Short minutes of the 2019 IFEZ Conference 2019 - with some important news for the UK

Beat Kempf, President of Eurasierfreunde Schweiz (EFS), as the current President of the International Federation for Eurasier Breeding (IFEZ), greeted those present at the IFEZ meeting with a short statement on the fundamental intentions of IFEZ.

The initial main part of the conference concerned information and questions about innovations and problems of the IFEZ members:

In a first round of discussions, the IFEZ clubs presented the changes in personnel in the committees of their clubs. Even if in some cases there have been many changes, it is very positive to note that it has been possible to get younger people to adopt an active role in a Eurasier club.

The questions and problems surrounding the membership of the Eurasier Society UK (ESUK) in IFEZ (now dormant for a year) were discussed and evaluated in detail. As the requirements of IFEZ have not been met for more than 12 months, a final reasonable period for fulfilling these obligations was decided by the full members of IFEZ. ESUK will be automatically excluded on the scheduled date if the multiple requirements have not been met by then.

Since the English club "ESUK" did not fulfil its obligations as an IFEZ member by 20/11/2019, the IFEZ President Beat Kempf sent a notification to the club committee, dated 23/11/2019, that the Eurasier Society UK, following the vote of the IFEZ full members, is, with immediate effect, no longer a member of IFEZ and must stop advertising IFEZ in any communications or advertising.

The new homepage of the IFEZ is almost finished and is very successful. After the latest revisions, it can be activated safely at the beginning of 2020.

The conditions under which club officials could participate at meetings via Skype was discussed.

A second main part of the conference was again devoted to a variety of topics about the Eurasier:

The moderate changes in Standard 291 presented by EKW (in co-ordination with KZG and ZG) and approved by VDH, are again to be considered for approval by the FCI.

Underactive thyroid is one of the autoimmune diseases that have a large hereditary component and develop gradually. Various thyroid values are tested in all clubs for as many animals as possible, but is mandatory for the breeding dogs. The problem of comparability of reference values of different laboratories was discussed. Not all clubs can use Biocontrol as a laboratory. An assessment of all previously recorded anonymized values is highly desirable.

Other health issues addressed were: epilepsy and the problem of correct diagnosis and recording; ways to prevent the popular sire syndrome IFEZ-wide; meaningful genetic tests; and state of genetic diversity in our breed.

The discussion of all these topics was lively and engaging!

Information was also exchanged about regulations such as different breeding fees and health deposits, and puppy prices were compared and discussed.

From January 1^st, 2020 the presidency of the IFEZ passes to the Eurasier Vereniging Nederland (EVN).

After working through the usual formalities, there were many interesting, exciting chats about Eurasiers during the evening of the meeting, as well as on the Friday evening and Sunday morning. This large, international group only meets in person once a year. Throughout the year, communication is usually only possible by phone or email. It was an all-round successful meeting for the good of our beautiful breed.

Gisela Aach, IFEZ Secretary
Translation: Brigitte Mordan-Grimm

The IFEZ meeting (International Federation for Eurasier Breeding) in Stuttgart/Germany

  by Ian Cottrell, Hon Chairman SEA, Willowfalls Eurasiers   

I like planning, I love planning and having contingencies to the plan if the plan doesn’t work. So when Brigitte invited me to attend the IFEZ meeting in Stuttgart, I jumped at the opportunity and set about, well you know, planning. In the various conversations I thought it was for a day and a half, so over the Saturday and the Sunday morning. I was not going to go all the way to Germany without seeing something other than the inside of a hotel and booked an early morning flight so I could have a mosey around the town before meeting everyone for dinner on the Friday night. I had researched which S Bahn (Railway) to catch and how much it was going to be. A few weeks in advance I printed off all the tickets I would need. The plan was impeccable!

