownerships

Thats a really good question and since you are contemplating a co-ownership we would assume that
this is a show/breeding potential dog.
First in every dealing there should be the three parts of - OPEN / ACTION / CLOSE - at what point is the
dog yours?
You should take a moment and visit the AKC.ORG and read up on the rights and responsibilities of co-ownerships.
_______________________________________________________________________________
FUN FACTS:
In the eyes of AKC all co-owners are equal and either can TAKE or MAINTAIN possession of the dog and AKC will not
be involved unless there is a court order giving custody to one of the co-owners.

Should one of the co-owners lose AKC priviledges the dog is also suspended for all co-owners (showing/offspring of this dog).

Duplicate records must be kept by all co-owners and with a male only ONE need sign to register a litter / all must sign for a
co-owned female.
_________________________________________________________________________________

Many if not most co-ownerships have some degree of conflict before completion, there are often open ended statements
involving things that can not be predicted or controlled - ie. showing & breedings.

How can you make a plan that involves puppies and wins that may never come?

The expenses of making these goals happen can be staggering and are usually one-sided and that is where it gets ugly.

If you must do this against all advice make sure there is a bail-out clause and a money amount that can be paid to close
out the co-ownership in advance.

Personally I know of one lady that paid a large sum to buy and then had bad luck in showing her dog but it did eventually
finish its championship after some real expense.
All so she could breed it and start her line, she owed two puppies back to the breeder before the dog was hers outright.
Several attempts and money expense later they had a litter via emergency c-section and the bitch had to be spayed.
There was only one puppy that the breeder took and she had to pay for the second puppy that did not live since the vet
spayed the female without the co-owners consent.
Over $20,000. for purchase, show career, breedings, delivery costs, and buying a puppy that never happened all to end up
with a CH.spayed housepet ....

If you buy a dog it should be yours. Putting somebodies name on your house or car title would be a no-brainer this
is the same thing ... in my opinion!

Dale

RE: Afternoon

Dear Patricia,
Thanks for your note, you are definately ready for a puppy and look forward to photos when you get the new baby.
Take care,
Dale

Hello There,
I have once again been on your tremendous site, I cant tell you the pleasure I get looking at all of your little charges, I am on several breeders waiting list here in the UK . I had Chow Chows from 1968 the first being a wedding present as I wouldnt marry him and then go home from work to an empty house, [ I came from a large family, ]other women get diamonds I got a dog. My last boy passed three years ago and as I am no longer a spring chicken [ ahem ] I looked for a smaller breed it took a long time but in the end I chose the Maltese. The waiting is killing me , but in the end he / she will be well worth the wait.

Things are so bad I asked my husband yesterday when giving him his afternoon cup of tea would you like a tit bit he looked at me and said the sooner the better women you get this pup or you may be feeding me dog food for lunch and then said that may not be too bad as sometimes they used to eat better than me, we fell about the kitchen floor laughing. I will visit again and again thankyou.

Kindest Regards Patricia Bradley

FW: Hi dale its Whitney here's jb

JB Boyle is going to school with his mom, Whitney Boyle!
They are both fashion FORWARD!!!

re: Sporting Dog Newsletter

Subject: Fw: Sporting Dog Newsletter

March Newsletter

American Sporting Dog Alliance Helps

To Kill Horrible Wisconsin Legislation

The American Sporting Dog Alliance (ASDA) joined forces with Wisconsin dogs owners' and sportsmen's groups to defeat legislation in that state that would have virtually eliminated purebred dog breeding. Senate Bill 308 died in the Joint Committee on Finance following an avalanche of letters and phone calls from dog owners.

This means that the legislation died when the 2007-2008 session of the Legislature adjourned. ASDA urges continued vigilance, however, as similar legislation likely will be introduced next year due to intense pressure from animal rights groups. Wisconsin was a key state in the "puppy mill" campaign of groups such as the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), but hobby dog breeding was the real target of this legislation.

Wisconsin represents dog owners' second major victory within a month. Last month, ASDA led the fight to decisively defeat similar destructive legislation in Oklahoma.

In Wisconsin, dog owners' groups fought hard to block this legislation, using traditional lobbying and participation of their members.

ASDA's strategy bolsters this effort at the grassroots level. Our approach is to develop a huge database of email addresses and message boards, and to inform tens of thousands of people about the issues. We ask dog owners to participate directly as citizens, and give them the information and procedure that they need to respond. This approach mobilizes many people who are not part of existing groups, such as hunters with dogs and people who work with registries that focus on sporting dogs.

In addition, our teams of veterinarians and attorneys performed detailed analyses of the legislation, and this information was made available to dog owners, legislators and other key people. We also worked to gain some improbable allies, when we proved to several people who had supported this legislation that it would have destroyed animal shelter and rescue programs in the state.

Then, we added to our grassroots approach with direct contacts with every senator on the committee.

