2017 Toga Party! - Welcome Letter

3^rd Annual Animal House Toga Party

Welcome to the 3^rd Annual Animal House Toga Party!  Here are some of the particulars that I’m sure you are all wondering about.  Please let Suzy (pioneerpets@msn.com) or I (jonifry@charter.net) know if you have any other questions.

Saturday                                                                      Sunday

Gates open at 6:30                                                      Gates open at 6:30

Check In 630-730                                                        Check in 6:30-7:30

Measuring 7:00                                                           Measuring 7:00

Captains Meeting 7:30                                                Captain’s Meeting 7:30

Racing Begins 8:00                                                      Racing Begins 8:00

Crate set up is between 3 and 7 pm on Friday.

Because of all the entries we are now doing a 2-ring event with lots of breaks for our judges.

Early Check in on Friday (3-7) and Saturday night (during Green Dog Racing).

Parking is in the fairgrounds red gate and in the lot behind Columbia Hall.  You may use the parking spots around the main entrance to unload but then please park in the rear so that someone else can unload.  The doors adjacent to the parking area will also be open for unloading. 

There will be a car show in the building next door, so please watch your belongings.  Keep your vehicle/camper locked even if it is for 5 minutes.  There will be people parking in the camping lot so beware.

Potty area for your dogs will be set up at the back side of the building.  The fairgounds folks have asked us not to use the front of the building by the unloading zone­.

There is WIFI in the building. 

Plug-Ins will be available for crockpots (there will be a communal table to plug in).

Our Charity:

This year we have chosen as our charity Northwest Battle Buddies.  They are a great organization that provides professionally trained service dogs for Veterans with PTSD. You can read more about this organization on their website at http://www.northwestbattlebuddies.org/donate/.

Green Dog Practice Saturday Night:

Green Dog Practice will start right after awards.  Please sign up at the Welcome Table.  1^st come first serve.

Games:

Box Judge Raffle – We are asking for help with Box Judging this year.  Please leave your Box Loader or other team member to Box Judge at the end of your race.  We will leave you a Special Box Loader Raffle Ticket on the chair.  The stub will already be put into a container for a drawing at the end of the day.  Two big winners!  Will it be you?!  Winner announced at Placement Awards!

Toga Toga Toga Photo Op! – There will be a photo backdrop for a TOGA photo shoot.  Supply your own photographer or Crystal Beck will be around for professional photos.  (by appointment only – before or after racing)

TOGA Look-A-Like Contest for handlers and dogs.  Come dressed in a toga and have your dog look like you.  We will get one of our esteemed judges to help with the judging Saturday at lunch.  There are prizes for this contest. 

Adopt a Poo Contest – Yes! Adopt your very own Dog Poo!  Please help us keep the grounds clean so we can continue to use this venue.  Your own dog poo does not count.  We will keep track by the honor system.  There will be a board (similar to last year) where you can put a tick mark next to your name.  The winner will be determined at the end of each day.

Guess How Many Cookies in the Cookie Jar – For a $1 donation you can get a ticket and guess how many cookies are in the cookie jar.  The closest guess to the correct number without going over wins the cookies!  The proceeds will go to our charity NW Battle Buddies.  Winner to be announced during prizes on Sunday.

Hospitality

We will be setting out the coffee again this year for $1 donation.  We will also have various baked goodies out for sale. Proceeds from both will go to go to our charity NW Battle Buddies.

Vendors

We will have 3 great vendors to shop with in-between races.  Please take a moment and go look at their wares and say HI!  We thank them for joining us.

Northwest Naturals - makes biologically appropriate raw dog and cat food in Portland, OR.  We are a family owned company since 1956.  Our raw frozen, freeze-dried diets and single ingredient treats are available for dogs and cats at independent pet supply stores.  We are an on-demand facility (foods are manufactured as orders arrive so are much fresher to our customers) that also manufactures human edible foods and are supervised by the much stricter USDA food safety rules. We are proud of our record of never having a recall on NWN pet foods. We appreciate our customers and have a Frequent Buyer Program to benefit them.

