Crazy 4 Canines 4-H Club
Visit us on Facebook!
  • Home
  • Calendar
  • Our Annual Show
  • Links
  • How to Join
  • Contact Us
  • Members Only
    • Annual Events
    • Forms
    • Training Links
    • Bylaws

Confidence

12/3/2009

0 Comments

 
Confidence is a very fragile thing. ~ Joe Montana

 

As the 4-H dog show season gets into full swing I would like to take a moment to discuss attitude.

 

Our attitude in the show ring is reflected in many ways.  First, our dogs sense our attitude.  It travels right down the leash and directly into your dogs brain.  If you enter the ring with confidence, so will your dog.  If you enter the ring tense, so will your dog.  If you enter the ring scared, so will your dog. 

 

The confident handler walks with a brisk pace, shoulders back, head up.  They address the judge & their dog in a clear confident voice that can be clearly heard.  They take adequate time between each exercise to prepare themselves and their dog for the next task.  They have taken the time to study the rules and expectations for each class so they understand what will happen. 

 

The tense or scared handler tends to walk either faster or slower than they normally do when practicing.  The pitch and volume of their voice changes.  The hand signals and body language tend to become jerky and quick.  They either get nervous and begin exercises before they are ready or they become  worried and spend so much time setting up for the exercise the dog begins to loose focus.  All these signs communicate to the dog that something is different so the dog performs in a manner different than what they usually present in practice. 

 

One of the ways we can manage our attitude in the ring is to manage our behavior before we enter the ring.  First, give your dog & yourself adequate time to get a drink & use the appropriate potty area!  Second, warm up your dog.  Most dogs do best with a short warm up of no more than five minutes.  The warmup should be a time to get your dogs attention and reward them with lots of praise & treats for doing tasks they know.  This is NOT the time to teach your dog something new or practice something they don't like.  This is NOT the time to chat with your friends or allow other people to pet or feed your dog.  A good warmup will send you and your dog into the ring with more confidence.

 

The answers to these questions will determine your success or failure.  1) Can people trust me to do what is right?  2) Am I committed to doing my best?  3) Do I care about other people & show it?  If the answer to these questions are yes, there is no way you can  fail.  ~ Lou Holtz

 

One of the first things we learn in showing dogs is that hours of work and training are judged by a few minutes in the ring.  One of the second things we learn is that we spend more time at dog shows waiting around than doing anything else.  So, the second place we need to focus on our attitude is outside the ring, during the “down time.”

 

When we aren't in the ring, what do we do?  Do we watch our friends and encourage them or do we gossip about other competitors?  If you see a new person in the ring making a big mistake do we laugh about it or kindly offer help when they leave the ring? 

 

One of the great things about 4-H is that we practice and learn as a team.  We experience things as a team.  We win and we loose as a team.  As we enter the busy and sometimes stressful show season lets not loose sight of why we do this.  Working with our dogs is fun.  Learning with our friends is fun.  If we practice and compete with a good attitude showing will be fun too.


 

posted by Liz
0 Comments

Am I Ready To Show My Dog?

10/11/2009

6 Comments

 
As we approach our first dog shows of the season I want to take a few minutes to hopefully address a question I have been asked by many club members.




So, are you ready to show your dog? That depends. For shows that offer sub-novice or basic obedience classes your dog needs to be able to walk on a loose leash with minimal commands while you perform a heeling pattern that includes right and left turns, about turns, fast, slow and figure-eight. Your dog needs to sit automatically when you come to a stop or with no more than one command and NO pulling. Your dog needs to perform a sit stay while you walk to the end of a 6 foot leash and remain there till you call them. They need to come promptly with no pulling on the leash and sit in front of you in the “noes to toes” position. They then need to perform either a finish right or finish left without you moving your feet or pulling on the leash. The dog needs to stand on command and remain in position while you walk to the end of the leash, the judge examines the dog, and you return to heel position. Finally your dog needs to be able to perform a 1 minute sit stay and 3 minute down stay while you are at the end of the leash and without you giving any additional commands. Remember you are not allowed to have food or toys in the ring with you!




For shows offering basic or novice rally your dog must be able to do all of the above exercises plus be able to perform all 30 of the Novice Rally signs listed on the AKC website. Remember that it is YOUR responsibility to learn these signs. The judge may explain them to you during the walk through but will not explain them to you when you are on course. Some of the requirements at this level of Rally include 360 and 270 degree circles right and left, changing from a sit to down to sit, weaving around cones, fast forward from sit, and down from stand.