The result was a veritable flood of letters from dog owners, and this played a key role in convincing the committee to toss this bill into the trashcan. Elected officials care deeply about the opinions of people who vote for or against them.

Learn more about this and other issues by visiting us at http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org.

Hard Lessons In Virginia

We licked some wounds in March, too.

A law passed in Virginia that will essentially eliminate kennels that have more than 50 dogs. ASDA had stayed in the background of the debate over this legislation at the request of dog owners' groups in that state, who told us that they had the situation under control. With reluctance, we accepted their advice.

What the Virginia dog owners' groups hadn't counted on was being sold out by national organizations that they had considered allies. These national groups seemingly agreed to a deal of "non-opposition" to this legislation, as long as only large kennels were affected.

ASDA strongly opposes any such deal, as we see it as part of the animal rights movement's "divide and conquer" strategy. The animal rights groups try to identify the most vulnerable segments of dog ownership and hunting, and to focus on picking them off one group at a time. Thus, we flatly refuse to compromise if it means making one group of responsible dog owners "expendable."

Even though we stayed out of the Virginia fight until some very bad legislation passed the house by a 91-6 margin, we were able to support some dedicated and skilled dog ownership activists in that state to make some very positive changes in the Senate. We built a database and encouraged many people to participate, and provided legal analyses of the impacts of the bill to every members of the Senate.

The results were Senate amendments to block a plan requiring the state to enforce federal kennel regulations, enlarge the size limits used to define a breeding kennel and thus protect many serious hobby breeders from devastating requirements, and remove non-breeding kennels (such as dog trainers and people who keep packs of hounds) from the legislation.

While the legislation passed the Senate and was signed into law, we helped to make it much better than the House version.

Learn more about this and other issues by visiting us at http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org

Holding The Line In Connecticut

ASDA learned of an effort to create a study of mandatory spay and neuter legislation in Connecticut, and worked with groups in that state to nip this bad idea in the bud. The legislator who had planned to introduce a bill in committee simply withdrew it without discussion, rather than face a firestorm of political activism from dog owners.

We also exposed another task force in Connecticut that is investigating the link between criminal violence and animal abuse. While we agree with some of the concerns of the legislator who heads this task force, we flatly oppose any task force that would serve to inject animal rights ideology into the schools and juvenile justice system.

In the process, we believe we have won a strong ally in Gov. M. Jodi Rell, who has disavowed support for either task force. We like what we see in Gov. Rell.

Learn more about this and other issues by visiting us at http://wwwamericansportingdogalliance.org.

Hunting And Field Trials

ASDA also is taking an active role on issues that will impact hunting and field trials on public lands.
We have called our members and supporters to action on plans to eliminate the Illinois pheasant stocking program, and proposed rulemaking in Pennsylvania that would limit or prohibit the use of releasing pheasants, chukars and Hungarian partridge for hunting, dog training and field trials. The rulemaking also might restrict or eliminate the use of pen-raised quail if their origin is from a different state.

In Ohio, we continue to strongly support efforts to stop the closure of the Kildeer Plains and Indian Creek Wildlife Management Areas to most field trials. While we are deferring to the leadership of the Ohio Association of Field Trials on this issue, we have supported them by publicizing the issues, contacting elected officials and wildlife agency officials on the behalf of field trialers, and encouraging our members and supporters to take an active role on this issue as citizens.
Those two Ohio field trial areas are of national stature and are notable venues for championship-level competition.

The issue in Ohio centers around the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's policy of eliminating field trials from lands funded through the Pittman-Robertson Act. The USFWS essentially is extorting state wildlife agencies by threatening to withhold funds for management unless field trials are banned. They did this a few years ago in Indiana, they are doing it now in Ohio and we hear that Michigan is next on the list.

The Ohio groups are approaching this issue by trying to gain the support of state wildlife agency officials for an extension of time (the shutdown has been ordered for May), or to come up with alternative areas. We are supporting this effort, even though we believe that stronger action is needed.

ASDA maintains that the USFWS is breaking the law on this issue, as the Pittman-Robertson Act specifically identifies field trials as an acceptable land use, and specifically forbids the federal agency from interfering with state land management decisions. The USFWS is violating both parts of the law.

In Pennsylvania, we are taking an active role in trying to preserve the grouse study area on a state game lands called "The Barrens" near State College. The Game Commission wants to shut down this study area, which is the only one of its kind in Pennsylvania. We believe that preservation of the study area and continuing research are vital to the future of grouse hunting. In the process, this area also has become one of the premier grouse trial grounds in America.

Learn more about this and other issues by visiting us at http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org.

Current State And Local Legislation

ASDA now is actively involved in stopping bad legislation in several states and municipalities around the country. Here are our current campaigns:

In California, we are gearing up for a bitter fight when mandatory spay and neuter legislation is reintroduced into the Legislature this year. This month, we published investigative reports that completely destroy the rationale behind this legislation, and several more major reports will be forthcoming.

