First American Whippet Club Newsletter 1956

A special thanks to Terry Schwartzman of Travlin’ Whippets for the Historic contribution.

Louis Pegram was an outstanding spokesman for the whippet breed during his life. He was never known as a famous breeder but a gentleman who did so much more for the breed with his other work. I am adding a photo here of Mr. Pegram from the scrapbooks of Mary Beth Arthur who collected many items regarding Louis over his life.

Louis Pegram did a great job at assisting the AWC for many years and published the first AWC Newsletter which continues today.

WHY – WHO – WHERE – WHEN

by Louis Pegram

At the last meeting of The American Whippet Club on March 30, 1956, it was the majority opinion of the members present that a bi-monthly bulletin was needed to stimulate interest in the very versatile Whippet as a pet, show dog and race dog. In order to get this publication on the road, it was agreed that all members would send in any and all available information on Whippet activities in their particular section of the country.

The Whippet News is sponsored by The American Whippet Club, copies of each edition of The Whippet News is free to all Whippet owners or those interested in Whippets whether they are members of The American whippet Club or not. All articles for publication in future issues of The ‘Whippet News’ and those Whippet owners who wish to add their names to the regular mailing list, should write to Louis Pegram, THE WHIPPET NEWS, Route 2, Box 190, Kankakee, Illinois.

For the good of the breed, and those people who breed, show, race or have Whippets just for pets, we are interested in receiving constructive information on the following topics: Important show and race news; new imports; puppies for sale; information on disease, diet, grooming, etc.; changes in standard; new faces in the sport, etc. The field is wide open as long as it deals with “Whippets and their care only.” In short, this little publication is your “Whippet News.” With your full cooperation, I am sure it will be a success.

WHIPPET SPECIALTY

Doris Wear reports that The American Whippet Club will hold their fall Specialty Show in connection with Somerset Hills Kennel Club, Far Hills, New Jersey on September 8, 1956. This is an unbenched Foley Show with entries closing at noon on August 28. At the time Mrs. Wear started negotiations with the Somerset Kennel Club, they had already invited Mr. William Ross Proctor to judge the breed.

In a letter to Mrs. Wear, Mrs. G. G. King, Secretary of the Somerset Hills Kennel Club, said their club would make the following offer:

1. The Somerset Hills Kennel Club will offer a sterling silver trophy for best of breed.

2. The Somerset Hills Kennel Club will offer a sterling silver trophy for best of opposite sex.

2. The Somerset Hills Kennel Club will give the Specialty Club $50.00 if there are 50 or more dogs entered, and $100.00 if there are 100 or more dogs entered.

4. The Somerset Hills Kennel Club will give one free luncheon ticket to each officer and each exhibitor member of the Specialty Club, providing the Specialty Club secretary notifies the Somerset Hills secretary three weeks before the show the number of tickets necessary.

While the Spring Specialty Show of The American Whippet Club at Chicago in March of this year is past history, it will long be remembered as one of the very best in the history of the club. Cooperation by members of The American Whippet Club was outstanding as an entry of 56 Whippets with 14 Specials would indicate.

While this was not the largest entry in the history of the club, it is my opinion The Chicago Specialty did more to unite Whippet owners from all sections of the country than any other Specialty ever held by The American Whippet Club. For years there was a dividing line between racing and show groups. This line is no longer in existance. Today, members of The American Whippet Club are in a position to promote their breed to its best advantage whether it be in the show ring or on the race track.

COVEY POINT FARM REPORTS

By Doris Wear

Mrs. Margaret Ritchie, Pennyworth Kennels, Box 14, Hampton Bays, L.I., New York, one of the most successful Whippet owners in America, also owner of the English and American Champion Wingedfoot Field Spring Bryony, an all-time great show Whippet, reports only one litter of Whippet puppies through June of 1956. This litter, born in January, consists of two male puppies by Pennyworth Sunset out of Champion Strathoak Glamour Girl and, while a small litter, both look to be quality individuals. Mrs. Ritchie has also done quite well with her latest import, Wingedfoot Ringmaster, who is now a confirmed AKC champion having won his title in five straight shows.

Mrs. Kistler writes that they have a new litter, whelped June 7, out of Quarry Lillian (by their Silver Streak, and, ex Garden City’s Dancing Mouse). The sire of the litter is The Baron of Birdneck Point, a newly acquired dog by Ch. Picardia Fieldfare ex Ch. Bonnie of Birdneck Point. There are in this litter, five dogs and one bitch, all fawns, but three have white about their heads, necks and feet. One, a runt, they are dropper feeding on an egg and milk mixture. Mrs. K. expresses doubt of the worth of this procedure (trying to save runts) but is experimenting, having once before had fair success and another time, failure. I wish you luck, but have long since given up any such attempts myself.

