NVBC Board of Directors 2007
BOD
Name/Phone/E-mail
President Sue Drazek
301-948-5067
sdrazek@comcast.net
1st Vice Pres. Joann
Anders
& Immediate 540-894-5826
Past President RJAbritnys@aol.com
2nd Vice Pres. Greg
Storey
703-361-0334
storey@comcast.net
Secretary/Treasurer Judi
Parker
703-356-9537
jparker@sysplan.com
Director at Large Paul
Douthit
202-841-0884
psdouthit@yahoo.com
Director at Large Herb Reid
703 503-7912
herb.reid@siemens.com
American Brittany
Rescue
www.AmericanBrittanyRescue.org
Transport Volunteers Needed –MidAtlantic Region
Contact: Andrea
Bock
410-674-9880 britrescue@comcast.net
Calendar of Events 2007
Oct 13, Saturday Training Day
McKee Beshers WMA, Seneca,
MD
Greg Storey, 703-3610334
gstorey@comcast.net.
Oct 14, Sunday Fall Hunt Test
McKee Beshers WMA, Seneca,
MD
Herb Reid, 703-503-7912 herb.reid@siemens.com
Oct 26-28 Fall Field Trial
Phelps WMA, Sumerduck,
VA
Bob Anders, 540-894-5826, addietude95@aol.com
December 8, Saturday, 1 PM
Annual Meeting - Awards & Holiday Party
The
Drazek’s, Darnestown, MD
Sue Drazek,
301-948-5067 sdrazek@comcast.net Help needed.
Attention all members: Please look over the events our Club
is hosting. We are in need of volunteers to help make them a success. Any
Chairperson will be glad to find the right job for you! Hunt Test, Field Trial,
Training Day, Holiday Dinner—Pick one and volunteer now!
Events/Chair/Phone/E-mail
Hunt Test Chair Herb Reid
703-503-7912
herb.reid@siemens.com
Field Trial Chair Bob Anders
540-894-5826
addietude95@aol.com
Field Trial Secr’y Joann Anders
540-894-5826
RJAbritnys@aol.com
Specialty Chair Gail Craddock
310-371-6570
wgcraddock@starpower.net
Training Day Greg
Storey
703-361-0334
storey@comcast.net
Web Master Tom Mauter
505-466-6511
tjmauter@comcast.net
www.northernvirginiabrittanyclub.com
Letter from your President
The days are getting shorter, with pleasantly cool mornings.
Daytime temperatures are well below the heat of summer. Corn and soy beans are
being harvested, opening up the fields. Just add some quail, chucker or
pheasant and a Brittany.
It’s time to get outdoors and enjoy some hunting with your four legged buddy. I
hope to see many of you at our Training Day/Hunt Test weekend in October.
We currently have sixty members (full or associate). Our Brittanys do many
things: family companion (hiking, boating, ball/Frisbee fetching), hunt, field
trial, conformation, agility, obedience, rally and just hangin’ out. Why not
send a photo of your dog to include in an upcoming Newsletter? Send it as a
jpeg file to Judi Parker, including both the dog’s and owner’s names…and a
caption if you have one.
Fall is a busy time for NVBC. We have many opportunities for
members to participate in club events: Serve on the Board of Directors? Host
the Annual Holiday Meeting at your home? Organize the dinner for the Annual
Meeting? Help at the Training Day, Hunt
Test or Field Trial? Make a donation for the Specialty show trophy fund? Organize
a fund raising Raffle (I have several Brittany/dog items to contribute)? A bit
of help by many people will get the job done.
Please volunteer to help make them successful.
From the Secretary
Not much has changed since the last issue of the newsletter.
I am still getting around on 4 wheels and an attitude, but I hope that will be
changing here shortly.
Dickens is loving being home and being an only dog. I don’t
know what she thinks I did with CJ and Phoenix,
but long about Thanksgiving she is in for a surprise. I hope they will be
coming home.
With all the activities going on in the club, I wish I could
get out but at least I hope to be able to attend the Christmas party this year.