In my head I was catching the 21:30 coach to Heathrow on the Thursday. Pottered around, had a nice bath and a lovely dinner and doing my final check of the passport and paperwork and saw that it was the 19:30 coach I should have caught. Oh Bum!  I did manage to get to Heathrow Via Victoria and arrived at 00.30 on the Friday morning. My plan was to catch the free tube service between terminal 3 and terminal 5. Followed the endless walk to the free tube and found that stopped running at midnight. Retraced my steps back to the bus station and eventually found that the free bus ran all night so hopped on. On the very helpful Heathrow website it did say that “Areas have been designated for passengers to rest, lights would be dimmed etc” The website lied. The only chairs available had been specifically designed to offer no comfort whatsoever and actively encourage people to move on. As for the dimmed lighting, well I have been in operating theatres that have been darker. No chance of sleep then, crack on!

The flight over was great, no problems on the S Bahn and arrived in the City at 10:30 local time. Pulled the straps of my rucksack tight and went mooching. I did a lot of mooching. Stuttgart has one of the longest shopping precincts I had seen. Must have been close to a mile long and not one shop was open. It was a German Bank Holiday and boy do they take their Bank Holidays seriously! Plan A, had me eating sausage and chips with mayonnaise from the kiosk that was right outside the rail station. I don’t know exactly when they had started the station redevelopment, but the first casualty was that kiosk. Had to settle for Currywurst and a bread roll. Oh well I had been 31 hours without sleep so head to the hotel and get my head down.

Rail travel in Germany is cheap and on time. Caught the S Bahn to the University and then it was only a 2km walk to the hotel. In my research it proudly proclaimed that Stuttgart University S Bahn station is one of the deepest. I can attest to that as the escalators had been switched off. All I was missing was a Sherpa and oxygen for the accent. Having Google mapped the area I knew that I headed North from the station, get into the woods and hang a left. What a lovely forest and sooo big. At the 30 min point I should now be looking at the entrance of the hotel. Nope, just a lot more trees. Time to get the mobile out and look at the map. Walking back and forth to orientate myself a very nice German couple came to my rescue. They knew the area and set off through the vegetation and I went sliding down inclines like I was skiing. The conversation was about Brexit so I couldn’t escape it even over there. Finally, time to get to the room and have a coffee and some sleep. Unpacked bag and tried to put the adaptor into the circular electrical socket and it wouldn’t fit. It possibly would have if I had been in The USA or Australia. There was a distinct lack of kettle and no beverage making. Down the two flights of stairs back to reception. I could have as many coffees as I liked in the lounge area and they sorted me out a replacement adaptor. With only a few hours before Brigitte’s arrival I decided not to nap and pottered around.

Right on time Brigitte arrived, in a whirlwind of greeting everybody and being introduced to about a trillion people we had sat ourselves down and I treated myself to a large glass of the house red. Everyone was lovely and all had at least a few words of English and I truly felt welcomed. The dinner was excellent, but now at the 38 hours without sleep point, my brain was a little mushy and I decided it was time to head to bed. 

To sleep, perchance to dream. Four hours after laying in bed, Oh, that feels strange. Oh, that’s not good. Normally I have the constitution of a horse, not on this occasion, Delhi Belly effectively wiped out any more chance of sleep, so the rest of the night was spent watching the German equivalent of Money from Nothing.

Decided the best thing was to avoid food for a day. Saturday 09:00 we gathered in the large room and the IFEZ meeting started. My German stretches to counting to a few hundred, getting a room, getting fed and basic directions. I can understand a little more but get hopelessly lost when the conversation is fast and about technical points. Fortunately, Brigitte was my Babel Fish and I loved the way after someone had been speaking for 10 min she condensed the meaning to me in a short sentence. I was actually having fun stringing the few words I understood into what I thought they were speaking about and bobbing happily when Brigitte relayed what it was actually about, and I had guessed correctly. 

Everyone was afforded the opportunity to contribute, and they did with passion. I may not be fluent in the language, but you can still glean a great deal from tone, inclination and pitch. The knowledge and experience around the table was immense and I am terribly proud of Brigitte, who is obviously held with great regard and was asked to undertake a study on behalf of IFEZ. Having so many nations represented it was a mini United Nations. I suppose the overriding impression I was left with was that collectively they wanted to be as inclusive as possible and not cause any upset. At 18:45 the meeting was declared closed and I asked Brigitte if the start time was 09:00 the next day. She stated it was finished and this year was only held over one day (which, in all fairness, was in the agenda she had sent out) . The look on my face must have been priceless.

