October 2011
Edited by Tina & Dennis Homes
THE ARTWORK OF MARIA HESKINS
This wonderful portrait features three of our own dogs. On the left is Ch. Leogem Minuet (Minnie) with her son Marcello (centre) and daughter Musetta (right). The portrait is the work of Maria Heskins who is fast making a name for herself as an acclaimed artist specializing in painting dogs and horses. Although she had no formal art training as a child, Maria had always enjoyed painting and drawing from as long as she could remember. Her mother encouraged both her and her sister to draw and made them both competitive by challenging to see who could produce the best picture. She has always loved animals and begged her parents for a dog. When she was eleven years old her parents relented and bought her a blenheim Cavalier which she named Pepper.
Maria aged 15 with her Cavalier Pepper
She dropped out of school at the age of 15 and began working on a toy stall. However, the night before the ‘O’ level exam her art teacher, realizing Maria’s ability, phoned her up and begged her to attend the examination. Fortunately she did and passed with a grade A. Her teacher encouraged her to apply for a BTEC course in Art and Design at East Ham Technical College. This college had a high reputation at the time and they informed her that although she did not have enough qualifications, her drawings were so good that she was nevertheless given a place. She passed with merits and then went on to study for a BA(hons) degree in Fashions and Textiles at the University of Central Lancashire where she gained a first class pass. While she was away studying she so missed Pepper that she would return home every fortnight to see him.
She was then accepted for the MA Fashion Womenswear courses at both Central St Martins and the Royal College of Art. She accepted the latter and passed two years later. Although she loved the creative side of the courses, researching and illustrating, the actual job of being a fashion designer did not seem to provide enough opportunities to produce the drawings that she loved to work on and became less inspiring. She had always had a strong love for dogs and horses and began drawing more and more of them and then the opportunity arose to produce the fashion pages for Dogs Today which started her on the road to dog portraiture.
In the late 1990s she appeared on a TV programme called ‘Pets Go Public’ with one of her fashion illustrations. She also appeared on Channel One News with her German Shepherd Lily when they were short listed for the Dogs at Work Awards. They attended a glitzy celebrity catwalk show at the Grosvenor Hotel and were featured in the London Evening Standard and other papers. She was interviewed by Bristol Radio about clothing for dogs and their owners. She had a solo exhibition at the Limelight Gallery in London in 1998.
Maria and her German Shepherd Willow together with Willow’s portrait.
We often hear stories on how dogs can play cupid, and it was her German Shepherd Dexter that introduced her to Michael, (now her husband), in a local park. She wrote a little story about this encounter and it was published in the Dogs Today magazine along with an illustration that she did. This led to them being featured in The Sunday People and The News of The World. Dexter and her fashion work were also featured in the Financial Times colour supplement.
The gallery, Conversation Pieces, exhibit many of her prints on their stand at Crufts each year. She has also had her work exhibited at The Kennel Club’s Art Gallery. The first was a portrait of her German Shepherd Willow called ‘The Naughty Step’ and was in their Christmas Art Fair.
She had three portraits exhibited at The Kennel Club’s ‘English Setter and Gordon Setter in Art’ exhibition earlier this year at their gallery. This was indeed a most prestigious exhibition.
Maria has indeed developed her own unique style and her work is in great demand. She names Landseer and Maud Earl as two very big influences and has also been greatly fascinated by the Pre-Raphaelite movement in art. This bodes well with the Cavalier world as Amice Pitt, probably the most important figure in the revival of the Cavalier breed, was the granddaughter of the Pre-Raphaelite artist John Everett Millais.
Below are some more examples of Maria’s excellent work. To learn more about her and see a lot more of her collection go to www.mariaheskinseditions.moonfruit.com
This wonderful portrait features three of our own dogs. On the left is Ch. Leogem Minuet (Minnie) with her son Marcello (centre) and daughter Musetta (right). The portrait is the work of Maria Heskins who is fast making a name for herself as an acclaimed artist specializing in painting dogs and horses. Although she had no formal art training as a child, Maria had always enjoyed painting and drawing from as long as she could remember. Her mother encouraged both her and her sister to draw and made them both competitive by challenging to see who could produce the best picture. She has always loved animals and begged her parents for a dog. When she was eleven years old her parents relented and bought her a blenheim Cavalier which she named Pepper.
