THE CAVALIER CHRONICLE

Also, please don’t forget to submit any AKC recognized titles your dogs have achieved so we can announce at the luncheon and include in the December newsletter.

The puppy picnic will be held March 23rd at the Lawrenceville Kennel Club facility, rain or shine. We have the doctors lined up for the health clinics, along with our normal activities.

The sponsorships and donations store is open for our Specialty in February 2025. Please help where possible to offset the costs of putting on the show. Our Saturday social will be barbeque themed and remains free to all attendees.

The last thing I have is a reminder to submit your membership renewals. They seem to be lagging a bit this year. You can mail them in or renew online at out store on the club website.

Thanks,
Jim

Thank you everyone for continuing to provide content for our newsletter. Please keep it coming! This month in our Sports Corner, we have an interview about Rally Obedience - I hope you enjoy the conversation. If you'd like a specific sport covered, let me know. Additionally, if you have any overall suggestions, general feedback, and especially brags, please send them to CKCSCAtlantaNewsletter@gmail.com.

Thanks -

Beth Lassiter, Editor

December 29th – SUNDAY – HOLIDAY LUNCHEON

The following new members were voted in at the November Meeting:

• Associates: Linda Bunting, Kim Sloane
  
• Regular Members: John and Lori Bennett, Roger Smith and Lisa Barkow
  

Congratulations, new members!

TIME IS SLIPPING AWAY! You have until December 31, 2024 to renew your membership and breeder referral listing.

The fastest way to renew is to use on safe, secure online renewal on our club website at: https://ckcscatlanta.org/2025-membership-renewal

Congratulations to Lisa Barkow and Roger Smith on their new AKC Champion, Tribeo Unforgettable Fire, Bono!!

Congratulations to Ashley Powell on a fantastic showing in Newnan. Here's what she had to say: "I am so happy to announce that Kimber's (Monticello Rebel Without A Cause FITB) 1st show weekend (ever!) at the Newnan Kennel Club shows ended with her going Winner's Bitch (out of Bred By exhibitor class) and Best of Breed Owner-Handled on October 20th! I cannot begin to explain what this huge win means to me. I'm so thankful to Judge Mrs. Deborah Barrett for recognizing my special girl!"

Please plan 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!

This year, we will be serving up baked ham and ask that you bring a side to share with everyone. Plus some special items like a coffee and hot chocolate station, Christmas punch and sparkling grape juice at each table to toast the old and new year and more!

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!

Want to participate in the white cavalier gift exchange? Bring a wrapped unmarked gift of at least $20 or more (it can or cannot be cavalier related) and join in the fun. Participation is voluntary! Last year it got testy! LOL so join in the fun!

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.

At our holiday luncheon we will be recognizing the following people for their years of membership in the club with certificates and for our 20 year members, a special engraved award. We hope they will be able to attend our Holiday Luncheon and help us celebrate their membership achievements!

5 year memberships: LaVada McCosh, Hazel Linn, Leslie Lucas, Ed Lucas, Ashley Powell and Macrae Evans

20 year memberships: Rita Guest, John Guest

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 you information (dog’s name, title achieved) to Sharon Utych at utych@earthlink.net

WE NEED YOU!

TIME IS GETTING CLOSE and 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. There are LOTS of available sponsorships online on our club website. Last year we filled up all the slots and it helped greatly to offset the cost of the prizes!

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!

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.

UPDATE: PLEASE MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS EARLY! THE HOTEL IS UNDERGOING RENOVATIONS AND WE WERE INFORMED THAT ONLY HALF OF THE ROOMS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR BOOKING – SO GET YOUR RESERVATIONS IN NOW OR YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO STAY AT THE HOST HOTEL!

Join us on Saturday evening 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! Everyone is invited to attend and enjoy the evening! Our menu is still in the planning stages and will be updated here once finalized.

DUE TO THE HOTEL RENOVATION, OUR SOCIAL WILL BE HELD IN THE FOOD/LOBBY AREA OF THE HOTEL AFTER THE HOTEL HAPPY HOUR IS OVER. MORE INFORMATION WILL BE FORTHCOMING.

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!

Can you donate 60 like items for our exhibitor bags? Please let Carolyn or Ashley Powell know what you can donate. Ideas are poop bags, tissues, note pads, bottled water, chips, popcorn, hand sanitizer, etc.

