American Pit Bull Terriers & American Staffordshire Terriers of Canada - Spring/Summer 2006
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American Pit Bull Terriers
&
American Staffordshire Terriers
of Canada
PRODUCED IN CANADA, PRESENTING AN INTERNATIONAL FOCUS
Spring/Summer
2006
American Pit Bull Terrier
American Staffordshire
Terriers
of Canada
We welcome your comments,
letters, articles and pictures.
Opinions expressed are those
of the author and do not Cover Photo
necessarily reflect those Ontario’s Stuart the Earl of Essex CD
of the editors/publishers of An Ontario .American Staffordshire
this publication. Terrier. currently
training for his CDX.
Photo Credits Editor’s Note:
Summer is still with most of us.
Disc Dog Photos Play safe but play!
Hyperflite/Skyhoundz
This issue brings you ideas for lots of summer
Agility Photo fun. We look forward to hearing about all your
Event Digital Imaging summer ativities in the fall issue.
Herding Photos Our regular columnists have returned. “ Jackie
David Saunders Parkin with more on disc dogs and getting DEADLINE
started; the UKC Herding Program with photos
Kidz to show you exactly how it is done; Janene
Christa Medders Brac brings us the excitement of free style Next issue:
Kara Rijnen Weeke dancing with our dogs. September 15, 2006
Chris & Jeff Morrison
Judy Williamson Ontario’s Court Challenge to Bill 132 banning
many breeds including the APBT and AST is
We welcome your pictures,
Pals on hold while we and Canada’s #1 obedience articles, brags, letters
Kara Rijnen Weeke AST “Reason St. Louis” wait for the Judge’s
Chris & Jeff Morrison ruling. But bsl fighting in other areas is alive Regular mail
Maxcine Parker and well. Get involved. Bev Lewis
Alvin Crow
We thank our contributors and our advertisers
Box 1228, Bradford, ON
Freestyle Dancing photos for again making a great issue possible. L3Z 2B6
Janene Brac Please be sure to share this free publication. Tel: 905-775-6320
Bev@Foxfirepublishing.com
Rufus rescue Dog Articles, letters, forum of opinion, photos and
Maryellen Swiatek stories are welcome. Be sure to let rescuers
know of the free advertising opportunity and
Back Cover support our current advertisers who bring us
Billy Singer some fine products and services.
Page 2
Bullies in Need was created for rescuers, shelters and fellow bully lovers to come together to network
our resources to save as many Pit Bull type dogs and their mixes as possible due to the passing of Bill
132 in Ontario.
Many healthy, beautiful dogs will loose their lives due to this new law. We can’t save them all, but we
will save as many as possible with the help of our Pit Bull friends across North America.
adopt.htmhttp://bulliesinneed.fivepixelmedia.com/forum/contact.htmhttp://bulliesinneed.fivepixelmedia.com/forum/
For more information on adopting or fostering one of the many Pit Bull‚s in our program, or to offer a
donation
www.bulliesinneed.fivepixelmedia.com or by email at bullies_in_need@hotmail.com
Support Rescue
Because of rescue groups like Bullys-
in-Need, dogs like Rufus (left) are
saved. Rufus is a therapy dog and had
he been euthanized as was planned
before he was pulled from a shelter
four years ago by an American rescuer,
he would not have had the opportunity
to shine so brightly.
Page 3
- ALL BREEDS WELCOME -
UKC HERDING PROGRAM
Have you heard about the UKC Herding Program? Herding Started
(a picture is worth a thousand words)
In June of 2004 a small group formed a UKC HERDING
yahoo newsgroup: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ukcherd-
ing/
The group began revising a Herding Program from a previous
written program. The list has since grown to over 200 mem-
bers Revisions to the program have been completed and sub-
mitted to The United Kennel Club, Inc for final approval.
A Herding Meeting will held this year 2006 in June at the UKC
Premier.
Find out about the United Kennel Club (UKC) :
http://www.ukcdogs.com/
David Saunders
The UKC has a very talented and supportive group who have
dedicated many many hours and hard work to this program.
One person that has been a tremendous source of help and number one
support for the program is David Saunders. in the shepherd and driving , sheep are freestanding at one end
of the field number one is mandatory for half the sheep
David started herding with a six year old Marble. He taught
her to bring in the cows. which led to him teaching his other
dogs to herd and then to compete in herding trials back in the
80’s. David competes in ABC, AHBA, USBCHA,GSD & ASCA
herding trials. He is a Judge for AHBA, GSD & USBCHA
Among he many of his achievements are:
ABHA Advanced Titles HTD111s, RTD111s
ASCA High in Trial & High Combined Trial for Cattle &
Sheep
The American Grand Finals Combined Sheep & Cattle
US Open Combined Sheep & Cattle
GSD Sheep Dog of the Year, Reserve Sheep Dog of the Year
Cattle Dog of the Year, 95-02 Top Fla. Money winning dogs
sheep & cattle.
President and Vice President of Tri-State Stockdog
Association
Hosting the Florida Stock Dog Championship 2006
BOD of the AG Expo in Moultrie,
GA number two
All breed Herding TrainerDavid brought to the table the idea if sheep move beyond the small orange and break the plain of the
of the Points/Timed trials obstacle there will be a loss for points. If all the sheep go past an
which was used in the earliest US Herding trials. Many cattle obstacle half the points are deducted.
trials today are Points/Time but few sheep trials exist with
any programs today. The focus of this Points/Time trial pro-
gram is to improve the quality in both the handler and dog.
continued page 5
Page 4
UKC Herding continued from page 4
First UKC Test Trial and Fun Day
One of the first UKC test Trial and Fun Day was run January
28 and 29 of this year in North Florida. We had gorgeous
weather Saturday and rain all day Sunday. The rain didn’t
stop anybody with 30 dogs running United STOCKDOG
Started class and 10 dogs trying the United Driving Class.
