Welcome to our many new members! We hope you will enjoy the training sessions and programs offered by our trainers.
CLUB ACTIVITY
We had a whopping 32 dogs enter our Canine Good Citizen test. Congratulations to our members who entered! Many thanks to our trainers to prepared you for the event. We look forward to inviting Christine King who will judge you again early next year. Get ready for Silver and Gold!
We love celebrating birthdays at the club – this month we shared with Loani and Ute’s Zita. Thank you for the cake and our customary birthday sing-along!
From September we will be training our dogs in various tricks. Here’s a head’s up to what we will be training. Please start with your exercise to enjoy your next few lessons. https://www.thesprucepets.com/fun-and-easy-dog-tricks-1117309
There are some excellent articles on our website – www.pretoriashepherddogclub.co.za.
We need to update our website and are looking for new testimonials. You can go to our website to see what form the testimonials take. Many thanks!
Preparing for dog club: We know how busy everyone is, but the last thing you want to do is RUSH to the dog club. Your dog will be rattled, and you will probably waste an entire lesson being jittery and shouting at your poor, innocent dog. So, get yourself a bag or basket, fill it with your training equipment like, collar/working check chain, leash, dumbbell/throw toy, treats and treat bag (sold at the club). Just lift and leave! Don’t forget your dog, hehe! Gates open at 1.30pm.
Someone opened or closed the club’s water. Please look in your car or clothing to see if you accidentally took it home. We are really struggling with the water tap now. Thanks.
IF YOU WERE IN YOUR DOG’S PAWS FOR A DAY, HOW WOULD YOU SPEND THE TIME?
I would love to be in my dog’s paws for 30 min. I would sit on my owner’s lap and absorb all the love my owner would give me. Then give my owner the famous puppy eyes to get yummy biltong. Then take the best nap of my life.
NICCI AND PEANUT
Getting my hooman to take me out for a long walk through a forest next to a river, where we could swim and play.
GLORIA AND MAJOR
Dag se my eienaar, ons sal baie daarvan geniet om saam met julle rond te ry. As ook om op die plaas rond te loop, en klim en klouter op die huwels. Dan nuwe reuke te sniffel.
LOUIZA WITH SPOTTJIE, KOLLETJIE, VLOOI EN PATROON
Sleeping.
CHANTELLE AND MAX
I would walk as if I am their shadow all the time, love them, “ask” bark for treats. Go for a run with them. Then sleep and not worry about dinner or electricity bills.
MARLENE AND MIA
Sal vra is dit jog nie tyd om klub toe te gaan nie? En dan sal ek al liefde vrae wat ek kan kry, o ja en aandag vat.
ANNATJIE EN BUDDY
Snuggle up on the double bed, between my Human mom and dad and take a power nap.
CHARL HUMAN AND CINDY
Learn to speak “dog” so I can understand my doggos when I have to return to my own self…
MARTIN WITH USCHI AND ZARA
Forget about the heel work and play the whole day or run in open fields along the Moreleta and chase birds and rats.
IRENE WITH FLOYD AND TERRY
Bark at all the dogs that walk past the gate, check on all the birds in the garden, see what eatables I can find, 16:00hrs outing to park or dog club and wait for dinner. After that, sleep and snore!!!
UTE WITH ZITA AND LALIE
Sal my treets heeldag wil he want ek is ‘n awesome hond. Kyk of ek kwaad kan doen en as ek gevang word heel onskuldig wees. In die oggend hulle vroeg wakker maak want dis my bederftyd tussen hulle twee wat so Lief is vir my. Skoen en slippers is so lekker om te kou verstaan nie, hoekom vat hulle dit we en gee my met hulle ‘n hou of twee en is so kwaad. Wie dan so lief vir my en bederf my met training middae en lekker stappies om die blok. Lekker om ‘n puppy doggie te wees!!!