The new members this year whom I would especially like to welcome are: Mr. & Mrs. Chase Arnold, Mrs. Mark Selway (who comes from England, but who is here with her husband on diplomatic duty) and Mrs. W. C. Marvin.

You might mention that two old members have re-joined the club, namely, yourself and Mrs. Fell. Mrs. John A. Griswold, West Valley Road, Wayne, Penna., still has several Whippets and, spurred on by her daughter Sara’s interest, still breeds an occasional litter. Her last, whelped in August 1955, is out of a bitch called Princess de Anna, who is a litter mate of the famous Ch. Garden City’s Sleepy Mouse. Her puppies are by my dog, S.M. Madrigal who is a son of my Ch. S.M. Masquerade ex Pocon Lucratia Silvia. The latter carries straight Meander breeding. Mrs. Griswold still has two bitches from this breeding and I have one. Hurrah for Sara Griswold for keeping her mother at it and, incidently, congratulations to her also for her good wins in Junior Showmanship classes where, always handling a Whippet, she has qualified for the Garden competition and we will look forward to seeing her there next winter

Mrs. James Ellison, formerly of Penllyn, Penna., now living at 1001 West Drew St., Fort Worth, Texas, would certainly enjoy hearing from other members of the club in regards to their Whippet activities. Mrs. Ellison took four of her Whippet bitches with her to Texas and they have created quite a lot of excitement in the Lone Star State.

Now some news from Stoney Meadows Whippets: Our oldest puppies are two dogs, one black, one white and black, whelped Nov. 19, 1955, by Ch. S.M. Masquerade ex S.M. Evening Star. Unfortunately, the two bitches in the litter were lost in that “plague” that hit us early last winter. These are big pups, real small greyhound type, and will be slow developers.

Two bitch pups, also one black and one black and white, whelped Jan. 5, 1955 , by Night Extra of S.M. ex Ch. S.M. By-Line. This is a brother-sister mating and the first inbreeding we’ve tried. It’s too early to tell, but right now the black looks good. By-Line and Evening Star are litter sisters younger than Night Extra.

Litter whelped April 1, 1956, five dogs and one bitch by S.M. Marathon (9 points, both Majors) ex S.M. Goldfinch who is from the very first litter by Ch. Meander Bob-White. In this litter there are 1 parti-color, 2 brindles, 3 fawns.

Litter whelped May 8, 1956, four dogs, three bitches, by S.M. Epic (litter brother to Marathon) ex Ch. Snow Flurry of Meander. She is also the dam of Boldfinch, so these last two litters are out of mother and daughter by two litter brothers – interesting! This bunch are all flash, one pure white, one solid brindle and the rest broken colors.

Last (so help me) is a litter whelped May 13, 1956, two dogs and five bitches out of Ch. S.M. Fairy Tale by her own sire, Night Extra of S.M. I wanted a concentration of black and got it! Five blacks, one white and black, and one red fawn. These inbreeding’s are purely experimental but should prove educational!

Mrs. Theodora Pedersen, Garden City Kennels, Towson, Md., before leaving for Europe greatly reduced her outstanding kennel of Whippets. Those owners buying most of her choice stock were Commander Timmons, Albany, N. Y.; Dr. Dery, Montreal, Canada; Miss Way, Brooklyn, N. Y.; and Yrs. Norman, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

MEANDER FARM REPORTS

By F. Julia Shearer

Donald Hostetter, Cobham, Va., has a bitch safe in whelp to Bob White. She is by Metallurgist out of his Ch. Joktan O’Lazeland. I really don’t know her registered name, call name is Myrtle. Mr . Harry T. Peters, Jr., President of The American ‘Whippet Club and owner of Windholme Kennels, has just purchased the Whippet bitch Ch. Bo Peep of Birdneck Point from Mrs. Theodora Pedersen.

Ch. Meander Bob White continues his winning ways, going Best of Breed at Inter ­ national Kennel Club Show, Chicago, Ill.; Morris and Essex, Morristown, N. J.; Richmond, Va.; Charlottesville, Va.; Baltimore County Kennel Club, and was a group winner at Hartford County Kennel Club, Bel Air, Md. (Ch. Meander Bob White is, in fact, building a record that will place him in the list of all time Whippet greats – L.P.

Meander now has three litters of small pups:

Three males and three females by Ch. Meander Robin out of Ch. Dizzy Blond of Meander. These are full brothers and sisters to Ch. Meander Bob White.