Maria aged 15 with her Cavalier Pepper
She dropped out of school at the age of 15 and began working on a toy stall. However, the night before the ‘O’ level exam her art teacher, realizing Maria’s ability, phoned her up and begged her to attend the examination. Fortunately she did and passed with a grade A. Her teacher encouraged her to apply for a BTEC course in Art and Design at East Ham Technical College. This college had a high reputation at the time and they informed her that although she did not have enough qualifications, her drawings were so good that she was nevertheless given a place. She passed with merits and then went on to study for a BA(hons) degree in Fashions and Textiles at the University of Central Lancashire where she gained a first class pass. While she was away studying she so missed Pepper that she would return home every fortnight to see him.
She was then accepted for the MA Fashion Womenswear courses at both Central St Martins and the Royal College of Art. She accepted the latter and passed two years later. Although she loved the creative side of the courses, researching and illustrating, the actual job of being a fashion designer did not seem to provide enough opportunities to produce the drawings that she loved to work on and became less inspiring. She had always had a strong love for dogs and horses and began drawing more and more of them and then the opportunity arose to produce the fashion pages for Dogs Today which started her on the road to dog portraiture.
In the late 1990s she appeared on a TV programme called ‘Pets Go Public’ with one of her fashion illustrations. She also appeared on Channel One News with her German Shepherd Lily when they were short listed for the Dogs at Work Awards. They attended a glitzy celebrity catwalk show at the Grosvenor Hotel and were featured in the London Evening Standard and other papers. She was interviewed by Bristol Radio about clothing for dogs and their owners. She had a solo exhibition at the Limelight Gallery in London in 1998.
Maria and her German Shepherd Willow together with Willow’s portrait.
We often hear stories on how dogs can play cupid, and it was her German Shepherd Dexter that introduced her to Michael, (now her husband), in a local park. She wrote a little story about this encounter and it was published in the Dogs Today magazine along with an illustration that she did. This led to them being featured in The Sunday People and The News of The World. Dexter and her fashion work were also featured in the Financial Times colour supplement.
The gallery, Conversation Pieces, exhibit many of her prints on their stand at Crufts each year. She has also had her work exhibited at The Kennel Club’s Art Gallery. The first was a portrait of her German Shepherd Willow called ‘The Naughty Step’ and was in their Christmas Art Fair.
She had three portraits exhibited at The Kennel Club’s ‘English Setter and Gordon Setter in Art’ exhibition earlier this year at their gallery. This was indeed a most prestigious exhibition.
Maria has indeed developed her own unique style and her work is in great demand. She names Landseer and Maud Earl as two very big influences and has also been greatly fascinated by the Pre-Raphaelite movement in art. This bodes well with the Cavalier world as Amice Pitt, probably the most important figure in the revival of the Cavalier breed, was the granddaughter of the Pre-Raphaelite artist John Everett Millais.
Below are some more examples of Maria’s excellent work. To learn more about her and see a lot more of her collection go to www.mariaheskinseditions.moonfruit.com
HOUSEHOLD CLEANERS
We have mentioned on these pages on previous occasions about harmful effects that some household cleaners can have on our dogs and cats. Quite a lot of people use Shake and Vac on carpets to remove dog smells. The makers say that the product is safe to use with pets and quite probably most dogs would not suffer any effects. But there are always dogs that do suffer allergies and for this reason I would advise great care to be taken when using any cleaning or deodorizing product. Many people who have tiled kitchen floors use diluted bleach as a cleaner. However, bleach inhalation can be problematic to a small dog with its nose to the ground. Many floor cleaning products contain chlorine related ingredients such as sodium hypochlorite which can prove harmful to pets. Chlorine gas is heavier than air, therefore its fumes are most concentrated around the floor area where dogs are constantly sniffing. There are also other harmful chemicals found in some household cleaning products. These include formaldehyde, phenols, iodine-based substances and quaternary ammonium.
There are a number of ‘green’ products on the market that are herbal based and do not contain toxic substances, but always check the label. Some pet stores such as Pets at Home sell a floor cleaning product called Paws Safe which is very good. An effective way of cleaning a tiled floor is to add white vinegar to the water and simply scrub hard. Also when washing your dogs bedding and towels it is advisable to use a non-biological washing powder and make sure that the items are most thoroughly rinsed through.