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!

Our Instagram page is: https://www.instagram.com/CKCS.OF.GREATERATL

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.

I had the great fortune this month to talk with two of my favorite people: Erin Keen and Rebecca Lanier. They bring unique perspectives as their introduction to dog sports was through conformation. Erin is from Murrells Inlet, SC and has two cavaliers, Indy and Baron, a Miniature American Shepherd, Shannon, and a Golden Retriever, Maggie. Rebecca is from Naples, Florida and has 6 cavaliers.

This month we're discussing Rally Obedience (also known as Rally-O, or simply Rally). I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Beth: How did you get involved in dog sports?

Erin: When I was 9 years old I started doing junior showmanship. Our Shetland Sheepdog’s breeder was amazing and helped me get into the sport. My mom would drive me to shows and I was able to handle different breeds. I was exposed to obedience and agility at that time as well. One of my favorite memories was when my mom let me and my sister skip school to attend Westminster and watch our breeder compete.

Rebecca: My first CKCS, Gracie, came into my life when I was a junior at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. Eckerd was notoriously known for allowing pets to live on campus. Yes, that was a selling point for me and naturally the daughter of a veterinarian, I jumped at the opportunity to have a four-legged companion with me in college. Gracie was my beloved pet for 10 years. After losing her in 2019, I wanted to get more involved in the breed. I welcomed my very first show prospect, Frances, into our lives in 2020 and began devouring everything I could on conformation, handling skills, grooming, and the breed standard. The very first time I stepped into a conformation ring, let along a dog show, was during the pandemic when masks were required and social distancing was the norm (and yes I proudly wore a mask with CKCS on it). Frances and I learned so much together in those first few years. She is how I got my start in the world of dog sports.

B: How would you describe Rally?

E: Rally Obedience is a team sport where you and your dog navigate through a number of signs that instruct you to perform a certain skill. You are both working as a team and completing the tasks together while your dog is under control on your left side.

R: Additionally there are 10-20 signs per course, and you must demonstrate various obedience skills. Unlike Obedience, in Rally you can give verbal commands and talk to your dog throughout the course. The course is never the same and with each advancing level, the courses and signs get harder.

Editor's Note: AKCTV provides a great intro to rally video here.

B: Why did you get involved with rally?

E: I got back into the dog sport world after I adopted Shannon in 2017. She was a bit of a challenge and needed a lot of confidence building. I started doing some agility and rally with her after we moved to SC. She was so happy to be “working” and her confidence shined. That is where my love for rally began! Indy is currently competing in advanced rally. If you were at the ACKCSC national specialty near the rally ring, you may have seen her leave (run out of) the ring to get a treat from her crate during one of the trials.

Editor's Note: Editor may have given said delectable treat to Indy before she went in the ring, inadvertently causing the escape. Editor is very sorry for her contribution!

R: After retiring Frances from conformation, I was looking for something fun for us to do. I had friends doing Rally with their dogs and they suggested I give it a try. So, we gave it a whirl! I instantly fell in love with the sport! Having come from the conformation world, where you dress nicely, have your dog groomed to perfection, and go around the ring the same way every single time, I was intrigued by the idea of novelty that Rally offered. I also loved the fact that I could wear leggings, a t-shirt, and sneakers! What I quickly came to love about Rally was there was no competition, other than ourselves. As we know, in conformation, there is only one Best of Breed winner. Rally is different. Our hard work pays off and we get acknowledged for our hard work by earning Q’s and receiving placements. Frances has completed her Rally Novice title with 2 1st places, and 1 2nd place. She has also completed her 1st leg of Rally Intermediate earning 2nd place.

The titles, the scores, the placements are fun goals to work towards. But, the best part about Rally is the joy and connection it brings me and my best girl. We’re not competing against anyone but ourselves. We get to demonstrate our hard work, our relationship, our teamwork, our communication, our trust, and our commitment to each other when we “play” Rally. As a great mentor of mine always says, “It’s all about having fun with your dogs.”

B: Do your dogs enjoy it?

E: Indy loves rally!!! Any sport where she gets to look at me and I get to talk to her she enjoys.

R: Yes! Frances literally lights up anytime we practice or compete in Rally. It’s her favorite thing to do with me and me with her.

B: Do cavaliers make good rally dogs? Why or why not?