Two dogs and two bitches by Ch. Meander Metallurgist ex Caniston Carlotta of Ivandon.

Two females and two males by Ch. Meander Robin ex Meander Elsa.

By the tine you receive this issue of The Whippet News, there should be another litter by Ch. Meander Kingfisher ex Ch. Happy Talk O’Lazeland. (Kingfisher is a litter brother to Ch. Meander Bob White.)

Of special interest to those Whippet owners around Baltimore is that the bitch Gar ­ den City Field Mouse in whelp to Ch. Meander Metallurgist was purchased from Mrs. Theodora Pedersen of Garden City Kennels, Baltimore, Ed.

MARDORMERE KENNELS REPORT

by Mrs. George Anderson

Ina most interesting letter to Mrs. Wear, the following is reported by Mrs. Anderson, owner of Mardormere Kennels.

“We are leaving July 3rd on the Caronia for the North Cape cruise, arriving in England August 3rd, and will stay in London about three weeks, arriving home on August 28.

“All this has nothing to do with whippets and I am afraid I have very little “Mardormere” news. We just have three litters in the puppy house which we have weeded down to nine, and out of that remaining group, we have three that I am excited about. One in particular, a blue and white dog out of Ch. Starglow and by the English dog Fawn Dandy, who is filling out a gap nicely for us by giving us more substance, deeper brisket and stronger pasterns.

“We also have a white bitch by Fawn Dandy with a fawn spot on her back, who is a charming character, and at the present time hard to fault, but as the old saying goes, time will tell.

“As far as immunization in our kennel, we have had luck in giving both distemper and hepatitis shots to our puppies. Then they contract both these diseases at the same time, which will sometimes happen, it is usually fatal.”

WHIPOO KENNEL REPORTS

Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Jacobs

The Whippet population of Illinois received quite a boost when Whipoo’s Silken Elegance, C.D., bred to Ch. Meander Robin gave birth to a litter of eleven pups. All of the litter were normal in every respect, but it was decided to raise only nine. Mrs. Jacobs said a number of these outstanding pups are for sale. There are six females and five males left in the litter that may be the largest litter in the history of the breed.

Whipoo Kennels showed a very outstanding bitch at the Specialty, named Whipoo’s Silvery Duster. This Whippet on June 9th won the Hound Group at Kalamazoo, Mich. The following day, a full litter mate, Whipoo Wild Honey, placed second in the Hound Group at South Bend, Ind.

VIRUS DISEASES

In talking with many members of The American Whippet Club, almost without exception their number one problem and fear seems to stem around virus outbreaks in their kennel. Losses from Distemper and Hepatitis annually take a terrific toll in lives and the Whippet and Greyhound seem to be a prime target for such virus diseases.

For some time now, Dr. John W. Bernotavicz, Director of Gaines Research Kennels, Kankakee , Illinois , has been collecting information on virus diseases. It was my thought that the following articles might be highly valuable to Whippet breeders in order that they might see the outstanding work being accomplished by the veterinary profession in their work against dogs’ most deadly enemies.

Dr. R. L. Ott, State College, Washington, Pullman, Wash., has a paper entitled, “The Differential Diagnosis of Canine Distemper and Infectious Hepatitis,” in the Proceedings of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 232, 1954.

This paper points out that because of wide variation in symptoms of the two diseases, they may easily be confused and this difficulty is enhanced as the two of them may occur simultaneously. Distemper usually occurs in dogs three

to nine months of age; infectious hepatitis us no respecter of age. In kennels, hepatitis spreads slowly but distemper usually spreads rapidly. Distemper is rather slow in onset and is characterized by moderate diphasic temperature curve (103° to 104° F), with a prolonged course. The onset of hepatitis is rapid with pronounced temperature rise (104° to 106° F) and short clinical course. The fatal form of hepatitis starts with fever, circulatory lapse and death within 12 to 24 hours.

Based on 218 replies to a questionaire circulated among the members of the American Animal Hospital Association, by Drs. Kendall K. Firth, V. G. Crago, Lawrence E. Green, Bennett J. Porter and Charles C. Rife, the following is taken; “Recent experimental data indicate that no distemper vaccine, either life-attenuated or killed, will produce lifelong immunity against canine distemper unless the animals are regularly challenged by dogs with the disease or are given additional vaccine periodically to boost or renew the immunity. Does your experience find this true? Or False? True, 84%; False, 13%; No answer, 3%.” 86% of the respondents advise booster vaccinations for distemper; 14% do not.