We also are seeking to overturn and defeat mandatory spay and neuter ordinances in Kern County and the City of Los Angeles, in California, and in Volusia and West Palm Beach Counties in Florida. Our investigative report this month on the Kern County situation uncovered some horrendous euthanasia policies at the municipal animal shelter, and a long history of breaking the law. We believe this information will play a productive role in the debate over this issue.

In Dallas, Texas, and Santa Barbara, CA, we are working to block mandatory spay and neuter ordinances that fly in the face of the facts, and are crudely designed attempts to eliminate the breeding of dogs to advance the genocidal agenda of animal rights groups. Forthcoming investigative reports will prove that there is no need for these ordinances, and, in fact, they will make the problem worse.

We also are working to defeat proposed new kennel legislation in Pennsylvania, which is expected to be published in days. We have created a network of at least 50,000 Pennsylvania sporting dog and kennel owners who are gearing up for the fight in the legislature, and hope to double this number in the near future. Prior to the publication of the legislation and regulations, we have tried to improve draft versions by meeting with key legislators, senators and administrators in the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement, and also are in the midst of publishing a series of investigative reports on the issues.

In Ohio, we are working to defeat changes in the animal control act and proposed new kennel regulations. With the animal control legislation, we supported the Ohio Valley Dog Owners Association in testimony at a hearing before a House committee, and the testimony was overwhelmingly against the legislation. We also have submitted analyses of both pieces of legislation based on reports from our legal and veterinary committees. As in other states, our focus has included building a large database of dog and kennel owners, so that thousands of people can be quickly informed and mobilized to take direct action. It's working! Legislators and senators are being deluged with letters from concerned dog owners.

We also are working to include animal shelters and large rescue groups in existing state kennel regulations. While many of these programs are excellent and deserve our total support, a shocking number of animal cruelty law violations occur in shelters and large rescue kennels, and they are not regulated in most states. Literally, tens of thousands of animals have been found living under inhumane conditions at shelters and large rescue shelters every year. We are supporting legislation that has been introduced in Connecticut to regulate shelters and rescues under the same standards that are used to license private kennels In other states, we are working to include large rescues and shelters under dealer license requirements, because they transfer hundreds of thousands of animals a year. Many of them have health problems, undiscovered disposition problems, and have been exposed to many communicable diseases and poor conditions. The new owners of these dogs deserve this kind of protection, and the dogs deserve it, too!

The South Carolina Legislature is considering anti-tethering and anti-crating legislation that is a thinly veiled assault on all animal owners - and especially on people with hunting dogs - to accomplish a larger animal rights agenda. South Carolina activists have succeeded in blunting several of the worst parts of this bill in committee, and we are backing them up by informing people and preparing investigative reports that will show the true colors of this legislation and the groups that are supporting it.

We are working with a group of Kansans to change rabies laws to reflect veterinary science research. Research has clearly shown that vaccinations are needed only every three years to establish total immunity, and not annually as is required in Kansas and other states. Other research has shown that more frequent vaccination creates serious health risks to dogs due to side effects from the shots.

Learn more about this and other issues by visiting us at http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org.
>
Political Accountability

A rapidly growing focus will be to hold elected officials accountable to dog owners for their votes on issues affecting animal ownership, hunting and animal welfare/rights issues. We began this with in-depth profiles of track records of the presidential, senatorial and congressional candidates in Texas and Ohio, prior to those states' primary elections, and will be doing the same prior to the April primary in Pennsylvania.

We plan to do this in a greatly expanded form for the upcoming November general election, with extensive coverage on voting records and position statements for all candidates for federal office, and many candidates for state offices. We hope to expand our database to be able to reach more than a million sporting dog and kennel owners who will vote in November, and many more people who hunt with dogs. We do not claim that dog owners have the power to decide the elections, but we do believe that we realistically have the power to decide many close races.

That is especially true at the state level. We plan to make millions of voters aware of every state legislator's and senator's records of voting for or against animal rights legislation, with special emphasis on those who sponsor or cosponsor dangerous legislation aimed at taking away the rights of dog owners. We believe that this is a very important role for ASDA, as the mainstream news media does a very poor job of reporting voting records on animal rights issues. Expect us to play a major role in legislative elections in states such as Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, California and Ohio. We believe that dog owners have the power to defeat or elect many candidates in those states.

Learn more about this and other issues by visiting us at http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org.

Dog Owners' Bill Of Rights

We are in the process of drafting model legislation for a Dog Owners' Bill of Rights, and to work for its passage into law in many states. This model legislation will confirm dog ownership rights in order to prevent the passage of any legislation that will adversely affect those rights.

The aggression of animal rights groups has pushed us into a defensive position on legislation in dozens of states.