If you have anything you would like to see in the newsletter
(pictures of your Brittanys,
stories of their exploits, or fun things you have done, you can reach the Club
Secretary at 703 356 9537 or jparker@sysplan.com
. If you use e-mail, just be sure to put either “Brittany club” or “NVBC” in the subject
line. In these days of spam and phishing, I tend to delete messages from
addresses that I don’t recognize.
My mailing
address is:
Judi Parker
1453 Wasp Lane
McLean, VA
22101.
I am so glad to be back and am looking forward to taking
care of things for the club once again.
THANKS AGAIN SUE!
Event Reports
Our Pool Party at the Drazek’s in July was a great fun! The
weather was hot enough to enjoy the pool, but pleasant enough for our picnic
outdoors. For this I am thankful because there was NO WAY that I could handle
28 people and 17 dogs in the house! With everyone bringing something to share,
we feasted on grilled wieners and chicken (kudos to grill Chef Paul), a variety
of salads, fruit, pies and cookies. Some of the Brittanys used the pool to cool off after
running around, others stayed in the pool playing fetch as long as they were
allowed, while some enthusiastically practiced their dock-diving skills by
leaping from the diving board into the pool. Oh, the people got to swim, too.
Training Day
October 13, 2007
Please join us for The Northern Virginia Brittany Club’s
Training Day on Saturday, October 13th from 8AM – 12PM at the beautiful
McKee-Besher Wildlife Management Area located in Seneca, Maryland.
This is about 30 minutes off of the River
Road exit on the Capitol Beltway.
This simulated hunt test allows our Brittanys to do what
they were bred to do, find and point birds. This large preserve provides a safe
environment for both you and your dog. Whether you and your Brittany are new to
the field or are an experienced team, this is a great opportunity to work your
dog on planted quail, meet other members, share experiences and show your
support for the club.
The event is scheduled the day before the
NVBC Fall Hunt Test and at the same location as the Fall Hunt Test. The Training Day is intended to provide an
opportunity to run your dog in an environment similar to a hunt test but in a
relaxed and informal structure.
The NVBC will ask for a donation of $10.00
per dog entered in the event to cover the cost of birds. Two birds will be provided for each dog
entered.
No food will be available but bottled water
will be available for sale.
For information contact Greg Storey at (703)
361-0334 or email gstorey@comcast.net. Also please let Greg know if you plan to
attend so that we can determine the number of quail required.
NVBC Fall Hunt Test
Sunday, October 14th
McKee Besher Wildlife Management Area
Seneca, Maryland
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Please join us for The Northern
Virginia Brittany Club’s Fall Hunt Test at the beautiful McKee-Besher Wildlife
Management Area located in Seneca Maryland. This is about 30 minutes off of the
River Road
exit on the Capitol Beltway. Entry premiums will be posted on the NVBC Hunt
Test homepage at: www.northernvirginiabrittanyclub.com
Food will not be provided on the
grounds but the club will have bottled water for sale.
For information contact Herb
Reid at (703) 262-2664 or email herb.reid@siemens.com .
Directions:
Take I-495 (Capitol Beltway) to
the MD-190 / River Road
Exit (Exit 39) toward Washington / Potomac. Merge onto MD190 West toward Potomac.
Go approximately 10.8 miles (road will end). Turn LEFT to continue on RT 190/River
Rd. Continue for 4.6 miles (you will begin to see the signs for the McKee
Besher Wildlife Management Area on the left). Turn LEFT on Sycamore Landing Road. Go 100 yards and
turn LEFT into Pavilion Area. Signs will be posted for the NVBC Hunt Test.
Nominations for Positions
on the NVBC Board
Nominating Committee
Chair: Susie Osmansky
Co-Chair: Joann Anders
Positions to fill
include President and 1st Vice-
President. The slate
must be published to the
members no later
than 30 days prior to the Annual meeting.
Slate:
President: Joann Anders
1st VP/
Immediate Sue Drazek
Past President
2nd VP Greg Storey
Secretary-Treasurer Judi Parker
Director at Large Paul Douthit
Director at Large Herb Reid
2007 DOG OF THE YEAR
NVBC is soliciting each member whose Brittany is eligible for any of the Dog of
the Year awards. The period of eligibility for the events is from November 1,
2006 through October 31, 2007. If your dog is eligible, Joann Anders must
receive the information by November 9,
2007. This deadline is necessary to allow sufficient time to prepare
certificates and engrave the President’s Cups. (Any information submitted past
the deadline, the dog WILL NOT be included for Dog of the Year.)
