10 Questions ...

Profession: Very happily retired RN

Dog-sport involvement: Breed/own/show Boston Terriers and judge 

Hometown: Poway, California

Astrological sign: Capricorn

1. Do you have any dog-show superstitions?

I won’t wear red as an exhibitor.

2. TV-show guilty pleasure?

Any cooking show.

3. If you were president of AKC for one day, what would you do? 

We need to go back to the mission statement supporting purebred dogs — period. Focus on promoting the advantages of owning a purebred dog, maybe by a clever slogan like “Choose your lifestyle — choose your AKC dog to match it — for life!" Having ads on the internet about the advantages of owning a purebred, with any website that involves dogs — food, supplies, etc.  

Americans have a “status symbol”-driven consumer society. Make the dog-owning public proud to have a gold-standard AKC-registered purebred! We could start with making the “papers” beautiful and frameable! (Maybe with a three-generation pedigree and artwork.) Something owners could show off.  

And stop giving titles for anything for which someone pays a fee. Fetch? Really? I’d rather see smaller shows with higher quality where a champion title really means something. 

4. Most valued material possession?

A Ruth Maystead original oil painting of one of my Bullbitches (I couldn’t afford it at the time), gifted to me by all my Bulldog friends, who secretly took up a collection — still makes me tear up …

And a first-edition AKC Stud Book from 1878.

5. What is something no one would guess about you?

In my college years, I hunted deer with bow and arrow.

6. Who would you compare yourself to? 

Can’t think of anyone I’d want to do that to.

7. What are you “famous” for?  

Wouldn’t say famous for, but founded the first licensed Non-Sporting group club in AKC. Does that count?

8. What website do you visit most often?

Amazon and Infodog.

9. What was more memorable, your most satisfying win or disappointing defeat? And what was it?   

Most memorable win(s) was finishing a six-month-old Bullbitch puppy with three five-point majors at a specialty weekend, under breeder-judges (in the Bulldog heyday).

10. What do you wish someone would ask you? 

“May I back your pretty special?”