HERMAN, ANEL AND BRUNO
I WOULD STAND ON THE BED AND STARE AT MY Hooman until she wakes up. If she doesn’t wake up or pretends to sleep, I will put my wet nose into her eye socket. This will always end in a shrill and my name being called. Naturally, I come when called. Thereafter, a cup of tea and a rusk appears. But being a good booi I am, I wait patiently on the bed without moving in case of spilling tea for the last bite of the rusk. This usually gets tossed into the air and on a good day I catch it before it hits the ground. No 3-second rule applies here. Soon after this I am on pool duty since the pool is a really exciting place to lay with the pool scoop. My brother, Quano, is obsessed with the pool brush, which is attached to the end of the pool scoop pole. So, we can even out the odds of any Hooman actually effectively cleaning the pool in peace. Shortly after pool cleaning, I will definitely get a treat if I sit and take like a good booi. On Fridays I get to walk up the koppie with all the other German Shepherd good boois. It’s a long hike and there are some very scary bridges along the way. But being such a big booi now I cannot show that I may be a bit afraid, so I go along with it. Even having mommy close by helps me too. When we get home, I will curl up in my favourite spot next to the shower. Not in the shower, hell no! Water is evil stuff and should be avoided at all costs. But next to the shower is a spot made just for a little booi like me.
BEVERLY AND JAEGER
Just to snuggle up
CHRIS AND LEO
Summer causes parasites like ticks, fleas and flies to predate. Please take the necessary precautions like dipping, collars and sprays. We have hardly experienced a winter, which means not enough cold to send the parasites scuttling and contracting biliary is a real concern. There are many new products on the market, and you can keep up to date with the latest information brochures, which we keep in the club house.
Pretoria Dog Rescue (PDR) is a registered Non-Profit Company that is totally pro-life and solely dependent on donations from the public. They provide shelter, food and veterinary care to stray, homeless, abandoned, neglected and abused animals.
They rescue dogs in need, nurse them back to health, vaccinate, sterilize, deworm and rehabilitate them until they are ready for adoption. Presently they have between 40 and 50 dogs at the shelter in Thaba Tshwane (Voortrekkerhoogte). Furthermore, food is provided to another 50 odd dogs in the community and in foster care. PDR is also actively involved in feeding and sterilizing animals belonging to the less fortunate people, who love them, but can’t care for them. Immediate needs are:
•Volunteers
•Monetary donations (to help pay the kennel and vet bills)
•Monthly sponsorships for the kennels
•Dog food (dry and tinned food), uncooked rice
•Blankets
•Choke chains, harnesses and leashes
•Big water bowls
•Galvanised baths (for the dogs to swim in, especially summer – it gets quite hot in the kennels)
For more information, Ruben and Marissa Muller, Samantha Steenkamp and Danielle de Villiers from PSDC are presently involved with PDR and could be contacted for more details or contact Reinette le Roux at 083 767 6345 and/or Liezel Radloff at 082 561 4740.
Cycad’s “Beautiful but Deadly”
Cycad’s or Bread trees are found in most gardens around South Africa and for good reason. They are very hardy plants and can transform a seemingly ordinary garden to a tropical paradise with minimal effort. But what are the consequences when our fur children do what they do best and eat it? In short it could be catastrophic and incredibly heartbreaking. Although the entire plant is toxic the culprit for most animal fatalities are the seeds contained in the crown. The cocktail of Cycasin and B-methylamino-L-alanine are hepatotoxic, mutagenic, carcinogenic, neurotoxic and teratogenic. For those such as myself without PHD’s it is quite nasty.
HOLD ON…
before you dig every plant out here are a few useful tips:
– Check the plant for a crown forming (looks like an elaborate sea creature)
– Remove the crown when you see it start forming (this might need to be done more than once)
– Remove any new plants forming off the main stem
If your paranoia persists further, fence the base of the plant forcing the leaves upwards. This can be done in a manner that does not detract from the beauty and make your garden look like “no man’s land”. Always keep a bottle with activated charcoal in it. Add water and force it into the animal and rush to the vet when you see the following symptoms:
Gastrointestinal signs
– Dark stools, diarrhea (sometimes bloody)
– Loss of appetite
– Nausea
– Vomiting
Neurological
– Weakness
– Depression
– Inability to control movement
– Paralysis
– Seizures
– Convulsions
In the end enjoy the plants beauty and your fur child.
