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Dates & News:

ZimDog News, can be accessed from: www.vanerp.net.

GSD Club of Bulawayo Have postponed their show end May to end of August. News Flash: already over 37 dogs have entered. They expect an entry of about 50 by closing date. Well done Bulawayo and this shows what can be done when you are concerned and work towards such a good entry. Their open Show the beginning of this year had 30 entries and I wonder what is happening in Harare, any chance of starting to work on all GSD owners and have a breed show in 2005?

Working Trials are holding a double working trials weekend, first weekend of August.

Congratulations

Rotek Club in S Africa on 20 June had Herr G Muller judging and our Zimbabwe bitch Dixie managed to come into V4th place. Well done and congratulations.

Condolences

Maryanne has had to put her dear lab to sleep as he was suffering from a growth. So sorry to read this late.

Retriever (Labrador) Ch Zennor Mhambo of Willowood "Bo" 03/12/1992 - 29/03/2004

Beloved family member and best friend always; described by Maurice le Cussan (Australia) as the "yellow flash" and "joker of the day" when going Best in Show at the Gundog Club of Mashonaland’s 1996 Championship Show. Bo will never be replaced in my heart. Bo’s joie de vivre right until the end will always remain a ray of light on those far horizons. An end of a special era. Maryanne.

 

Crackers did I win the Kwekwe Show? Cannot believe it and my Editor is not sure either. Any one who can confirm this?

The Bichon Frisé wagon train in action at the same show

What is crackering?

I did know that this has to be done to these dogs to keep their hair in top condition, but here is the clear explanation by Gill Houghton: Maltesers, Yorkshire Terriers: you are correct when you are talking crackering as both breeds are crackered. It is said that it stops the coats from getting damaged. I used to cracker Anna but she is a ‘rubber’ and tries rubbing herself against a tree whatever, to get the cracker out and it does more damage to a dog like that. !!       The paper is similar to perm paper, it’s acid free and you place strand by strand on it plus some almond oil roll it up and fix with an elastic band!!! This is done daily!!!

Well thank you Gill, this is very interesting and what a work these Show people do to get their dogs in top condition. They must smell lovely with this almond oil!

Working Trials held by the German Shepherd Dog club of Harare on 24 July 2004. Again a very well run show and as usual they choose a lovely spot on the corner of Norfolk road, just big enough for the tracks and a good shady place with big trees in the middle of it all. Kirsten Tshuma came all the way from Bulawayo some 490 km away from Harare, to judge this show. A pleasure to have him as he kindly explains the various exercises where the handler and dog could do a little better next time.

The ‘public’ and catering area Heather Armstrong competing in CD with her Swiss white shepherd, one of the only two in this country. The next day she qualified and won in Novice with 95%

Stud dogs in Zimbabwe.

3 Tanah Merah’s Rambutan ZKC 15931, Born 27-12-1997, HD A+, SG, AD, BH, SchH 1 & 2 [Sire Andy vom Osterburg Quell, AD, CD Ex, TD 1 Ex, TD 2 Ex, SchH 3, 2 CC's, 2 BOB, HD: A+ / Dam Rena van het Tjeukemeer,'V', IPO 1, HD: Fast Normal]. Rambu had to pass the BH test first before he could enter Schutzhund tests in South Africa; this test is a little more difficult than the IPO test in Zimbabwe. He also passed the Endurance test and is one of the only two dogs that have working qualifications. Rambu is also the only dark Mahogany Sable in the country Was used three times on three different bitches and produced 10 dog pups [of which 3 were sable] &18 bitch pups [of which 10 were sable]. His color will improve the color of the puppies, mated to pale bitches all over.

“Corki” The sable puppies in this litter are still waiting to get their full topcoat coloring and are at the moment still very creamy to look at. The darker colour is now coming through and in about 2 to 3 months they will be very dark. Two of his latest puppies are seen here at 12 weeks with good proportions, and very good in bone and head. "Tsamba"

4 Von Brinson Caleb ZKC 17790, DOB 15-12-1999 [Sire VA (SA) Zlato aus Agrigento, SchH 3/ Ch von Brinson Belle, V, AD, Ao [14467]] Has not been used Is being trained to enter the various obedience shows and does very well. He is a lovely dog with excellent character. Has not yet been used and so no puppies to be looked at. More Stud dogs in next issue.

LAMENT OF A STUD

My job is making puppies, and I get two tries at that. They pat me and tell me "Good Boy" and that's the end of that.

It's half my job to give 'em teeth and topline, fronts and other. Remember, it's only half my job- they also have a mother.

It's not my job to carry pups and make 'em grow or nurse 'em and feed and clean and make 'em strong. That's for "mother" and a person.

It's not my job to wean 'em and fed calcium and food. And stack and gait and housebreak and make 'em show or brood.

It's not my job to plan the breeding and learn what produces well, To study pedigrees, learn what's there, and pick out what to sell.

It's not my job to guarantee champs, the breeder picks the pair, to make and whelp and feed and show and hope that champ is there.

It's not my job to be on hand when points are given out. The breeder, owners, dam and friends take credit with a shout.

It's not my job to deliver a winner, it's only genes I sell, but let those puppies turn out bad, and guess who catches HELL.

Author Unknown

PLEASE LOVE ME

Dog quotations: Histories are more full of examples of the fidelity of dogs than of friends. There is no faith which has never yet been broken, except that of a truly faithful dog Buy a pup and your money will buy love unflinching.

Combined Harare shows June 2004 A determined new handler, who will take any dog into the ring. This is to be encouraged and we hope Cheynie will try this again in the August Shows!

Dilatation of the Oesophagus

Some more info about this sad condition:

Treatment: Where the cause is cardio spasm, mechanical dilatation by placement of bougies in the cardia may alter the contractile strength of the sphincter, allowing the oesophagus to empty. Surgical correction by extramucosal oesophagocardiomyotomy offers a better opportunity for satisfactory recovery. Removal of constrictive bands of embryonic tissue remnants is accomplished surgically.

Exotic Dog Causes Confusion?

One more comment was made: It could be like one of the African Wild Painted Dogs.

Enlightment:-[see picture in July news]

This is a normal German Shepherd dog, each single hair on this dog has two or more colours, starting from dark brown and ending in the black tip, the proof, that it is a sable. There are various kind of sables; from grey sable, to gold sable, mahogany sable and in this picture: the black sable. In Germany they are all called; ‘Grauw’ which does not do them right as there are so many variations in their colour. A single sable parent can produce sable puppies.

 

African Wild Painted Dogs – Picture taken by Jim Schulz – Chicago Zoological Society. This is then the Painted dog, who were nearly extinct in Zimbabwe and now some good packs are again in the wild, one in the south of Zimbabwe’s lowveld and one in Mana Pools. The dog in previous ZimDog News edition has some of the colouring on its paws, but the body colouring is certainly different, as the painted dog has more patches. The face looks similar to the previous newsletter, but then the shape of the ears again very different. Very interesting to look up on Internet and there are many articles about this gorgeous wild dog in the veldt.