| Cavaliers as Companions July / August 2014 Edited by Tina & Dennis Homes |
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THE HAZY DAYS OF SUMMER
The summer solstice has come and gone. Where do the years go? In spite of the summer at its height there are still many more weeks to savour, with hopefully warm sultry days to look forward to. More time will be spent outside soaking up the sun and the gardeners amongst you will be either enjoying the extra chores or moaning the fact that the lawn yet again needs another cut! If any of you have a young puppy, house training becomes just that little bit easier, because the garden door is left open and the youngster can come and go more easily, and toileting mistakes are a little less. With all this summer is indeed a grand time for everyone and especially our Cavaliers, who like nothing better than sunning themselves, and when they get a little too hot seek out the shade of a tree or shrub. Puppies are so amusing too, they seem to invent all sorts of new games whilst outside. We have at present a ten month puppy who has great fun stalking unseen things, creeping on her tummy then suddenly jumping up, turning tail and running as fast as her little legs will carry her, ears flapping tail between her legs terrified of the unseen monster giving chase, and into the safety of indoors, turning around running out again, creeping in the grass finding another monster and repeating the process. I often think puppies are a little like human beings as children. Did you ever frighten yourself turning off the light and jumping into bed in the darkness, just in time before the crocodile hiding under the bed can catch you? Gardens are fantastic playgrounds, but for puppies can also be a hazardous place. Puppies will chew and eat anything, and many of the plants grown in pots and around the average garden are quite toxic, so an inventory should be made and perhaps ways should be found to either move these plants out of reach or better still dug up and replaced with something more dog friendly.
If you wish to use a garden mulch please do not use cocoa shell. It looks and smells fantastic but unfortunately is very toxic to dogs. There have been cases where dogs have ingested this some with fatal consequences, much safer to use Pine Bark Mulch. Puppies love to play with snails; don’t ever let them do this. Snails carry a parasite which in turn leads to heart and lung worm which sadly seems to be heard of more and more these days. If you do use lawn feed and weed preparations, any insect killing sprays, and general weed killers do keep your dog inside until everything has dried. Don’t forget to wear a face mask to protect yourself too. Lastly, if you must use slug pellets do make sure that these are placed away from anywhere that your dog might find them. Better still don’t use them at all. Our bird, hedgehog, toad and frog populations have suffered because of these. If it kills one thing the chain doesn’t stop there. Noel Coward penned an amusing song in his writing heyday. Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun. If you choose to go for a midday walk when the sun is at its hottest, perhaps it just might be kinder to leave the dog at home. The average body temperature of an adult dog is 101.3F while the average adult human is 94.6F. If you find the weather hot think of our dogs who can only regulate their body temperature by panting. It’s far better to keep daily exercise regimes to early morning or late evening. Let your dog have access to the garden, but let them come and go as they please. Sunning themselves then seeking somewhere to cool down. It goes without saying do make sure that your dog has plenty of clean fresh drinking water available at all times. Summer is here, enjoy it, but most of all enjoy your cavalier. |
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MORE ON THE TOY SPANIEL ART EXHIBITION As we mentioned in the last Cavaliers as Companions we have been working alongside Dr Andreas Schemel in organising the Toy Spaniel Art Exhibition which is due to open at the Kennel Club Art Gallery in London on Monday 14th July. It will run until 9th January 2015 and is open Monday to Friday from 9.30 am until 4.30 pm. As announced on the home page of this site, the Cavalier Club is arranging a series of guided tours but you can also go alone to the art gallery but you must first book an appointment by telephoning the art gallery on 020 7518 1064 or contacting them via email at . Further information will be announced on their website at www.thekennelclub.org.uk/artgallery Below is a photo of the artist Mr Hewitt-Lodge painting a picture of Bridget of Ttiweh at Crufts in 1931. She was a very important dog in the early days of the breed and was only ever beaten once in seven years of showing. This photo appeared in The Morning Post on 12th February 1931 and below it is the actual painting. This is one of a great many paintings that will be on display at the art gallery along with sculptures, figurines and jewellery. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
   This figurine of a Cavalier is actually carved from a lump of coal and is one of the more unusual objects to be displayed at the exhibition. |
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TALKING DOGS RALLY
