OTTER Tales
AUGUST 2007
Otter Tales August, 2007 Page 1
MEETING NOTICE
AUGUST 13, 2007
The WLRC August meeting
will be held at the
Olive Garden Restaurant
6367 E. State Street
Rockford, IL
Phone: (815) 399-3176
Board Meeting: 6:30 p.m.
General Meeting: 7:30 p.m.
OPEN MEETING
GUESTS WELCOME
DIRECTIONS:
Exit I-90 at State Street. Go west on State Street. The Olive Garden is on the south side of State Street in a strip of stores.
(Look for Office Max and Marshall).
QUOTE FOR DOG LOVERS
“We long for an
affection altogether
ignorant of our faults.
Heaven has accorded
this to us in the uncritical
canine attachment.”
- George Eliot
BANANA MUTT COOKIES
Makes about 20 mutt pleasers
USE FRESH BANANAS AND YOUR DOGS WILL LOVE YOU A BUNCH!
1 ½ cups ripe mashed bananas
½ teaspoon vanilla
3 cups oats
½ cup chopped peanuts
¼ cup applesauce
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients together thoroughly.
Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto an ungreased baking sheet, and press flat with a fork.
Bake for approximately 15 minutes, then cool on a rack before serving. Store in an airtight container.
WLRC
Working Certificate
& Advanced Working Certificate Results
July 1, 2007
It was a beautiful day and we had some excellent dog work in the field and water. 18 dogs were entered in the WC test and 15 passed. They had to retrieve one bird on land and two from the water. Handles could hold their collar and delivery to hand was not required. 8 dogs were entered in the AWC and 7 passed. They had to be steady at the line, retrieve a double on land & water, and deliver to hand. Thanks to Judge Mark Holcomb for his services and to Rack and Wing for allowing us to once again use their wonderful grounds. We got some outstanding photos of this year’s event and hope to get them on the web soon. The WLRC Working Certificate test continues to be one of the outstanding bargains in field events. Where else can you get a duck (to take home), lunch, ribbon, certificate, and good company of other Labrador owners for less than $25.00! See you next year and remember it’s never too soon to start training.
Earl Thomas
WLRC Working Certificate Qualifiers
Rozihill’s Three Sheets To The Wind
Zina Becker & Connie Thompson
Rush Lake Midnite River RN
Lynne Hlavek
PJ’s Hit the Jackpot
Sheila A. & Mark Holcomb
Rozihill Lady Carlsons One Mora
Gary Carlson
Triwater’s Aspen Ridge
Ginger Jensen
Nachusa’s Spud the Stud
Jeremy Shugars
Chestnut Hills Titan Ale
Pat Kroll & Cynthia Tripp
Cedar Spring Fast Jet Sky Dancer
Linda B. Brown
SK Aprils Amber Lace
Kim Krug
Wag Tls My Name Is Earl
Sharon Grieves
Lorken’s Twist of Fate
Inge Suchanek
Tall Pines Jet Black Otter
Bob Cain
Hoffmann Darkwoods Eightball
Victoria A. Lunebach
Dutch Hollow Spectular Bid OA OAJ RN
Whitney Lamberson
AKS’s Geraci’s Blonde Stranger
John & Laurie Geraci
WLRC Advanced
Working Certificate Qualifiers
Canyon Ridge’s Texas Shorty JH RE CGC
Bob & Sandy Czarnowski
Carlson’s Lady Lingonberry JH
Gary E. & Sheila M. Carlson
Give Me Liberty II
Gayle Dixon
Canyon Ridge’s Lefty JH RE CGC
Bob & Sandy Czarnowski
Carlson’s Lady Godiva JH WC CGC
Gary E. & Sheila M. Carlson
Nachusa’s I Walk the Line JH
Earl Thomas
Double Fudge Mocha Latte
Mary Stromberg
Something to
Howl About!
Cedar Springs Twinkling Star
WB & BOS at the Hawkeye KC
Show on June 23.
Breeder: Martha Torkington-Kiss
Owner: Mary Herburger/Olivia Murphy
Cedar Springs Cotton Knit
WB & BOS at the Hawkeye KC
Show on June 24.
Breeder/Owner: Mary Herburger
Chestnut Hills Titan Ale
“Titan” earned his WC at the
WLRC test on July 1.
Breeder: Donna Thate
Owners: Pat Kroll & Cindy Tripp
Frosty River’s Come Fly with Me
“Drifter” earned her last leg on her CD title at the Greater DeKalb KC show on July 8.
Breeder/Owner: Este Jones
Sonlight on Michele’s Magnolia
RWB at the Little Fort KC of
Waukegan show on June 15.
RWB at the Chain O’Lakes KC
Show on June 17.
RWB at the Blackhawk KC
Show on July 7.