Carl Mayer, Skokie, Illinois, reports on the age for distemper immunization. Both potent killed vaccines and modified live-virus vaccines are offered commercially and both have advocates among the practitioners for distemper immunization. Failures often have been charged unjustly when infectious canine hepatitis or leptospirosis was responsible for a distemper “break.” Nevertheless, distemper does sometimes occur in vaccinated dogs, and then it may be in the encephalitic form. Recently, it has been shown that distemper encephalitis can occur as much as six weeks after vaccination from an earlier contact with distemper.

The period of greatest danger from distemper is agreed to be the first few months following weaning . The recent findings that pups can be vaccinated successfully at six to eight weeks offers hope for preventing many distemper “breaks” of the type referred to. Present thinking, based on experience, also favors giving one or more booster injections later on in life. The concept of absolute life-long immunity to distemper has been questioned.

Dr. Wayne H. Riser, Skokie, Illinois, has a paper entitled, “Observation on Canine Distemper,” in Veterinary Medicine for April 1956.

This paper quotes, “R. O. Ott and J. R. Gorham, reporting their experience indicate some doubt as to whether many vaccinated dogs, regardless of the immunization product used, could stand distemper virus challenge after a lapse of a few months, providing there is no additional challenge to bolster the antibody production in the interim.” He also reports that Dr. G. B. Schnelle, in an abstract of his paper given at the AVMA meeting at Minneapolis, said, “It has been proved that chicken embryo virus vaccine, tissue vaccine, and ferret-adapted vaccine do not uniformly confer durable immunity against distemper. Such failure to protect appears to be in a higher percentage than hitherto reported.

“It is suggested that a re-evaluation of the problem of satisfactory immunization against canine distemper is needed and that a more honest acceptance is needed of widespread failure of vaccination which would be in the interests of the canine population, the dog-owning public, and the practicing veterinarians.”

In his own practice, because of the reports as published in the literature and because of break through’s in distemper vaccinated dogs, all dogs confined in his hospital receive additional distemper protection unless they have been hospitalized within the past 60 days. This protection consists of a regular dose of killed-tissue vaccine in the previously vaccinated dogs and homologous serum in the unvaccinated dogs.

Dr. Riser states that the question is asked, “What is the illness exhibited by these dogs?” He has no way of knowing the cause of these “breaks” but when dogs do “break” under their care they show one or more signs of distemper. These include: (1) hyperkeratosis of the pads, (2) tonsillitis, (3) influenza-like septicemia, (L) kennel cough, (5) vomiting, diarrhea, and enteritis, (6) pet shop enteritis, (7) encephalitis, and (8) chorea.

Dr. Riser states that it takes an animal a period of fourteen days to produce its own neutralizing antibodies when stimulated with an antigen. On the other hand, if that animal has been stimulated previously by a specific antigen, subsequent stimulation by the same antigen takes only a matter of hours before neutralizing antibodies are produced again.

The fastest acting antigen is killed-tissue vaccine. It is produced by making a 10% emulsion of finely ground organs, usually spleen, liver, lung and stomach, from a dog which is infected with the virus of Carre l plus a variety of bacterial invaders, that have been made chemically sterile.

Killed-tissue vaccine will produce immunity when three doses are given. The immunity is of short duration unless there are frequent challenges with live virus or with a subsequent renewal of the antigen stimulation at frequent intervals. A big advantage is that killed-tissue vaccine causes no untoward reaction if the dog has low resistance. Egg-adapted live-virus vaccine produces active immunity against distemper by producing the disease in a sub clinical form. If the vaccinated animal has subnormal resistance, undesirable reactions, particularly of the nervous type, are likely to appear.

Another point of interest is that distemper virus is perishable and is preserved best by lyophylization, which is a quick-freeze dehydration method. Gorham, reporting at the AVAA meeting in 1955, said that in his experience many commercially packaged vaccines, particularly those nearing the expiration date, were no longer viable.

CONCLUSION

by Louis Pegram

In order that we might increase our mailing list of those people who are interests; in Whippets, five (5) extra copies of THE WHIPPET NEWS are being sent to each member. We will also have available some 100 extra copies of this issue should you need them, for future reference. If possible, I will continue this program until a satisfactory mailing list has been completed.

We are most fortunate in having within the ranks of The American Whippet Club a large group of members who are good, sound, basic livestock people. They understand the problems that go with the raising and exhibition of livestock; thus, there is a wealth of material available within our present membership. These talents and information should be used to an advantage in future issues of THE WHIPPET NEWS. Issue #2 of THE WHIPPET NEWS will be in the mail sometime during the first week in September. It would be greatly appreciated if all material for this particular issue would be in my office no later than August 15 .