ColdNoseCollars - After being involved with Border Collie Rescue for 14 plus years, Anne Minnich decided that she needed collars that were tough, did not stink when they get wet or dirty, but were pretty. She makes some leather collars but mostly works with biothane, which is a product made in Ohio. It is water proof and tough. The half inch is 500 pound test, the 3⁄4 inch is 750 pound test and the one inch is 1000 pound test. She uses the beta biothane coating since it feels a lot like leather without the upkeep. She hopes you enjoy her collars, and will do custom collars for about $10 more than off the rack. She also does some leashes and long lines. 

Personal Beast - pet supply is owned by Jett Wyatt of the Portland Tail Blazers. Provider of all things good for your dogs, cats and small animals, they carry a wide variety of foods, treats, accessories and toys, with an emphasis on locally produced, natural and sustainable goods. Jett will be bringing a selection of chewy and training treats, some toys and other fun and/or useful items for purchase.  If you're in Portland, stop by the shop at 8119 SE Stark St. and check out the great selection and friendly atmosphere!

  

Thank you and see you soon!

Animal House

2017 Annual Toga Party Flyball Tournament - Camping & Hotels

Happy New Year Everyone!   

The 3^rd Annual Animal House Toga Party is approaching fast!  Closing is midnight on Jan 16^th .     We have no entries to date. 

The tournament will be held in the Columbia Building at the Oregon State Fairgrounds again.  More information will come out in our Welcome Letter once entries have been processed.  We will not know whether there are 2-rings or 1-ring until after closing.

If you need any more information just email Nico (nnstrand@gmail.com) or I (jonifry@charter.net).

Hotels:

We have reserved blocks of rooms at 3 dog friendly hotels that were used last year, just mention Animal House Flyball:

Black Bear – 503-581-1559 – MUST RESERVE by FEB 1^st as they will be dropping the block

Doubles (2 double beds) $84; Singles $70; $5 per nite pet fee

LaQuinta – 503-391-7000

Doubles (2 queen beds) $79 per night; no pet fee

Red Lion – 503-370-7835 – MUST RESERVE by Feb 10^th as they will be dropping the block

Singles $79; Doubles $89; $15 Pet Fee per weekend

Camping:

Camping at the Fairgrounds will be at the same spot in the parking lot across from the hall as last year.  It is dry camping.  There is a $5 fee, which will be donated to our charity, BUT we are limited to the number of camping spots.  Please let me know at jonifry@charter.net if you plan on camping so we can reserve your spot.

Green Dog Practice Saturday Night:

Green Dog Practice will start right after awards on Saturday.  (More details in the Welcome Letter which will be published closer to tournament)

Thank you and see you soon!

Animal House

HOME

Animal House is a Flyball Club in Salem, Oregon.  We practice each week at My Dogs Gym and participate in 4 to 6 Flyball tournaments each year in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia.  In our practices and at tournaments, we keep the emphasis on having fun with our dogs and with our fellow teammates...we celebrate our successes, and we laugh at our mistakes.  Dogs and handlers from all backgrounds, with any and all levels of skill are welcome to join us.

If you’d like more information, please contact Mary Lou at dandyrat@comcast.net.

CLASSES

We are offering a beginners class, seven session, Sunday afternoons starting Feb. 28th My Dogs Gym in Salem, Oregon. Pre-registration is required. For more information and registration, email Mary Lou Janeba at dandyrat@comcast.net.  

(If this date/time does not work for you, check our LINKS page for information on other local Flyball clubs.)

COST INFORMATION

The first introductory lesson is free; after that, the cost is $120 for 6 weeks of instruction.

PREREQUISITES
Prerequisites for the Flyball class are that your dog has:
     1)  A good, solid recall (your dog will come to you if you call him, even in 
          a moderately distracting environment;
     2)  The ability to fetch (retrieve) a thrown or stationary object;
     3)   No aggression toward other dogs;
     4)   Can stay focused on you in a moderately distracting environment.
 If you are uncertain whether or not your dog currently meets these prerequisites, we can evaluate that during your free introductory lesson.

