News

News

November 15-16th, 2008 Helpers Seminar at Club SchH Estrie, QC

Marian received entry level certification!!!! WOW! Good job!

Marian (as a helper) and me (as a handler) were participating in a Helper Seminar with Raino Flugge this week-end. Number of good young and not so young helpers came out for this seminar. More experienced were also on site to assist. The seminar started with a theoretical introduction about SchH helper work and explanations of trial rules. Mr. Flugge explained everything with high professionalism and answered all the questions with patience so everyone felt very comfortable. On Saturday after lunch several dogs were brought onto the field and each helper started to apply theory in real practice. Some of the higher level dogs seemed to really enjoy dragging and shaking helpers. They seemed to have smiles on their faces as they showed the helpers how excellent dogs grip and drive can be! The entire seminar was very informative no matter the level of the helper. Also, just by watching and listening the others work, one could pick up a lot of valuable tips. In practice out on the field Mr. Flugge again showed endless patience and his encouragement helped all the students on the field to progress to higher levels. It has to be noted that atmosphere was very amical and helpers helped each other to achieve good results. By the end of the weekend, in very difficult conditions, 3 helpers obtained entry level and 5 achieved club trial level. Congratulation to all! Be sure to attend the next one to be held in the spring 2009 at Club SchH Rive Sud! More information very soon on our web site!

