NAPS Newsletter Q1 2021 – Vol. 4

Table of Contents

Introduction

New Board of Directors

Breeder Committee Updates

Annual Meeting Details

Annual Meeting Motions

Annual Meeting Discussion Topics

EVENT: April Pudelpointer Trial

Gear Review

Swag Update

Membership Renewal Information

Good Dog Breed Club Partnership

Pudelpointer Q&A

The Spay/Neuter Question

Your new Board of Directors for 2021-2022 are as follows:

Jeff has always had dogs in his life and they have dictated almost every part of his life. His family started keeping and breeding German Wirehaired Pointers in the early 70’s and began the Ripsnorter Kennel.

Jeff is currently a member of both the Buckeye and Mid-Ohio Chapters of NAVHDA and he looks forward to meeting many more Pudelpointer people and to working with all of the other officers of NAPS.

He purchased his first Pudelpointer in 2016 after discovering the trainability and true versatility of the breed from working with a friend’s dog. After getting Deacon, it turned into a pursuit to have the true versatile dog. He has earned a UT prize in NAVHDA, Hunting Retriever Champion title in UKC, and is starting to run in UFTA events as well.

She is originally from Watertown, South Dakota where she grew up hunting and fishing with her parents. At a young age, they instilled her passion for both hunting and fishing. As she got older that passion grew and she went on numerous big game hunts such as deer, antelope, and elk; however, her passion has always been pheasant hunting which South Dakota is well known for. Over the years, she has enjoyed pheasant hunting with her family’s Britney Spaniels, yet she knew that she wanted to find a more versatile breed. She heard of the pudelpointer and was extremely impressed with the breed and later that year they welcomed their first pudelpointer, Hay Devil’s Imperial Red, aka Tikka or Tiks, into their home in 2017.

Currently, Brandon and Karen enjoy spending their time with Tikka and her “sister” Nova, an Australian Shepard. They love the pudelpointer personality as well as their obvious intelligence, and intense hunting drive.

Originally hailing from the Northern Oregon Coast, she grew up hunting and fishing with her father and brother. It wasn’t until she married her husband Mike, and he caught the hunting bug and added ducks to the game list that she got into the bird dog scene. When her husband finally got tired of fetching his own duck, they welcomed their first pudelpointer, High Lifes Jubilee, aka Callie, into their home in 2010. Callie quickly became Alycia’s training project and together they achieved an NA 112 in 2011.

They produced their first litter with Callie in 2014 and have produced 5 litters in their years of breeding. They currently own 4 pudelpointers, Ava, Zayda, Evony & Cadi, and Alycia has run dogs in 3 NA and 2 UT tests. Alycia loves the pudelpointer for their friendly demeanor, obvious intelligence, and intense hunting drive.

Larry comes to us with a varied background. He has more than 26 years of active and reserve military service. A graduate of the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy, he retired at the rank of Command Sergeant Major. Larry also pursued a career in the US Postal Service holding a variety of positions to include Postmaster and Manager of Post Office Operations. His history with pudelpointers began 2002 with the purchase of his first dog from Cedarwoods Kennel. His first NAVHDA experience was extremely positive inspiring him to continue and grow his NAVHDA experiences. Larry has a 19 year history with NAVHDA where he has achieved senior judge and Aims and Rules Clinic Leader. He is the founder and owner of Stonesthrow Kennels in Bend, Oregon where he continues his work breeding, raising and training pudelpointers.

The Board is excited to have additional support for the NAPS organization. John has a couple decades experience working and delivering complex marketing, communications, media and technology programs and has done so across a number of industries, start-ups, small businesses and not-for-profit organizations.

John lives in Walla Walla, Washington and is an avid Upland Hunter and thoroughly enjoys the handful of waterfowl opportunities he gets each season.

New member on the Breeders Committee

Chuck King will be replacing Jeff George on the Breeders Committee now that Jeff is taking on the role of President of the Board. Chuck and his wife Katie have been breeding golden retrievers to be raised as seeing-eye-dogs for several years but they also enjoy hunting over their pudelpointer, Fia, who just had their 2nd litter of pups this past fall.