A Dog Owner's Bill of Rights will prevent legislation from being considered that harms the rights of dog owners, kennel owners, hunters and farmers. We believe that this has the potential to become a very powerful political alliance that will make legislators think twice before supporting any part of the animal rights agenda.

Learn more about this and other issues by visiting us at http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org.

Volunteers Needed

We need your help to accomplish several immediate goals, and are seeking volunteers.

We need help in enlarging our database to include every state. This is very tedious work, but also very important work. It means searching the Internet for email addresses, websites and message boards for sporting dog owners and professionals. To accomplish our mission, we need to create a huge database to reach dog owners quickly.

We also need volunteers to contact their local schools to study what is being taught to our children about animal rights issues. We have learned of an extensive nationwide program orchestrated by puppet groups attached to PETA and HSUS to create what are called "humane education programs" in the schools. We have seen some of the materials that are being presented to students as "fact," and many of them are blatant and biased attacks on dog ownership, dog breeding, hunting and farming. We need people to go into their schools and learn what is being taught, so that we can oppose it on the local, state and federal level.

We also need undercover investigators to help us unmask the brutal secrets at PETA animal "shelter" in Virginia, which butchers 97-percent of the animals it takes in This will be a tough assignment that may involve personal risk.

We also need people to get an inside look at many troubled animal shelters and rescue groups around the country.

Additional needs for volunteers are for people to track political candidates' voting records, animal rights group affiliations, and positions.

We also need people to work on the state level to introduce legislation for a Dog Owners' Bill of Rights.

Please contact us at asda@csonline.net to volunteer.

Join Us Now

Please consider joining ASDA now. Your membership and full participation are a vital part of helping us to accomplish our mission to protect the rights of dog owners and professionals. We are supported solely by the donations of our members, and maintain strict independence. Our only allegiance is to people who own, hunt with and work with dogs of the sporting breeds. Please stand up and be counted now.
For information about joining and about our organization, please visit us on the web at http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org. You can join online or by snail mail.

Please Forward This Newsletter To As Many People As Possible

Have You Joined Yet?
The American Sporting Dog Alliance
http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org

re: Questions

PS. Be sure to have the subject line read BLOG.
We can withhold your name and address from your question if you wish.
Dale

re: QUESTIONS!

If anybody has any Maltese questions just email us at
castlemar3@hotmail.com
Then we will answer on the BLOG!
Breeding/grooming/showing/training/WHATEVER its all good :)!
Look forward to some good notes.
Dale

re: Dog legislation response

by DIANE KLUMB
as published in Show Site Magazine September 2002

Hi. My name is Diane, and I am a Breeder.
I am good at it, and I am damned proud of it.
I bought my first show dog in 1969 and whelped my first litter
in April, 1975.
I have, since that inauspicious beginning, in partnership with my long
suffering husband and a few good friends produced a few dozen champions,
some top producers, a handful of Specials, and a lot of superb close-working
grouse dogs and well loved companions. We kept a fair number over the years
and sold the rest. (NOTE: I said sold, not 'placed'...we'll address that
particular idiocy later.) We owned a kennel for many years, and trained gun
dogs. This involved the killing of untold numbers of game birds, all of
which we ate. I have more recipes for pheasant, grouse and woodcock than
you can shake a stick at. We showed our hunting dogs and hunted over our
show dogs.
I do not believe for a minute that the whelping or sale of a
single one of those purebred dogs is in any way responsible of the
euthanization of a million unwanted dogs a year at the shelters around the
country, any more that I believed that cleaning my plate when I was a kid
could in any way benefit all the poor starving children in Africa, no matter
how much the nuns or my mother tried to make me feel guilty about it.
I couldn't see the logic then and I can't see it now (although
today I would maybe refrain from suggesting that we bundle up Sister
Edlita's
meatloaf and actually send it to the poor starving children in Africa.)

Look at it this way:
If I go to a bookstore specifically to buy Matt Ridley's The
Human Genome (which, as it happens, I recently did) and that bookstore does
not have it, I will do one of two things - I will order it, or I will go to
another bookstore the does carry it and purchase it there. What I will NOT
do is take the same money and buy Martha Stewart's latest cookbook instead,
because this is not what I want.
Guilt without logic is dangerous.
Show breeders are simply not responsible for the millions of
unplanned and unwanted mongrels produced in this country. Period. So don't
let anyone make you feel guilty about it.
I do not understand why the top horse farms in this country are
not in the least embarrassed by the fact they make a lot of money doing it,
yet in the world of dogs if one is to be respected, one is to lose one's ass
financially. That is a load of horseshit, pure and simple, yet we accept it
meekly and without question.