The same course was used for both classes with no changes
to the obstacles. The handlers in the Driving class stayed on
three the Handles Line till they needed to help the dog. Each
is a pan in the corner. In started the handler shuts he gate. obstacle was 10 points with 5 sheep it was 2 points per head
in driving class the dog holds the sheep. the dog than take the on the first try, 1 point per head on the second try.
sheep out of the pen and the gate is left open. Saturday we tried the Herding Capability Evaluation , Novice
Herding,, and United Shepherd Excellent classes. Scarlett
Sanders tried the test class with some nice young White
GSD. Judith Kelly tried the Shepherd Excellent class. After
she finished she read the rules and found she did it the hard
way. After seeing Judith run we had other handlers ready try
but ran out of day light. Most of the sheep are lambing so we
had to use 50 leftovers. Young rams, old eve, yearling eve,
and wean lambs, not an easy group. Most of the sheep had
never been worked in small group before Saturday. The
Judging was a group of three people at a time. We tried to get
as many handlers as possible to try judging.
STOCKDOG Started Score Time from #9 to pen Total Time 10
min
1 Stacey Helsel
number four Jabber (ACD ) 110 44 sec. 8:01
was two parallel panels it was probably the hardest obstacle. 2 Amy Hill
the handler takes one side and the sheep need to be lined up. Bellie (Corgi) 110 1:45 9:04
in the driving class the handler had to make a decision. if he 3 Joyce Eddy
stayed on the handlers line and drove the sheep passed num- Beckett (BC) 106 :25 9:34
ber four you would lose five points for the first attempt. If the 4 Kelly Kingsland
handler would leave the line before the attempt and helps Brie (BC) 104 :37 7:15
work the sheep into number four he would lose five points 5 Stacey Helsel
but could get the sheep through and end up with the five. Flare (ACD) 104 :52 7:46
points. 6 Wendy Hines
Tico (Belg Mal) 102 :29 7:52
7 Amy Hill
Eby (Corgi ) 100 1:35 9:36
8 Kelly Kingsland
Ben (BC) 96 1:44 9:04
9 Joyce Eddy
Try (BC) 95 1:11 9:50
10 Stacey Helse
Number five Ericla (ACD) 95 1:21 9:58
is the same obstacle as number three but in the opposite 11 Chuck Spriggs
direction. It was a little bit harder from the back side. This Carson (Aussie) 92 time 10:00
was one of the obstacles place near the handle line so in the 21 dogs had a score of 70 or better out of 30 dogs.w
driving class the Handler is able to help some. More than
one obstacle may be used twice as you move up and down
the field. continued page 6
Page 5
UKC Herding continued from page 5
Number six
panels were set at an angle and not too far off the side. The
opening between the gates can be reduced depending on the Number eight
type of stock or difficulty. had a small tarp added to make it more difficult.
number nine
to obstacle number ten the pen is timed. when the last sheep
passes obstacle number nine the clock starts and that time
will be used to break a ties.
Number seven Amy Hill
was a long drive down an ally. Many Dogs are afraid of los- at the pen
ing the sheep and push real hard.
continued page 7
Page 6
UKC Herding continued from page 6
United Driving Class
1,2 ,3 Judith Kelly dogs 105, 104, 90
Post are set 10 ft. off each end of the field and yellow
tape marks the handlers line.
the handler walks up and down on the line and tells
the dog where to drive the sheep. some obstacles like
the pen are placed on the line.
A few comments
I really liked the course and the premise for the whole thing!
Wendy and the crew
Mals Tico and Osa, and the muttkitty Scooter
the blue markers give that handler an idea of 10 ft. off
----------------- the line.judges only take five points if the handler
Time and points trials are part of the tradition of trialing in this deliberately leaves the line.
country and part of our beloved laissez faire approach which
gives trial hosts a free rein in terms of courses thus allowing and The Herding Meeting
encouraging trial hosting. Often at fairs, especially in the winter,
time and points trials provide a way to trial dogs that would oth- Saturday, June 17th
erwise not be available. As it stands, time and points trials on
sheep add pleasantly to the mix. In this country, time and points 2006 Terrier Race Area
trials on sheep in the border collie community are in many ways
older than judged trials. Whether to have judged trials at all was
UKC Premier
a big issue sometime around when the Handlers Association Minutes now available
started. Impressive time and points dogs on sheep are out there.
The take home pay is usually way better than at the average
judged trial. The Calgary Stampede pay out at $10,000 just for
first? Don't go thinking that just any old dog can win a competi-
THE UNITED KENNEL
tive time and points trial. Sure, time and points aren't proof that CLUB
a dog can work in the open on sheep but they are part of that
proof provided arena time and points trials are not whole test or 13th Annual PREMIER
the final one.
Penny Tose Kalamazoo, MichiganJune
16, 17, 18, 2006
Join the UKC herding newsgroup today.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ukcherding/
Page 7
Canadian FCI Club
Contact Susan
doucoton@sympatico.ca
Premium for Autumn Color FCI Show
../pdf/ProgrStHyacin06.pdf
Entry form
../pdf/enregStHyacinthe06.pdf
For more news on
Breed Specific Legislation visit these two
excellent blogs
http://chicobandido.blogspot.com/
http://caveat.blogware.com/blog
Congratulations
to Tammy St. Louis of Ontario
Canada with Reason, the number
one OBEDIENCE American
Staffordshire Terrier in Canada for
the second year in a row!
This is Ontario’s answer to the #1 American Staffordshire Terrier in Canada for the 2nd year in a row.
Read the story at http://chicobandido.blogspot.com/2006/05/reason-enough.html (More on page 15 & 21
Page 8
Lifestyle Dog Training
Focus! On Attention
Classes For EVERYONE who would like to learn the key to getting their dogs attention
Puppies are encouraged to attend
All ages of dogs welcome
The Reliable Recall course
Learn why dogs don't come when called.
Learn how to change that.Positively and without corrections
Other courses offered include:
Flyball
Musical Freestyle
Puppy Gym & Games
Disc
Obedience
Contact: Jackie at:besslin@sympatico.ca
Humane Canine Training Ltd
5 week Program
Working with dog behaviour and aggression, this course is designed to prepare the
APBT/AmStaff,
bully breed owner to complete their Canine Good Neighbour Test
Receive a 30 page booklet with information regarding the current breed ban, Dog Owners
Liability Act, 12 Steps to the Canine Good Neighbour Exam, dog psychology,
"What is a Dog" by Don French and other related topics.
Tracking
Training for all Breeds...