In recent years we have seen the rise and rise of a number of competitive activities that dogs are involved in apart from showing and obedience. Agility has gained great popularity over the past 40 years and since then Flyball and Heelwork to Music has gained great acclaim. Another sport that is starting to make a name for itself is Talking Dogs Rally. The concept was first devised in America by Charles Kramer who had the original idea of linking a series of exercises to form a course. Talking Dogs Rally is taking this to the next level. Brand new, updated and clarified station signs, clear, well defined rules and regulations, and a unique ethos with an emphasis on pet dog owners competing with their own scores rather than simply against each other. Talking Dogs Rally aims to bring trainers and owners together to have fun with their dogs. The two main people behind Talking Dogs Rally are Pam Mackinnon and Rebecca Skelhon. Rebecca had just returned from her homeland, America, and had seen Rally Obedience there. Keen to become involved when she returned to the UK, through a mutual friend she contacted Pam who was already running classes teaching Rally. Rebecca came along to classes, and never left! Pam is the Director of Talking Dogs Ltd and Talking Dogs Scentwork in Cambridgeshire. She has lectured and tutored for the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), Centre of Applied Pet Ethology (COAPE) and Hill’s Pet Foods at their Veterinary Healthcare Advisor Seminars. Rebecca has lived all over the world, but having served 22 years in the American Air Force, when she retired she decided to stay in the UK. She embraced her love of dogs and started studying training and behaviour. If you would like further information about Talking Dogs Rally or would like to become involved please visit their website at www.talkingdogsrally.co.uk Barbara Taylor from the Isle of Wight is a Cavalier breeder of the Taybar affix. She has become quite heavily involved with Talking Dogs Rally over the past year and here are some photos of her dogs.  ChR1 Taybar Jessica 7th with Talking Dogs Rally Annual Rankings Awards for Level 1  ChR1 Taybar Annabelle 3rd  Annabelle at work | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
HEELWORK TO MUSIC
Since Pudsey won Britain’s Got Talent a few years ago Heelwork to Music has become even more popular. There are a few Cavaliers now involved in the sport and here is a video clip of Rose Jenkins with her dog Sam who took second place for their Heelwork routine at Crufts in 2011. Rose was just 16 at the time. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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CAVALIERS IN AGILITY
And to prove that Cavaliers are not just lap dogs, here are some video clips of high energy Cavaliers pulling out all the stops in Agility. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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DOG’S BEDTIME PRAYER
Now I lay me down to sleep, The king-sized bed is soft and deep. I sleep right in the centre groove, My human beings can hardly move. I’ve trapped their legs, they’re tucked in tight, And here is where I pass the night. No one disturbs me or dares intrude, ‘Til morning comes and "I want food!" I sneak up slowly to begin, And nibble on my human’s chin. For morning’s here, it’s time to play, I always seem to get my way. So thank you Lord, for giving me, This human person that I see. The one who hugs and holds me tight, And shares their bed with me at night. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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DOG RULES
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DEVIL IN DISGUISE
At times a puppy can look so cute and innocent, but then something erupts and then wow! They’re the Devil in Disguise! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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CAVALIERS FOR BEGINNERS VIDEO
Here’s a video that’s been made especially for the new owner of a Cavalier. It lasts around 50 minutes but contains quite a lot of useful information for the novice owner. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ROSWELL ELDRIDGE
Last August we included an article on Roswell Eldridge, the American gentleman who in the 1920s first gave the initiative to revive the breed. In the last issue of Cavaliers as Companions we featured the descendants of his brother. They have now sent us a copy of a painting Roswell Eldridge on horseback which has pride of place in their home.  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
PHOTO OF THE MONTH
 Abercrombie and Fitch have a reputation for top trendy styles for the ‘young and beautiful’, so therefore Cavaliers must surely fit the profile! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH
"Dogs have a way of finding people that need them. . . . Filling an emptiness we don’t even know we have." Thorn Jones
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For further online Cavalier news and stories don’t forget to read the regular Chatterbox page at www.cavaliers.co.uk and for some truly inspirational articles log on to the Pawz and Pray page at pawzandpray.com |
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| QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 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. |
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Material Copyright The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club