"Why not a van"?
Recently someone called the dog truck 'ugly' and that
got me to thinking - how much do I know about my dog's home
while he is on the road with Kim? . . . more
UKC Article . . . more
Articles
"Why not a van"?
Why Not A Van?
Recently someone called the dog truck 'ugly' and that got me to thinking-
how much do I know about my dog's home while he is on the road with Kim? While I don't find her truck ugly at all, and actually think of it as rather attractive in a way, I recently got to do some 'parking lot comparisons'. Back in the Spring I was at a motel (no chance of a hotel) near Newnan, GA and more than half the parking spaces were taken by dog trucks of all types.
There was a hunt test nearby, and lots of the pros were staying at that motel. It gave me a chance to compare the various types.
There were trucks ranging from the beat-up Ford with a homemade wooden stand bungeed to crates on top all the way to trucks with stainless steel custom-made dog boxes with pull behind trailors. So....thinking I must not be alone in my curiousity, I inquired and here's the skinny on TurtleCreek's truck.
The dog boxes are custom-made for Kim's truck. They are all stainless steel with aluminum louvers on the doors. There are 12 dog boxes and two closets, one for hanging items and one with shelves for training and cleaning supplies.
Each dog is assigned a particular box, and he keeps the same box while he is with TurtleCreek. The boxes are always securely locked, with handles pointing downwards so that there is never a danger of a dog getting his foot caught in the handle while entering or exiting the truck. Young dogs are always assisted in and out of the truck. Each box is fitted with a custom 2" thick "Primo Pad" http://www.primopads.com/ and the dogs' space is all scrubbed out and disenfected at least weekly. Most dogs who have been with Kim a while know which box is theirs and they are happy to hang out there.
The whole assembly is manufactured of two sheets of stainless steel with a heavy sheet of insulation in the middle. There is 4" of insulation in the roof of the unit and 2" in the sides. It is designed to be warmer in the winter than the outside temperature, and cooler in the summer.
There are three fans and a breezeway with flaps for cross ventillation and maximum airflow.
The truck also has a 40 gallon cool water container and dispenser, which not only provides cool water no matter where or whose memory is relied upon to pack it, but also supplies water from home- so there isn't the concern about water from other places causing what we all know is no fun.
So- why not a van?
I drive a van to dog shows, and I know I have to worry about heat, leave windows and doors open, and put fans on crates- and even then, I have to worry about the safety of the dogs. And I have to rely on bungee cords to secure the crates to the vehicle while on the road so the dogs would be safe if I had an accident. Somehow I am pretty sure they are safer in a dog truck with a steel frame....however, at a cost of $60,000 plus, I just don't see me buying one!
~Robin
Click to enlarge
UKC
The United Kennel Club – hunt titling activities
In order to earn titles at a UKC event, your dog must be registered with the UKC within 60 days of the event.
Of course, if you know you will be entering a UKC event, it is prudent to go on and register at that time as it is more costly to enter a non- registered dog.
As of the date of the Hunt, any non-HRC, Inc. member owners of dogs participating at the Seasoned, Finished or Upland levels will be charged an additional $5 fee per entry. The host Club retains $2.50 of this fee and $2.50 is sent to HRC, Inc. with the HRC Hunt Report.
Plus, any non-UKC registered dogs participating will be charged an additional $3 fee. This fee is sent to UKC with the UKC Hunt Report.
contains an application for a single registration. If you are registering a litter, there is a different form to use.
Fill out this form, and attach a copy of your dog’s AKC registration as well as your dog’s pedigree.
A K9data pedigree is sufficient. No one can write in tiny enough script to fill in the form they supply!
Mail this in, and you will get in return mail a UKC registration. From this time, entries should include that number.
Entries for most UKC events can be done on http://www.entryexpress.net
Here is the informational site on the Hunting Retriever events and titles:
or you can check here for more information as well:
and on these pages, you will find a link to the international HRC, which governs in partnership with the UKC all hunting retriever events run by UKC. When a dog passes a Licensed Hunt, the owner and/or Handler should be furnished with a point receipt by the host Club. This is a little carbon receipt that there is probably zero chance of a handler forgetting to get at the hunt before leaving. Do not lose these receipts. If there is ever a question of the pass the owner/handler will be able to provide proof of the tests passed.