With calm resolve I retired to my room and thought that it would be moderately easy to re arrange flights with the world’s favourite airline. The 19:30 flight back to Heathrow was the only time that day that BA was visiting this part of Germany. Oh Bum!

Sunday, I checked the forecast and it was cloudy with only a 40% chance of rain. Knowing that the town was probably still closed I had the choice of a walk round a local lake with a charmingly entitled Bears Castle or do something else. It was only a 14 km walk to the airport so decided on that. A great way of seeing a different country and a productive way of wasting time.

Arrived back early into the UK and the extra ordinarily helpful ladies at the coach station were adamant that I would have to wait for the coach I booked at 22:30. That pulled into the final destination at 00:45 on the Monday and my darling wife had parked the car 200 yards down the road. The God’s had one last jest with me, the rain was so heavy that in only a short space of time my waterproof jacket and clothes became drenched.  

Today I bought a blue duffel coat, a red floppy hat and had a sign made. It reads .....

PLEASE LOOK AFTER THIS BEAR  – Thank You.

This, I decided, was the safest form of any future travel.  

Ian Cottrell, Hon Chairman SEA, Willowfalls Eurasiers   

Eurasier Walk Mytchett Woods, October 2019

Having arranged a walk in September only a relatively small number were able to attend so a further date was agreed for 6^th October .

The preceding week it was fair to say the weather was mixed, and as we approached the weekend there were concerns. However, I was determined the walk would go ahead and hoped for a good turn-out. (I secretly had a little word with the weather gods Zeus & Quora and asked them to be kind to us). Amazingly, the day dawned bright, and a fantastic array of Eurasiers with their families turned up, along with several would-be owners wanting to meet the breed. As always, we created quite a talking point amongst the many dog owners enjoying the café, as we waited for everyone to arrive, with someone even correctly identifying the dogs – something of a first!

We all had a lovely walk through the beautiful woodland bathed in bright sunshine, except for Grande Dame Pamina, who is a bit slow these days but thoroughly enjoyed all the fuss and treats before and after. Whilst we avoided the canal , the recent rains had created some huge puddles in which many of our fluffies found great delight racing and chasing and generally having fun.

Among the throng of about 20 dogs, of all ages and glorious colours, two pupsters also attended their first Eurasier pack walk, Ida and Ludo, who were completely unfazed by the crazy behaviour of their full-sized ‘cousins’. Another first was Thatcher going off lead, but not ‘off piste’ and as always, Blue gave his all – he is a boy whose mantra is ‘I just wanna have fun’!

Our walk terminated with a return to the café for refreshments for those that wanted to linger a little longer and enjoy some home made Eurasier-shaped biscuits (check out our Merchandise page to buy the Eurasier cookie cutter!). I think it is fair to say the walk was a great success. Thank you to all those who came along and we look forward to seeing everyone again soon.

Murphy, Bubbles & Ann

Photos: J. Cowdock

Annual General Meeting & Fun Day 2019

Despite the rather inclement weather we had a wonderful turnout for this year’s AGM at Lewknor Village Hall. It’s always encouraging to meet up with new owners and ‘owners in waiting’ at these events and I would like to extend a personal thank you to all the owners of Danni’s puppies who made the journey with their ‘babies’; it was great to see you all again!

Our Chair, Ian Cottrell, opened the formal AGM by outlining the enormous progress SEA had made over its first year, and thanking our members, and in particular our Vice Chair Brigitte Mordan-Grimm, for all they have done to make this enterprise such a success. Brief reports from the Secretary and Treasurer were followed by a vote in favour of adding a requirement to DNA-check all breeding stock for Dandy Walker Like Malformation to our Code of Ethics. Brigitte rounded off the Meeting with a summary of her activities as the Kennel Club’s Breed Health Co-ordinator and our representative for the International Federation of Eurasier Breeding (IFEZ).

After the AGM, a break for lunch was followed by a short, mercifully rain-free walk, offering a chance for both dogs and humans to stretch their legs and, though a few dogs came back slightly muddier than when they left, they enjoyed the chance to let off some steam! On our return Tracy Cottrell treated us to a very informative demonstration of ‘Shaping’, a training process by which you can teach your dog a new behaviour by breaking it down into easily achievable steps. At the end of the demonstration there was an opportunity to practice the technique with your own dog, which was thoroughly appreciated by dogs and owners alike.

