THE CAVALIER CHRONICLE

Welcome to fall. Hopefully, we will get to see temperatures drop and be able to enjoy a real fall.

Membership packets have been mailed and the website is up and running for on-line renewals so don’t forget to get this done sooner rather than later. If you are currently an associate member and resident of Georgia please consider upgrading to a regular member (applications can be found on the website) and have a vote in the future of our club.

We have a lot of fun events coming up over the next few months that include Meet the Breed with the Lawrenceville Kennel Club on September 21st, the next Puppy Social at our house on October 13th and the Holiday luncheon on December 29th also at our house due to conflicts and availability risks of the Five Paces Inn. There is more detailed information on each of these events later in the newsletter.

Plans for the Winter Specialty in February are well under way and we are already working to finalize judges for our 2026 show. Please go to the online store and consider sponsorships for the various activities related to the show. Without your donations the success of these shows is at risk. We are panning a BBQ them for our Saturday Social, we will have great exhibitor bags and will continue with our tradition of great raffle baskets donated by members and a few live auction items at the Saturday Social.

We will begin planning for the Puppy picnic in the next couple of months for March 2025.

We have our next general meeting on Monday, November 11th at 730 pm. Please plan on joining. We will be doing the second reading on a couple of new members and a few members that are upgrading from associate to regular member.

Thanks -

Jim

Thank you everyone for continuing to provide content for our newsletter! Please keep it coming, and if you have any suggestions, general feedback, and especially brags, please send them to CKCSCAtlantaNewsletter@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you!

Thanks -

Beth Lassiter, Editor

October – Board Meeting TBA

November 11 – Regular Meeting at 7:30pm

Renewal letters and forms have been mailed via USPS to your address on file with the club. You have until December 31, 2024 to renew your club membership for 2025. If you choose to renew your membership online via our website, that portal will be available on October 1, 2024. Included in the renewal mailing was information on our Holiday Luncheon and a form for Trophy Donations to support the club’s Specialty shows.

Mark your calendar for Sunday October 13 from noon to 4pm for our quarterly puppy social at the home of Jim & Sharon Utych. It will be held in the fenced backyard. Bring a chair and a side to share! The club will have water and soda. We moved this social from September to October to try something a little different - we will be holding a Halloween party with both a human and cavalier costume contest! So even if you come without a cavalier, take part in the fun and put on your Halloween finest to compete for bragging rights and an Amazon gift certificate!

An evite invitation has been emailed to members and reminders will be sent out closer to the date.

If you have been an associate member for 12 months and live in the state of Georgia, you can become a voting member of the club. If you are interested in becoming a regular, voting member of the club please contact Sharon Utych at utych@earthlink.net.

We are looking to see if there is interest in members submitting photos of their cavaliers (they have to be a good jpg quality) and also be willing to purchase a 2025 hanging medium sized calendar.

The calendar information is:

• Medium: 8.5”l x 11”w
  
• Printed on sturdy high-quality paper with vibrant full-color, full-bleed printing
  
• Wire binding
  

The cost to purchase would probably be $30. It would include the paypal processing fee and shipping. The club would not really be making anything off these but we would not be losing money as a club as Sharon would pre purchase these and eat any loss (if there is one) and the club would benefit from any small profit.

If you are interested in purchasing and having your cavalier spotlighted on one of the month's pages, send Sharon a good quality JPG no later than Sept 20th to my alternate email address: thefinnickyskye@gmail.com.In the subject line please put: 2025 CKCSCGA Calendar submission.

Can it be only 3 short quick months away from our annual Holiday Luncheon??? Make plans to join us on Sunday December 29, 2024 from 1pm to 4pm. This year we will having the luncheon at the home of club president, Jim Utych.

Please note the DATE. It is AFTER the Christmas holiday due to the way the calendar fell this year for the AKC National. Several of our club members will be attending the National so we did not want to hold the luncheon on the 15th. The 8th conflicted with another local dog show and the board felt that the 22nd was too close to the holiday. So we will keep the holiday spirit flowing!

Hopefully next year we can secure the Five Paces Inn again for our 2025 Holiday Luncheon.

This year, we will be serving up baked ham and ask that you bring a side to share with everyone.