Anyone interested in starting an all bully Search and Rescue Group..to learn to track and to
play tracking games and to simulate searches.
Don French
Humane Canine Training Ltd
Toronto Ontario 416-357-0305
jotunheimdogs@yahoo.com
Page 9
Start your own sculpture collection today!
One-of-a-kind design by Canadian artist Angie Linnet
Approximate size of each individual designed pieces varies (estimated 3 - 5 inches, some are six inches). Larger sizes and CUSTOM orders can be arranged.
Dress your dog in a favourite outfit or try a sports theme.
Have a favourite photo transformed into a 3-d image.
Collect one or collect them all.
Start a collection for a friend. Xmas is just around the corner. This is the the perfect affordable gift. for friends and family.
All breeds Available
Give them a sculpture of your dog or have one made of their dog.
Clubs will be interested in these treasures for trophies.
to see more collectibles visit:
http://www.bullies4you.com
to see new creations visit:
http://www.bullies4you.com/new_sculptures
Keychains too
For the latest items on ebay visit:
http://search.ebay.ca/search/search.dll?from=R40SHALL WE DANCE FREESTYLE? By Janene Branc
FREE "at liberty to choose" + STYLE "with grace, class or skill" = FREESTYLE "an individual choice of style or pattern"
CANINE MUSICAL FREESTYLE is a relatively new area of can have interesting rhythms and loads of character. Classical
Canine sport, which allows the dog and handler to combine music can be difficult to adapt to Canine Musical Freestyle as it
obedience movements and tricks with the rhythms of the often includes many tempo changes and "empty space".
music. However, classical versions of popular songs are perfect for some
This reflects the dog’s ability to perform, and the handler’s dogs!
ability to design and guide the dog through flowing patterns
of movements. Canine Musical Freestyle is more demanding "I CAN DANCE"
than a normal obedience test, and for dog, handler and spec- Some people agree it is simpler to design your sequence of
tator alike, it delivers far more enjoyment. moves and then add the appropriate music, others, like myself,
are quite the opposite – designing the moves to compliment the
CANINE MUSICAL FREESTYLE music!
= OBEDIENCE WITH ATTI- Whichever way suits you, it is advantageous to plan your move
TUDE!! sequences on paper. On one sheet, have listed all the individual
As in all things canine, your training must be solid, particu- moves your dog can perform, and on another sheet list the
larly if you want to incorporate difficult movements. moves that your dog is most confident with. It is a matter of mix
The greater the range of movement you and your dog have and match to design a routine that flows from one move or
mastered, the more interesting the routine becomes to per- sequence to another in time to the music. You want to maximise
form and watch. You do need solid basic training incorporat- your dogs’ strong points, and minimise the weaker ones.
ing positive and rewarding methods, so both you and your When you have worked out your choreography on paper, try it
dog are well established as a team in the movements that you out in practice with your dog. You may have to make a few
plan to include in your routine. And of course, you need a adjustments, but there is always room for flexibility!
sense of daring! You learn so much from each freestyle experience. Sometimes
Make the most of your dog’s best points. This is your oppor- when performing, it may not work out quite as planned, but it is
tunity to show off what your dog can really do. important to keep going. Each performance usually contains
some element of trial and error. You need to perform at every
"I GOT RHYTHM" opportunity to see how it all works. And it’s a fantastic feeling
Every dog moves at an individual pace according to its breed, when it all comes together!
size, length of stride, and its balance. The starting point for a ©Janene Branc – Dogology™ Sydney Australia, 2005
fantastic freestyle routine is to accurately assess your dogs’
tempo. It is helpful to have a trainer who has a good eye to Editor’s Note: Janene was introduced to freestyle in 2001, at the
advise you when your dog is sufficiently loosened up, and Association of Pet Dog Trainers (Australia) Conference with Donna
then with the aid of a metronome, record your dogs stride in Duford. She performed numerous times with her beloved Brok, from
each pace. Video taping gives you a permanent record of your 2001 to 2004. She started freestyle training and performing with Zeta
(pictured below) in 2004, performed at the Sydney Easter Show in
dogs’ movements, and reinforces the information of the dogs’
2004 & 2005, & the People & Pets day 2005. In 2004 they also danced
natural rhythm. "Who could ask for anything more!" at: Sydney Pet Expo, The RNSWCC Spring Fair, the St. Ives Pet Expo,
and the Penrith Pet Expo. This article first appeared in the APDT
"POETRY IN MOTION" (Australia) Newsletter Issue 48: October-November 2005, and is
The rhythms of the music must match the basic rhythms of reprinted with permission from the author
the dog. Generally, the main rhythms in a musical score in
relation to canine’s are 2/4 time for the trot; 3⁄4 time for the
canter; 4/4 time for the walk. Keeping this in mind will help
you match your dog to suitable music.
It is important to match the music not just to your dogs’
rhythm, but it’s personality!
Think of the effect you are looking for. For example,
Ragtime music such as Scott Joplin’s music, is in 2/4 time,
and suits the trot of most dogs. Jazz, Swing, Disco and Rock
generally have a strong and steady downbeat that is easy to
use in Canine Musical Freestyle, and is generally the best
place to start. Folk music, and Country and Western music
Page 11Southern Ontario Disc Houndz
Getting Started In Canine Disc Play
by Jackie Parkin
Disk grip/throwing photos courtesy of Hyperflite/Skyhoundz for it to go, and not be flying off in all directions with dog in hot
The sport of canine disc (aka frisbee) is a lot of fun for both pursuit, making dangerous leaps and catches. The first thing
dog and handler, but there's more to it than just going out, you need to learn is the proper grip. The basic backhand throw
buying a cheap disc, and lobbing it at the dog in the backyard. is used for toss and fetch. Hold the disc so that the rim is bal-
Safe disc play requires proper throwing techniques on the ancing on your pinky and ring finger. Now close your hand
part of the handler, and proper tracking/catching skills on the around the disc with your middle finger lying beside the ring
part of the dog. finger and curled in slightly, your index finger resting under the
The first thing on the agenda will be to purchase the right rim of the disc, and your thumb on top of the disc. (see photos).