2021 Annual Meeting Details

The Board of Directors has decided to hold our annual meeting virtually on Saturday, February 27th, given the complications still occurring with COVID-19. The meeting will begin at 12:30 PM EST. We will cover the annual financials and state of the club reports. We will have a discussion about the 2021-2022 goals for the club and then move into discussion about the motion and discussion topics that have been presented.

The annual meeting registration is open at https://members.pudelpointersociety.org/annual-meeting-registration-form on the website for those who wish to register to attend.

In order to keep the meeting within the time-frame allotted, we have some rules we would like to share with our members so that you understand the expectations during the meeting.

After the conduct of regular business, we will have a period of time to discuss the 4 motions and 4 discussion points (detailed below). Anyone wishing to voice an opinion on any of these motions or discussion topics must email the Board at contact@pudelpointersociety.org to request talking time. Only those who request speaking time will be guaranteed an opportunity to speak. At this time we anticipate allowing each speaker up to 5 to 10 minutes per discussion topic, but we need to know how many people wish to speak ahead of time in case we need to reduce that time limit. Each person will be unmuted for their speaking time and a timer will be set. You will receive a 30 second and a 10 second warning. When the timer sounds you will be muted by the meeting leader. We highly recommend that you check out the NAPS Members only Group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/napsmembersonlygroup to view and participate in some of the discussion already happening on these topics in order to reduce the need for speaking time at the annual meeting.

There will be no discussion allowed for topics that were not submitted for discussion prior to the deadline on December 1st, 2020. If a speaker gets off topic, they will be warned. If they continue off topic, they will be muted.

NAPS Motions 2021

We did receive some Motions for 2021.  These motions will be voted on by the membership, via online voting software, in the week immediately following the annual meeting.  If your 2021 dues are not paid in full by the date of the annual meeting, you will not be allowed to vote on these motions so please make sure your dues are current.  Please see below for the motions submitted.  Each of these motions has been posted on our members only Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/napsmembersonlygroup if you would like to join the discussion for, or against, any of these motions.  Additionally, we will set aside time for final arguments for the motions during the annual meeting but we recommend that you use the Facebook Group for the majority of discussion prior to the meeting in order to form your opinions and decide what your vote will be.  If you would like to otherwise submit a comment on any of these motions, please email us at contact@pudelpointersociety.org.

Motion M01-21: I move to amend the bylaws Article II, Section 1, with a change to the following statement: “The Board of Directors shall consist of six members who shall manage the affairs of the corporation. Four shall be elected from the general adult membership for two year terms and two shall be appointed by the elected members of the Board for one-year terms,”

I propose the amended version to state “The Board of Directors shall consist of seven members who shall manage the affairs of the corporation. Four shall be elected from the general adult membership for two year terms and three shall be appointed by the elected members of the Board for one-year terms.

The 7^th position could be “Member at Large” or other appropriate role as determined by the Board and or membership.

Reason: To establish an odd number of Board members and prevent the occurrence of a tie in decision making.

Motion M02-21:  I move to amend the bylaws Article II, Section 5, with a change to the following statement: “Members of the Board of Directors shall be elected at the annual meeting by simple majority vote of members present and eligible to vote.”

I propose the amended version to state “The Board Officer positions of President and Treasurer shall be elected at the annual meeting in odd numbered years by a simple majority vote of the members present and eligible to vote.  The Board Officer positions of Vice President and Secretary shall be elected at the annual meeting in even numbered years by a simple majority vote of the members present and eligible to vote.”

Reason:  This will ensure continuity of the Board of Directors by always having at least 2 experienced board members on the board and disallow the possibility that the entire Board be replaced in the same year.

Motion M03-21:  I move to amend the bylaws to add a section to Article II which adds the following: “Any member elected to the Board of Directors shall serve no more than 2 consecutive 2-year terms in any one, or combination of, Board position(s).

