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CWVC Mentoring Program
by the Central Wisconsin Vizsla Club
Last
Revised: August 20, 2005
Click here
for a Mentor Application (.pdf)
Approved
CWVC Mentors
Last
Revised: February 16, 2006 - Mark Smith
| Field |
Mark Smith
(12/2005) |
| Therapy |
Ginger
Tierney (12/2005) |
| Breeding/Show |
Becky
Smith (02/2006) |
| Pet/Therapy |
Kathy
Wessels (02/2006) |
The CWVC mentor program is being established to aid newcomers to the breed, or various aspects of it, to discover the possibilities and expand the horizons of what Vizslas have to offer their owners and the community. Initially, this program is open to CWVC members, people who have submitted applications to become members, and people who have obtained a Vizsla within the last six months.
The mentor should have a broad base of experience in the area they have chosen to mentor. The CWVC would like to establish mentors in the following areas: Performance Events: Field, Obedience, Agility, Conformation, Other (Tracking, Flyball, Therapy etc.); Hunting; Pet Ownership; Breeding.
The qualifications that the various mentors should have:
All:
· At least five (5) years experience with the Vizsla breed, and 10 years experience with dogs in general
· Has had at least 3 Vizslas
· Do not use the mentor program as an avenue to sell puppies or stud service or training
· Is willing and able to talk/relate to people, willing and able to return phone calls and/or emails promptly
Hunting:
· Shall have hunted wild birds in Wisconsin for 5 years
· Trained three pointing dogs as hunting companions
· Understand and review gun safety
· Aid in understanding of Wisconsin hunting laws and be able to direct people to agencies for more information
· Know where in Wisconsin to go for which type of game, at what time of year
Therapy:
· Be a member of at least one of the various therapy dog National Organizations (i.e. Therapy Dogs International, Delta Society)
· Currently has a therapy dog; or has had a therapy dog in the last two years (laws and conditions in this arena are changing rapidly).
· Can direct people where to go for more information on Therapy dogs
· Is willing to provide support for Therapy Teams needing council with difficult situations.
Performance Events:
· Earned a minimum of two titles in the performance event that the mentor has chosen. The titles may be the same title on two different dogs--for example, two dogs each earning a CD. It is, however, preferred that at least one title is above the “entry” level (a CDX for example).
· Has trained/shown at least 3 dogs in the event chosen to mentor.
· Has been active in the performance event in the last two years (at the time mentor signed up) via training or competition.
· Stays current with training methods via seminars, videos, books, classes, etc.
· Can fairly evaluate a dog’s ability to perform in a chosen venue, but only if asked to do so
Pet Ownership:
· Has a minimum of a CGC on their dogs or other titles
· Stays current with training methods via seminars, videos, books, classes, etc., so they have a “working” knowledge of behavioral problem solving
· Is familiar with health issues of the Vizsla
· Has worked with a “problem” dog in the past, either a dog they have owned, fostered, or aided someone with.
Breeding:
The breeding mentor should not encourage nor discourage breeding of anyone’s dog. Rather, the breeding mentor should provide tools to make an informed decision about breeding and encourage post-puppy-placement responsibilities should they choose to breed.
· Has bred and or studded at least 5 litters
· Has been both a stud dog and brood bitch owner if possible. If the mentor only has a brood bitch, for example, they should have access to someone who is willing to talk about the responsibilities of stud dog ownership, and vice versa.
· Is knowledgeable about health problems in the Vizsla breed
· Is knowledgeable about available health checks
· Is knowledgeable about pedigrees
· Can fairly evaluate dog’s suitability for breeding, but only if asked to do so
· Can adequately express the “responsibilities” of breeding before the breeding (meaning what people should be looking for in a stud dog, what to look for in a bitch that is coming to you for breeding, etc.)
· Is knowledgeable about sales contracts and can offer examples (might refer to contracts the VCA has available as well as any contracts they have collected along the way that they think are good.)
· Can adequately express the responsibilities of being a breeder or a stud dog owner after the breeding takes place to the puppy buyers
· Participates in competitions with their own dogs (in order to know which kennels are doing what, etc.)
· Does NOT offer advice on which dogs to use at stud, etc., but will review strengths and weaknesses of potential mates (pedigrees, conformation, abilities) and offer advice as to whether they feel the breeding would be a good match.
A prospective mentor shall submit a “letter of intent” to the CWVC Board of Directors outlining their qualifications for mentorship and reason for being a mentor. It should be noted that the criteria listed above are guidelines only. The Board of Directors is allowed latitude and judgment when approving a candidate for mentorship.
CWVC may have as many mentors in each category as persons who are willing to mentor and who are approved by the Board of Directors. All mentors must agree to having their phone number and/or email published on the CWVC web site.
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