November 9th, 2008 Fun Match at Club SchH Cyno Sport, QC

F is for the fifteen handlers from five clubs who took up the challenge. U is for the unbounded energy of everyone who participated. N is for number one; Club Pro-Sport placed first. M is for maximum speed for Varo who did the fastest recall at 44 KMH! A is for athletic for Fred, Marian, Jean-Christian, Carole and Peggy who, like their dogs, ran like the wind for the speed test. T is for tracking with articles made from chocolate and brandy instead of leather, wood and cloth. C is for courage test Taho, Picasso, Bern, Karat, and Brass performed as part of their protection routine. H is for hungry which is why Chopper finished first in the food eating contest. Put them all together and what have you got? A bunch of lunatics running around a field with their dogs!! Congratulations to the first, second and third place winners Club Pro-Sport, Club Cyno-Sport and Club Ste-Foy and a warm thank-you to all the members of Cyno-Sport for hosting the event and for serving a warm and tasty meal. See you on the field! Written by Natalie Szokoll PHOTOS ********** September 27-28, 2008 Fall Trial and show at Club SchH Rive Sud, QC The best thing about the two-day CSRS Fall trial was the many happy faces of those who attended. There were many reasons to smile. Here’s just a few of them… Karen McIntyre, respected U.S. trial and show judge, presided over the two-day event. Over fifty people from Schutzhund communities in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick attended as did a number of non-Schutzhund visitors curious about the sport. It was supposed to rain both days but it only rained for about a half hour on Sunday morning! The sun even peeked out from the clouds every now and then. Junior handlers Erika, Leo, Robert and Zachary were eager, earnest and successful junior show and obedience participants. We can’t wait to see them again! The Schutzhund show attracted over twenty participants. Eight classes were represented, including progeny group. The speed contest was a big hit and raised $80 for the fastest dog - Congratulations Garou. Make sure Carole buys you a steak! It turns out that Friendly is friendly and famished because he ate his cup of kibble the fastest and his reward was a 30LB bag of Royal Canin and stainless steel food bowl. Acknowledgements: Thanks to Karen for her graciousness, time, expertise and dedication to the sport. The event was a great success and we owe much of that success to you. Thanks to Pierre Lalongé for presiding over the junior show, assisting Karen with the Schutzhund show, managing the speed trial and food eating contest as well as donating bags of food and stainless steel bowls to all who entered the dog food eating contest. Thanks to Isabella for handling all the trial administration, organization, photography and web site and to Marian and Katarina for managing the food and canteen. Andrew, your salad rocked! Thanks to Anthony for driving in from the GTA to be our trial helper and for doing the entire protection routine for all the SchH competitors as well as the breed surveys. He’s the epitome of professionalism and dedication! Thanks to newest member Robert for helping us with tidying up after the trial. As a result, we were able to finish in half of the time. Last but not least, thank-you to everyone who travelled from near and far to participate in and attend our trial. We couldn’t have done it without you! Article written by Natalie Szokoll photos ********** August 31, 2008 Quebec Provincial Trial Papineauville, QC Club Canin Petite Nation hosted Quebec’s 2008 Provincial competition, in what was to be their last trial before officially closing their doors. Turnout was excellent with ten dogs entered to compete, the largest number for any Provincial competition in Quebec. US judge Nikki Banfield officiated for the first time ever in a Canada competition http://germanshepherddog.com/members/judges.htm,. The competition was well-organized and well-attended. The crowd benefited from one of the sunniest and warmest week-ends of the summer and enjoyed a lovely lunch of hamburgers, hotdogs and summer salads. The kids took some time out from the competition to roam around the vast grounds in a small tractor. This year’s winners were: 1^st Place Jocelyn Houle 96, 92, 96 = 284 2^nd Place Harry Alexander 92, 88, 90 = 270 3^rd Place Mario Lamarche 85, 92, 88 = 265 Judge Banfield remarked how much she enjoyed her visit to Canada and the warm hospitality she received from all the organizers. She posed with each winner on the podium so they could receive their trophy and have their picture taken. The eye-catching trophies had a bright red and crystal clear acrylic medallion on top of a pillar emblazoned with the head of a GSD. After posing on the podium with each winner, Nikki called both trial helpers, Anthony Hartelaub and Benoit Maye, to join her in appreciation for their excellent work. Natalie and Sigi were on hand to cheer on Isabella and Picasso, who re-affirmed their SchH III title. Congratulations Isabella! Activity at CSRS is ramping up in preparation for a regular club trial on September 27^th and 28^th. For the first time in Quebec a Schutzhund club will host a junior show and junior obedience competition for youths aged 8 to 13 and open to all breeds. See you on the field! Written by Natalie photos ********** August 1-3, 2008 Canadian National Championship The site of the Canadian National Schutzhund Championship buzzed with the swarms of people that met in St-Liboire the weekend of August 1^st to take part in the much-anticipated event where five of the top Canadian handler/dog teams will be selected to represent Canada at the WUSV in Florence, Kentucky. Five of my fellow club members and I spent all of Saturday on site. We watched many of the Schutzhund III obedience and protection routines but two of our club members, Isabella Oxsengendler with her GSD Picasso and Andrew Jacob with his GSD Enzo, were entered in the Sieger show so we spent most of the day admiring some of the most beautiful German shepherd dogs from North America and Germany. Although the day started with extreme heat and humidity, a couple of hours after the awe-inspiring Police K9 Helicopter Unit show, the clouds and the rain blasted the site with cold, damp air. We toughed it out and it was worth it. Isabella obtained a Breed Survey and rating of “V” for Picasso and Andrew received a “G” rating for Enzo. Congratulations to the two of you! And to all who made Team Canada, “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”, Albert Schweitzer. All the best! Article written by Natalie photos ********** June 21-24th, 2008 Summer Solstice Trial and Seminar with Thomas Lapp Saturday, June 21^st, 2008 The sun played hide and seek for most of the day but when it peeked through the clouds, it blazed. Summer had arrived! The day ramped up slowly as participants, well-wishers, the judge, Thomas Lapp and his wife, Katia, arrived. Our own Herr Klein served breakfast inside the clubhouse where everyone gathered to enjoy a bite to eat, relax and chat before the trial. The schedule was shuffled when the SchH 1 trial had to be cancelled. The AD was moved up, as was the BH trial. Marian’s son Michael and his dog Varo geared up and hit the road trotting. The 20 KM endurance test was on. On the field, Natalie and Elek and Alain and Panzer were the first to report and demonstrate for the judge. Sylvie and Sky and Mario and Jabina were next. All four handler/dog teams passed the BH trial. Judge Lapp provided detailed and valuable reviews of each team’s performance. Once the trial was over, all four handler/dog teams and observers re-assembled on the field so Judge Lapp could award them each a medal and a certificate of completion. The whole gang gathered for a tasty lunch of Bavarian meatloaf with a variety of salads. Everyone ate heartily and chatted away. Soon after lunch, Michael and Varo arrived from completing their endurance test and reported in to the judge. After a thorough check of the dog’s overall condition, the judge had Varo perform a short obedience test to verify that the dog was able to work after the 20 KM test. Varo passed with flying colors and Marian was awarded his medal and certificate of completion. Day one was over but there was much more to come.... Sunday, June 22^nd, 2008 The gray and cloudy sky drizzled as a small group met on the tracking field to observe the first of the three SchH III events scheduled for that day. Tracking proved to be difficult for all five handler/dog teams. Of the five teams participating, three succeeded but all experienced some level of difficulty with corners. The judge provided each individual team a review and their score, immediately after their track was completed. The group left the field in a convoy back to the club. Fifty people gathered at the club to watch the SchH III obedience test. Fortunately, the rain let up for the rest of the day and all five participants were able to demonstrate their obedience routines under mostly clear skies. Everyone successfully completed their routines and received their critiques just in time for lunch! Sigi had prepared a delectable meal of roast pork, sausage and sauerkraut with a variety of salads. Everyone enjoyed the break and the food. The whole place buzzed with excited energy. After lunch, everyone lined up near the field, looking for a good place to observe the protection routines. Helper Anthony Hartelaub had his hands full doing both parts of the protection routine for all five competitors. He performed skillfully, despite this challenge. All scores were tallied and two winners were announced: In first place, Stephane Laberge and Shiko von der Rietches with the highest scores in obedience and protection and in second place, our very own Ding Yuan & Enjy von der Herbstzeitlosen with the highest score in tracking. Congratulations to both of you for a job well done!! (Complete score details and pictures can be found on our site.) The members of Club Schutzhund Rive-Sud would like to extend a heartfelt thank-you to Judge Thomas Lapp and his wife who traveled all the way from Germany to attend our trial. They were gracious, charming and knowledgeable and we were honored by their presence at our club. Auf Weidersehen!!! Seminar by Thomas Lapp June 23rd and 24th A dozen people gathered at Club Schutzhund Rive-Sud to partake in a two-day seminar with Thomas Lapp. Thomas has participated in twenty-six regional championships and qualified fourteen times for the BSP, which he won in 2007. He also participated at the WUSV Championship three times, where he placed 7th, 8th and 9th. He talked about all three disciplines; tracking, obedience and protection, in great detail and answered questions plainly. All participants had an opportunity to demonstrate their dog and get expert advice on how to handle specific issues. He addressed each handler's problem as if it were his own, provided us with a number of strategies and solutions and patiently assisted each of us put them into action. Throughout it all, the one message he most often repeated was that, above all else, you and the dog must have fun!! Everyone who attended had nothing but praise for Thomas and for the extraordinary seminar. We all hope to do it again some day soon. Until then, enjoy your dog and remember to have FUN!! Article written by Natalie ********** May 16-18th, 2008 Quebec Regional Championship in Trois-Rivieres, QC