It’s a jam packed afternoon of door prizes, white cavalier gift exchange, awards and thank you’s, plus some great food and of course our UGLY SWEATER contest where a $25 buck gift certificate and bragging rights are up for grabs! Each year more and more members attend this fun event and we hope that you can this year!

We also will be collecting donations of food (cat and dog), cat litter, stainless steel bowls, bleach, detergent, etc. for the Pickens County Rescue Ranch, a no kill shelter in Jasper GA. Please be sure to bring an item or a gift card to Petsmart, Walmart for the staff to use to help purchase food for the Rescue Ranch. Our club member Susan Kent devotes many hours each week to the Ranch and let’s show them how much the club supports everything they do.

Has your cavalier achieved a new title in 2024? Celebrate it and share the news with the club! Titles can be conformation, performance, obedience, trick dog, CGG, therapy, rally, agility, etc. We will list all the new titles in our December newsletter and also recognize them at the Holiday Luncheon! Send your information (dog’s name, title achieved) to Sharon Utych at utych@earthlink.net.

We are holding our specialties on Saturday February 1 and Sunday February 2, 2025 in conjunction with the Cherokee Rose Cluster shows! (Pending AKC Approval)

Location: Atlanta Expo Center South, 3850 Jonesboro Rd SE, Atlanta GA

Superintendent: MB-F

An opportunity for 6 shows in 4 days during the Cluster! Cluster is held indoors, food and vendors will be at this show.

Judging Panel: (pending AKC Approval)

Saturday Puppy Sweepstakes & Veteran Sweepstakes - Judge: Ms. Susan Savage Green (Sorella US)

Saturday Regular Classes and NOHS - Judge: Ms. Leila Tarabad (Khatibi UK)

Sunday 4 to under 6-month Beginner Puppy Competition - Judge: Ms. Sharon Masnick (AKC)

Sunday Regular Classes and NOHS - Judge: Ms. Sharon Masnick (AKC)

Our Ringside Basket Auction will also be held on Saturday and Sunday!

Our baskets are FABULOUS! Tickets will be sold at the show and the social. $5 each or 5 for $20.

2025 Specialty Sponsorships Are Now Available!

Placement Sponsorships are available on the Club website for both shows!

Because of your sponsorships, we are able to put on a fabulous show with great prizes and rosettes! Please consider sponsoring one or more placements on Saturday or Sunday. Your generosity helps us defray the cost of putting on a wonderful specialty with great prizes, rosettes and fabulous judges! Your sponsorship will also be displayed ringside and you can dedicate your placement sponsorship "in honor of" or "in memory of" if you wish!

Click HERE to access our safe and secure store to purchase a sponsorship!

2025 Specialty Host Hotel Information

Our host hotel once again during the Cluster is the Drury Inn - Morrow GA

Drury Inn & Suites Atlanta Morrow

6520 South Lee Street

Morrow GA 30260

phone: 770.960.0500

Rates: $114/night excluding taxes & fee for King or Queen; $144/night 2 room suite, king bed excluding taxes and fees. $85 one time pet fee.

The Drury Inn is 5 minutes from the Jonesboro Road show site! The Drury Inn offers free parking, free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, free hot breakfast, free evening drinks and snacks, free soft drinks ; popcorn and free on-site facilities (business center, fitness center, pool)

METHOD OF RESERVATION

Reservations will be made by: Individual Call-In

Individual Call-In reservations can be made by reserving online, go to www.druryhotels.com, then enter Group number of 10102038. Reservations may also be made by calling 1-800-325-0720 and refer to the Group number of 10102038. Individual reservations must be cancelled prior to 12:00 p.m. on the confirmed date of arrival in order to avoid a non-refundable fee equal to one night’s room rate plus tax. The hotel requires a valid credit card and photo ID to be presented at check in. Check In Time: 3:00 p.m. Check Out Time: 11:00 a.m. Arrangements may be made for baggage storage with the Hotel’s front desk staff.

CUTOFF DATE

Reservations by attendees must be received on or before JANUARY 27,2025. After the Cutoff Date, the hotel will release the unreserved rooms for general sale. Reservations received after the Cutoff Date will be confirmed on a space-available basis at prevailing rates. The hotel does not offer shuttle service to and from the Atlanta airport.