CLASS SIZE AND CONTENT

Classes are small (around 6 students at a time), so you and your dog will receive lots of individual attention.  We train you on how to train your dog in the sport of Flyball.  Training starts by introducing you and your dog to several basic, foundation exercises.  We then build upon those foundation behaviors, so that you can bring your dog to the point of successfully and safely executing the full Flyball course: 

1. to run down the Flyball lane over 4 jumps,
2. to catch the ball from the Flyball box while executing a 4-paw swimmer’s turn off the box, and
3. to return to you with the ball, back over the 4 jumps.

Our training program is grounded in positive reinforcement techniques, relying heavily on the use of treats OR toys that your individual dog finds the most rewarding.  Our main goals in training are to keep it fun for you and your dog, while using the best tools and techniques to keep your dog making noticeable progress, each and every week.

OUR TOURNAMENT - January 2016

We will be hosting our TOGA PARTY tournament on January 9 & 10, 2016, in SALEM! (same location as the annual Muddy Paws tournament)

RV PARKING ON-SITE
 Dry camping only (no hook-ups), $15/night, gravel parking lot. Pay Animal House when you check in.

HOTEL INFO
Room Rates include a complimentary hot breakfast.
When making reservations, call the local front desk (numbers listed below), and be sure to let them know you are with the Animal House Flyball Club Toga Party Tournament in order to get the rates listed here.

Comfort Suites, 630 Hawthorne Ave SE, Salem, OR (503-585-9705)
$105 + $15 pet fee per room for Dbl/Dbl and King (up to 20 rooms)

Days Inn Black Bear, 1600 Motor Court NE, Salem, OR (503-581-1559)
$69+tax for King or $79+tax for Dbl/Dbl $10 pet fee per night (up to 20 rooms)

Phoenix Inn and Suites, 4370 Commercial St. SE, Salem, OR (503-588-9220)
$89+tax for King or $99+tax for Dbl/Dbl $22 pet fee per room (up to 20 rooms) 

Shilo Inn and Suites, 3304 Market St. NE, Salem, OR (503-581-4001)
$85+tax for King or Dbl/Dbl with a $75 refundable pet deposit (up to 20 rooms)

TEAM PRACTICE

Animal House team practices are held every Thursday night at 6:30pm at My Dogs Gym in Salem, Oregon.  Non-members with experienced Flyball Dogs are welcome to practice with us, as time and space allows.  The drop-in practice fee is $10/night.

For beginners, new dog classes are held at 5:30pm on Thursday nights.  Please see our CLASSES page for more information.

My Dogs Gym address is:

1337 Madison St. NE, Salem, OR 97301

For more information, or if you’d like to visit one of our practices or join us for an evening, please contact Mary Lou at dandyrat@comcast.net.

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

Upon graduation from our new dog CLASS and with permission from the Animal House Board of Directors, a handler can become a member of Animal House Flyball Club. Contact Patty at allkees@comcast.net for more information.

MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS

*A Fun, Flexible, and Forgiving Attitude: Animal House members are kind, patient, and respectful of one another—we’re here to have fun with our dogs, which means we have to get along with each other.

*A Commitment to Excellence (but not to Stress): We work hard, and our practices are structured and organized so that each dog and handler team is ready to put their best paws forward at tournaments and other events. Solid preparation allows us to relax and have fun!

*Annual Fee of $36: This helps to cover the club’s insurance and equipment costs, and is due on June 15th each year. The first year fee will be pro-rated ($3 per month) for those who join Animal House after July 1st. (Note: annual fee may change as insurance rates and/or membership numbers change.)

*Membership Agreement Form:  Members are also required to sign an Animal House Membership Agreement.  For a copy of the form, contact Patty at allkees@comcast.net.

*NAFA CRN: This is a Competition Racing Number from the North American Flyball Association. Each dog must have a CRN prior to being able to compete in a NAFA tournament. The CRN is a one-time expense per dog, and can be purchased here.

*Animal House T-Shirts: At tournaments, team members wear our team t-shirts. Cost per shirt is usually around $15, and it’s a good idea to plan to buy 2 shirts (one for each day of a tournament.) T-Shirts are ordered as needed to meet the needs of new members. (Hoodies and other AH gear may be available, but are not required.)