“Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance."
~ Samuel Johnson

I write this message during winter solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year.  But the good news of winter solstice is that despite the immediate impending cold, snow and ice of deep winter, surely spring is on its way.  From now until June, the days will be lengthening, and we can look forward to coming out of winter rather than going into winter.

With the short days of winter, it is difficult even in the south, to find time to train outdoors without supplementary lighting, and for those of us in the northern climes, it may be impossible due to extreme weather conditions.  Remember though, that the 2010 National is REALLY just around the corner!  Even with limited daylight, there is no reason not to continue to train.  This is a great time of year to work on small pieces of obedience or tracking work that don’t require large areas to work like straight fronts, fast and correct finishes, finding heel position from anywhere, back up, quarter turns, speak, out, articles and the like.  

If conformation is your bag, then work on free stacking and baiting.  Teach your dog to place her feet exactly where you want them on her own, instead of you having to place them. Work in front of a mirror so that you can see what you dog looks like when free stacking, and improve your presentation skills as you and your dog have fun with catching bait.

With less time invested in traveling and outdoor training time, perhaps winter would be a good time to explore how you might use your talents to help your club.  As always, we continue to need volunteers to assist with the website, with FOCUS, with manual rewrites, word processing, artwork and logos, special projects and so forth.  Why not step forward during our 20th anniversary year, and help lay the foundation for the next 20 years?  Pick up the phone and call me (919) 556-4643, or email me, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , and I’m sure we can find a job that will fit your talents!

Whatever you choose to enjoy during the winter months, take some time to plan your trip to the UDC Nationals April 24 – May 1, 2010, in Newburgh, New York. It promises to be a great time, with many opportunities to learn and network with other Doberman owners who share a passion for the Total Doberman. Visit the Nationals website http://2010udcnationals.com/index.html for more information.  I hope to see you in New York!

Yours for Team Doberman,

Leslie Carpenter
President 
December 21, 2009

There is no "I" in TEAM

It's amazing what we can accomplish when we're not worried about who gets the credit.  In every organization there are individuals who work behind the scenes on a day-to-day basis.  They rarely receive credit for their efforts on behalf of the club and our breed, but our organization could not function without them!

A big thanks goes to Valerie Brideau for the monumental undertaking of moving the UDC website to its new format.  Within the new website you will still see links to information containing the old look.  We plan to gradually change those applications over to the new version as time and money allows. 

Enjoy! 

Yours for Team Doberman,

Leslie Carpenter
UDC President