RWB at the DeKalb KC
Show on July 9.
Owner: Michele Randall
Randallridge Big Ben the Bear
WD & BOW at the Blackhawk KC
Show on July 7.
Owner: Michele Randall
Cedar Springs Fast Jet Sky Dancer
“Sky” earned her WC at the
WLRC test on July 1.
Proud owner/handler/trainer: Linda Brown
Bluveil Bermuda
“Remy” went WD, BOW and BOB for two points on July 15 at the Kishwaukee KC show. Loved and co-owned by Pat Kroll
& Donna Thate.
Chestnut Hills That’s Hot
“Nikki” went WB and BOS for two points on July 15 at the Kishwaukee KC show. Breeder/owner handled and loved
by Donna Thate.
Charm Dreams of Cloud Dancing
WB and BOS on July 14 at the
Belvidere, IL show from the puppy class.
Breeder/Owner/Loved by:
Charlene & Jerome Moser
Nachusa’s I Walk the Line JH
“Cash” passed his first Senior Hunt Test on July 14 at the Fox Valley Retriever Club Hunt Test held at Bong. One down and three to go!
Owner: Earl Thomas
Litter box
THE LISTED BREEDERS ARE MEMBERS IN GOOD STANDING OF WLRC, BUT IN NO CIRCUMSTANCES DOES WLRC GUARANTEE THE SERVICES OF SAID MEMBERS. BUYERS SHOULD REVIEW ANY CONTRACTS AND/OR GUARANTEES WITH THE BREEDER.
Kennel: Special Occasion
Breeder: Diane Wehrheim
Phone: (262) 594-3219
Due: 8/22
Color: Black & Yellow
Sire: Special Occasion First Impression
Hips/Elbs: OFA Good/Clear
Eyes: Cerf/Optigen Normal
Heart Clear/Full Dentition
Dam: Special Occasion Circle
of Life
Hips/Elbs: OFA Good/Clear
Eyes: Cerf/Optigen Normal
Heart Clear
Kennel: Sonlight
Breeder: Garry & Sue Seehawer
Phone: (815) 633-4366
Due: 8/4
Color: Yellow
Sire: Ch. Lubberline Martingale
Hips/Elbs: OFA Good/Clear
Eyes: Optigen A
Dam: Sonlight’s in DJ’s Memory
Hips/Elbs: OFA Fair/Clear
Eyes: Clear
Kennel: RandallRidge
Breeder: Michele Randall
Phone: (847) 658-5875/
(815) 658-7711
Whelped: 7/7/07
Color: Chocolate
5 Males/4 Females
Sire: RandallRidge Big Ben
the Bear
Hips: OFA pending
Dam: RandallRidge MurphyMochaCoco
Hips: OFA Good
Kennel: Lazy M
Breeder: Maureen & Stu McNames
Phone: (815) 968-2905
Due: 7/30
Color: Black & Yellow
Sire: Lazy M Here Comes the Judge
MH, TDI
Hips: OFA
Eyes: Cerf
CNM Clear
Dam: Lazy M Sunnyside Up,
MH, TDI
Hips: OFA
Eyes: Cerf
CNM Clear
LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE
Ever wonder why a dog
circles before lying down?
In the wild, circling was a way of
preparing a sleeping area,
flattening down tall grasses.
It would also serve as a scent barrier,
to ensure others knew that
an area was taken.
Summertime Alert for Swimming Dogs
Whole Dog Journal is putting out an alert that freshwater ponds, lakes and streams could be deadly to your swimming dog if they contain toxins borne by blue-green algae.
This algae can occur in many water areas year-round but especially during the late summer or early fall. This type of algae thrives during warm and sunny days in shallow, nutrient rich bodies of water. The algae produce a toxin and this can cause serious illness or death in dogs when they ingest it.
If your pet comes in contact with a bloom, wash off your pet’s coat to prevent the pet from ingesting the algae while self-cleaning. If you suspect the animal is sick from the algae, call a veterinarian immediately. Be cautious and careful this summer when your dog takes a dip in the ponds, lakes, and streams around your area.
From Whole Dog Journal:
The dangers of a “toxic bloom” of blue-green algae are well known in some states. According to a website published by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, certain environmental conditions that generally occur late in summer can trigger a sudden overgrowth of a certain family of algae called cyanobacteria. This type of algae occurs in many aquatic environments year-round, but may thrive to a dangerous degree in during periods of sustained warm, sunny days in shallow, nutrient rich bodies of water. In these conditions, the blue-green algae suddenly “blooms” – that is, reproduces exponentially. The algae produce a powerful toxin – one of the most powerful natural poisons known. The state of Minnesota warns its citizens about this hazard, stating that the blue-green algae blooms are occasionally responsible for the deaths of livestock and dogs who drink contaminated water.