Club members are responsible for furnishing proof of the award
eligibility. The AKC registered name of
the dog, date of birth, and the owner(s) of record need to be provided
for all categories.
Field competitors must provide the name of the stake, the
sponsoring club, the date of the stake, the number of starters, and the
placement awarded.
Show competitors must provide the sponsoring club, the date of
the event, the highest placement received, and the number of points awarded at
the show and number of dogs/bitches in competition (please include reserve wins
as these are counted for points).
Hunt Test competitors will provide the sponsoring club, the
date of the event and the qualifying score received.
Obedience and Agility
competitors will provide the sponsoring club, the date of the event, the score
received, the placement received, the number of dogs/bitches who competed, and
the number of dogs that your dog beat.
NOTE: Only submit the information
that ACTUALLY qualifies your dog. All information is to be mailed. NO EMAILS
WILL BE ACCEPTED.
No dog will be awarded this recognition more than two years
consecutively. For other than owner handled dogs, points will be awarded at
a ˝ rate of points schedules in official AKC events.
If anyone has any
questions or needs help with the information needed, please contact me.
Joann Anders
337
Lakeway Rd
Mineral,
VA 23117-4807
540-894-5826, rjabritnys@aol.com
2007
Angel Award
Eligibility for the Angel Award is
dependent on a couple of things: 1) a NVBC member who is not on the Board of
Directors and 2) is involved in Club activities and/or contributes his/her time
for the betterment of the club. Please contact any of the Board members to
volunteer your time, and be willing to help if called. We need YOU to be able
to continue hosting club events and be responsive to the needs of the membership.
2007 President’s Cup
Any member who has put a title on his or her Brittany for 2007,
please let Joann Anders know so she can arrange for both of you to receive your
recognition. If your Brittany
has been awarded a Field Champion, Amateur Field Champion, Show Champion, a Master or
Senior Hunter, an Obedience Title or an Agility Title during the year,
please provide Joann with a copy of the appropriate AKC certificate no later than November
9, 2007. The period of eligibility for the events is from November 1, 2006
through October 31, 2007. The awards will be presented at the club’s Christmas
Party in December.
In an effort to be more efficient and try to save on
expenses for the club for dogs that have earned a President's cup in the past,
we will be using their cups for additional engraving as titles are earned. It
will be the responsibility of the owner to get their cup to Joann Anders on or before November
9, 2007, in order to have the engraver get the cups done in
time for our Christmas Party/Annual Meeting. If unable to attend the Christmas
Party/Annual Meeting, it will be the responsibility of the owner to pay the
shipping costs to have the engraved cups sent to them. This effort will result
in a substantial savings for the club.
Note: A COPY OF THE
TITLE CERTIFICATE MUST BE MAILED TO JOANN ANDERS. NO EMAILS ACCEPTED. CERTIFICATES THAT ARE NOT RECEIVED BY CUT-OFF
DATE WILL DELAY THE ENGRAVING PROCESS FOR EVERYONE.
Joann Anders
337 Lakeway Rd
Mineral,
VA 23117-4807
540-894-5826
rjabritnys@aol.com
Although a President’s cup is not awarded for Junior
Hunter title, we like to recognize those that have accomplished a JH in the Dog
of the Year ad that we put in the ABC, so send me a copy of AKC certificate or
the announcement in the ABC magazine.
Jake’s Plates
New
Annual Awards in Obedience and Hunt Test Catagories
Jake’s Plates (offered by Tom Mauter in memory of Jacob of
Sterling) will be awarded to NVBC member-owned dogs based upon points
accumulated in AKC Obedience and Hunt Test categories conducted between Nov 1
and Oct 31 of the preceding year. For other than owner-handled dogs, points
will be awarded at a ˝ rate of the schedule. A schedule is already in place to
determine the ‘points’ for the highest scoring obedience dog. The member shall
keep a record of the name of the trial giving club, the trial date, the numerical
score earned, the number of dogs competing, the number of dogs beaten, and the
placements (1st-4th) earned for each qualifying score.
