|
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF
THE INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR LEONBERGER DOGS , 25TH SEPTEMBER 2010 Venue:Hotel Kirchner Leonberg Time 10:00 – 13:45 Those present: representatives from the member clubs of : Austria, Belgium, Canada,
Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, United Kingdom,
USA. Participant with observer status: Excused: Slovak Republic. The Committee: All members of the board were present. Chairman: the Union president Willi Güllix. Minutes: were taken by the Union secretary, Hein Sibrijns. Agenda:
b)
Treasurer c)
Secretary d) Auditors 3.
Discussion of the reports and discharge of the Committee. 4.
The Budget for 2010, Membership dues 2010. 5.
News and reports from the member countries. 6.
Breeding problems in the 7.
Poly neuropathy test and its consequences for breeding. 8. Future activities of the Union.
-
Preparation Leonberger Symposium.
1.
Introduction. The President
opened the meeting at He welcomed the delegates,
and noted with pleasure that so many clubs were represented. The in July
deceased Mr. Fred Inwood was remembered with 1 minute silence. 2. Reports a. President’s
Report- Willi Güllix There is warning
on the FCI’s website: The Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) informs all its members and contract
partners that it holds no official relations with the Federación Canina Internacional and its members and that it does not recognise this Federación. Because
sometimes misunderstandings happen, the Union member clubs were asked to
publish this warning on their website. In
November 2009 an international judges seminar was held in Leonberg,
with 33 satisfied participants from 15 countries one can indeed use the word
“international”. Since
July 2010 there is a genetic for test which classifies, by means of a simple
blood sample, designates a Leonberger as clear (N/N), carrier
(D/N), or affected (D/D). Dogs
that are tested D/D develop a severe form of poly neuropathy. Before the age of 3 years.
This isn’t only harmful for the individual unfortunate dog, his breeder and his
owner, it is also harmful for all clubs and creates a
negative image of our breed. Apart
from that, breeders
who breed from D/D tested dogs can
expect claims from puppy buyers, because since July 2010 no breeder can claim
not to be aware this. Until that time it wasn’t possible to recognize carriers
because of lack of scientific knowledge and because carriers don’t show
clinical signs of the disease, or only show signs at an older age. The
president emphasizes that poly neuropathy isn’t a breed specific Leonberger
disease, it occurs in many other breeds. We must fight this disease by
means of a strategic breeding program, without creating panic. Panicking
harms the image of our breed in public. b.
Treasurer’s Report - Peter Cejnek The balance sheet
was handed out at the meeting. All member clubs
were fully paid up for 2009. It was surprising
that some clubs paid for the same number of club members as in 2008. That isn’t
normal, because the number of club members can’t stay
exactly the same each year. It was pointed out
that the membership dues are coposed of an annual fee
of 50 Euros and 0.20 Euros per club member. On 31-12-2009 the Union’s
assets amounted to 4597.26 Euros and the total number of members from the
member clubs was 10,437. c.
Secretary’s report - Hein Sibrijns. The Union web site
has attracted many visitors. For the rest, see
the president’s report. d.
