Stewarding with Neville Hodgkins

Today is my birthday, and it has been a very busy day ... On the up-side tonights lecture was content I already understand (I've been stewarding for about 6 years, and I'm pretty good at it ... and no, that's not just my opinion...), and it was delivered by an experienced, professional and entertaining steward for whom I have alot of respect - Mr Neville Hodgkins.

We discussed some of the regulations that stewards need to know - for example the agressive dog rules, what happens to challenge points when a dog is withdrawn from the ring and how to manage the results when a dog is entered in more than one class.

• Aggressive dogs - all people at a dog show have a responsibility to report an aggressive dog. Yes, it can be distressing for the dog's owners/handlers to have a report made, but think of the bigger picture - the next person may be a child or one of our older exhibitors. The risk is simply too great to ignore.

• Points and withdrawn dogs - if they were presented to the judge as part of the class, then they are counted in the challenge points.

• Dogs entered in more than one class - points are only counted once.

To quote from Neville: "...select a Steward you think is good and copy them. See what they do and where they stand. Remember all the things you dislike a steward doing when you are in the ring and try to eliminate these practices from your stewarding.
"Be polite yet firm at all times and be prepared to learn.
"Finally enjoy what you are doing, stewarding is fun and will give you back as much as you put in."

What more can I say? I really enjoy stewarding, and if you can be courteous to the exhibitors, an unobtrusive help to the judge and an accurate recorder for your ticket writer, then you have done an excellent day's service to dog showing. As a steward you have the opportunity to make newbies feel good about showing, and that's important 'cos we need new people to want to keep coming.

Thanks Neville, I enjoyed your presentation, and the handout you provided is excellent.

Anatomy with Bill Mooney and Jill Cronchey

We had a test; I got 2 wrong - one 'cos I didn't read the question (you'd think I'd know better by now), and the other I just couldn't answer with any degree of precision... so I feel like there's hope for me.

We watched a video of the Rachel Page Elliott program 'Dog Steps', on which the book of the same name is based. Following are my notes taken from this session. There was no homework this week, but I'm still learning the Canine Glossary of Terms.

Front angulation - the angles between the centre lines of the scapula, humerus and radius/ulna

Rear angulation - the angles between the centre lines of the pelvis, femur and tibia/fibula

Longer rear pasterns usually mean straighter rear angles

In general, feet should be placed in a vertical line just behind the withers

On a coated dog, when looking to determine head size look at the distance between the eyes and the distance between the ears. Make sure you are not looking at the cut and comb of the coat!

The judge is looking for

TYPE
BALANCE
SOUNDNESS

On a 'standard' dog the ideal angle for the scapula from horizontal is 30 degrees. Making the angle more obtuse gives a front more typical of the sighthounds (ie, built for speed), and more acute is typical of achondroplastic breeds (eg, corgi).

On a 'typical' dog the scapular spine lines up with the T2-3 vertebrae.

Front and rear joints should show similar angles.

Loose shoulder blades show alot of vertical motion during movement, and when gaiting the dog will have a 'jarring' action. Note that in the 'drop & creep' working breeds the scapula may extend above the withers.

When observed from the front, a front that is dead straight with feet pointing forward will toe in on movement if this is the dog's natural stance.

Hackney action requires a steep front assembly.

Rear pasterns should NOT move in parallel when gaiting; hock problems often show up as excess rolling of the rear end.

Skipping action is commonly caused by patella luxation.

TYPE - If the dog shows the hallmarks of the breed, then it should be BALANCED with angles in the front and rear being similar, and so will be SOUND, and will move well.

Skeletal Anatomy Homework - due 10 March

List all bones with at least two alternative names:

Zygomatic arch - Malar bone, zygoma

Mandible - lower jaw, jawbone, mandibula, inferior maxilla

Maxilla - upper jaw, upper jawbone, cheekbone

Nasal Bones - muzzle, foreface

Skull - head, cranium

Occiput - occiputal bone, rear of skull

Frontal bone - forehead, front of skull

Parietal bone - top of head, middle of skull (between frontal and occipual bones)

Vertebrae - backbone, spine, spinal column
Cervical (7) - Neck
Thoracic ( 13) - Chest, first 5 are the withers, 11th is the anticlinal (where the incline of the spinous processes change from caudal to cranial)
Lumbar (7) - lower back, loin
Sacrum - 3 vertebrae fused together - rump, croup; articulates with lumbar and caudal vertebrae, and also with pelvis
Caudal - 6-23 vertebrae: coccygeal vertebrae, tail bones

Ribs - 13 pairs, last pair floats: ribcage, chest

Sternum - breastbone, keel, central chest bone

Prosternum - manubrium, forward projection of the breastbone

Scapula - shoulder blade, shoulder

Pelvis - hip bone, Aitch bone

Humerus - Upper arm, brachium

Femur - Thigh bone, first thigh

Radius (anterior) & Ulna (posterior) - foreleg, forearm

Tibia (anterior) and Fibula (posterior) - lower leg, second thigh

Hock - hock joint, os calcis

Carpus - wrist, carpal joint

Tarsus - ankle, tarsal joint

Metacarpal - front pastern,

Metatarsal - rear pastern (NOT 'hocks'),

Phalanges - feet, digits, toes

The diagram from the lecture was very helpful, and the following links:
Dictionary.com
This dog anatomy link
This blog - he's an animator, but needs to know how dogs work!