The schedule of points
for the Hunt Test category includes Master, Senior and Junior test levels .
Members shall provide the sponsoring club, the date of the event and the
qualifying score received.
NVBC Logo
Embroidered shirts (various types), nylon jacket, canvas
bag, towel, and apron are available to be finished with NVBC logo. We need to
have at least 12 items to place an order. The following is a list and prices
for anyone who wants to make a purchase. Shipping is extra.
Hooded Sweatshirt $40
Sweatshirt $30
Nylon Jacket $42
Sport Shirt $28
T-Shirt $20
Denim Shirt $38
Tote Bag (Large/Small) $30/25
Apron $25
Towel $15
Following are
available now:
We have some T shirts, golf shirts, denim shirts and hats
available now. To order (colors selection available) or buy what we have on
hand please contact Joann Anders at
540-894-5826 or rjabritnys@aol.com
Trophies for 2008 NVBC
Specialty Show
Following is the list of trophies, the items to be offered
and their cost:
- Best of Breed Fleece Blanket $45
- Best of Opposite Sex -
Large Towel $30
- Best of Winners Small Tote $30
-Winners Dog/Bitch Apron $25
- Reserve WD/WB Small Towel $20
- Best in Sweeps
Ceramic Canister w/ wooden lid $20
-Best of Opposite Sex to Best
in Sweeps Ceramic Canister w/
wooden lid $20
If you wish to help your club, please sponsor a trophy for
the 2008 NVBC Specialty Show.
Make checks payable to NVBC and mail to:
Gail Craddock, Specialty Chairman
6281
Harley Road
Middletown,
MD 21769
301-371-6570
wgcraddock@starpower.net
Adventures with Ollie
Tom Mauter, NVBC Webmaster
Although I literally grew up with Brittanys
(back in that day they were called Brittany Spaniels) and I have owned Brittanys since 1983, my
current situation is like none I’ve encountered before.
Let me fill in a few details. In the fall of 1976, I
returned to Northern Virginia from Ohio
to begin a new career. Renting a home in 1981 (and purchased in 1983) I rescued
a six-month Brittany, Benjamin Franklin (part of his AKC name!), from the
Fairfax County Animal Shelter. Ben was a great companion and a well manner Brittany. He enjoyed
life in Falls Church, our trips to South Dakota to visit my
wife’s family and working in the fields in both eastern and western SD. Since
I’m not a hunter, Ben’s field work was limited. As Ben aged, I got a call in
1994 from the staff of Fairfax County Animal Shelter that another young Brittany needed a home.
Jocab of Sterling (Jake) arrived at the Shelter after five previous stops. Our
home would be his seventh and final destination. He was a wild boy that needed
serious obedience training. He responded so positively to obedience work that
we earned two obedience titles and, along the way, discovered NVBC. His desire
and talents to work in the field were amazing, earning a JH title in his first
four outings.
Upon my retirement from Fairfax
County government, we moved to Santa Fe were Jake had
literally hundreds of acres to hunt for rabbits and quail. Jake was in his
element although he was clearly in his twilight years as he developed cancer.
It was during this time I was contacted by a family in Virginia that needed to place their 2 ˝+
year old Brittany, Sigbrit Ollie, in a home that could provide an environment
more suited for him. As webmaster for NVBC, I receive inquiries every couple
weeks or so related to Brittanys.
This was one of the few requests to help place a Brittany in a new home. Alas, my efforts to
find a home for Ollie in the metro area were unsuccessful. Ollie was both
neutered and oversized. Not exactly what most NVBC members would be looking for
in a Brittany.
Given Jake’s age and health, we decided to offer Ollie a new home. We only saw
a couple of pictures of Ollie and didn’t realize exactly what we were getting
until he landed at the Albuquerque Sunport.
Ollie Arrived ready for road trips
And he arrived in dramatic fashion! I grabbed his collar as
we prepared to take him out of his travel crate. The collar came off in my hand
and Ollie took off running paying no attention to our calls. He ran by a guard
stand where a guard stopped and held him for me. Thank you Homeland Security!