Auditor’s report. Säde Crivelli (CH) and
José-Maria Itturalde Perez de Aranaza
(E) had checked the accounts which
closed 31-12-2009, as well as the
accounts for the current year. They were
satisfied that everything is in order and they thanked the Treasurer Peter
Cejnek for doing a good job. They
proposed that the meeting accept the accounts and discharged the treasurer and
the board. The proposal was not
discussed and was accepted unanimously. 3. Discharge
of the Committee The Committee was
unanimously discharged. 4. The Budget
for 2011/Membership fees for 2011. The Union finances
are healthy. It was unanimously
decided to maintain the membership dues at a fixed fee of 50 euros plus 0.20
euros per member. 5. News from the member countries. The Austrian Club nominated Mr. Thomas
Walker as new second delegate. A big club show
will be organized in conjunction with the FCI world dog show in Salzburg in
2012. One can buy the
well known Leonberger
picture by the Austrian artist René Marcel Rivière
“two faces from Picasso” from the club. The Russian Club celebrates its 15th
anniversary with a jubilee club show on 21-22 May 2011. All are heartily
invited to join. They thanked the
Union and the member clubs for the constructive cooperation. The club wants to
install a breeding ability test as mandatory for breeding. To achieve this they
need confirmation of membership of the ILU for the Russian Kennel Federation
(RKF). The Irish Club is still a young club. Next
year they will obtain full membership of the IKC ,
then they can also apply for full membership of the Union. The German Club announced that 320 dogs
had been entered for the club show on the 26th September. As off this year
dogs with hip score HD-C are not longer admitted for breeding. Puppies aren’t
tattooed anymore, they are micro chipped. For artificial
insemination one needs authorisation from the breeding committee in advance. Blood samples fro
LPN1 testing will be taken for free on the club show. The English
Club is working on a temperament test. A health seminar on amongst others DCM
will be held on the 24th October. All are heartily invited. A presentation on
Anal Furunculosis is available on DVD. In England many
people work with their Leos: There are 3
carting groups, 3 groups for water work and 3 groups fro agility. There are now
“working championship”. A welfare
committee was founded, which occupies itself also with rescue. A Leonberger
seminar with Guido Perosino and Petra Junehall will be organized. This year two well
known personalities died: Fred Inwood and Nigel Holliday. In the Norwegian Club 22 litters with a total
of 126 puppies were born last year. Next year the club
celebrates it 20th anniversary with a club show in May in Kristianstadt, all are heartily invited. There will be two more club shows. The Danish Club had noting special to
declare. The Finnish Club is educating many working
dogs, amongst others water rescue dogs. The club will vote
on the introduction of a voluntary breeding ability test, identical to the
German one.. The Swedish Club has a new president. This year the club
celebrates its 30th anniversary. The venue for the jubilee club show
is still to be decided. Veterans can now
be entered free of charge for club shows. The Swedish club
informed its breeders that it is necessary to have breeding dogs tested for
LPN1. A judges seminar will be organized. The Czech Club reported that it is now
difficult to find good homes for all puppies born The club show will
be held in April 2011, all are heartily invited. A temperament test
was held; all participating dogs passed the test. The Dutch Club will organize a club show in
conjunction with the FCI European
Winner show in Leeuwarden in 2011. There is an active
water work group. The American Club reported that, after
years of hard work, the breed is now fully recognized by AKC in the working
group. A 10 years old Leonberger
veteran was Best of Group on an AKC all breed show. The club show is
still organized after European model, so with written critiques on each dog The French Club announced that one could
still enter for the club show in Cluny. In the future the
date for the club show will be 2 weeks earlier. Removal of dew
claws is now illegal in France. The Belgian Club organized this year its 30th
club show. It was pointed out
that one must not cause panic about poly neuropathy, it should be stated more
clearly that one can mate carriers (D/N) to free (N/N) dogs. A sub club for
water work will soon be founded. The report form the New Zealand Club was read. The club had its
first Open Show and had a first Ribbon Parade on the South Island. The Leonberger
population counts approximately 350 dogs. Most of them are on the North Island,
it was quite a milestone for the club to have now enough dogs on the South
Island for a Ribbon Parade. A Leonberger is now
training under the official NZ Surf Lifesaving umbrella. This is not only the