Dog owners should be aware that toxic algae blooms usually occur in late summer or early fall, but can occur at any time. They can occur in marine, estuarine, and (especially) fresh water. The latter are of the greatest concern to dog owners, as dogs are commonly taken to ponds, lakes, and reservoirs in the summer for recreation, exercise, and cooling — and they routinely drink the water. Some of these algae blooms look like foam, scum, or mats on the surface of the water. The blooms can be blue, bright green, brown, or red (“red tide” is perhaps the best-known so-called “harmful algal bloom”) – but some blooms may not affect the appearance of the water. The water may or may not smell bad. As a further difficulty to dog owners trying to protect their dogs, not all algal blooms are toxic!
When an algal bloom is toxic, obviously, it can kill or seriously sicken an animal, sometimes as quickly as within 15 or 20 minutes of ingestion. The effects depend on the amount ingested, the size of the animal, the amount of food in the animal’s stomach (a full stomach has some protective effect), the sensitivity of the species and individual animal, and the amount of toxin present in the bloom.
According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, “An animal that has ingested toxins from an algae bloom can show a variety of symptoms, ranging from skin irritation or vomiting to severe disorders involving the circulatory, nervous and digestive systems, and severe skin lesions. In the worst case, the animal may suffer convulsions and die.”
(Article taken from Itchmo.com – reprinted with permission)
What You Should Know About
Blue-Green Algae
Algae are common in surface waters throughout Minnesota. They are microscopic plants that are a natural part of any aquatic environment. When temperature and water conditions are right, algae “blooms” can turn the water green and smelly and may contribute to fish kills. Most algae are harmless; however under certain conditions a type of algae called “blue-green” algae can become toxic. People or animals who contact toxic blue-green algae can become sick. In some cases animals have died
from it.
What is it?
Algae occur in virtually all waters in Minnesota, but their concentration can vary considerably through the year and with location. There are hundreds of species of algae, but the family of blue-green algae called cyanobacteria can produce toxins that affect humans or animals. This type of algae is found throughout Minnesota, but thrives particularly in warm, shallow, nutrient-rich lakes such as those in central and southern Minnesota.
How and where does it occur
and how can I recognize it?
While blue-green algae can be present throughout the year, they usually don’t cause problems until there’s an extensive “bloom.” In nutrient-rich lakes, they can become so abundant that they completely dominate
other free-floating algae. Then, the whole appearance of the water may change. The water will become very cloudy, with a green, yellow or blue-green cast or hue.
It may develop a “swampy” odor as the algae
accumulate in large floating mats and begin to decompose. In extreme cases, there may be surface scums of dead and decomposing algae. While many algae can turn the water green, a lake with a blue-green bloom may look like “pea soup” or even like
there’s green paint floating on the surface. Since
blue-green algae often float near the surface of the water they are strongly influenced by the wind. Wind-driven blooms will often accumulate on a down-wind shoreline where the algae often form mats and decompose. These blooms may become toxic; however we are unable to predict which blooms are
toxic and which are not. Alternately, the wind can completely dissipate a toxic bloom in a few hours or a day. Although toxic blooms may occur throughout the open water season, they tend to occur more commonly in late summer and early fall.
What causes blue-green algae
blooms?
There is no single factor which causes an algae bloom. A combination of factors such as excessive nutrients, warm temperatures, and lots of sunlight all encourage the growth of blue-green algae.
The presence of excess nutrients (e.g. phosphorus), is largely due to nonpoint source runoff from agricultural lands (e.g., row crops), urban areas (streets, parking lots, lawns, etc.), and point sources such as wastewater treatment facilities.
What are the potential hazards?
Some cyanobacteria can produce toxins that are among the most powerful natural poisons known. Cyanobacteria can make people, their pets, and other animals sick. Often, the first sign that an algae bloom has become toxic is a sick dog that has been swimming in an algae-filled pond. Although effects on humans are less frequently reported, children are at higher risk than adults for illness from cyanobacteria because of increased contact with the water,
increased likelihood of ingestion, and potentially because they weigh less and can get a relatively larger dose of toxin.
Toxic effects in animals occur when they ingest the contaminated water or algae. Farmers can suffer severe livestock losses from blue-green algae poisoning of their cattle's watering source. The degree to which an animal is affected depends on several factors: the amount of water or algal cells ingested, the animal's body size, amount of food in the animal's stomach, the sensitivity of the species and individual animal, and the type and amount of toxin present
in the bloom.
An animal that has ingested toxins from an algae bloom can show a variety of symptoms, ranging from skin irritation or vomiting to severe disorders involving the circulatory, nervous and digestive systems, and severe skin lesions. In the worst case, the animal may suffer convulsions and die. In August and September 2004 and in June 2007, several dog deaths due to blue-green algae were reported in central and southwestern Minnesota.