We have mentioned on these pages on previous occasions about harmful effects that some household cleaners can have on our dogs and cats. Quite a lot of people use Shake and Vac on carpets to remove dog smells. The makers say that the product is safe to use with pets and quite probably most dogs would not suffer any effects. But there are always dogs that do suffer allergies and for this reason I would advise great care to be taken when using any cleaning or deodorizing product. Many people who have tiled kitchen floors use diluted bleach as a cleaner. However, bleach inhalation can be problematic to a small dog with its nose to the ground. Many floor cleaning products contain chlorine related ingredients such as sodium hypochlorite which can prove harmful to pets. Chlorine gas is heavier than air, therefore its fumes are most concentrated around the floor area where dogs are constantly sniffing. There are also other harmful chemicals found in some household cleaning products. These include formaldehyde, phenols, iodine-based substances and quaternary ammonium.
There are a number of ‘green’ products on the market that are herbal based and do not contain toxic substances, but always check the label. Some pet stores such as Pets at Home sell a floor cleaning product called Paws Safe which is very good. An effective way of cleaning a tiled floor is to add white vinegar to the water and simply scrub hard. Also when washing your dogs bedding and towels it is advisable to use a non-biological washing powder and make sure that the items are most thoroughly rinsed through.
NEW BOOK REVIEW
"The whole point of having dogs as pets is for them to become our friends," so says John Bradshaw in his new book In Defence of Dogs. Mr. Bradshaw is the Director of Anthrozoology at the Institute in the University of Bristol. He has spent much time redrafting his research papers to form a continuous text which helps for easier understanding for the common reader.
He details much about where our dogs came from, and considering such that our canine friends share 99.96% genes with the wolf it also confirms that they are not direct descendants from the common wolf. Bradshaw puts the date of domestication of the dog around 25,000 years ago working from some fossils found in the Siberian permafrost.
The book is not a training manual, but helps give us an insight into how our dogs think and learn and how their basic instincts are formed. He also says that dogs do experience similar emotions as humans, but denies them the feelings of grief and guilt and down grades love to attachment. He tells us we need to be careful when projecting all our own awareness of our emotions onto our dogs. He also tries to make us a little more aware against anthropomorphism.
In the latter section of the book he comes more down to earth, thus making it a little less scientific. He mentions the gradual downfall in the inbreeding and curse of various pedigree breeds, which makes for some uncomfortable reading. However, if you like science and archaeology, and more importantly have an innate love of all things canine then this book is worth the space on your bookshelf.
In Defence of Dogs
By John Bradshaw
Allen Lane (£20)
Amazon.co.uk, including postage £11.60
"The whole point of having dogs as pets is for them to become our friends," so says John Bradshaw in his new book In Defence of Dogs. Mr. Bradshaw is the Director of Anthrozoology at the Institute in the University of Bristol. He has spent much time redrafting his research papers to form a continuous text which helps for easier understanding for the common reader.
He details much about where our dogs came from, and considering such that our canine friends share 99.96% genes with the wolf it also confirms that they are not direct descendants from the common wolf. Bradshaw puts the date of domestication of the dog around 25,000 years ago working from some fossils found in the Siberian permafrost.
The book is not a training manual, but helps give us an insight into how our dogs think and learn and how their basic instincts are formed. He also says that dogs do experience similar emotions as humans, but denies them the feelings of grief and guilt and down grades love to attachment. He tells us we need to be careful when projecting all our own awareness of our emotions onto our dogs. He also tries to make us a little more aware against anthropomorphism.
In the latter section of the book he comes more down to earth, thus making it a little less scientific. He mentions the gradual downfall in the inbreeding and curse of various pedigree breeds, which makes for some uncomfortable reading. However, if you like science and archaeology, and more importantly have an innate love of all things canine then this book is worth the space on your bookshelf.