For shows offering basic or Novice Junior Showmanship, you must first have appropriate clothing and know the basic showmanship patterns and ring etiquette. You also must have the correct collar and leash for your breed and color of dog. The dog must be able to stand still while stacked in their specific breeds correct position. You must know the correct speed at which to gait your dog.




Finally, for shows offering basic agility, you must have completed Intro to Agility A and be enrolled in Intro to Agility B or higher at DTCSP. If you have taken agility classes at another facility you will need to demonstrate your dogs proficiency to me so that I can sign off on your entry form.




As you can see there is quite a bit that both you and your dog need to master before you enter your first dog show. For our new members I strongly recommend you attend both the October Fun Match and the November Scholarship show WITHOUT your dog. Hang out around the rings and watch our more experienced members compete. See what showing your dog is really like. Then work really hard towards preparing for our December show. At that point we can evaluate your performance and determine if you should set the State Fair as a goal, or wait a few more months before you hit the ring for your first dog show experience!


 
6 Comments

More forms!

9/15/2009

2 Comments

 
I hope everyone peeks here before coming to the meeting tonite! Please go to the Projects page and print out a club membership form and a 4-H Participation Form for our club files. Thanks, Teryl
2 Comments

Post Title.

9/3/2009

3 Comments

 
As the new 4-H year begins I am taking the opportunity to learn to DELEGATE! What exactly does that mean? Well, for starters, this year’s club officers will find themselves actively participating in the basic functions of the club. That means that some things will run a bit differently and we all need to work together to help this club continue to be recognized for its excellence.

The first and biggest change will be how the meetings are run. Teryl and I sat down & discussed a basic schedule of what we will do at each meeting. Taylor and I spent time adjusting that schedule to fit in with the activities that we will be participating in over the next several months. Over the next few days Savannah will take the reins of the website and get that information posted. What does that mean for you? To start with, while Teryl & I will be at the meetings and always available to answer questions, Taylor, and Danielle in her absence, will now be running the meetings.

Second, I have heard a lot of comments that we spend to much time going over the calendar at each meeting. Of course, Teryl & I both spend allot of time answering email & phone calls about those same things from people who either missed the meeting or weren’t paying attention. We also spend a great deal of time reminding people to register for “whatever” and then making phone calls to get club members into events that they missed the deadline for. To address that issue we are going to try a different approach this year. The meeting minutes will be posted on the website each Wednesday. If you miss a meeting it is YOUR responsibility to check the website. By Friday of each week the agenda for the following meeting will be posted. If we need to make a change to the agenda we will try to send out an email to the group. Because the agenda will be posted it will be YOUR responsibility to bring the correct project materials to the meeting. Deadlines & activities will still be posted on the white board displayed at each meeting but only the new items will be discussed.

Third, as much as some of you dislike showmanship, many of you constantly request showmanship training. In the past we have had difficulties getting everyone in the ring with the correct equipment. To remedy that situation, the club calendar will become an even more invaluable tool. Check this page of the website before coming to the meeting to make sure you are prepared for the dog portion of our meeting. The calendar will tell you what the training focus will be that night with our dogs. Obedience equipment will be needed each week, but on showmanship weeks you will also need that collar/leash set up and on game nights you MAY need to add something extra like a tug toy or retractable leash to your bag.

Finally, as you read your clover award and project requirements you will see that you need to teach some group activities. One week each month we will turn a substantial part of the meeting over to club members so they can meet this requirement. The requirements vary depending on your age and project levels. It will be YOUR responsibility to plan what you want to teach & discuss it with me. Once I have approved your plan then you will need to schedule your activity with Danielle, Vice President & Keeper of the Calendar.

As you can see there are LOTS of changes planned for this year. The biggest being that YOU are going to be more responsible for YOUR club. Please support Taylor, Savannah & the other officers as we make big changes for a GREAT new 4-H year. 

Also, this is MY first blog post, so hopefully it works!

3 Comments

Welcome to the new 4-H year!

8/21/2009

0 Comments

 
Hi, everyone, and welcome to our new members.  I hope you had a relaxing summer and you're all ready to get to back to work!  I have updated the website in preparation for the new 4-H year; as usual, the calendar is filling up.  Hopefully everyone knows by now from my email to leave dogs home on Tuesday; there will be a short meeting to hold officer elections, followed by snacks if you want to bring something.  Get ready for a fun & busy year!