If the dog is not UKC registered prior to the Hunt, register the dog within 60 days of the date of the Hunt
and include a copy of the passed point slip along with the UKC Application for Registration for the dog. See Non-UKC Registered Dog below.
UKC Registered Dog - The easiest way to make certain a dog receives credit is to make sure the UKC Registration number and the UKC Registered name of the dog entered is correct on the point slip. If there are any discrepancies, see the Hunt Test Secretary immediately to correct any problems.
United Kennel Club, Inc. maintains all records of Championship points and titles. Points are not recorded until the Official Hunt Test Reports are received from the Club by the Hunting Programs Department at UKC. Phone calls or participant’s copies of pass receipts are not official notification of points.
See the section "How Does A Dog Receive Credit For Its Hunt Test Points" for info on how long points may be kept if your dog is not registered with the UKC. As of this writing, dogs can keep these points indefinitely, but an additional fee is charged for dogs who are not registered within the 60 day limit. Not a promise, so go on and register the dog as soon as you know you’ll be doing UKC tests.
Once Championship points have been earned in any category, except Grand, a dog cannot earn additional Championship points in a lower category. They may continue to participate in these lower categories if desired. Championship points are earned as follows:
STARTED: Five (5) Championship points per UKC Licensed Hunt are awarded for those dogs who pass all Started Hunting Retriever tests. Four (4) Started passes are required for the Started Hunting Retriever (SHR) title. Once points are earned in a higher category, the retriever may not return to Started and earn the SHR title.
A maximum of ten (10) Championship points towards a higher degree can be earned in this category.
Title: STARTED HUNTING RETRIEVER (SHR) - The Started Hunting Retriever (SHR) title is attained by earning four (4) passes in the Started category. Points/passes earned in a higher category do not count towards this title. A maximum of ten (10) Championship points can be earned in the Started category towards a higher degree. Once points are earned in a higher category, the retriever may not return to Started and earn the SHR title.
SEASONED: Ten (10) Championship points per UKC Licensed Hunt are awarded for those dogs who pass all Seasoned Hunting Retriever tests.
A maximum of forty (40) Championship points towards a degree can be earned in this category. Unless ten (10) Started Championship points were earned, then, a maximum of thirty (30) Championship points can be earned toward a degree in this category.
Title: HUNTING RETRIEVER (HR) - The Hunting Retriever (HR) title is attained by earning forty (40) Championship Points.
Points can be earned in Started, Seasoned or Finished. Dogs are not required to earn points in Started and/or Seasoned to earn this title. If only five (5) points are earned in the Started category, then forty (40) points may be earned in the Seasoned and/or Finished categories. If ten (10) points are earned in the Started category, then thirty 30 points may be earned in the Seasoned and/or Finished category.
FINISHED: Fifteen (15) Championship points per UKC Licensed Hunt are awarded for those dogs who pass all Finished Hunting Retriever tests.
TITLES HUNTING RETRIEVER CHAMPION (HRCH) - The Hunting Retriever Champion (HRCH) title is attained by earning one hundred (100) Championship Points. Sixty (60) of the one hundred (100) points must be earned from the Finished category. Points can be earned in Started, Seasoned or Finished. Dogs are not required to earn points in Started and/or Seasoned to earn this title.
A maximum of forty (40) points can be earned in the Seasoned category towards the Hunting Retriever Champion (HRCH) title, unless ten (10) Started Championship points were earned, then, a maximum of thirty (30) Seasoned Championship points can be earned toward the HRCH degree.
You will want to establish an account with Entry Express (link above) and put Kim Trafton’s name under handler for your dog. Entry Express times out pretty fast, in my opinion, so have all your event info at hand. Also, they don’t have a good way to enter multiple events (such as Infodog’s boxes to check when you want to enter more than one show with the same dog) so plan on it taking you a little longer to enter than you want it to.
© 2008 Kim Trafton - Turtle Creek Sporting Dogs All rights reserved. WebDesignbyBob.com
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"It's not just a passion... It's an Obsession"
Kim Trafton
Visits are scheduled 24 hours in advance and preferably on Mondays
478-763-2053
478-299-3815