In Defence of Dogs
By John Bradshaw
Allen Lane (£20)
Amazon.co.uk, including postage £11.60
THE FTR PROJECT ONLINE SHOP
Dr Imelda McGonnell, an embryologist with a research focus on head development and associated birth defects, is an expert in skull and brain development. She heads the Foetal Tissue Research Project team at The Royal Veterinary College and projects in her lab involve investigating growth factor influence upon cranial skeletal development. This research is vital if we are to uncover the causes of Syringomielia which affects a number of breeds and Cavaliers in particular. Research is expensive and funding is essential. Just recently the FTR Project Online shop has been set up where cards and a marvellous calendar can be purchased with all profits going to this important project. And very soon there will be more wonderful Cavalier items on sale. Below are just two of the many wonderful cards that are currently available. To make your purchase and to learn more about the project please go to www.ftrproject.com/
Dr Imelda McGonnell, an embryologist with a research focus on head development and associated birth defects, is an expert in skull and brain development. She heads the Foetal Tissue Research Project team at The Royal Veterinary College and projects in her lab involve investigating growth factor influence upon cranial skeletal development. This research is vital if we are to uncover the causes of Syringomielia which affects a number of breeds and Cavaliers in particular. Research is expensive and funding is essential. Just recently the FTR Project Online shop has been set up where cards and a marvellous calendar can be purchased with all profits going to this important project. And very soon there will be more wonderful Cavalier items on sale. Below are just two of the many wonderful cards that are currently available. To make your purchase and to learn more about the project please go to www.ftrproject.com/
FIREWORKS
The firework season will soon be upon us. Years ago it was just November 5th that we had to contend with but these days the fireworks season seems to go on for weeks. Some dogs are quite oblivious to loud bangs while others can get quite distressed. We have written about it here in the past but here is a reminder about some of the products that you can buy that may help to calm your dog. There are several herbal and homeopathic remedies available that can help to keep a dog calm during stressful situations. These are Natural Calm, Valerian Compound and Scullcap and Valerian. Dog Appeasing Pheromones (DAPs) are also quite useful. These are small plug in diffusers that emit the smell of a comforting hormone and greatly calms the dog. Humans are unable to smell it. DAPs can also be used in conjunction with desensitization CDs. These are recordings of various noises such as fireworks. The idea is to keep the dog in a comforting situation and in close proximity to a DAP and at first play the CD at an extremely low volume. Over a period of a few weeks gradually increase the volume so that the dog becomes used to these sounds and is totally oblivious to them.
For further details on where to obtain these products please view the following sites:
www.pawsability.co.uk for various CDs, DAPs and a book called "Firework Fear" which gives advice.
www.companyofanimals.co.uk for desensitization CDs.
www.aviform.co.uk for Natural Calm, a herbal liquid for anxious, nervous and stressed dogs.
www.dorwest.com for Scullcap and Valerian and Valerian Compound.
The firework season will soon be upon us. Years ago it was just November 5th that we had to contend with but these days the fireworks season seems to go on for weeks. Some dogs are quite oblivious to loud bangs while others can get quite distressed. We have written about it here in the past but here is a reminder about some of the products that you can buy that may help to calm your dog. There are several herbal and homeopathic remedies available that can help to keep a dog calm during stressful situations. These are Natural Calm, Valerian Compound and Scullcap and Valerian. Dog Appeasing Pheromones (DAPs) are also quite useful. These are small plug in diffusers that emit the smell of a comforting hormone and greatly calms the dog. Humans are unable to smell it. DAPs can also be used in conjunction with desensitization CDs. These are recordings of various noises such as fireworks. The idea is to keep the dog in a comforting situation and in close proximity to a DAP and at first play the CD at an extremely low volume. Over a period of a few weeks gradually increase the volume so that the dog becomes used to these sounds and is totally oblivious to them.
For further details on where to obtain these products please view the following sites:
www.pawsability.co.uk for various CDs, DAPs and a book called "Firework Fear" which gives advice.
www.companyofanimals.co.uk for desensitization CDs.
www.aviform.co.uk for Natural Calm, a herbal liquid for anxious, nervous and stressed dogs.
www.dorwest.com for Scullcap and Valerian and Valerian Compound.
STOLEN DOGS
Two stories about stolen dogs were prominently featured in newspapers this month. The first was Alfie, a sixteen week old Cavalier that was stolen from a playpen in the front of a shop by two men a motorbike. The incident was captured on CTV and fortunately the dog was found and returned to his owner. The second concerned a Dogue de Bordeaux bitch that was stolen with all her young puppies. This incident was no doubt a premeditated crime. Sadly dog theft is on the increase. It’s easy money for thieves and they believe that dog theft is regarded as low priority by the police even though the loss of a pet can be devastating for the owners. We wrote an article of dog theft on these pages in March 2008. It may be worthwhile reading it again, and please do make sure that you take adequate precautions at all times to protect your dog.