A hugely enjoyable day ended with a well-supported Raffle with a seemingly endless supply of prizes donated by our generous members (many thanks to whoever donated the Duck chews, they went down very well with my old girl who is eating very little nowadays!).

Finally, could I just say, that ideas for events, or indeed anything else that could be included at our next AGM, are always welcome.

Caroline Allen

Photos: Cowdock, Mordan-Grimm

 

 

Kennel Club Breed Health Symposium 2019

My advertising this year’s Breed Health Symposium, held at the KC Building at Stoneleigh Park on September 18^th with all 3 Eurasier clubs, as well as on Facebook and some private communications, yielded some very positive responses.  As 2 years ago this event was opened up to anyone interested in breed health, I was delighted that one of our ‘oldest’ (in experience) breeders, Tracy Cottrell from Willowfalls joined me for a very interesting as well as enjoyable day. I was very tired from a trip to Holland and Germany showing our youngest Eurasier, but I really did not want to miss it, as it is a motivating experience and provides wonderful networking opportunities. As all of us are volunteers, we really appreciate this opportunity very much indeed.

Bill Lambert, the KC’s Senior Health & Welfare Manager welcomed all approximately 100 visitors and introduced the day with an update on changes in the Kennel Club Health Team. Bill also talked about some proposed changes to the KC Eye Scheme. In the future, results will be available online as well as recorded in the Breed Record Supplements.
The next speaker, Dr Sally Ricketts updated us on the Give a Dog a Genome (GDG) project and research underway at the Animal Health Trust (AHT) on Complex Diseases. 77 breeds signed up for GDG and the AHT has now sequenced a good number of genomes. Some data has been shared with research groups in Europe and the USA. Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological problems and is presently being investigated in Border Collies and Italian Spinone.

Dr Jacqueline Boyd gave a highly interesting talk on canine nutrition and the term ‘canine wellbeing’ which has been adopted by many in recent years. She highlighted the totality of genetics and environmental factors all playing essential roles. The most interesting aspect for me was her stressing that dogs are mostly scavengers and can therefore deal with different components of nutrition such as protein, but also carbohydrates. A really important aspect for anybody who advises on nutrition is also to bear in mind is the needs and capabilities of the dog caretaker/owner. She said that diet was an essential environmental factor, but that no diet can be a cure-all. Everybody agreed that, depending on age and lifestyle, dogs all have different needs. A more recent area of research is an offspring of epigenetics, namely nutrigenomics, which is defined as the relationship between diet and genetics. There is research showing how, in humans, the diet of parents and grandparents is linked to conditions in their offspring such as e.g. diabetes or heart disease, but also mental disorders such as schizophrenia. Therefore, good nutrition supports good breeding over many future generations and both sire and dam play their roles.

Dr Tom Lewis, the KC’s quantitative geneticist, reported on the regulation regarding ‘hereditary clear’ status in litters, which will be introduced from January 2022. This is particularly important for single-mutation, recessive diseases, like DWLM (Dandy Walker) in Eurasiers.  The main problem with subsequent generations of tested dogs is that not all dogs in a pedigree are in fact really the ancestors. Hence, it seems a good idea to limit it to 2 generations, or to ask for continuous DNA proof of parentage. Otherwise, as a recently published study shows, it is likely that the mutation will be passed onto puppies unknowingly and produce affected dogs. DNA parentage profiling is a separate procedure to screening DNA for disease-causing mutations, but it can often be carried out simultaneously.

These presentations were followed by a short Q&A session, where the team of BHC Mentors answered some submitted questions.

Over lunch there was ample opportunity to speak to any of the speakers, and also to other BHCs. For us it was important to have a planning session with those of Chows and Keeshonds, as we have been planning a project on Elbow Dysplasia for some time. There is as yet not that much data and we are all numerically relatively small breeds, but the close relationship between our breeds might well provide an interesting and unusual aspect for a researcher. When I go to the meeting at the International Federation for Eurasier Breeding (IFEZ) in November, I will also be discussing possible options there.