kind of disc. Cheap dollar-store discs are not suitable for You want a firm but not tight grip. To throw the disc, take a
canine disc play because they are made of hard plastic that golfers stance, then curl your wrist in towards your elbow, bring
cracks and breaks, thereby damaging the dogs mouth. your arm across your body so that the disc is now touching your
Additionally, they just don't fly very well. The three most pop- left shoulder (if you are right handed - reverse this if you are left
ular brands of disc used in the sport of canine disc are the handed, and then uncoil (bring the arm back across the body)
Hyperflite models, the Wham-0 Fastback models, and the and throw the disc with a nice snap of the wrist. Snap of the
Hero discs. Depending on where you live, these discs may wrist? What does that mean? Ever snapped anyone with a towel?
or may not be readily available in your local pet supply store. Same movement. If the disc goes off to the right, it means you
You may have to order online. have released to late. If the disc goes off to the left, it means that
There are several places to order: www.hyperflite.com you have released too soon. (again this is for a right handed
, www.skyhoundz.com
, K9 Sports.com, Discover The
World, and Hero Discs.com. Generally speaking, if you order
25 or more discs, you can get them for as little as $1.95 per
disc. Trust me... you will need several discs! Currently Hero
discs has a special "blind test" offer. You can purchase blank
(IOW no logo's) discs for a dollar each with a minimum order
of ten discs. However, they do not ship to Canada, so if you
are a Canadian wanting to try the Hero disc, you'll have to
ship to a friend in the States. This is a limited time offer so
best to order quickly if you want to take advantage of that
deal. Hyperflite has a list of retailers on their website, so you
might be able to find a retail store in your area that carries
the Hyperflite brand of canine discs. If you have a dog with
a really hard bite that destroys discs quickly, you might want
to consider the Hyperflite JAWZ disc. This disc was specially
designed to withstand the chomping bite of the hard
mouthed dog, and it will not puncture in regular use. My
American Bulldog has been playing with the same JAWZ disc
for 2yrs!! The JAWZ disc is more expensive but it's worth the
investment if you have a dog that will go through discs in
record time.
Now that you have your disc... what next? Well first things
first, you have to learn how to throw it. Simple you say? I beg
to differ . Throwing a frisbee disc properly takes tech-
nique and this skill is necessary if you are going to keep your
dog safe in disc play. The disc needs to go where you intend
continued on page 13
Page 12Getting Started in Canine Disc Play continued from page 12
thrower - the reverse is true for a left handed thrower. If the and slightly up to get it. (see photo). We will cover how to teach
disc wobbles as it flies, it doesn't have enough spin. Lack of the dog to jump for the takes/catches in a later article. For now
spin can be caused by either too tight of a grip, or not enough you are teaching your dog how to track and grab the disc. Once
snap. When practicing throwing your disc, pick a target and the dog has the hang of the takes, you move onto a “moving
try to throw to that target. Keep your eye on the target as you take”. Have someone restrain your dog, show him the disc (hold-
draw the disc back for the throw and release the disc when ing it at the correct height and angle), and then run away and
your arm is pointing the target. A great exercise to help cue the dog to “take it”. Your helper should release your dog to
improve your aim is to try to throw the disc through a sus- chase you and the disc. The idea is that the dog will run and
pended hula hoop. “take'” the moving disc from your hand (the disc is moving
Okay so now that you're a pro at disc throwing, it's time to because you are running with it). He is now learning how to
get the dog into the picture. First get the dog interested in track, chase, and grab a moving disc. The next step is to simply
the disc. Tease the dog up with the disc and get him excited put a short toss into the moving take exercise. As the dog comes
about it and then slide it along the floor upside down. in for the take, toss the disc a couple of feet so that now, instead
Encourage the dog to grab it and praise him lavishly when he of taking the disc from your hand, the dog passes you to grab the
does. Play tug of war with the disc. This builds the dogs drive disc from the air. The progression is slider, roller, take, moving
for the disc and encourages a good bite on the disc. When the take, short toss. Gradually lengthen the distance of your
dog is happily retrieving sliders, you are going to advance to throws.
roller throws. To execute a roller throw, you use a backhand It is very important that your dog be moving towards the disc
grip, curl your arm up towards your shoulder like you are when he catches. He should always be chasing/tracking the disc
weight lifting (see photo), and then release the disc down- from behind... not underneath. As your dog gains proficiency
wards so that it rolls along the floor on its rim. Tell the dog with his disc catching in the running take/toss exercise, you will
to 'take it' as he grabs for the disc, and when he does, be sure want to gradually eliminate your running and simply stand still
to praise him. Ideally you want the dog to grab the disc as it's and throw your disc (as per your disc lessons above). In order to
rolling. Dogs like to grab moving objects so this comes fairly keep the dog behind the disc, it will be necessary to send the dog
naturally to most pooches. As your dog is having fun chasing “around” you as you throw the disc. For the right handed
and grabbing rollers, he is also [by accident] learning what thrower the dog should circle around you in a clockwise direc-
tion. The dog should go around the handler in a counter-clock-
Send the dog around wise direction with a left handed thrower. Teaching the around
you as you throw the disc is easy. Set your dog up for a moving take/toss, and just before
you toss, turn 360 to your right (or left if left handed) and give
the cue “around”, and toss the disc at the end of your turn.
After a few repetitions in this manner, gradually eliminate your
turn and just have the dog go around you before running out
after the disc.
Well that's the nitty gritty of getting your dog started on safe
disc play. Next issue we will discuss how to teach the dog to
jump properly to snatch the disc from the air, and introduce a
couple of fun freestyle moves. Happy Disc'n
“take it"” means. So now you can move onto the next step in
the dogs disc lessons.
With the dog on your left, if your are right handed throw-
er - opposite for a left handed thrower, hold the disc out in
front of you and cue the dog to “take it”. Because the dog has
a concept of what "take it" means, he should go for the disc.
Be sure to praise him when he does. Don't hold the disc too
high because you don't want the dog jumping up vertically to
get the disc. This is the style of leap that makes humans
cringe, and injures dogs. The disc should be on a nice diago-
nal incline away from the dog so that he has to move forward
Page 13#1 Canada’s
Obedience Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Skiplyn's One Good Reason “Reason is my latest addition to the family. We got off to a slow start on
Reason: his training, after he broke his shoulder when he was 7 months old. It
CGN, TT, FDX ,CD, AGN took a lot of time to recover and he was on restricted exercise for 6
months after.