Two stories about stolen dogs were prominently featured in newspapers this month. The first was Alfie, a sixteen week old Cavalier that was stolen from a playpen in the front of a shop by two men a motorbike. The incident was captured on CTV and fortunately the dog was found and returned to his owner. The second concerned a Dogue de Bordeaux bitch that was stolen with all her young puppies. This incident was no doubt a premeditated crime. Sadly dog theft is on the increase. It’s easy money for thieves and they believe that dog theft is regarded as low priority by the police even though the loss of a pet can be devastating for the owners. We wrote an article of dog theft on these pages in March 2008. It may be worthwhile reading it again, and please do make sure that you take adequate precautions at all times to protect your dog.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Discover Dogs 2011 takes place on 12th and 13th November 2011 at Earls Court 1, in London. Run by the Kennel Club and Sponsored by Royal Canin, the event is expected to welcome over 26,000 visitors and 3,000 dogs over the two days of the show. The event provides a great opportunity for visitors to meet, greet and discover over 200 different breeds of purebred dog, and learn all about the distinctive personalities, traits of each breed. To find out more go to www.discoverdogs.org.uk
Those of you who live in the South of England may wish to take your dog along to The Southern Cavalier Club’s Christmas Tea Party. It will be held on Saturday 3rd December at 2.00pm at East Horsley Village Hall, Kingston Avenue, Leatherhead, Surrey, KT23 6QT. There will be doggie classes, games, fancy dress and a chocolate button race. Refreshments will be available with home made cakes. There will also be lots of Cavalier collectables available of the stall plus bric-a-brac and second hand books. The wonderful Clever Cavaliers display team with also provide some great entertainment. For further information please contact or
Discover Dogs 2011 takes place on 12th and 13th November 2011 at Earls Court 1, in London. Run by the Kennel Club and Sponsored by Royal Canin, the event is expected to welcome over 26,000 visitors and 3,000 dogs over the two days of the show. The event provides a great opportunity for visitors to meet, greet and discover over 200 different breeds of purebred dog, and learn all about the distinctive personalities, traits of each breed. To find out more go to www.discoverdogs.org.uk
Those of you who live in the South of England may wish to take your dog along to The Southern Cavalier Club’s Christmas Tea Party. It will be held on Saturday 3rd December at 2.00pm at East Horsley Village Hall, Kingston Avenue, Leatherhead, Surrey, KT23 6QT. There will be doggie classes, games, fancy dress and a chocolate button race. Refreshments will be available with home made cakes. There will also be lots of Cavalier collectables available of the stall plus bric-a-brac and second hand books. The wonderful Clever Cavaliers display team with also provide some great entertainment. For further information please contact or
TRICKS AT THE DINNER TABLE
This is another cartoon from our collection of early dog cartoons. This one dates from the early 1920s.
PHOTO OF THE MONTH
"Now watch me lad, watch!"
Having seen the cartoon above with the tricolour balancing a spoon on his muzzle, Jamie decided that he would give it a go. Instead of a spoon he decided to use a biscuit because you can at least eat it afterwards. On his left is his kennel mate Barley who is hoping to catch the biscuit before Jamie devours it! Both dogs are owned and loved by Margaret and Roger Cann whom we thank for the photo.
"Now watch me lad, watch!"
AND FINALLY
Last year we published a few Christmas photos in the December edition of Cavaliers as Companions. If any of you have any seasonal photos that you would like displayed in this year’s Christmas page please send them to us.
For more interesting Cavalier articles don’t forget to visit the Wags and Wiggles online pages at
www.grandvillecavaliers.com/wagsandwiggles/indexww.html
These pages are updated with very informative articles at the beginning of each month.
Up-to-date news on Cavaliers from around the world can also be found on the Chatterbox page that is accessed at www.cavaliers.co.uk
Last year we published a few Christmas photos in the December edition of Cavaliers as Companions. If any of you have any seasonal photos that you would like displayed in this year’s Christmas page please send them to us.
For more interesting Cavalier articles don’t forget to visit the Wags and Wiggles online pages at
www.grandvillecavaliers.com/wagsandwiggles/indexww.html
These pages are updated with very informative articles at the beginning of each month.
Up-to-date news on Cavaliers from around the world can also be found on the Chatterbox page that is accessed at www.cavaliers.co.uk
THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH
"I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive."
Gilda Radner
"I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive."
Gilda Radner
If you have any questions about owning a Cavalier then click on the envelope to email Dennis and Tina who will only be too pleased to try and help you.
However please remember that we are not Vets or Lawyers so questions on these topics should be addressed to the professionals for advice.
Questions and answers that are of interest to other owners may be published on this page.
The Cavalier Club is not responsible for external website content.
However please remember that we are not Vets or Lawyers so questions on these topics should be addressed to the professionals for advice.
Questions and answers that are of interest to other owners may be published on this page.
The Cavalier Club is not responsible for external website content.
Material Copyright © 2011 The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club