Last but not least, many thanks to the team of KC staff who organised the event and who did a truly great job.

Dr Brigitte Mordan-Grimm

UK Breed Health Coordinator for Eurasiers

The Eurasier Tor of the West Country

In one of the hottest weeks the UK has experienced in years, we had our holiday in Devon and Somerset. We had planned for daily six- or seven-mile walks over Dartmoor, Exmoor and the Quantocks. Finding bed and breakfast willing to take three dogs was a little tricky, but the three we did manage to persuade were all really good. The first location was the East Dart Hotel at Postbridge. Long walks can be done from the doorstep, as you are in the middle of Dartmoor. So, with rucksacks bulging with six litres of water we ventured off to do the Tors. Sheep and cattle roam the landscape, so the three girls spent quite a long time on lead. If we had been in the Peak or Lake Districts, we would have been following a line of people trampling the path before us. The routes we had decided on were empty. Just the two of us, the furry daughters and bird song. Glorious!

Even after encouraging the girls to drink from streams, we were still stopping every 40 minutes or so to give them water. When brushing out the vegetation from their coats the number of ticks they had all picked up was very noticable. Some further advice would be, pack military grade insect repellent as the horseflies are particularly vicious. All three Dartmoor walks where challenging due to the inclines and temperature, but so worth it, as the scenery is stunning. Exmoor was equally scenic and just as challenging. This time we encountered more people round places they could drive to, like Watersmeet, but on our walks between those locations hardly a soul was seen. The tick situation on Exmoor was of plague proportions, daily 60 - 70 ticks had to be removed off each dog.

No plan survives contact with the enemy. The final B&B booked four months in advance cancelled a day before we were supposed to arrive. We lucked in and found a French style manor house with a very grand boudoir and changed the final long distance walk to around the perimeter of Stourhead Gardens.

Yes, it is possible to take a pack of dogs on holiday. As much as we dislike putting chemicals on or in our girls, we would definitely research and apply some form of tick repellent/killer to save them from anaemia and tick-borne diseases. In extreme hot weather, you must keep the dogs as hydrated as possible. The great news is, your rucksack becomes lighter the more they drink. All three girls, including Kyra, who is nearly 11, seemed to thoroughly enjoy their time away. Me? Well if we are going away next year it will be to some place flat, like Norfolk.  😊

by Ian Cottrell, Willowfalls Eurasiers

Shaping – What the heck is that?

Well the definition is – 'The differential reinforcement of successive approximations towards a target behaviour.'

Put simply, it is a form of self-learning for your dog, where they are rewarded for making the right choices, which is gradually increased until you achieve the goal you set. Just as with humans, self-learning leads to deeper understanding.

There are three elements to this process and knowing what these are will help you plan your own shaping.

• Target Behaviour – Define exactly what you want your dog to do
  This includes what command words to use for starting and stopping, where the dog is going to be and for how long.
• Successive Approximations
  These are the enabling objectives, the main task is broken down into a series of smaller, manageable, bite-sized chunks that achieves quick wins.
• Differential Reinforcement
  When the dog chooses to do the correct action, they are rewarded. This is where humans need most training 😊 Using the clicker for an audible cue and treat straight away. When the dog is consistently achieving one of the chunks, the reward for that step is stopped and you then only reward the subsequent step.

The secret to shaping is dividing the behaviour into enough chunks so that there can’t be any confusion. The dog must be able to work out what is going on and naturally figure out what to do.

There will be a demonstration at the AGM, so if you are planning to attend, bring some high value training treats.

The best thing about working with Eurasiers is that they are so quick to pick things up and are desperate to please!

by Tracy Cottrell, Willowfalls Eurasiers  

A letter from our Breed Health Coordinator

Dear SEA member,

Please find below a letter from the Kennel Club's Breed Health Coordinator for Eurasiers (our own Vice-Chair, Brigitte). In it Brigitte outlines her role in the post in terms of what she can offer you, and what she would hope to obtain from you in return.

On the 28th August the letter was also sent to the Secretaries of the other two British Eurasier clubs,  the UK Eurasier Club and the Eurasier Society UK,  with the request that they circulate it to their membership. She also requested the names and contact details of their health representatives, in order to invite them to join her at the KC Breed Health Symposium later this month.