Why is that?
Basic economic theory suggests that if we are not turning a
profit, one of two things is wrong - we suffer from poor management, ore we
are not asking enough for our product to cover our production costs. What
are our costs?
Well, if we are breeding good dogs, besides basic food and
veterinary costs
we ought to be adding in the costs of showing these animals, and
advertising, and health testing, which are not expenses incurred by the high
volume breeders (puppy mills).
OK, so we have much higher costs involved in producing our
healthier, sounder animals. Yet the average pet shop puppy sells for about
the same as the average well bred pet from show stock, and often they sell
for much more.
What's wrong with this picture?
We're stupid that's what's wrong.

Q. Why does a Jaguar sell for ten times more than a Hundai?
A. Because it's worth more and everyone knows it.

"And everyone knows it" is the key phrase here, folks. But
somehow no one knows our puppies are worth more and we're embarrassed to
tell them.
Why is that?
The difference between the sale price of a multi million dollar stallion and
what he's worth as horsemeat on any given day at a livestock auction is
quality. Yet we cannot address this issue in dogs because we are embarrassed
to talk about money and dogs in the same breath.

Why is that?
OK, I'll tell you, because someone has to come out and say this
sooner or later.
There is a war going on.
Unlike most wars, however, this one actually has three sides
rather than two.
We have Show breeders, who are producing a small number of
purebred dogs.
We have High-Volume breeders who are producing a large number of
purebred dogs.
We have Animal Rights Activists, who believe that neither group
has the right to breed or even own purebred dogs, much less make a profit at
it.
While the first group is busy trying to get rid of
the second group because they don't like the way they breed dogs (which by
the way ain't gonna happen as long as the American public wants purebred
dogs and the first group won't produce them) the third group is winning the
war.
You think I'm making this up?
Then how come we've started saying we "placed" our puppies
instead of sold them?
We talk about the new "adoptive homes" instead of their new
owners.
What's next? Instead of price of a puppy, we'll charge an
"adoption fee?"
What's wrong with this new language?

I'll tell you -
We didn't come up with it, the Animal Rights Activists did - we
are just stupid enough to use it.
We are stupid because it's based on the premise that we have
no right to
own dogs.
It is based on the premise that dog ownership is the moral
equivalent of human slavery, and that the species homo sapien has no right
to use any other species for any purpose whatsoever, be it food, clothing,
medical research, recreation or involuntary companionship.

Now, I don't know about you, but my politically incorrect
opinion is:
Our species did not spend the last million years clawing our way
to the top
of the food chain to eat tofu. The stuff tastes like shit no matter how you
cook it, and there is absolutely no sense pretending otherwise.

Zoology 101:

Animals who kill other animals for their primary food source are
called predators. Their eyes are generally on the front of their skulls,
they have teeth designed to tear flesh from bone, and a digestive system
designed to digest meat (like us). Animals that live primarily off
vegetation are called herbivores. They have better peripheral vision, flat
teeth for grinding, and the most efficient of them have multiple stomachs,
which we do not (like cows). And lastly, Animals who live primarily off what
other have killed (carrion) are called scavengers (think about that one long
and hard.)
Man like the canid, is a pack-hunting predator, which is
probably why we get along so well. (If that fact bothers you, get over it.)

How did we get to the top of the food chain?
We are the most intelligent and efficient pack-hunters ever
to suck oxygen from the atmosphere, that's how.
We are certainly intelligent enough to understand that
maintaining that position on this small planet depends on responsible
stewardship, not guilt.
And we are so damned efficient that we can support a
tremendous number of scavengers in our midst. Like the Animal Rights
Activists, for instance.
(Me, I think we should dump the whole lot of them buck naked
in the Boundary Waters and see how well this equalitarian philosophy of
theirs plays out, but that's probably too politically incorrect for anybody
else to consider. Sigh.)

Well, to begin with we need to regain control. The first way we
do this is with language, which is the tool they have been using on us.
These people who don't want us to "own" dogs are likening
themselves to Abolitionists. That's a fallacy, unless you accept the premise
that dogs are really little humans in fur coats, which frankly is an insult
to a species that has never waged war on the basis of religious differences.
No, the group they really resemble is the
Prohibitionists-remember them?
A particularly annoying bunch of zealots who firmly believed and somehow
managed
to convince our duly elected representatives that alcohol was a bad thing,
and any beverage containing it should be illegal in these United States of
America.
Very few Americans actually agreed with this, by the way, but by the time
Congress got its head out of its collective you-know-what, a whole new
industry had developed-
Organized Crime.

We look back at that whole debacle now and wonder how anything
that stupid and wrongheaded ever happened.

Well, boys and girls, in the inimitable words of the great Yogi
Berra: Its's Déjà vu all over again. The Prohibitionists are back.