Reason:  This will ensure new board members and new knowledge being added to the board over a reasonable period of time.

Motion M04-21: Females must prize in UPT or UT test in order to be considered acceptable breeding stock. All bitches prior to this addendum are grandfathered in.

Reasoning: To improve the breed overall as far as testability. To decrease the opportunity for puppy mills. To retain the exclusivity of the breed.

NAPS Discussion Topics 2021

We also received some Discussion Topics for 2021. Please see below for the topics submitted. Each of these topics has been posted on our members only Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/napsmembersonlygroup if you would like to join the discussion. Additionally, we will set aside time for additional discussion during the annual meeting but we recommend that you use the Facebook Group for the majority of discussion prior to the meeting. If you would like to otherwise submit a comment on any of these topics, please email us at contact@pudelpointersociety.org.

Discussion Topic D01-21: A first time breeder of a female dog must have run a dog in an UPT or UT test.

Reasoning: A breeder who is familiar with the testing practices of NAVHDA is a more informed breeder who can offer better advice to customers.

Discussion Topic D02-21: All puppies sold must be sold with breeding restrictions equal to that of the current NAPS breeding requirement.

Reasoning: To decrease the opportunity for puppy mills. To retain the exclusivity of the breed. To keep the breed standard high.

Discussion Topic D-03-21: Brucellosis testing of stud dogs must be done annually, and within 1 month of breeding for female dogs.

Reasoning: To promote healthy litters and decrease complications.

Discussion Topic D04-21: A first time pudelpointer breeder of a male dog must have run a dog in a UT test.

Reasoning: A breeder who is familiar with the testing practices of NAVHDA is a more informed breeder who can offer better advice to customers.

EVENT: Pudelpointer Trial in April

We are very excited to announce our very first sponsorship of a Pudelpointer event! Calvin Harpe and Jeff George have been instrumental in the planning of a 1 day pudelpointer timed trial. Details are below. You can find out more and register for this event at https://www.pudelpointersociety.org/shop/fun-run-2021.

Gear Review – Chief Upland Vest

By Jay Shirah

This is truly the most customizable vest on the market. Other vests make you choose where to put pouches, water bottle holders, and gear. With the Chief Upland Vest, you are in control of how your vest is set up. There is also a plethora of MOLLE-style pouches and other attachments available that can quickly be attached on the vest. For training, the quick access ammo pouch and 2 water bottle holders is the perfect set-up for ammo and keeping enough water for myself and my dog. For hunting the prairie, I easily carried 4 water bottle holders, both ammo pouches, the waterproof electronics pouch, and an aftermarket first aid kit. I attach my GPS/ecollar remote from the MOLLE strips on the left chest strap. Finally, someone in the upland vest market got it right.

Cost: $169 – $179

CLICK HERE TO VIEW

Swag Update

Our store has been putting out a lot of new swag lately and Matt Morgan has done an outstanding job of managing our inventory and the 2021 calendar sales during the holidays.

If you haven’t already ordered your 2021 calendar we have a few left. This link will get you to the order page: https://pudelpointersociety.org/shop/2021-pudelpointer-calendar/. We had a lot of wonderful submissions this year and appreciate everyone who entered the photo contest.

For our members only swag store you can go here: https://members.pudelpointersociety.org/product-category/swag/

A message from our Swag Manager, Matt Morgan:

Fellow Pudelpointer enthusiasts,

Thank you for helping make the 2021 Pudelpointer Calendar such a successful fund raising project for the North American Pudelpointer Society. The Calendar project is an exciting one for me personally because I love photos of everyone’s companions pursuing the experiences for which they were bred. We learned a great deal this year and plan to improve the 2022 edition from these lessons. A huge shout out to all who participated by submitting, voting and purchasing (and patiently awaiting) the product we all worked hard to present.
Because you are a member of NAPS you are able to help us decide what is available to you through our swag shop. We have asked and you have responded with answers to the type of gear you desire to use in the fields, marshes, testing grounds, or wherever you prefer to represent the Pudelpointer. Our shop is well stocked but we are always open to your ideas on how to improve that. Please feel free to message NAPS through email, Messenger, phone call or text with your ideas on the next big item from the NAPS Swag Shop.