Please get back to Brigitte directly with any questions or suggestions you might have at alphaeurasier@gmail.com

Many thanks,

Peter Mordan
Secretary, SEA

-------------------------------

Dear Eurasier owner,

Firstly let me express my heartfelt thanks to your club Secretary for forwarding to you this letter, which I hope you will find informative and will further help our mutual collaboration.

Today I am addressing you solely in my role as the UK Breed Health Coordinator for Eurasiers, as appointed by the Kennel Club, a role which I have mentored from its inception and held for a good number of years, and which I find both very interesting and rewarding.

What I can offer:

•          A confidential environment in which to discuss any health concerns.

•          If I am able, and it lies within my expertise as a Eurasier person of 30 years’ experience, biologist and health professional, I can also offer some health advice, although this can never replace that of a veterinary surgeon.  This applies whether you are a breeder, stud-dog owner or ‘simply’ a pet owner.

•          The design and conducting of a breed-health survey

•          If you express an interest (by emailing me at the address below), you will hear about trends in the breed in the UK, as well as those observed internationally through my close involvement with the International Federation for Eurasier Breeding (IFEZ).

Needless to say, all these services are absolutely free.

What I would hope to receive from you:

•          Any health results you obtain when you either get your dog checked as required for breeding, or as requested by your breeder, as these provide some excellent basic information on, for example, hips, elbows, patella, thyroid, eyes and Dandy Walker Syndrome. You can, of course, decide on the confidentiality of these results.

•          Records of any other health issues. Again, you decide on the confidentiality of these.

•          The commitment to fill in a breed health questionnaire for a survey I am planning on conducting.

If you would like to discuss anything, I always have an open ear!

With many thanks and hoping for a good and productive collaboration in the best interest of our Eurasiers,

Dr Brigitte Mordan-Grimm

Spitz in the Park 2019

Its official - gazebos and gusty winds do not make for a good combination! However, apart from our ad hoc wrestling with the gazebo on Saturday (thanks to Becky and David for bringing theirs!) accompanied by the ad hoc wrestling of Blue and his new best friend Iris, our merry band of SEA members enjoyed a relaxed weekend among many curly-tailed and fluffy-bottomed dogs!! We were rather spoilt by Harriet bringing some delicious cupcakes not only for us, but also for our four-legged friends. Sif’s new girlfriend was briefly thinking of changing owner, but only very briefly.

To say we (Eurasiers) were outnumbered was an understatement. However all our dogs were on their best behaviour - great ambassadors for their breed among the unruly  throngs of yipping and yapping Poms, Japanese Spitz and Finnish Lapphunds, which accounted for a large proportion of the dogs on site. 

Throughout the day there were lots of enjoyable things to do, including some serious or not-so-serious dog shows, resulting in places for several, all of which included wonderful, larger-than-life rosettes. Gustav first won Handsomest Dog in the Fun Show and then went on to win Best Novelty! Sheeba came second in Veteran. Annie and Sif were both entered in the ‘serious’ Pedigree Dog Show and Annie won the big Open Spitz class (males and females of all Spitz breeds) and then Reserve Best in Show (like mother, like son)!

Good citizen assessments and eye tests by a qualified ophthalmic vet were also available. Maybe the best result of the day was both Gustav and Blue passing their temperament tests with ‘excellent’.

To keep us all entertained, on site there was a lovely canal-side walk along with a fabulous supervised agility course  - tickets just £1 along with an assortment of other  fund-raising activities e.g. raffles, ‘guess the number of biscuits in the jar’ to just name a few.

For those that chose to, overnight camping was available, or alternatively there was also the option of a local dog-friendly hotel, so no excuses for next year!!! 

By Ann Winter

llathtony Show - Annie won Best in Show!

