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THE PUPPY PUZZLE
(The Hastings Approach to Evaluating
the Structural Quality of Puppies)
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June 17, 2008 - Host Helene Wood and her co-host,
JoAnn DeAtkine, worked hard and provided a fun atmosphere for our June meeting, where we voted in two new members,
Elizabeth Jandt and Marcela Daneri. We managed to fit in two programs for this meeting. The main program was
the "Puppy Puzzle," presented in video, followed by a short training session for the Canine Good Citizen test.
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The
"Puppy Puzzle" is the approach developed by Bob and Pat Hastings for the structural
evaluation of puppies. Pat Hastings has been involved in the dog world since 1959, beginning her career as an owner-handler
who moved into breeding and then teamed up with her husband in professional handling. She is currently an AKC judge.
Bob Hastings was involved in the dog world from 1948 until his death in 2002. He was a breeder, trainer, professional
handler, AKC rep, and AKC judge. Along with his wife, he evaluated over 250 litters per year and mentored countless dog fanciers. The "Puppy Puzzle" has information to benefit everyone
working with dogs and it is a great tool for breeders and for the prospective puppy buyer to use when searching
for that new best friend. One of the most important things for a breeder to determine is whether each puppy in a litter
is structurally sound enough to do what will be asked of it in its lifetime. Crucial decisions are made when evaluating
a litter to find the puppies that belong in a breeding program, and the "Puppy Puzzle" is one tool that provides an opportunity
to learn what is correct and what strengths are needed in future breeding plans. If you are interested in purchasing
the "Puppy Puzzle" or learning more about it, go to www.dogfolk.com.
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OUR ANNUAL SPECIALTY
SHOW,
DINNER AND SILENT AUCTION
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July 17, 2008 - Our annual specialty show was held on Thursday, July
17, 2008, at the Reliant Center in conjunction with the four-day Reliant Park World Series of Dog Shows. The turnout
for our show was great, and we have a lot of people to thank for helping to make it a successful event:
Our specialty show judge was Ms. Linda More of North Carolina and our sweepstakes judge was Mr. David Gignac
of Canada. Mr. Gene Miller came in from Louisiana to judge our second day of sweepstakes on Friday. Charles
Cohen was show chair, Bebe Pinter was assistant show chair, and our ring stewards were Jim Cross (Chief Ring Steward),
Judy White, and Jenny Willingter. We owe a special thanks to Kathy and Greg Smith for donating all of the trophies for
our Specialty and Sweepstakes event. Kathy Smith was also our Trophy Chair. Kay McGuire was in charge of
catalog advertising. Sandy McDonough headed up hospitality for the show and brought out refreshments for everyone.
We appreciate everyone who came out to support our show, especially the many Westie fanciers who traveled great distances. Thanks, everyone, for a great show!
Congratulations to our Sweepstakes and Specialty show winners! Be sure to check them out along with show highlights
by clicking on the photo link below.
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After a long day at the show, everyone settled down to a relaxing evening at Pappasito's Cantina. Our
thanks to Sandy McDonough for making all of the arrangements as well as to Judy White and Diana Spivey for helping to
usher people in for the dinner. Thanks to Helene Wood, our Awards Chair, for getting awards out for everyone who got
a title on their dog this past year. A special thanks to Linda Wible for heading up the Silent Auction, assisted
by Bebe Pinter, and to all of those members and special friends of the club who helped make it happen by donating items
(see the list below). Finally, our sincere appreciation to everyone who purchased an auction item. Thank
you all for your generous support!
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