Thanks to the vets at Guelph and my consistency in the after care, every-
thing healed perfectly and I was given the go ahead to start teaching him
agility and flyball.
In December 2002 he earned his first obedience title(CD), in one week-
end. I was very proud of him. Since then we I have started him in agility
and he is a natural. I have competed one weekend with him and he earned
two legs towards his agility novice title placing first place both runs. As for
flyball , considering he had no ball drive for the first year of his life, he
went right from a beginner class to team level and is doing well! We will
be competing in flyball this July. He is currently working on his CDX
title,and this is also on our list for this year.
Reason competed in flyball at a tournament in July and received his
FDX (flyball dog excellent) title that weekend. Unfortunately he also broke
his front foot at the tourney,and has been retired since. Maybe one day he
will be back doing it. He sure loves it.
In May 2004 Reason achieved his novice agility title placing first. Also
that weekend he achieved his first leg in his intermediate title. Reason
has achieved his CDX title at the Sudbury dog shows.
Weekend of October 1, 2005, Reason passed his 2nd leg towards his
Intermediate Agility Title.”
Tammy St. Louis
#1 in 2004/2005 AND GOES NUMBER ONE IN CANADA FOR HIS BREED IN OBEDI-
ENCE FOR 2004 AND 2005
Reason’s owner, handler, trainer
Tammy St. Louis of Ontario Canada
with some of her other students
continued on page 15
Page 14Canada’s #1 American Staffordshire Terrier in Obedience continued from page 14
Page 15K D
I Z
Page 16PALS
Page 17FORUM OF OPINION... FIGHTING BACK
CERESCO, NEBRASKA, AMERICAN PIT BULL BAN SETS NEW PRECEDENTS
Those of us who have observed the steady spread of bans on such a dog so long as they meet certain conditions like insur-
American Pit Bulls and other reputedly inherently "danger- ance.
ous" breeds may well have thought we had seen it all until we When news of this unusual and seemingly bigoted action of
see what is happening now in Ceresco, Nebraska, where a theirs was published in the Omaha World Herald, they apparent-
recent amendment to their original Pit Bull ordinance may be ly began to get worried that continued public exposure would
the basis for a major civil liberties lawsuit. make them look even more ridiculous than they were already
The situation developed late in 2005 upon report of an looking. At their meeting last Tuesday, May 16, 2006, they sus-
American Pit Bull supposedly sighted wandering at large in pended the rules requiring a Third Reading next month, and
proximity to the town's new daycare center. So people started then voted into law an amendment which now allows prior own-
talking about needing a ban on Pit Bulls, but by the time the ers to retain their dogs.
matter came to the next Village Board meeting, it was discov- Mr. Meggitt appeared at the meeting, this time with his head
ered that the wandering dog was a Boxer mix dog, not an shaved bald and sporting a Harley-Davidson t-shirt, and asked
American Pit Bull. them why it was they were granting an exception to this young
Undaunted by this infusion of fact into their mounting fears woman when only months before they had refused to consider an
of American Pit Bulls, the Board decided to pass an ordinance exception for him and rather only gave him an extension to get
banning "American Staffordshire" dogs, even though there rid of his dog? The Board claimed the ordinance was a "work in
never had been any instances of any kind of American Pit Bull progress," and denied that they had any responsibility for forcing
attack or incident in town because, according to the Board's Mr. Meggitt to leave town. Instead, their attorney told him, "you
latest testimony, they claim not to have known anyone in made a choice" to move out of town. The Board did invited him
town even had a Pit to move back to town but
Bull but say they were
The upshot of all this might very well be a major lawsuit also reminded him he
only passing the ordi- showing how true it is that any such ordinances are inherently would have to do so with-
nance in order to be discriminatory against not only the breeds in 15 days because he is
"proactive" and protect but against the owners as well. no longer a resident and
children from harm. he must be before the
Enter Richard Meggitt, a young married man with children ordinance takes effect if his dog is to be grandfathered!
and an admittedly different type of appearance for a conserv- The upshot of all this might very well be a major lawsuit show-
ative Nebraska town: he is not only Latino but at the time was ing how true it is that any such ordinances are inherently dis-
sporting a pink Mohawk. Passing the Pit Bull ordinance took criminatory against not only the breeds but against the owners
three meetings, and by the time Mr. Meggitt heard about the as well.
ordinance, it was almost law. He appeared before the Board There may be additional fireworks at the next Village Board
with photos of his dog playing with his children and the dog meeting if Mr. Meggitt appears before them to demand damages
out in the car, wanting to bring it in so they could meet it, but for all the unnecessary trouble they have caused him for his dog
they declined. which did nothing at the same time as the Board did nothing
Bottom line is they passed the ordinance on third and final about the wandering Boxer mix which supposedly set this whole
reading in February, and it became effective on or around commotion off in the first place and apparently is still wandering
March 8. Mr. Meggitt claims he spent over $2,000 having to at large!
uproot his family and move to Lincoln on March 14 rather A few additional details are included in the following two let-
than be cited for violation of the ordinance or give up his dog ters which I addressed recently, the first to the Ceresco town
to be killed. One week after driving Mr. Meggitt and his fam- board as follows:
ily out of town, the Ceresco Board discovered at its March 21 ------------
meeting that another person in town—a young white woman Dear Board Members,
who purportedly has two or three children—also has an It is indeed regrettable that you have chosen to stonewall this
American Pit Bull mix dog. American Pit Bull issue rather than see it discussed openly and
Mind you, this is now also two weeks after they have passed fairly. Clever how you got your attorney to coach you through
the ordinance banning the dogs. Do they threaten her with a the legal maneuver of thwarting full and open discussion by sus-
citation and tell her she must get rid of her dog by March 30 pending the Third Reading and moving to immediate enactment
or get out of town? No, they instead vote to "suspend enforce- of the amendment in hope you could avoid further public scruti-
ment" of the ordinance until such time as they can amend it ny of your actions.