Club Pro-Sport hosted the 2008 Regional Championship for Quebec. It was a three-day event that took place during a warm and sunny three-day holiday weekend. Participants traveled to Quebec from the US and Canada which resulted in a great turnout.

Four of our club members took up the challenge and entered their dogs. The club was represented at the Sieger show by Marian Contofalsky and Varo Z Jirkova Dvora (2nd place “G” 18-24 month old male GSD), Isabella Oxsengendler and Picasso von Amalaberg (3rd place “V” Working class 24+ month old GSD) and Natalie Szokoll and Elek Pax von der Jubricht (1st place “SG” 18-24 month old male GSD).

Frank McEniry and Caro "Chris" vod der Leonbergerstrasse and Isabella and Picasso represented the club at the Schutzhund tial. Frank and Chris reaffirmed their Schutzhund III title with the score of 239. Isabella and Picasso successfully completed the Schutzhund II trial and obtained their title. Their score of 249 placed them 2nd overal in ths SchH II group.

Our team had an enjoyable weekend meeting up with old friends, making new acquaintances and learning more about the sport. We want to thank Club Pro-Sport for their hospitality during our three-day visit. We look forward to our club’s first event in June when we will host a trial with judge and guest lecturer Thomas Lapp from June 21st to the 24th. See you on the field!