Lastly we want you to share your pictures with us and others. We’d like you to help us grow through the promotion of NAPS. Post on our Facebook page, North American Pudelpointer Society, or tag us in your Instagram pictures, @pudelpointer_society

Thanks for your support,

Matt Morgan, Swag Shop Manager

Membership Renewal Time

On January 1, you should have received an email with your 2021 membership invoice if you are not a 6-year paid member. All Memberships renew on the 1st of each year with dues payable by March 31st. If your dues are not renewed by the due date, your membership will be suspended until your dues are paid and current.  Please note that your 2021 dues must be paid in in order for you to be able to vote on the motions listed above.

As always, we appreciate your continued support and look forward to all of the new program developments we have planned for the 2021 year.

Good Dog Breed Club Partnership

We are excited to announce that NAPS is now partnered with Good Dog in their Breed Club Partnership Program. Good Dog is an outstanding organization which promotes good breeders and healthy, ethical breeding practices. As partners with Good Dog, NAPS has access to support and promotion, canine health education assistance, legal and technical support for our club and an array of benefits and opportunities. We are hopeful that this partnership will be of benefit to all of our members in some way or another and we highly recommend you go to www.gooddog.com and check out all of the great things they are doing.

The Good Dog Pod is an excellent podcast with a lot of educational issues that you might want to check out. They provide frequent webinars and a ton of educational information on their website.

We are currently exploring an opportunity to get assistance from Good Dog to help with our Coat and Furnishings Study.
You can read more about the Club Partnership Program HERE.

Pudelpointer Q&A

We realize that many of you have occasional questions about pudelpointers whether it be breeding questions, grooming questions, training questions, medical questions or any other thing you might be wondering about with regards to your pudelpointer. We are going to add a new section to the newsletter for your questions to be answered. With each newsletter, we will pick a couple of questions from our members, seek out the proper person or people who might be able to lend some guidance for your questions and publish the responses.  Please send any questions you would like answered to us at contact@pudelpointersociety.org.

The Spay/Neuter Question

By Karen Potter, DVM

I do not intend to ruffle any feathers – only to provide the most recent facts in regards to performing an ovariohysterectomy (spay) or orchidecomty (neuter) and how this may affect a dog’s life. Every day more research and surveys are being conducted in order to determine what is best for our pets for their lives. I will not be providing any recommendations, only facts so that you can make fully informed decisions.

Ovariohysterectomy and Orchidectomy

Ovariohysterectomy is the medical term for a spay procedure. This is the process of removing the ovaries and uterus of a female dog through an abdominal incision. A small handful of clinics have started to perform ovariectomies laproscopically. This is the process of removing only the ovaries through a very small incision. This requires specialized equipment that is not common in most practices.

Orchidectomy is the medical term for a castration or neuter procedure. This is the process of removing the testicles of a male dog. This is done through a small incision just in front of the scrotum. In a normal dog, with both testicles descended into the scrotum, the abdomen is not entered during the procedure. The scrotum will still be present after being neutered, however the testicles will be absent and the extra skin will shrink up with time.

Throughout the remaining article, I will refer to females as being spayed, males as being neutered and spayed/ neutered dogs as a group as being altered.

Advantages of Spaying a Female

The advantages of spaying a female that will not be used for breeding have been explored and spoken about through the years. One of the most influential topics has been the incidence of mammary tumors in spayed females. Different studies will show slightly different numbers, however, in each study it is easy to identify that spaying a female prior to her first heat cycle greatly reduces the incidence of mammary tumors. When a female is spayed prior to the first heat, she has a less than 1% chance of developing mammary tumors. If she is spayed after her first heat cycle this chance increases to 5-8% and spaying after the second heat cycle increases upwards to 25%. The studies have not found any significant increase in chances when spaying later than the second heat cycle.