And once again, we are buying it. Amazing.

re: Christopher Robin

re: Christopher Robin

We are so very excited about our new boy sired by CH.Divines Indecent Cajun Creation out ofLaureal Paris (pedigree attached).
Bred by Sharon Girven of Blue Hill he is a delightful little fellow
and we appreciate her sendinghim to us!
Dale

re: Good pigment ... a good thing!

re: Your new Maltese puppy

re: Two Wolves

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two "wolves" inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

re: Malti-poos

The following article is displayed on the Poodle Club of Canada's website. It was written by our club President Dr. Joanne Reichertz DVM. I agree with the author in all aspects of cross breeding of any breed, not just poodles and have her permission to reproduce it in its' entirety.

As originally published in The Poodle Review, July/August Issue 2004

As I see it

Joanne Reichertz DVM

Oodles of Poodle Crosses for Sale.

Can we prevent our Pet Puppies from

Being used to produce these Crossbreeds?

In virtually every newspaper classified section you can read, there are advertisements for Goldendoodles, Labradoodles, Cockapoos, Pekeapoos, Shihpoos, etc. In all the years I have bred poodles there have always been crossbreeds around. Most of these were accidents and the puppies were given away or sold for little more than the price of their care. Some Cockapoos were deliberately bred for Pet Shops, but the market was inconsistent, so they were not readily available. Labradors and Standard Poodles were also crossbred in Australia to produce a specific type of working dog. However in the previous few years the "fad" has been to produce crossbred poodles with many different breed and market them for considerable money as "designer breeds that are healthier and otherwise better than a purebred". In most cases these puppies are produced for monetary gains not to develop a new breed!

The Goldendoodle is one of these crossbreds. Goldendoodles were deliberately bred in North America as a larger version of the Cockapoo, beginning around ten to fifteen years ago. Most do not shed hair heavily, and some are hypoallergenic like the Standard Poodle. This crossbred gets its name from the mix of the two breeds - Golden Retriever and Poodle. Goldendoodles are considered a hybrid dog, a first generation cross between two breeds, and as such they are supposed to exhibit a quality called "hybrid vigour" by these breeders. This hybrid vigour is more correctly called heterosis. Crossbreeding in commercial beef cattle production improves feed efficiency through heterosis. Hybrid vigor or heterosis is the added performance boost in crossbred calves over the performance average of their purebred parents. This heterosis can be used to advantage where the end product is meant to grow faster and eat less feed while doing so – thus maximizing the farmer's profit. It is not necessarily useful in breeding dogs. In theory the puppies will take on the best traits of both breeds. In reality, this is often false.

True hybrids are the product of breeding two different species. Breeding a donkey and a horse produces a mule, breeding a lion and a tiger produces a liger or a tigon, while breeding a wolf and a domestic dog produces a wolf hybrid. Each of these hybrid breedings is a cross of two different species. The offspring are hybrids. Domestic dogs are the same species. When you cross breed domestic dogs you are not technically creating a hybrid. Wolf/dog hybrids often have behavioral problems as the domestic dog differs greatly in behavior from a wolf. A wolf/dog hybrid can be a behavioural disaster when they mature. (See Canine Hybrid Issues Surrounding the Wolf Dog , M. Sloan, J. Moore Porter, 2001)

A breed of dog is not a separate species, it is just a family of dogs bred to exhibit certain specific traits like the coat of a poodle. When you breed a litter of purebred dogs you get predictable puppies. With crossbred puppies you do not. It takes many generations to fix traits when developing a new breed. For example after a hundred years of breeding the Toy Poodle we still get the problems of oversized individuals, long backs/short legs and soft coats (particularly in white) – all leftovers from the breeds originally used to produce the Toy Poodle.

Crossbred dogs such as the Goldendoodle or Cockapoo are NOT hybrids nor are they a breed. Cockapoos may look like a Poodle, a Cocker or somewhere in between. A Cockapoo bred to a Cockapoo is not a breed. It takes decades or more to get a new breed to "breed true" without throwbacks occurring. People backcrossing Goldendoodles to Standard Poodles or crossing them on each other cannot predict the looks, coat and personalities of the resulting offspring. It will take many more generations before this will be possible. In addition when they breed them to each other they lose they slight health advantage which may have been gained through heterosis. These are still dogs and now we will have dogs with the health problems of both breeds. Hip dysplasia, being present in both breeds can show up in first generation Goldendoodles, so parents should be screened.

How do you prevent a puppy you sell from being used to produce crossbreds? Unless you spay and neuter them first, it is impossible to be 100% sure. In addition, we have all sold as pets dogs who later became show and breeding dogs, as many puppies grow up better than they appear to be at eight weeks of age. A good pet contract which states that there is a penalty for using the dogs to produce crossbreds is the best that we can do. The non-breeding contracts provided by the AKC or CKC are not applicable in these situations as registration papers are not important when crossbred puppies are produced. Withholding papers from new owners until a certificate of spay or neuter is provided also does not work. The best method seems to be careful interviewing of new puppy owners and the use of a strong contract prohibiting breeding of the pet puppy. However you must be prepared to follow the contract up with legal action if it is contravened.