to grandfather in anyone in town who has previously owned There's a reason our fathers in their wisdom enacted rules like
continued on page 19
Page 18Ceresco, Nebraska, American Pit Bull Ban Sets New Precedent continued from page 18
having three public readings of an ordinance before enact- John Ferak, Omaha World Herald
ment: it gives the citizens time to take notice of the actions Dear John,
of their officials and the manner in which a law may or may Thank you for your time on the phone yesterday. It's comfort-
not be to the betterment of their community. By thwarting ing to know someone else sees this whole fiasco in Ceresco for
that process and ramming through a suspension of the rules what it really is: a thoroughly unnecessary and unprovoked
in hope you could bury this issue last Tuesday without fur- attack upon the town's most obvious minority to the point of
ther public comment, you have revealed the inherent weak- driving him out of town because of his dog and then, a week
ness of your past actions and your guilty consciences in try- later, suspending the rules for the blonde lady (did you say she
ing to cover your errors without further public exposure. is the mother of three?) who it also comes to turn out has an
Your tainted ordinances has brought Ceresco nothing but the American Pit Bull mix dog as well. Oh, my! How can this guy
highest legal bills for any single issue in recent history plus a lose?
continuing and increasing black eye in the media to the He's got to get himself a Latino lawyer, of course, but I'm sure
detriment of your local businesses. there are plenty of them to choose from. And it's not as if he has
Now I don't know who that fellow was in the back of the to limit himself to what's available in Omaha if he can afford
room Tuesday who started attacking Mr. Richard Meggitt for someone like Kutock-Rock because they'll just bring in a heavy
his telling the Omaha World Herald that he felt you were dis- hitter from Denver or D.C. if they don't have one available local-
criminating against him. But if not racism, then what? His ly. The most reputed civil liberties guy I know of hereabouts is
pink Mohawk which he's since shaved certifiably white middle-class. Maybe he
off? Or it now his skin head and could use a guy like that in the back-
Harley Davidson t-shirt? I could “The second letter was to the Omaha ground to make sure he's covered every
think of lots of reasons you may not World Herald reporter who first broke possible constitutional angle. But the
like him, but I can't fathom how you this story regionally a few weeks ago. point man up front should be Latino.
can think it is all right to treat him He also has been stunned by the Actually, the "point man" shouldn't even
one way at one meeting and Dawn Board's actions and considers it be a man; ideally it should be some really
Amory entirely differently the meet- hot looking but otherwise stunningly bril-
virtually certain they will lose the
ing following. How will you explain liant new lawyer. Wow! This thing would
such arbitrary and capricious behav- lawsuit if Mr. Meggitt goes to court.” break national in a heartbeat if that hap-
ior? On the basis of the video I pened, but then I'm letting myself get car-
recorded at your past two meetings, I'm more convinced ried away. It's just that I'm still so stunned by the display these
than ever that Mr. Meggitt has a very powerful civil rights people put on last Tuesday, clear down to the Chairman of the
case against you should he wish to pursue it in Federal Court. Board plainly showing not once but twice that he was even
Facts don't lie. You've admitted on tape that you passed the unaware that they had actually passed the ordinance they
ordinance at your February meeting with enactment to be 15 enacted in February, though I can only assume he was there or
days thereafter: on or around March 8. You've also admitted at least had to have heard about it.The ignorance in all of this
that you refused to grandfather in Mr. Meggitt's dog at that is simply breathtaking. They've got to be liable for something,
meeting, telling him instead that you would extend the dead- and they're most probably liable for quite a bit.Ceresco could
line for him to get rid of his dog to March 30 because, as one really get nailed for this, Big Time.
of you put it, "we didn't want you to have to put the dog to Now if this Meggitt fellow is clever, he'll go to their next meet-
sleep." Your attorney told Mr. Meggitt' "you made a choice" ing and straight up ask them for damages if they really do want
to move out of town, which he did on March 14 rather than him to move back into town. They kept telling him how he was
kill or part with his dog. But Mr. Meggitt's "choice" was made welcome to come back, but then they also pointed out that he'd
with your legal gun pointed at him and his dog. At your have to do that within the next fifteen days before this new
meeting of March 21 Dawn Amory informed you she also had amended ordinance takes effect, because after that the wouldn't
an American Pit Bull mix, which by that time was already be "grandfathered" any more. Kafka could not have written a
almost two weeks into violation of your new ordinance. But better script of administrative incompetence if not blatant big-
instead of telling her to get rid of her dog or "make the otry. Let's see: "We'll kick him out with the first ordinance, but
choice" to move out of town, you voted to "suspend enforce- then a week later we'll suspend enactment of the original ordi-
ment" until you could amend it in her favor. nance to allow time for us to pass a new amendment to take
Bottom line: all your admissions may come back to care of Dawn Amory's situation. But now we will not suspend
haunt you in Court. I tried to warn you that you were dig- enactment of the new amended ordinance to take care of
ging yourselves into a legal hole, but you've insisted on jump- Richard Meggitt's dog after we drove him out of town with the
ing in. Good luck explaining your mounting legal bills to first one. He's only got about ten days left to get moved back
Ceresco's taxpayers.
into town or forget it forever if he wants to keep his beloved dog
Sincerely,
continued on page 20
Page 19Ceresco, Nebraska, American Pit Bull Ban Sets New Precedent continued from page 19
with him." lage of Ceresco. So on the one hand your client allows one
Now that the Ceresco Board has painted itself into this breed of dog to a wander at large near the daycare without
ridiculous legal corner, maybe we should all just say, "Good penalty while it simultaneously ignores the desperate pleas of
for you, Dummies! Get ready to pay." But this thing really one of your citizens for an exemption for his dog that has pur-
could hurt business in not just Ceresco but Saunders County, portedly never caused any type of disturbance. Or at least that's
so I'm hoping the three biggest players there can get their act the story of Richard Meggitt.