You will note from this issue the very excellent cooperation from major Whippet breeders from all sections of the country. I am especially interested that the September issue covers activities in and around Baltimore, Maryland. This, for many years, was the largest Whippet center in America, and I am sure there are still many Whippet owners and breeders in that section of the country.

It is my understanding that Mrs. Theodora Pedersen, owner of Garden City Kennels, Towson, Maryland, is in Europe for the summer; thus, she will be unable to give us reports on activities from this area. I would be delighted to have reports from such old-time Whippet breeders as William Bergtold, Mrs. Mary Quante, Calvin Weiss, Buddy Rosenheim, William Kelly, Dr. Jay Knoblock and Betty Lee Hinks.

Since the death of Frank Tuffley, who did so much in promoting “the Whippet” in and around Cleveland, Ohio, I have had no word of activities from that section of the country for some time. If there are still Whippets in the area, we would certainly be interested in any news of your activities.

It might seem that we have neglected the West Coast, a very important factor in today’s Whippet activities both in the show and race field. This neglect is all my own fault as my business has been such in the past six weeks that it has been impossible to contact those good breeders on the West Coast for news. I do hope, however, the next issue of THE WHIPPET NEWS will be “topheavy” with information from California.

In closing, I wish to express my appreciation to GAINES DOG FOODS, Kankakee, Illinois , who were kind enough to furnish the art, secretarial and reproduction work in making this first bulletin possible.

AMERICAN WHIPPET CLUB MEMBERS

Mr. & Mrs. George A. Anderson — Glen Head, Long Island, N. Y.

Mr. & Mrs. C. Chase Arnold – 4676 Violet Road, Toledo, Ohio

Mrs. William O. Bagshaw 9501 Gloaming Drive, Beverly Hills, California Mrs. Pearl Baumgartner – 223 Alder Ave., Sumner, Washington

Mr. & Mrs. W. W. Brainard, Jr., — Far Hills, New Jersey

Mr. Harry T. Bridge – 225 Bogue Street, East Lansing, Michigan Kr. Walter Denning — Stokes Road, Medford, New Jersey

Mrs. James Ellison — 1001 West Drew Street, Fort Worth, Texas

Mr. & Mrs. Ralph G. Eyles — Box 248, Route 1, Waukegan, Illinois

Mr. & Mrs. James A. Farrell — Darien, Connecticut

Mr. & Mrs. Donald Frames — 1604 Glenwood Drive , Bakersfield, California Is. John A. Griswold, Jr. — West Valley Road, Wayne, Penna.

Mr. & Mrs. Parker Harris — 1 Milton Ave., Camillus, New York

Miss Gertrude Hooft — 332 Woodside Road , Redwood City, California

Mrs. Wendell T. Howell — 2100 Jefferson Street, San Francisco, California

Mr. & Mrs. Eugene Jacobs — Mahomet, Illinois

Mr. & Mrs. William A. Kistler — R. D. 5, Bloomsburg, Penna.

Mr. Edward Nash — Charlottesville, Virginia

Mrs. Winthrop Neilson — Lloyd’s Neck, Huntington, Long Island, N. Y.

Mrs. Theodora Pedersen — 8651 Oakleigh Road , Baltimore 14, Maryland

Mr. Harry T. Peters, Jr. — 17 Battery Place, New York 4, N. Y.

Mrs. Margaret P. Ritchie — Pennyworth Kennels, Hampton Bays, Long Island, N. Y.

Dr. Samuel Scott — Route 3, Box 13 , Natchitoches, Louisiana

Misses F. J. and J. R. Shearer — Locust Dale, Virginia

Miss Susan Sim — East Norwich, Long Island, New York

Misses Barbara and Josephine Steinberg — 2329 N. Palmer St., Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Mr. C. Douglas Todd — Colewood Farmhouse, Thanet Way, Nr. Herne Bay, Kent, England.

Mr. & Mrs. Wear — Covey Point Farm, Cambridge, R. D. 3, Maryland Mrs. D. F. Whitwell Kirkholme, Great Ouseburn, York, England

Mr. Donald Hostetter — Cobham, Virginia

Mr. Ronald W. Bachmann — 2631 Forest Road, Lansing, Michigan

Mr. Louis Pegram — Route 2, Box 190, Kankakee, Illinois

Mrs. Mark Selway — 3154 Highland Place N. W., Washington, D. C.

Mrs. W. C. Marvin — Cedar Lane, Remsenberg, Long Island, New York

Mrs. Phillip S. P. Fell — 805 El Molino Street , Pasedena, California

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