In conclusion, while I know it is possible to develop a new breed such as the Goldendoodle, with careful selective breeding practices and health testing, many people are breeding these dogs simply for monetary reasons. They often have no regard for the health and wellbeing of the puppy produced and as a result these breeds are becoming a common commodity in animal shelters as well as in newspaper classified advertisements.

re: Its about time.

Watching the Oprah special on puppymills maybe will open some peoples eyes to the fact not
all breeders are equal.
I do wish they had spent more time covering the fact that good breeders that show their dogs,
screen their homes, take back their dogs if the home can't keep them, are not adding to shelter dogs.
Not everybody wants a shep, lab, pit, border collie, or dal so going to the animal shelter is not an option.
Those mill images should haunt people and if they do not wish to support this industry, INSIST on AKC
DNA backed, puppies from breeders that are wanting to protect and promote their breed responsibly.
Even though no animal lover would find that acceptable, the key is education as to how and where they
need to get their next family member.
These are some things we should all take time to share with our non-doggy family members as to how
they should get their next puppy.

1. Breeders that are members in good standing with AKC are inspected yearly and have approved
breeding practices.

2. Find out if this breeder is a USDA licensed kennel - these are often wholesale breeders.

3. Ask if there is a written sales contract with expectations of the new owner as well, takes more than
money to get a puppy from a good breeder.

4. Is your breeder spending money on showing to make better dogs? AKC parent clubs put large grants
towards health issues of their breeds, these breeders have the future of their breed at heart.

5. Do they offer care, training, grooming, and other important information to you as the new owner?

6. Do they breed the mutts -aka designer dogs? If so keep on looking!

7. Are there 20 puppies to choose from - with no waiting ?? If so that is a BROKER not a BREEDER and they
have bought that puppy to flip at a profit.

8. Is the best thing that they have to say about the QUALITY, HEALTH, and their personal integrity as a breeder
"HEY LOOK SOMEBODY FAMOUS BOUGHT A DOG FROM ME"! - Be a smarter consumer than that.

9. Can you come to a home and visit the dogs and meet the breeder? If they will allow this you have a
breeder that cares about the placement of their puppies.

Lets not turn a blind eye to neglect or bad care of animals, children, or the elderly.
Dale

Maltese wrapping

Sometimes wrapping gets a bad wrap!
This is an easy way to get a full coat and let your maltese enjoy life as a real dog.
We start our maltese puppies at 4 months with just a head wrap to get used to tolerate the wraps.
Depending on the size and type of coat a single row of wraps (4) down the sides - one over each leg
and two in the center will keep most of the coat off of the floor.
On a larger or full coated dog a double row will be needed. In wrapping maltese we like to use the soft donut
paper (from Wal-Mart). Folding it in thirds lengthwise, placing the sectioned off hair in the center.
Fold over the left side, then right at this point fold the wrap in half upwards towards the dog.
We then fold it in half again, towards the dog and band it twice with a 1/2 inch latex band.
If you are wrapping your maltese dry you should take out the wraps every day and go through the coat.
You can use the same wrap and band several times until it begins to wear out.
Maltese coats in oil (we will talk about oil later on) only need to be brushed out and re-wrapped once inbetween weekly
baths.
We do faces every day or every other, but the body coat is usually fine.
The wraps and bands should not be re-used on the coats in oil, put in fresh ones.
Your maltese will enjoy the time spent on this simple grooming and you will enjoy the results of a lush, full coat!
Dale

re: Scammers :(

Maltese beeders need to be on the watch for the online scammers.
They are sending out phony money orders and trying to get owners to ship on weekends while the banks are closed
before the fake money order is discovered.
I know personally several maltese breeders that have sent out dogs and ended up with missing puppies and phony
money orders.
We will not sell a maltese to a buyer that will not call, although with the disposable cell phones this can be circumvented
as well.
By doing a GOOGLE search on a number that can tell you whom is actually calling to ask about your maltese puppies.
Don't be in a rush because this inquiry is giving you the big push to hurry up and send the dog before it is all confirmed and done.
The internet is a fantastic tool to share information but can be a weapon in the hands of unscrupulous individuals.
Be careful,
Dale

Beware of BROKERS!!!

When you are looking for a maltese puppy don't fall into the BROKER trap!
The sites like Master of Sales, Tiny Hollywood Teacups and the like are retail outlets that move massive numbers of puppies per week from the wholesale kennels.
Dozens of thumbnail photos of maltese, yorkies, and everything but the kitchen sink crossed with a poodle are there to take the money of the impulsive, uniformed buyers.
These puppies are produced in the nations puppymill belt and sold mostly in costal broker outlets at 4 and 5 times the prices paid the individual that "raised" these puppies.
Using the Freedom of Information Act you can request the USDA reports listing inspections, numbers of dogs, and violations of
animal care requirements.
You are not rescuing a puppy but condemning the continued keeping companion animals in very similar circumstances as allowed by the USDA for slaughter animals ... as the consumer its your choice to support this dark side of dog breeding.
It is legal and absolutely allowed and up to us as consumers if we wish to contribute our money to its continue successful
operation.
The questions a sincere maltese owner should ask are:
Are parents AKC ? Is the person selling the puppies the listed breeder? (red flag if answer is no)
Do the breeders show their dogs? Can you come and visit the breeders home? and of course GOOGLE them!!!
Dale

re: Maltese exercise - with a friend!

re: Maltese exercise!