E: I think cavaliers make excellent rally dogs. They are extremely intelligent and want to please. They can have immense focus and enjoy working with their owner.

R: Absolutely! CKCS are the perfect Rally dogs because of their eagerness to play and engage with their owners. As the breed standard states, they are “fearless and sporting in character.” Rally is a wonderful team sport that highlights the relationship between handler and dog.

B: What are your goals for your dogs with rally? Competing? Just for fun?

E: Right now, my goal with Indy is to have fun doing rally. We don’t compete in it as much as some of her other sports, but we do little sessions at home and practice with a group. Another reason why I like rally is because it is a low impact sport. It is great to do with older dogs or dogs that may be recovering from an injury. I would love for Indy to one day get her RACH (Rally Championship), but for now we are just enjoying the ride!

R: My ultimate goal for Frances and I is to earn our Rally Champion Title. While that’s a long ways away, it gives us many, many opportunities between now and then to be in the ring and have fun together - which to me is the ultimate goal!

B: How can someone get started in rally? And what prerequisites does a dog need before starting in rally?

E: To get started, you can either attend a local trial or find a group class. I learn so much by watching others work with their dog. Your dog should have a basic level of obedience prior to starting. I teach an intro to rally class with a great group. We focus on engagement and then perfecting the skill. We do games, see who is the fastest, and have also started incorporating dog fitness equipment in between signs for an added challenge.

Also - AKC has a virtual rally program where you can record a video of you and your dog performing a virtual course and submit it for review. It is great for those just getting started or if you can’t get to a local trial.

R: If you’re interested in getting started in Rally, I’d recommend finding a local dog training class that offers a Rally class. Getting to practice full courses as if you were competing in a trial is incredibly valuable! I firmly believe we are the solid team that we are because we’ve gotten to practice full courses in our weekly Rally class. If you get a chance to see a local Rally trial I highly recommend it! It’s a great way to see what the sport is all about and so much fun to see the various breeds competing. You can also learn more information about eligibility, rules, and events at https://www.akc.org/sports/rally/.

B: Thank you both for sharing your experience! I look forward to cheering you on in your future rally adventures!

The Benefits of Cranberry for Your Pet

Dogs and cats sometimes suffer similar ailments as humans. With that in mind, some of the same remedies that humans use will work for dogs and cats as well. Raw cranberries contain vitamin C, manganese and other essential micronutrients that can help your pet dog or cat. These types of nutrients can help with your pet’s vision, immunity, digestion and more.

• Cranberry extract can help prevent plaque build-up on your dog or cat’s teeth, which can help prevent tooth decay.
  
• The chemicals in cranberries can help to slow down and improve age-related declines in memory, balance and coordination in your pet dog or cat. This can help lengthen your pet’s quality of life and keep their brain activity healthy.
• The antioxidants in cranberries can help your dog or cat’s eyes and prevent eye diseases, such as macular degeneration, which can eventually lead to vision loss or blindness.
• Cranberries can also be beneficial to your pet’s cardiovascular system – helping blood vessels to relax, dilate and lower blood pressure.
• Dogs and cats can be prone to infections in their kidneys, bladder and urinary tract. Cranberries can be helpful in maintaining a healthy urinary tract, which is beneficial to their kidneys and bladder. Incorporating cranberries into your pet’s diet on a regular basis can prevent the bacteria that causes infections in these areas.

Always consult with your pet’s veterinarian before adding cranberry to their diet.

Cranberry Dog Treats

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Makes: 20 3-inch cookies (but you can make them any size you want)

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups almond flour
• ½ cup rolled oats
• ¾ cup chopped fresh cranberries
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup melted coconut oil

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

• In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour and rolled oats.

• Add chopped cranberries, lightly beaten egg, honey, and melted coconut oil and mix together until just combined.

• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to a ¼-inch thick round. Cut out cookies using cookie cutter of any shape.

• Place cookies on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Be sure to re-roll any dough scraps to cut out as many cookies as you can

• Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until treats are turning golden around edges.

• Let cookies rest in in pan for about 5 minutes before moving to wire racks to cool completely.

CAVALIER KING CHARLES SPANIEL CLUB OF GREATER ATLANTA

www.ckcscatlanta.org

Beth Lassiter, editor

CKCSCAtlantaNewsletter@gmail.com