When we planned our holiday in Herefordshire, attending a dog show had never crossed our mind. Whilst driving around the area, we came across numerous adverts: Llanthony Valley and District Show, August 3^rd. Oh well, we thought, that sounds like a fun day out, going to a real, regional show. On the morning of that Saturday, I looked online only to find that there also was a dog show advertised. And we had precisely 1 hour before the start. So, 3 not-recently-groomed pooches and us 2 jumped in the car and off we went. Our Sheeba (Alphacanis Bethsheba) at almost 10 was entered in Veteran and Annie (Everendeavor Dynasty of Anitra) in Open. We just thought this would give us a nice ‘thing to do’ and provide focus for the day. A random retriever lead found in the car was the make-shift show lead. Bright blue, but hey! The show was situated in the beautiful Llanthony valley, on a slight slope which made a perfect, natural arena. There were a few local stands with delicious local produce, from suckling pig to local cider, home-spun llama wool and wooden products turned from local fruit trees. All the people were in great spirits. As those of you who have more than 1 Eurasier know, you can’t get very far without people stopping, admiring and asking, so we spent a good part of our day, doing exactly that. To our great delight we also met 2 rescue Eurasiers and their lovely owners! So, we were not the only ones there. Even the show secretary, Ros Webb knew Eurasiers through a mutual friend. We felt at home straight away. 
When the time had come, Annie and I strolled into the ring with about 10 other dogs, all very nice indeed, but even without any treats, Annie didn’t put a foot wrong and we won Open! Sheeba was, of course, full of enthusiasm and showed her little socks off. Despite a slight limp – she must have trodden on something as it luckily didn’t last – she won 2^nd in Veteran. In the final line-up, after a good 50 dogs had been judged, I was certain the BIS would go to a very nice terrier, but no, Annie won BIS - a rare achievement for a Eurasier! The terrier came second. We were so thrilled and proud of our girls! Big thanks to our lovely, gentle judge Lewis Jackson, as well as all the organizers who made this enjoyable day run like clockwork!

by Brigitte Mordan-Grimm

Watching dog agility

A hug for our Best in Show girl

Preparing the main arena

Having fun!

Happy 15th Birthday Diesel!

I got Diesel when he was 9 as a rescue from a kill shelter in Ireland. To get him at 9 I was happy to give him a few extra years to enjoy and live his best life. For him to still be here 6 years later and and turning 15 on June 30th, I can't believe he is still here! He seemed like a very old man when I got him, and had a lot of health problems. We then found out he had hypothyroidism. Within months of medication he was acting like a puppy again and improved massively!

Me and Diesel have a very special connection. I feel he's my soul mate and I would love him to be around forever! 

Diesel is one in a million and I feel blessed to have a Eurasier in my life!                                    By Jadie Cooley

Walk Richmond Park 23rd June

Kopi - does this biscuit look like me?

After arriving late due to a few of us being stuck in traffic, we met up with our Eurasier pack. It was a lovely walk round Isabella Plantation and the weather was just the perfect temperature for human and canine.
All the pack sniffed and played along the walk with Jenson becoming quite taken with Annie. Blue was his normal self and found a small stream to cool himself off in. Genie gave us her best smile showing of her gorgeous white teeth. It was so lovely to see all the Eurasiers in all their glorious colours together. They really did look quite magnificent. 
After the walk, Brigitte handed round her home-made Eurasier-shaped biscuits; they were very tasty indeed and all eyes were on us as we ate them. You can Purchase the cookie cutters as well as the the book 'Eurasiers Yesterday and Today', which I can highly recommend as a must-read for all potential and already Eurasier owners. After catching up and comparing Eurasier stories it was time to head home.
A wonderful walk was had by all.     by Becky Mayer-Esaw

Winning the War on Worms

We have canine reporter Murphy (assisted by Ann Winter) offering a paws eye view on the subject of mini monsters aka worms !

Greetings (Woof Woof) dear furry cousins and pet parents. I have been asked to share some experiences with you further to an interesting delivery arriving at my home. As usual, accompanied by my Mum – Bubbles, we did our best to see off the ‘man in red’, but strangely the door was opened to him and a package accepted. What I learned next made my toes curl and my tail droop!

This package contained an assortment of plastic pots, lids, tiny spoons and oh my god – rubber gloves. At this point I thought it best to make a hasty retreat but as always ‘Mum’ ( Bubbles ) was convinced that there must be something edible in the box and so I watched carefully to see what happened next.