Many of our maltese puppies go to apartment homes where a lush yard to romp isn't
available.
Also maltese that are being shown have that lovely WHITE coat to keep up so it is not
ideal for them to go out in all kinds of weather.
Make no mistake maltese are REAL dogs and need real exercise just like us to keep healthy.
Our CHERUB maltese enjoy using a treadmill all year round!
In Texas it is often too hot, wet, windy, or cold to play outside but that is just perfect
weather for the treadmill.
Our favorite maltese treadmill is: www.pawwws.com/
Dog trainer Cesar Milan recommends this form of exercise for all pets for training and health
of all breeds.
Check it out!
Dale

Maltese tearing & stains

The age old question of what I do to get my maltese's face white?
If you could come up with a product that would whiten a face it would
be almost as profitable as a "Eat whatever you want and lose weight diet pill".
Maltese maintenance and stain prevention is the key.
All puppies cutting teeth and just off of mom will have some staining.
While it is true that individual maltese will have different amounts of staining, mostly
some owners are better at keeping up the faces that others.
On adult dogs if there seems to be alot of face staining check your maltese's ears and teeth.
If there is an infection this can make your maltese's eyes tear more and cause additional staining.
Angel eyes and Eye envy are products that we have used with our maltese with good results.
We do not reccomend the practice of keeping maltese on daily antibiotics over an extended period
this could cause damage to the immune system.
There are no short cuts to good care and the rewards are easily seen in your healthy maltese's bright
white face!
Dale

Coat products

We get daily questions on what is best to use for bathing maltese.
With babies Johnson's baby shampoo is great for around the face and
eyes since it is tearless and they are sometimes wiggle worms in the tub.
With adult maltese any SILK based shampoo and rinse is great.
Pet Silk, Therma Silk, & Silkence are all products that work well with maltese
coat.
Dale

re: Godfather son!

re: Pretty in PINK!

Re: Mommy & me!

re: The BIG DEAL about small!

When you are getting your maltese puppy - don't just ask the weight - make sure that
it is a cobby body build.
Many dogs that are shorter and more solid actually look considerably smaller than a lean,
lanky built dog.
Usually most puppies are close to 1/2 of their adult weight at 12 weeks.
Dale

Designer dogs are MUTTS!

If you are wondering if a breeder is reputable and is working for the betterment of a breed, just look if they are making
mutts.
These breeders that have these bottom rung "purebreds" that are such poor quality that their offspring is worth more as mutts are only looking to better their bank account.
This is a shameless scam being pushed off as something whimsical on unknowing buyers!
The fake papers from these sham registries are offered as some sort of validation of these unsavory activities.
No AKC inspections of record keeping and facilities are required. Since they are just mutts there is no showing expense to
have the quality verified by AKC judges.
Just cute photos of fluffy puppies that will mature to look like ??? to sell buyers with more dollars than sense.
If a mixed breed is something you would like go to the shelter and save one that needs unconditional love don't give
monetary incentive to the puppymills.
Dale

Don't be an April FOOL!

Insist on AKC registration on your new maltese puppy.
All of these bogus papers that the commercial and backyard breeders are trying to pass off are not worth the paper they are printed on.
You can not exchange or register these phony papers with the AKC, no matter what they tell you otherwise.
These other "registries" are not DNA backed and the puppy you are buying MAY or MAY NOT be purebred.
Not to mention the fact it MAY or MAY NOT be inbred (father X daughter / brother X sister / mother X son - matings).
These inbred dogs will be substantially more likely to have health and temperament issues, ask your vet if these are desirable
dogs to buy!
Your only guarantee is a AKC DNA backed pedigree to know what breed and the breeding that produced your puppy.
Even if you are buying a companion puppy, the same healthy, small, pretty maltese that is desirable for BEST IN SHOW is what
is desirable for BEST IN HOME!
Get the most for your money - get the direct offspring of AKC. CHAMPIONS they are what maltese should be.
Dale

Mission statement.

We hope this blog is helpful to all maltese owners, breeders, & exhibitors.
A shared interest in the promotion and betterment of the maltese is our goal.
Thanks for sharing in our blog.
Dale & Jane Martenson
Cherub Maltese

Welcome to Cherub Maltese!

Introduction

We are here to answer and discuss all things Maltese.