photos ********** December 22st, 2007 T’was four nights before Christmas and all through the club house; Not a handler was stirring not even a club mouse; We met at Chez Eric’s for fun and libation. How merry, you ask, was our year-end celebration? Merry it was, how’s that for an answer! Frank swiveled and spun with a belly dancer; Isabella gave prize to the dog with the best pics; Anthony drank wine and showed us some tricks; Pierre raffled away a huge mound of prizes; Mike and Carla belted out tunes that were better than Liza’s; Marian lead a dance train that went to and fro; Sigi and Helga waltzed like true pros; Ding joined in the fun when ladies came calling; Andrew shunned the dance floor but finally came crawling Natalie brought sweets which all could share; Katarina and Brigitte danced with flair; We all said farewell as the night grew late; Merry Christmas to all and a great 2008! Natalie Szokoll photos ********** December 1st, 2007 Please vote for the " Picture of the Year" ********** November 10-11th 2007-Cyno-Sport SchH Club- Regular Trial Congratulation to Ding and Enjy 4th place out of 14 dogs! A-88 B-87 C- 87 = 262 Watch it!!! Protecion ********** November 1st 2007 On behalf of the all members of CSRS, I would like to personally welcome our new club members: Adam Karabasz, Andrew Jacob, Patrick Lévesque, Carla and Mike Belisle. Welcome again! We look forward to seeing you on our training sessions and upcoming trials. ********** 20-21st October, 2007 - O.G. Boston SchH Fall Trial and NE Regional FH Championship Shelburne,VT, USA On Saturday, October 20th, Frank, Marian, Katerina and I left Brossard on the Schutzhund Convoy at 5 am to meet Isabella in St-Jean. From there, we headed to our destination, the OG Boston Fall Trial and the N.E. Regional FH Championship. After clearing the US border without problems, we arrived in Shelburne at 7 am. Nancy was waiting for us and brought us to the tracking fields. Harry was already finished laying the SchH3 tracks. Then came Isabella's job of laying her first SchH1 track. The judge (Reinhold Walter) mentioned that her steps were too large, but everything went well with her and Picasso, the 90 points SG is proof of that! After Isabella, it was Frank's turn. Chris was good up to the 4th leg, and then a little pendeling took place, earning him 85 points. We went back to the club, where Marian and Varo were nervous training for their first performance. Everything went well except Varo no sit! "Marian-practice". So Marian got his BH and a big kiss from Katerina! After this, it was Isabella's turn, it was a good performance except for a few problems (Jump, A-Wall, etc). Excellent send out...80 points. Frank's obediance followed. Chris was not focused at first, but as the obedience went on, he settled in and did great....94 points. Next was lunch, and then protection followed. Natalie came to give support for our troops. Picasso did very good, he had a very fast blind search...this time earning him 94 points! Chris missed a few blinds, but the regular performance earned him 80 points. This closed out the day. We then went to the judge's dinner in a steakhouse, and enjoyed good food and wine. The award ceremony took place right after, and most of the trophies were handed out to the Rive-Sud Schutzhund Club. We felt sorry for the others! Isabella: 1st place SchH1 - 264 - Highest Score in tracking (90), protection (94), in trial (264). Frank: 1st place SchH3 - 259 - Highest Score in obediance (94). Next morning was FH day. I had to show up at 6 am to lay 2 tracks for the FH, but it was still too dark and I had to wait until 7 am. I layed the tracks on a hill with a difficult terrain. Debbie layed the other 3. At the draw, Frank picked No 1, so I had to follow him and the judge. There was very good tracking from Chris over ditches and a street...earning him 94 points and 2nd place. The winner was Daniela Bedenice with Olesko vom Sandstein, SchH III, HOT, from N. Grafton, MA . I am sorry for our members who were not able to enjoy this beautiful weekend with us. The trial went very well and the weather could not have been better. We were also treated to great hospitality from the members of OG Boston. A big Danke to SV. judge Reinhold Walter for his excellent and fair judging! Submitted by Sigi Klein To see more photos click here ********** September 29th 2007-Regular Trial at Club SchH Petite Nation Isabella and Picasso successfuly completed there AD. Many thanks to M. Marc Coalier and Mr Rudi Meitzner ********** September 16th, 2007 Provincial Championship 2007, Trois-Rivières Isabella and Picasso achieved their BH! ********** June 16-17, 2007 Regular Trial at Estrie SchH Club Congratulation to Ding who made his SchH 3 today with 73, 78, 90 = 241 To see part III video please click here ********** May 18-20th, 2007 Regional Championship at Club Cyno- Sport On what proved to be a wonderfully sunny and warm long weekend five of our club members participated in the regional championship hosted by Club Cyno-Sport in Mascouche, Quebec. Our hosts welcomed a large group of participants, out of town visitors and well-wishers and capably managed the three day event. Of our five participants, three participated in the Sieger show and two participated in Schutzhund III trials. Our three Sieger show participants placed 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd. The results were as follows: Male 6 – 9 Months; Natalie and Elek Pax von der Jubricht 2^nd place Male 9-12 Months; Marian and Varo s Jirkova Dvora 1^st place Male 12-18 Month; Isabella and Picasso von Amalaberg 3^rd place Our Schutzhund III members performed very well. The results were as follows: Frank and Caro von der Leonbergerstrasse 92, 77, 90 Total 259 Ding and Quattro von der Roderburg 92, 70, 94 Total 256 Congratulations to Mario and Ding who both obtained the highest protection score of 94 at the trial! Club Schutzhund Rive-Sud would also like to congratulate Mario Lamarche and Citta for winning the Regional championship. Well done! See you at the next trial! Natalie and Elek Marian, Katarina and Varo Picasso with breeder and handler George Zamfirescu Quattro Caro Article written by Natalie