Our ‘ hu mum’ sat intently reading some paperwork that accompanied the items before wrapping it all back up and putting it out of our reach. The leaflet floated down to the floor, however, landing under my nose and this is what I learned: It said worms can become a big problems to our pets (I think that is the word that describes us, your furry kids) often with no discernible symptoms and that a ‘burden’ can form in our intestines or lungs. Whilst there are a variety of parasites, the two most common examples are roundworms in puppies which proliferate in the intestines; upon reading this I was horrified to think a mother would give such a thing to her children, and I needed some reassurance this did not happen to me – PHEW - and lung-worm which can cause coughing, breathing difficulties and can stop blood clotting.

Symptoms can be varied from being ravenous, weight loss, upset stomachs, pot bellied appearance, (no definitely not me!) coughing, vomiting, lethargy and loss of condition. Scooting is not always a sign of worms - I have a cousin that occasionally does this – UGH. If all that is not bad enough common dog worms can be passed to humans and whilst adults can generally cope, for the noisy little people there can be more serious consequences. So now I know why my ‘hu mum’ is always keeping an eye on me when I am trying to have some ‘private time ‘ – poop scooping helps to reduce these risks as worm eggs can live many years and only become dangerous once they have incubated. The risks to us by these nasty critters is related to our individual circumstances /habits (if you know what I mean) climate and to different parts of the country. Yes, worms are most certainly gross and potentially harmful and in addition to roundworms and lung-worms there are hookworms, whip-worms, heart-worms, tapeworms and ringworms – what a nightmare! Fortunately it is not all bad news as a healthy diet builds a strong immune system – 80% of the immune system is in the gut. Now when it comes to food I know what I don’t like but I appreciate not everyone is so discerning for instance when I witness my Mum tucking into something that makes my nose wrinkle.

But I digress. Apparently, kibble-fed dogs are potentially more susceptible because parasites love the starch and sugar in kibble. However, fermented foods (e.g. fermented vegetables such as carrots (recipes available online – I know I would not care for this!)) have probiotic properties and can help prevent and eliminate worms. Other good foods to consider are milk kefir (which I have tried and found quite tasty), pumpkin seeds, grated carrots, watercress, greens, squash, fennel, cucumber, pineapple, papaya, pomegranate, garlic (safe in moderation), apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, parsley and bone broth. Apart from products prescribed by vets, there are holistic and herbal options available as well. So, the good news is, whilst we cannot be complacent, we can win the war on worms.

Oh, and as for those little kits, they were filled and sent away, collected by the ‘man in red’ to be analysed, and the verdict in response gave us the all clear!

A Hairy Memento

by Ann Winter

If you have ever wondered what to do with all that fur you remove after grooming, then this may be of interest to you. Chiengora  ( she-an-gora ) refers to the yarn spun from dog hair. Chien being the French word for dog and gora is derived from ‘angora’ the soft fur from rabbits.

Spinning dog hair is an ancient art going back to pre historic times in Scandinavia and was the main fibre spun on the North American continent before the Spaniards introduced sheep. Chiengora is usually made from the soft undercoat of breeds such as Samoyeds, Siberian Huskies , Alaskan Malamutes, Chow Chows, Retrievers & Newfoundlands.

Fact - chiengora is up to 80% warmer than sheep's wool and sheds water well. It does not smell like your wet dog !! The fibre is not as elastic as wool and is similar in its luxurious feel and appearance to angora. It is typically used to make scarves & gloves rather than jumpers (to avoid overheating!), but It can also be blended with other fibres during the carding process to reduce the heat insulation.

Do not worry about doggy odour as once collected the fur is washed , it is then carded, rolled into rolags, spun ( and this also removes natural oils ) and then the yarn is made into a skein which is washed again . The yarn can then be used to create beautiful items and keepsakes.

So now whenever you brush your dog, you could consider collecting the shed fur – keep in a cloth bag (an old pillowcase) and do not compress. You will need at least 1-2 ounces for a small keepsake.

If you are interested in having a memento made from your dog’s fur there is of course information online, alternatively please contact Ann (ann.winter3@btinternet.com) whose ‘petit chien ‘ was created in France .