together with the Village Board to let them know they should Mr. Meggitt claims your client deliberately and explicitly
cool it and try to settle quietly. refused to grant to him the same type of relief that you are now
You agree? proposing to give to Dawn Amory. Actually, per ordinance I
Sincerely, believe your client required that anyone possessing an
American Pit Bull had only until March to dispose of the dog
More to come as this drama continues to unfold! or be in violation of the law. This is now May and Ms. Amory
apparently has been allowed to keep her dog in violation of this
Dr. David J. Hibler, Sr. ordinance and without being cited. That the Board is consider-
American Pit Bull Rescue Association ing revising the ordinance is irrelevant to the central legal
3103 North 50th Street question: why is the Board making special exception to accom-
Omaha, NE 658104 modate her needs at the
dhibler@cox.net “What truly is unique about this case is that unlike virtually same time as it has dri-
402-933-3867 every other breed ban I've ever seen passed, ven away the Latino with
------------ the pink Mohawk, telling
this one came not as the
Wednesday, 3 May him in so many words to
result of some attack or bite but only on basis of a false get rid of his dog or get
2006
Loren L. Lindahl
identification of a wandering dog near a daycare. out of town? Which he
551 North Linden So when I went to the April meeting of this board, I tried to did... leave town, that is...
Wahoo, NE 68066 inform them of some accurate information both about the to the tune of costing
breed and about the futility of breed bans, him over $2,000 in mov-
Re: Please Advise Your ing expenses, to say
and I cited the Malcolm Gladwell article nothing of the emotional
Client As to Pitfalls
Pending
in the February 6, 2006, issue of The New Yorker: damage.
Dear Loren, "What Pit Bulls Can Teach Us About Profiling" BOTTOM LINE: I take
Attached please find a (http://www.newyorker.com/printables/fact/060206fa_fact). back what I wrote your
copy of my lasts two client when I said, "I
communications to your client, the Village Board of Ceresco, doubt that he's got a tort claim against you." He may have a
plus the most recent just written today. I'm also including a tort claim against your client for the cost of his move, which is
copy of the first, though I think you got one at the meeting. not to mention the definite civil rights violations he's got for
I sincerely hope that you will advise your client as to the pit- your client's failure to grant equal protection and due
falls pending in the course of public action upon which they process—especially if they go forward with this amendment to
have embarked during these past few months. grandfather in someone else while they've already driven him
When I wrote the Board two weeks ago, I said I knew "vir- out of town.
tually nothing of his previous interactions with your town." This does not look good, Loren. It stinks. Tellthem.
I've since learned one thing, however, that seems pertinent. Sincerely,
I've been told this Mr. Richard Meggitt is not only Latino but ----------
also sports a pink Mohawk haircut. So let me see it I've got
all the known facts straight. Tuesday, 18 April 2006
There's a report to your client of an American Pit Bull pur- Ceresco Village Board
portedly roaming at large in proximity to a daycare, so there Ceresco, NE 68017
is understandable public alarm about a threat to public safe-
ty, which causes your client to consider banning American Re: Repeal of Ceresco Pit Bull Ban
Pit Bulls. But before your client passes this ban, evidence Dear Board Members,
surfaces that the dog wandering in proximity to the daycare I first read of your ordinance banning American Pit Bulls in the
is not an American Pit Bull after all but is rather some type Wahoo Newspaper last month. I wrote to you at the time but
of Boxer mix. never got around to sending the letter to you because I wanted
Rather than emending the law to include the offending dog, to verify the story with Mr. Merritt and I never could find a con-
your client instead goes forward with passing a law against a tact number for him. When the World Herald article appeared
breed of dogs that in human memory has never been guilty yesterday, it brought back to mind what I wrote back then.
of any type of dog bite or other offense in or around the vil- Please allow me to cite it.
continued on page 21Ceresco, Nebraska, American Pit Bull Ban Sets New Precedent continued from page 20
It would appear you are all basically ignorant of the true sci- Well, even though they let me speak and present
entific facts about American Pit Bulls and the challenges the the letter, they still went ahead with their plans
breed poses to modern society. While there is not sufficient time to revise the ordinance, so I wrote to them after
tonight to cover the major pertinent information, please allow the meeting as follows:
me to give you a copy of a recent analysis in The New Yorker
which sets straight some of the prevalent misinformation.
Wednesday, 19 April 2006
Let's begin on page 3. (read). Now let's skip to page 6. (read)
Ceresco Village Board
Karen Delise in her book, "Fatal Dog Attacks," comes to a con-
Ceresco, NE 68017
clusion virtually identical to that of The New Yorker article: all
dogs, regardless of breed, contain over 99% DNA derived from
Re: Repeal of Ceresco Pit Bull Ban
wolves. Thus any dog can be dangerous. Truly dangerous dogs
# 003 – "Is It Best to Fight or to Switch?"
have little to do with breed and everything to do with upbring-
Dear Board Members,
ing, training, and the attitude of their owners, facts that your
Please allow me to thank you for your kind attention and
ordinance completely ignores.
courtesy at your Village Board meeting last night. Since
Some of you may pooh-pooh the idea that your ill-advised
I was unfamiliar with your procedures and process, I
actions have opened you up to legal liability, but consider that
deeply appreciate your allowing me the time to apprise
unlike virtually every other case documented in towns or coun-
you of some information which will no doubt be of assis-
ties which have adopted such ordinances, you folk did so not
tance in making an informed decision as to which course
out of response to any proven threat or problem but supposedly
of action is really best for the community of Ceresco: is it
on report of a dog at large near a day care. And when that dog
best to fight or to switch?
proved not to be an American Pit Bull Terrier, you still went
The more you learn of the fatal legal flaws in the piece of
ahead and passed an ordinance apparently based on misinfor-
legislation you enacted in February, the less likely you will
mation and public hysteria: "With pit bulls, there's already been
be to want to make a fight of defending it should you be
enough publicity and people are scared of them."
confronted with a legal challenge. As I tried to explain to
If yesterday's news article is to be believed, some of you are
you in the meeting, I've never met this Mr. Merritt and
now considering compounding your previous ignorance of the
know virtually nothing of his previous interactions with
situation with additional regulations against other breeds at
your town. Maybe he was a nuisance. Maybe not. I have
the same time as you consider grandfathering in one town res-
no way of knowing. What I do know is that you've treated
ident while you have simultaneously already driven another
him differently than you are proposing treating Dawn
resident out of town by this ban. Don't you see that by such
Amory in the newest flawed piece of legislation you are
arbitrary and capricious actions you are digging more and
proposing enacting to rectify some of the mistakes you
more of a hole for yourself in the event that some offended party
made in the previous flawed piece. This is not equal pro-
ever decides to sue? Quite frankly, the only thing protecting you
tection and due process.
