Editorial
Front Page - Friday, July 30, 2010
Upcoming Kennel Club show begs reminder of good pet choice policies
Erica Tuggle
Established in 1934, the Chattanooga Kennel Club is a non-profit organization that works to advance purebred dogs. With their annual all breed show at Camp Jordon, monthly education and information meetings, training classes and assistance for those interested in owning a pure breed, the club remains an active member of the community.
- Erica Tuggle
The annual all breed dog show is approaching quickly for the Chattanooga Kennel Club, and members are coaching their pure breed friends in walk, appearance and behavior. This event, which will take place September 18 and 19 at Camp Jordon, is the main event for the CKC and will showcase dogs with their eyes on the blue ribbon prizes and the coveted “best in show” title.
Along with the many different breeds in the show, there will be their masters, who are also a medley of all sorts from those hobbyists who have fallen in love with the art of showing their dog to professionals.
Jane Price, the president of the 76-year-old CKC, and a hobbyist of the sport, joined the club six years ago when she and her husband decided to show their Sheltie. She says this is a fun change from her daily routine as a counselor for the elderly.
Price did her research and chose the Sheltie as her breed, because this small herding dog fits her small farm lifestyle, she says. This is a messages that the CKC tries to share with the public, that researching breeds, and finding a dog that fits your lifestyle for now and the foreseeable future is important to controlling the issue of overpopulation of animals.
Preparing her dogs for the fall show season, Price is walking her Sheltie, practicing stacking (when they stand to be examined) and working on keeping grooming in check. Although, some people may not think they have time to take all these measures to show their pure breed dog, Price says it only takes 10 minutes a day to make a big difference for show preparation or just to have a well behaved companion.
Price says the upcoming show is also the club’s big expense and the way they make the money to donate throughout the community. These donations are sent to shelters, canine health institutes and others, she says. Furthermore, the upcoming show acts as an outlet where members can meet other owners of pure breeds and talk about their pets, which Price says is something she can never get enough of.
During the club meetings, the over 100 members of the group listen to educational
lectures from veterinarians, shelter workers and speakers like the Marion County drug dog handler. With this information, the CKC works to share what they have learned with the larger community. The meetings also contain discussions on legislation that affects dogs, something Price says they watch very closely.
Out and about, the club provides training classes at two different locations to teach how to show a dog in a competition atmosphere. The dogs of the club usually take well to the process of learning how to be shown, because all have backgrounds of American Kennel Club (AKC) registration where their bloodline can be traced back 10 generations or more.
Price says the kennel club makes sure the bloodlines of the dogs have a chance to carry on with regular health screenings for the animal, and special care in breeding matches. She says this breeding and attention to healthcare allows them to minimize or eliminate health problems in their dogs.
For those who aren’t picky about a breed, the CKC encourages all to look into shelters, and again to educate themselves about certain breeds and the lifestyles that fit best with the animal, Price says.
“We encourage people to put a lot of thought into the decision, and we will put a lot of thought into the decision of selling a puppy,” she says. “We want to be a resource for people looking for a pure bred dog, and can help find online information about a breed and where would be best to get the breed you want.”
Spaying or neutering a pet is also an idea that the CKC is behind. Price says breeders who make responsible breeding choices with animals can be part of the solution to the pet overpopulation problem, but those who have a purebred, and are not interested in breeding, should go ahead and make the steps to have their pet fixed.
Price calls herself a dabbler of hobbies, because of her desire to learn new things, but says with the CKC there is no end to the learning with new things to do and new goals to set.
“We have people in the club who have been in dogs for 30 and 40 years, people with No. 1 dogs in their breed... Every type of person is in it, from couples to singles,” she says.
The club meets the second Tuesday of each month at the Golden Corral Restaurant on Gunbarrel Road at 7:30 p.m. For more information visit, http://www.chattanoogakennelclub.org/.
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