2025 Specialty Show Saturday Social

Join us on Saturday evening at 7pm after the show at our host hotel, the Drury Inn (Morrow) for food, drink and socializing! The club will be providing the meal, beverages, snacks and sweets for everyone! We will be holding the social in the meeting room on the lower level of the hotel. Everyone is invited to attend and enjoy the evening! Our menu is still in the planning stages and will be updated here once finalized.

Click HERE if you would like to donate to help offset the costs of catering and room fee.

Please be sure to RSVP to LaVada McCosh (email: lavadamccosh@gmail.com) if you plan to attend. We will also be holding a live auction of some lovely cavalier related items! COME JOIN US! ALL ARE INVITED!

Exhibitor Bag, Prizes and Raffle Basket Donations

We plan on having exhibitor bags again this year as we have bags left over from last year to use. Included in the bag will be a stainless steel tumbler, which was donated. We would love to have members donate items for the bags. Items such as pens, tissues, note pads, candy, water, dog treats, dog toys, poop bags, protein bars, etc would be greatly appreciated. We plan to make 60 bags. Contact Ashley or Carolyn Powell if you wish to donate items for the bags.

We would also like to offer all our first place class winners a prize on Saturday and Sunday. If you would like to donate 36 like items for this, please contact Jim Utych. Last year we offered microfiber towels to the class winners on Saturday and this year we would like to offer prizes on both Saturday and Sunday.

Congratulations to Paula Ayers on the following achievements:

• Brookhaven Night Before Christmas gained her AKC Champion at the Lexington weekend!
• Brookhaven I Believe In Angels won 3 Winners Dogs and 2 Reserve Winners Dogs at the Lexington weekend - 9 points and 2 majors - on his first weekend out!!

The Newnan Kennel Club will be hosting a show on October 18, 19, 20 at the Coweta County Fairgrounds. Our club will be supporting their cavalier entry for the three days and we hope you all can make plans to attend. The venue is outside, however the toys will be judged indoors. They have a great judging panel lined up for cavaliers: Barbara Pepper (Friday), Cindy Huggins (Saturday), Deborah Barrett (Sunday). Superintendent is Foy Trent and the premium is now available!

Presented by Dr. Michele Borgarelli for the AKC Canine Health Foundation
7:00-8:00pm ET, October 2, 2024

Click here to register

Please join Michele Borgarelli, DVM; Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, for the Update on Mitral Valve Disease Research in Dogs webinar.

Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) represents a major health issue in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCSs). The disease appears at an earlier age, compared to other breeds, and has a genetic, heritable basis. The investigator’s preliminary studies found that some CKCSs have a MV of a different shape compared to other breeds. This altered shape of the MV could impose abnormal forces on the valve and predispose the breed for early development of the disease. This research is studying whether the shape of the MV is linked to the age of onset of MMVD in CKCSs, and, if so, the shape of the MV could be used as a screening method, and for directing breeding decisions in order to lower the prevalence of MMVD in CKCSs.

Did you know that in addition to our website, the club also has a Facebook page AND will be introducing an Instagram account? These social media accounts will be managed by club members Victoria Babcock and Jess Hillman. If you have suggestions for fun posts, etc., please contact them at

victoriaandjessbahill@gmail.com

If you haven’t “liked” our Facebook page, head on over and click the “Like” button!

This month I had the opportunity to talk about one of my favorite sports out there: scent work! I love playing this game with my own dog - watching them use their innate sniffing abilities to solve problems while working together as a team to achieve a goal of finding all the "hides" or "clearing a room". It hits that sweet spot for me of communication, strategy, and handling (without needing real coordination skills - which is a major problem for me in other sports - haha!) Scent work has taught me so much about my dogs, and even about myself. But you don't have to hear from ME this month about my love of this sport - you get to hear from Kathy Montgomery!

Kathy Montgomery lives in Sacramento, California, and has had 4 scent work cavaliers: Boomer (Rambler's Sonic Boomerang), Reggie (Darlington Red G-Rated, Stewart (Goldenspur Hot Pot of Stew), and Carl (Lockestar Sagan's Sun of Flame). Reggie was the first ever cavalier to title in AKC - on 5/26/18. Stewart was the first cavalier to earn a Masters level title, and is still only one of two cavaliers to have ever earned that title. He is currently only 5 qualifying runs away from a Masters Elite title - which will again make him the highest ranked cavalier in scent work. Kathy is also the Event Chair for the ACKCSC National Scent Work Trial. Last year was the inaugural year at the national and it was such a smashing success, they're bringing it back for 2025! You're in for quite a treat to hear from her!