legally is the reality that most such folk do not have the finan-
I hope I'm not speaking too bluntly, but you might as
cial resources to take you on in a convincing fashion. Such law-
well hear things the way people outside Ceresco are see-
suits, to be successful, require a minimum of 5 figures of legal
ing them: which is that you folk have created quite a
resources, and more typically 6 or 7 igures should the cases be
mountain out of a molehill and are risking considerable
taken through all the various appeals to the highest levels. Few
public tranquillity and commerce for what? That's what I
can afford such legal challenges. And while you might claim
can't figure. What was this misguided legislation really
your town's liability insurance would protect you, consider that
supposed to accomplish if not to drive Mr. Merritt from
the first time you face a major lawsuit—personally and collec-
your midst? Now maybe there are some hidden facts not
tively—each of you individually and your town collectively may
yet widely publicised which will give some different twist
be hard pressed ever again to find liability insurance at all,
to what otherwise seems to have developed. But based sim-
much less at a competitive price. Please give serious considera-
ply on the highly prejudicial statements I've read in the
tion to repealing this ban while you give the matter further
newspaper from some of you as well as the strange collu-
study.
sion of your different treatment of Mr. Merritt versus Ms.
Amory, I fear Mr. Merritt might be able to make quite a
Sincerely,
compelling case before a jury of his peers as to your hav-
ing acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner.
--------------
I doubt that he's got a tort claim against you as a gov-
ernmental subsidy, but he most probably does have a pret-
continued on page 22
Page 21Ceresco, Nebraska, American Pit Bull Ban Sets New Precedent continued from page 21
ty substantial civil rights case against you in federal court. going to be for you to retain any vestige of credibility.
Unless you can give some clear and compelling reason as to why If the facts will support his contention that you specifi-
you acted at all as you did in the first place in the absence of any cally denied him the very type of grandfathering that you
perceived threat to public safety and order, then most folk are are now one reading into making law for the specific ben-
inevitably going to assume that there must have been some pri- efit of Dawn Amory, then I really think you've got an
vate agenda and/or malicious intent, whether or not voiced pub- extraordinary constitutional law problem here. I'm not a
licly. lawyer, but my Ph.D. specialty was Colonial American
I didn't see any other recording equipment tonight other than Literature to 1800, meaning I've read at one time or other
mine, so I'm not sure how authoritative of a public record you in my life most everything our Founding Fathers had to
have kept. I suppose you keep minutes, but I'm not aware how say about the protections built into this great social
detailed. If Mr. Merritt can substantiate his claim that you denied experiment of theirs, and "equal protection" and "due
him the very same grandfathering clause that you now propose process" are pivotal to everything they ever imagined.
giving to someone else, then you're destined to sink even deeper What you have done and what you are proposing doing
into a murky legal morass. flies in the face not only of common sense and reason but
BOTTOM LINE: Is it better to wage a costly battle you're no also of these two pillars of our entire legal system. You're
doubt destined to lose or to negotiate a ceasefire by simply vacat- doomed to lose.
ing the ban pending further research and study? Trust me on this. Ask Loren in the meeting next week to
Sincerely, explain if I'm telling you anything that isn't so when it
comes to fundamentals of constitutional law. Sure you're
You no doubt noticed, I've kept harping upon the legal only a small village and you are understandably to be
flaws they are building into their ordinances with the granted some leeway from strict procedures and proto-
cols which might be more necessary in larger political
hope that they will see the futility of continuing down jurisdictions like Lincoln or Omaha in order to guarantee
this prejudicial path. While I had hoped that their impartiality and equality before the law. But that leeway
reading the New Yorker article might get them think- and discretionary presumption in your favor evaporates
ing about the futility of breed bans, I was jolted back to the instant your actions smack of prejudice or inequality
reality by an article in last week's paper which indicat- before the law. On the face of it, you are proposing to cre-
ate an ordinance tailored to allow one citizen to remain
ed they were still bent on revising the ordinance at in your midst despite her violating the law you passed
their next meeting on May 16. So I wrote them again while you have driven away another on precisely the
as follows: same charges.If this isn't using government resources to
deprive a citizen of his constitutional right, then what is
Wednesday, 3 May 2006 it?
Ceresco Village Board Your only way out of this mess as I see it is to rescind
Ceresco, NE 68017 the ordinance at the same time as you try to reach some
Re: Repeal of Ceresco Pit Bull Ban settlement with Mr. Meggitt over the expense and incon-
# 004 – "Impact Your Town's Business Climate in an Adverse venience your intemperate actions have caused him. That
Manner" would be the quickest, simplest, and most cost-effective
Dear Board Members, solution. Engaging him in a protracted civil liberties bat-
Attached please find a copy of the separate address I have made tle will drain your public coffers while giving your com-
to your attorney, Mr. Loren L. Lindahl, on your behalf. I'm ask- munity such a public black eye that it might seriously
ing him to try to talk some sense into you legally about the impact your town's business climate in an adverse man-
nature of both what you have done in your first legislation ban- ner.
ning American Pit Bulls and what you are about to do in amend- Sincerely,
ing that gravely flawed ordinance with even newer and more
precedent-setting flaws.
I guess I'd been hoping against hope that one of you by now So apart from reminding them of their potential legal lia-
would have realized the common sense of sounding retreat from bility, I've also tried to suggest that the adverse publicity
a battle that cannot be won. But last week's (April 27, 2006) from such a lawsuit will have a devastating impact on
Wahoo newspaper reports you are still intending to go forward their local businesses--a not-so-subtle reminder that
with this amendment to your flawed ordinance. The instant this there may be additional financial consequences to their
Richard Meggitt fellow shows up at your next town board meet- intemperate decision. Whether or not they are taking this
ing and begins telling television cameras that the real reason you information to heart, of course, will only be known in
did what you did was to drive him out of town, you're going to time. They meet for second reading of the revised ordi-
have a lot of explaining to be doing. And the more you try to talk nance this coming Tuesday night. I'll keep you posted.
yourself out of this mess you have created, the more difficult it is - Dr. D.You can also read