Spaying also eliminates the risk for pyometra, a serious condition when the uterus becomes full of pus. This can be life threatening and is most commonly treated with an emergency spay and hospitalization. It also eliminates the risk for ovarian cancers. These are not very common in dogs but can occur.

Beside health benefits, a spayed female obviously cannot become pregnant with an unwanted litter. Many people also appreciate the benefit of their female not coming into heat twice per year, which can be unsightly and messy. We all know too well that white carpeting in the house and a female in heat do not go well together.

Advantages to Neutering a Male

A neutered male dog can also benefit in regards to overall health. There are multiple different testicular cancers that can be acquired through life that will be prevented by neutering. Male dogs that are not neutered can also develop benign prostatic hyperplasia. This condition can cause difficulty with urination and bowel movements and sometimes even bloody urine. Neutering an affected dog is the typical treatment, however, it will take upwards of 6-8 weeks for the enlarged prostate to shrink to a comfortable size again. Finally, un-neutered male dogs are much more likely to develop perineal hernias.

Behavioral benefits of neutering include those such as a decreased desire to travel to seek out a female, decreased marking (leg lifting) and possibly decreased mounting behavior. Most of these behavioral problems are driven by testosterone; however, all of them can also be acquired, learned behaviors.

Whether male or female, studies have shown that altered dogs live longer lives than intact dogs. This may be associated with a number of factors including health and behavior.

Advantages to Delaying or Electing Not to Alter

Delaying or electing to not spay or neuter dogs has been a hot topic in recent years and is being investigated through breed surveys and studies. The two most recently published studies are “Neutering Dogs: Effects on Joint Disorders and Cancers in Golden Retrievers” published in February 2013 and “Evaluation of the risk and age of onset of cancer and behavioral disorders in gonadectomized Vizslas” published in February 2014.

The Golden Retriever study used veterinary records of 759 female and male animals that were classified as intact, altered early (younger than 12 months of age) and altered late (older than 12 months of age). They were examined for diagnoses of hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) disease and three types of cancer (lymphosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma and mast cell tumors).

In this study of Golden Retrievers, the disease rates in males and/or females were significantly increased when the dogs were altered early and/or late, depending on the condition. The occurrence of disease varied from 2 to 4 times the likelihood of those that were intact. The increase of orthopedic disease is due to the change in rate of growth plate closure when the sex hormones (from the ovaries and testicles) are removed prior to skeletal maturity. The age at which skeletal maturity is achieved differs by breed but a breed such as the GWP should be skeletally mature by 12 months of age. The increase in cranial cruciate ligament disease seems to be most dramatic in dogs that were altered early. This is due to the change of the growth plate closure, which increases the tibial plateau angle, which in turn applies greater strain on the cranial cruciate ligament and is more likely to rupture. The likelihood of hip dysplasia was only reported as increased in male dogs that were altered early. Again, this appears to be associated with the change in growth plate closure.

The Vizsla survey was done in a much different manner, as it was an anonymous online survey done by owners of 2,505 Vizslas. This survey supported many of the findings of the Golden Retriever study. Again, the primary cancers that were investigated included lymphoma, hemangiosarcoma and mast cell tumors. To go into in-depth detail would consume pages, but the findings suggested that dogs that had been altered had a 4 to 9% increase of these cancers. These numbers vary between males and females and other studies and surveys have found differing results. It has been suggested that the sex hormones are integral to certain immune processes that control and kill cells that eventually develop into cancers.

These studies and surveys are not perfect and researchers are continuing to explore these findings in the canine populations. At this time, we cannot say that your dog will not have orthopedic disease or cancer if you leave them intact. We all know that is not the truth. The veterinary community is, however, attempting to identify factors that can make these diseases less likely.

There are pros and cons with any decision that we make. There is no answer that fits every situation 100% of the time. The risks and benefits must be weighed to determine what is best for each family, situation and dog.