Beth: What is Scent Work?

Kathy: Scent Work is fairly new to AKC. The original sport was developed by a different organization (NACSW) in 2006 by police dog trainers. Their intent was to bring the concept of detection-dog style training to dog lovers and their companion dogs. An enthusiastic community was soon created and the desire to have fun competitions in this new activity grew. AKC added the sport officially in October 2017.

The dogs are trained using very similar techniques to drug detection dog training, but instead of drugs, they search for essential oils (birch, anise, clove, and/or cypress.) The goal of each search is for the dog to find the "hide" (a q tip with drops of one of the essential oils mentioned above) and for the handler to inform the judge that the "hide" was found - all done within an allotted time.

There are four different areas (elements) that the dog must search - Interiors (inside), Exteriors (outside), Containers (boxes, plastic containers, etc), and Buried (bins filled with sand or water where the hide is buried under the sand or water). Novice levels begin with one hide per element and relatively straight-forward problems. As dogs progress through the levels, more hides are added and problems become more complex. The handler does not know where any of the hides are, and must rely on the dog to perform the search and communicate when hides are found - or if an element is "blank" (meaning there is no hide in the element.) The key is the ability for the dog and handler to communicate effectively with each other, and for the handler to be able to read what the dog is telling them - EG the dog may be following an odor but isn't at "source" (near where the Q tip is located) so the handler must be able to assess that the dog is "close enough". Many times in scent work the handler is the one who makes the mistake - not the dog!

B: What do you like about the sport?

K: It's so accessible to so many different dogs - any age can participate, and dogs that may have limitations that hold them back in other sports can participate in this one. The goal may not necessarily be to "title", but to have fun communicating with your dog and your dog getting a reward from you! And handlers get just as excited - pride in seeing their dog find hides, excitement that their dog found it, etc! I’ve seen blind dogs, deaf dogs, tripods of multiple breeds compete. I’ve seen older dogs toddle up to the start line, excited to earn their reward, for 45 seconds of “work”. It is quite amazing to watch their trained nose pull them right up to the odor source.

Scent work also provides similar camaraderie as agility, meaning “the parking lot gang”. We develop friendships, we talk training, we discuss skills, and all the usual dog talk. I've seen many of the agility folks move over to scent work.. None of us are getting any younger - and neither are our dogs. Scent work can be a more comfortable “ joint friendly” sport, for all.

B: Do cavaliers make good Scent Work dogs?

K: Absolutely!! A little extra prey-drive doesn’t hurt, but if your dog can find your dinner on the table when you're eating, then they're already doing scent work! And once you begin to train and your dog starts to understand the game, you'll be surprised at the spark that develops! I've competed among the usual breeds - golden retrievers, border collies, etc - and I've had very respectable, competitive times against them all!

B: How would I get started in Scent Work?

K: The best way to get started in scent work is to find a good trainer in your area. Check out your local obedience dog training club or other local training clubs - there are many options. There are also online options for training (EG Fenzi Dog Training Academy).

*Beth note: If you're in metro Atlanta, I'll be happy to provide some local options for you.

B: Any news on what will be offered at the 2025 National in Cape Cod?

K: It looks like we may have two days worth of scent work trials, although we're still confirming levels. I think we'll have Novice and Advanced, with maybe some higher levels sprinkled in - but it will be based on venue access. And absolutely YES, you could have a Cavalier trained to participate in Novice level for the national in 2025, it’s great clean fun!

B: Thank you so much, Kathy, for your time and sharing the love of the sport with us! I look forward to seeing you at the National!

Pictures below of Stewart searching an aircraft carrier (USS Hornet in Oakland Bay).

Send your favorite inspirational thought to CKCSCAtlantaNewsletter@gmail.com

Do you know a club member who needs some sunshine?

Our Sunshine Committee Chair is Ashley Powell. If you know of a club member that needs to be remembered or encouraged, please be in touch with Ashley.

Ashley can be reached at ashncav@gmail.com.

Can Dogs Eat Pumpkin?