From that auspicious beginning, Ollie and I have been
working on not only obedience training but he has afforded me my first
experience teaching a Brittany
to hunt. With our set up visit to the veterinary, Ollie tipped in at 63.3#.
Measuring 23 inches at the shoulder, he was one HUGE Brittany!
Literally a Brittany
and a half and it became clear that he was built for comfort and not speed. It
took several trips to the dog park to find his third gear. On our trips around
our neighborhood Ollie stayed on the driveway and gravel and dirt road. He
rarely ventured more than a couple steps off into the desert green lands.
Cholla, with their nasty stickers, and prickly pair cactus may have factored
into Ollie’s self imposed limits.
Growing up I heard the old adage that female dogs were
smarter than males and the bigger the male the less intelligent the dog. If
that was true, I faced a major challenge with Ollie. Ollie’s first owners told
me they believed Ollie would be a good and willing learner. How right they
were. Ollie quickly grasped the basic obedience commands of sit, down, stay,
front, come to heel position, and the stand. He also gained confidence and
trust in me. We went from needing three people to cut his nails to him allowing
me to trim his nails with a Dremel tool and without a fuss. I can even clean
his teeth with a dental scraping tool! In our pre-novice obedience class, Ollie
was at the head of his class. My previous obedience classes with Jake helped me
be a good teacher for Ollie. But it’s Ollie’s willingness and quick uptake
that, frankly, has amazed me. Having never been off lead prior to arriving in Santa Fe in mid-April,
Ollie has quickly adapted to my commands which enables us to go outside
multiple times daily with Ollie under my vocal commands.
In reviewing Olli’s AKC pedigree, it is clear that he comes
from a long list of FC with a few DC sprinkled about. The April issue of The
American Brittany magazine brought his lineage to life as his littermate,
Sigbrit’s Catch Me Now, was listed as the ABC 2006 Central Region Futurity Gun
Dog.
Meanwhile back at our (former cattle) ranch, how would I go
about teaching or perhaps enabling Ollie to become a complete Brittany? Being a non-hunter and never
having trained a dog to hunt, I turned to my basic obedience training instincts
. . . and trusted Ollie’s instincts and breeding would kick in. Combining an
out-of-sight long sit stay with scenting, search and find, I worked on
encouraging Ollie to use his nose to find Milk Bones. He mastered both the sit
stay and being able to quickly scent out his treats no matter were they are
hidden. Spending time in our courtyard and fenced-in side yard, Ollie
discovered critters that interested him and awoke his hunting instincts. Mice
and lizards may not be part of a typical training regiment for upland game bird
dogs but they worked for Ollie engaging his hunting instincts. These instincts
easily carried over beyond our fenced and walled-in areas to the great
outdoors. Stickers aside, Ollie is
eagerly but cautiously venturing further out into the surrounding desert. His
obedience training has blended nicely with his desire to hunt as he comes a
running to work any area I point out. And he works it until he picks up a
scent.
To my surprise and disappointment, this is the first year
without Scaled Quail in our yard. Typically, we have dozens of quail on and
adjacent to our property. That would be perfect for Ollie’s development. With
fall only a few weeks away, I plan to take Ollie to practice fields owned by
and used by members of the Central New Mexico Brittany Club. This area, free of
cactus and stocked with birds, should help Ollie advance his hunting skills. I
know he is steady to shot, can hold a point, and is trainable. He only needs to
work with birds to round out his basic skill set required of a Junior Hunter.
Ollie gaining his hunting feet, err paws (late July)
Jake was the smartest Brittany
I’ve ever owned or been around but Ollie is continually surprising me. We had a
full length mirror installed in our bedroom this week. Ollie was immediately drawn
to the Brittany
in the mirror. After a brief few seconds of observation, he walked around the
bathroom door looking to see what was “behind the mirror!” Preceding Sue Drazek’s confirmation, I guess
this behavior is further proof of Ollie’s intelligence.
Since Ollie is now a very suitable 55.1#, our goals have
become earning both a Novice Obedience and Junior Hunter titles next year. I’m
certain Ollie is up to both challenges. We just need to work a bit more on
heeling on and off lead and working birds. I’m looking forward to these
adventures with Ollie.
It goes without saying that dogs in Santa
Fe develop a nose for art!