First, I uploaded the Monthly Activity log in a plain .doc format in addition the the .docx format that some of you were having trouble opening.  Everyone needs to start the year out on the right foot by printing out log sheets, project records and dog project records so you will know what to keep track of and have a sloppy copy.  Go ahead and put some goals down in you record book.  Print out the clover award descriptions and make a plan for the year; have a leader sign off that you set goals and met with your project helper.

 First-timers don't need to worry about clover awards, but those of you who have already earned a year pin may want to set a higher goal this year, which may require you to run for office, attend higher-that-club-level 4-H events, or do a second project. 

I have added a page with the new club bylaws and have put important dates on the Members Only page.  I moved old items from the Members Only page to the News Archives page.  I would like to put show results on the Dog Show page and update the C4C in Action! page with more photos.  I will be out of town next week but please email me your info so I can get to work on this when I get back from vacation. I'd like to let our new members and visitors to our website see what we do!

Here's what I'm shooting for this year for the website:  Get in the habit of checking late in the week for the minutes of the meeting and on Tuesdays printing out the tentative agenda before you come to the next meeting so you can write your notes on it.  This will be an important way we convey information to people who miss meetings. We have too many members to fit all the parents in the room when attendance is high (not that I'm complaining about good attendance, of course!)  and it takes a great deal of time to repeat everything each week. The officers will be responsible for sending information that needs to be posted and the secretary will be able to post information when I am unable to get it up in a timely fashion.

If you do not have regular internet access please let me know so we can get the information to you another way.

-Teryl
0 Comments

Wrapping up the 4-H Year!

6/14/2009

2 Comments

 

I have added a few dates to the Calendar and Members Only page and added a new photo page called “C4C in Action!”   

Over the summer I'd love some help to make a record of the year on the website.  Bring any photos you want posted to a meeting on a CD, data card (any size, I have a reader) or flashdrive, as my Outlook is sending but not receiving email these days <sigh> If you have just a couple of pics you can email them to me and I will see if I can download and upload them from my browser.  Please make sure to tell me what event they are from. 

Don’t forget the Camp Ocala  Orientation meeting Monday, June 15 at 6:30 pm at the 4-H office.  Make sure all your paperwork is complete and turned in. 

See you Tuesday nite with those projects and any guests interested in the club! 

Teryl 

P.S.  It is summertime and school is out, so it seems a good time to remind everyone to make sure you and all guests are appropriately attired when coming to the DTCSP.  Closed-toed shoes are a must!  Please respect the request to dress befitting an adult environment; no strapless, spaghetti straps, halter-tops, bare midriffs, short shorts, or, um, upper or lower cleavage, please.  

 

2 Comments

Lots of new info going out in emails! New webpage for downloads

4/17/2009

2 Comments

 

4-H Day at the Capital was a great trip!  We did different activities than last year and although we had some things cut short due to time/organization issues, I think we learned lots about our government.

Everyone shoud have received the email from Liz outlining the changes to the policy for 4H members taking classes at DTCSP.  Please read it over and make plans!

I also forwarded the new info for AKC's new mixed breed classes for obedience, rally and agility.  Registration begins in October 2009 and shows will add these classes by April 2010, though they have the option of implementing sooner.

Be on the lookout for the dog camp registration forms to be posted to the FL 4-H Dog Project website; 150 peope registered for the State Fair and ony 90 openings are available at camp.

I opened a new page on this website called Projects; there you will find downloads for log sheets, project reports, and dog project records.  This is a busy time of year so try to do something new each week on your projects.  Liz will have more instructions in the meetings.

If you are going to District Events please be prepared to do your speech at the meeting this week unless you aready did it for Jean at the 4-H office.

We will talk about the Cat Show at the meeting also.

Teryl

 





2 Comments

Catching up-lots of info!

4/3/2009

0 Comments

 

I have updated the calendar, the Dog Show page and the Members Only page.