Yes, they can! Not only can they eat it … they should. it’s packed with nutrients that are good for them. And pumpkin has many health benefits for your dog, including high fiber content that supports their digestive system. Most dogs love the taste of pumpkin so it’s easy to feed.

What Are The Health Benefits of Pumpkin for Dogs?

• Vitamins And Minerals: Pumpkin is packed with nutrients your dog needs. It’s a great source of Vitamins A, C, and E which are important for the immune system, brain function, eyes, and skin health. Pumpkin also contains important minerals like potassium, copper, manganese, and iron that each play a role in cellular functions. This is a great reason to add pumpkin as a part of your dog’s regular diet.
• Eye Health: Like other orange vegetables, pumpkin contains a lot of beta-carotene, which is a precursor for vitamin A. Once it converts to vitamin A in the body, it helps improve vision as well as boosting overall immunity and skin and coat health. The carotenoid zeaxanthin also protects your dog’s eyes from light damage.
• Antioxidants: Antioxidants protect your dog from dangerous free radicals in the body. Free radicals are damaged cells that steal molecules from other cells. They’re a natural by-product of metabolism and exposure to toxins in the environment. But if free radicals are uncontrolled, they can harm your dog’s cells and even his DNA. Antioxidants in pumpkin include these plant pigments, called carotenoids: Beta-carotene, Zeaxanthin, and Beta-cryptoxanthin. Carotenoids help lower cancer risk and degenerative disease. Studies show that they may also be good for bone health. Like beta carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin also forms vitamin A. Zeaxanthin contributes to slowing down the aging process, improving heart health, increasing glutathione levels, and reducing inflammation of the skin.
• Anti-Parasitic: Pumpkin seeds are a natural and effective way to remove parasites like worms from your dog’s digestive tract. The seeds contain the amino acid cucurbitin, which paralyzes worms. Studies in both rats and puppies have shown the ability of pumpkin seeds to get rid of intestinal worms.
• Fiber: Pumpkin is a good source of fiber, which is great for your dog’s digestive health. The soluble fiber content in pumpkin absorbs water, which can help to solidify runny stool when your dog has diarrhea. The fiber can also help with the opposite problem, by loosening up the packed stool in the case of constipation. The fiber in pumpkin can also help your dog feel full for longer. And fiber can also help prevent anal gland problems in dogs.

The valuable parts of the pumpkin are the seeds and the flesh. As with any vegetable, organic pumpkin is the healthiest choice for your dog, to avoid produce grown with pesticides.

Pumpkin seeds are low in fat and rich in protein. When using seeds as a remedy for intestinal worms, make sure that you only give your dog raw organic seeds, not the salted, roasted pumpkin seeds that humans eat. The best way to give your dog the benefit of pumpkin seeds is to grind them and add a ½ teaspoon per 20lbs of weight to thier food once or twice per day. Continue this once or twice per day until you no longer see worms or eggs in her stool.

Pumpkin Flesh: You can give your dog fresh pumpkin or canned pumpkin puree as part of thier regular meal. As part of a regular healthy diet, you can give your dog anywhere from 1 to 4 tbsp of pumpkin each day. You can give it raw or cooked, whichever your dog prefers. If you feed it raw, you’ll need to mulch or puree it for digestibility. Cooked pumpkin can be fed cubed if your dog likes something a bit more chewy.

It might surprise you to know that it may be better to give your dog canned pureed pumpkin rather than fresh.This is because canned pumpkin is more concentrated with fiber and nutrients and less water content. Plus, canned pumpkin is available year-round and is more convenient to store. But do make sure that you buy plain pumpkin, and not pumpkin pie filling with added spices, salt, or sugar. You can even buy canned pumpkin that’s sold for dogs … but it’s usually more expensive than regular grocery store canned pumpkin and doesn’t have any unique ingredients.

RAW PUMPKIN SPICE DOG TREATS

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
• 1 tbsp raw honey
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 4 cups almond flour (add more if needed)
• 1/4 tsp salt

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, adding more flour if necessary, until it forms a soft dough. Roll the dough into balls that are the right size for your dog, and then refrigerate. Store these treats in the fridge for one week or freeze for up to six months.

CAVALIER KING CHARLES SPANIEL CLUB OF GREATER ATLANTA

www.ckcscatlanta.org

Beth Lassiter, editor

CKCSCAtlantaNewsletter@gmail.com