first Leonberger, it is the first dog in general in
NZ. They are
researching the possibilities of using water rescue dogs in conjunction with
surf patrol. The first
championship club show has been planned for October 2011,
Guido Perosino has been invited to judge. The Spanish Club invited all for the 100th
anniversary of the Spanish Kennel Club. On this occasion
the club will organize a big Fiesta on the 20th-22d May in Madrid. The Swiss Club clarified that LPN1-carriers
must be used for breeding, otherwise the gene pool
will be overly limited. LPN1 test will be made
obligated in the breeding rules.. In the Italian Club the number of puppies born
sank from 225 in 2008 to 113 in 2009, the number of club members sank also. 20 Dogs passed the
breeding ability check. They support the PN research is Bern (CH) financially. All are heartily
invited for the club show on 1stMay 2011, judge is Olli Kokonen
from Finland. The Millennium
Award 2011 will be awarded to Mr. Willi Güllix. In Canada live 700-800 Leonbergers. In
2009 120 puppies and imports were registered. The code of ethics
includes health tests and a temperament test. An
interval of 15 minutes was taken. During this
interval the board decided to award the ILU Awards BOB and Best Veteran to 2
shows in 2011, namely the 20th Anniversary Club Show in Norway and
the 30h Anniversary Club Show in Sweden. Both clubs can also
apply for the German Club CAC On these special occasions 6. Breeding
problems in the In the last
meeting a recommendation for
minimum age for filling in tooth cards was discussed, one agreed
on the age of 8 months. We miss a
confirmation from the member clubs that the recommendation had been followed. As decided in the
last meeting Sharon Springel developed a questionnaire to investigate why and
how many females stay empty after a mating. The questionnaire
has been translated into several languages and can be filled in on, or
downloaded from the
Union’s website. One is asked to
fill as many forms as possible, also for matings that
weren’t successful. The forms will stay online until August Until now 114 forms have been returned, 23 of them
were from bitches that staid empty. This result (+/- 20%) isn’t a ground for
worries. Jenny Bergdahl
remarks that the DCM research in Sweden is still going on. Teams in France and
Great Britain work also on this subject within the LUPA project. In Norway it was
found that Herpes virus infections are rather common, they have a negative
influence on conceiving, and on the number of puppies. It was asked if
people have experience with anti herpes vaccination. The university
of Liege in Belgium acknowledges that a vaccination for Herpes is successful. 8. Poly neuropathy test. Poly neuropathy: a
non neglect able, very sensitive issue. An important,
first step, was made in fighting the disease. When a genetic
test for a form of poly neuropathy was announced, the board had the choice
between issuing a recommendation right away towards the Union member clubs, or
to first discuss the difficult theme with the member clubs in this meeting. Question is what
is possible where breeding regulations are concerned and what isn’t. Only consistent,
international, breeding measures bring the wished achievement, especially when
we take international breeding exchange into consideration. The tested LPN1
mutation has until now only be researched in Leonbergers. That is why the
unlucky denomination “Leonberger Poly Neuropathy” is used. The test cannot be
used for other breeds. LPN1 causes a severe form of PN before the third year. It was stressed
that carriers (D/N) must still be used for breeding, because otherwise the a lready narrow gene pool is too much limited. One carries on
with the development of
a test for LPN2. The universities
of Minnesota and Bern published in August “questions and answers”, it is
important that the member clubs publish these Q&A on their websites. It is important
that as many dogs as possible are tested, especially the family of carriers. It was proposed
that that Union works out a proposal for handling the LPN1 test in relation to
breeding. In coordination
with the member clubs was decided:
8. Leonberger Symposium. In the previous
meeting we asked to discuss the wishes for the costs and the themes to be
discussed in the member clubs. That didn’t
happen. Austria proposed
to vote: The symposium
won’t be put on the agenda again in the next 5 years, because it looks like
there aren’t many interested. The result of the
vote, after discussion, was: 12 votes for
adjournment 3 votes against 2 abstentions 9. Miscellaneous. There were no
requests. 12. Closure. The president
closed the meeting and thanked everyone for their positive contributions. There was a good
discussion. The meeting closed
at Leonberg, Willi Gullix Hein Sibrijns President
I.L.U. Secretary I.L.U. Chairman of the meeting. Recorder of the Minutes
|
.