RICHARD YOUNG
Pretoria Shepherd Dog Club sell treat bags, dumbbells and leashes. Please ask Ruben or one of the trainers to assist you.
INTERESTING WEBSITES
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Intelligence_of_Dogs
https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/dog_intelligence.htm
INTERESTING BOOKS
Merle’s Door – Tom Kerasote
Following Atticus – Tom Ryan
The Call of the Wild – Jack London
A Dog’s Purpose – W Bruce-Cameron
EVENTS
5th October – new intake of dogs
October – sheepherding demonstration
TESTIMONIALS
Thank you to everyone who have sent testimonials – they’re on the website! This is a powerful and easy way of advertising your club, so please make full use of it – www.pretoriashepherddogclub.co.za. Our Face Book page also has some interesting photos and information!
MAINTENANCE
The grounds look rather dull in winter and are quite forgiving once it rains. Thanks to Stefan and co. who will soon be putting together jumping equipment donated by John Cox.
PRETORIA DOG RESCUE
Samantha and her team do a lot of wonderful work with Pretoria Dog Rescue. It is a worthy cause to support. Please put the word out that they have many, many dogs up for adoption. Check out their Face Book page for more information. Dogs bought from Pretoria Dog Rescue qualify for one month’s free training.
SPCA AND WETNOSE
Dogs bought from SPCA or Wetnose qualify for one month’s free training (excluding R300.00 club membership fee). Just bring along your receipt of purchase. The SPCA Newsletter has put out a request for more volunteers, so if you have any spare time, please consider donating it to a worthy cause. Please contact Celestie Mathews who is a volunteer at the SPCA. She has some wonderful fundraising ideas. Celestie also has a volunteer Wattsapp group that you can belong to, where she advertises the SPCA’s wish lists – 082 825 8442.
ANIMAL CHARITY
Our adopted animal charity is the South African Veterinary Association’s community project called Community Veterinary Clinics (CVC). They look after the primary healthcare of dogs and cats in disadvantaged communities, and offer vaccinations, de-worming, dipping and sterilisations at a reduced fee.
SATURDAY – gates open at 1.30pm
OBEDIENCE – new intake the first Saturday of every month at 2pm
Please arrive at 1.30pm and visit our Treasurer, Ruben in the Club house – please bring a 1.2m cotton leash, half check chain and throw toy or dumbbell.
Obedience training – R200.00 per month, payable 3-monthly in advance. PLEASE BOOK WITH US BEFOREHAND. This is not a course, but ongoing training.
PUPPY CLUB – 3.pm – 4.30pm – Annual club membership – R300.00
R800.00 for the 6-week course – puppies can join any time.
This class is for puppies between the ages of 3 months and 5 1/2 months. The puppies must have had their 2nd vaccination and been de-wormed. Appropriate tick and flea control must be administered before participating. Please bring your vaccination books. The members will have a lecture and thereafter learn the basics in puppy obedience, e.g. retrieve, heelwork, sit, down and stand. And of course, lots of socializing. Bring along a 1.2m cotton leash, half check chain and throw toy. If the dogs advance well before the age of 6 months, they can join Beginner training. PLEASE BOOK WITH US BEFOREHAND.
CONTACT
Secretary – Beverly – 083 272 1014
Chairperson and Chief Trainer – Tania – 082 430 1456
Treasurer – Ruben Muller – rubenmuller1959@gmail.com
Kind regards
TANIA QUARMBY
CHAIRPERSON
PRETORIA SHEPHERD DOG CLUB
www.pretoriashepherddogclub.co.za
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