I'd love to have some electronic photos to post on our dog shows page (and catch up on all the past events missing from that page).  I will begin bringing my computer to the meetings so I can transfer photos from your camera memory cards, USB flashdrives or from CDs

There is a lot of information being given at meetings as to completing projects, and if I can I will try to blog it in the future but please do not rely on me giving you all the info you need-this website is a supplement, not a replacement for attendance.  I have been having computer trouble and now that my computer is working our internet accesss is down.  I am writing this from my parents' house in Naples so I will be offline again tomorrow when I return home.  I can check email on my phone but cannot open attachments, view pics, or read long emails.

Congratulations to our members who earned Blue Ribbons at County Events!  Good luck at District.

 Here are some urgent requests from Liz, and some reminders:

1.  Please email Liz ( agilitybasset@yahoo.com ) if you are going to the cat show so she can figure out the expenses.

2. If you are going to DIstrict Events you need to mail your talk to Liz ( agilitybasset@yahoo.com ) for comments.  She wants you to freeze your talk withing the week so that you can practice enough not to be reading your talk from your notecards.  You will also need to set up a practice session with Jean Rogalsky at the 4-H office by April 17th, I think.

3.  You should have 3 activities completed in your Project Book or have your Monthly Log Sheets from August through December completed for the meeting this week.  Don't wait until the last minute to do your project work!  Dog Project Records will be given out at a future meeting, but the info for them comes mostly from your logsheets, which is why we created them for you.

4.  If you are going to the Manatee County 4-H Invitational, you will need to show up-to-date logsheets to Liz in order for her to sign your entry form.  Deadline for early entries is April 25th.  The link for the entry forms is posted on the Dog Show page.

5. Please email all show results--4H & AKC to Liz so she can write her Pawscripts (DTCSP newsletter) article for April.

6.  Changes may be forthcoming for the 4-H rate for DTCSP classes. At the least, expect to account directly to the DTCSP for your volunteer activities just as their club members do by keeping an activity card at the front desk.

7. Please have your friends who want to be new members for next year need wait until after projects are turned in to come to meetings.  The aboundance of info over the next couple of months will be be very confusing for them and we need to stay focused during meeting time.

8.  Please make sure that your family and guests entering the DTCSP building is appropraitely dressed and wearing close-toed shoes.  Also, remind them that this is a training club and there is no running or horseplay allowed.

That's all I can remember for now, working without my notes.  I hope everyone had a fun Spring Break and is ready to get back to work!

 

Teryl



 

0 Comments

First Post!

1/29/2009

0 Comments

 

TERYL: Welcome club members and parents! This is my first attempt at blogging so if it fails I will delete the page and pretend it didn't happen.

 I am trying to figure out how to navigate Weebly without being able to cut and paste.  This means I can't send old news to an archive page, among other annoying things, so some pages can become very long over time. I do want to keep a record of our activities during the year; this blog will create archives so hopefully that will help.

Also, I can't copy from emails to the website or vice versa.  Arrghh!  I will try this blog page to see if it helps disseminate info more expeditiously;  I know it is hard to see if any updates have been added to the other pages so hopefully I can let you know in the blog when I have edited pages. Creating links to specific paragraphs is another feature missing from Weebly so you will still have to scroll around, sorry!  I suppose if all those features were available I'd never be able to figure it out, so baby steps!

You can leave comments and suggestions on this page.  I do have editorial privileges when it comes to comments but be advised they are limited to removing them. Hopefully that will not become necessary; just keep in mind that this is a public forum for the club and continue to send private emails for personal discussions.  Even though this page is passworded the information on it is not completely private so please remember the 4-H rules and do not use last names or personal info like phone numbers, birthdates or addresses.

For you tech-savvy people, you can suscribe to the RSS Feed, whatever that means.  Let me know if I have to do something to enable that :-)  I still have some research to do...

Please email club-related news that you would like to see on the Members Page, for example things like Kaymie's and Matthew's pictures being in the 4-H newsletter, graduating from a dog training class, volunteering, etc.  I am thinking of starting a Members in Action page eventually, not sure yet whether this would be passworded or open to public viewing. For now i will only post to the passworded page.

I would like to start posting photos from dog shows and events so send your photos and descriptions to the club email address so I can start organizing some new pages.  You will be able to access those pages from the Dog Shows and Events tab.

If you have other ideas for this website let me know by email but please be patient with me as I learn!

0 Comments

    Author

    Club Leader: Liz Piquet

    Club Asst. Leaders: Norine Noonan & Teryl Plaisance

    Archives

    December 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    June 2009
    April 2009
    January 2009

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.