Question of the Week

Alice Lawrence

Stafford Springs, Connecticut

We have been showing, breeding and exhibiting our own dogs (and participating in our breed and all-breed clubs at all levels) for nearly 55 years.  I look forward to sitting back to reflect and write about things we have seen and experienced during those years.  

John Savory

Virginia

Well, as I approach my 90th birthday in a few months, it is probably time for me to address this question of “Whither the ancient dog person?”

I am now too old to be an effective judge, being too sensitive to weather conditions and too creaky to get down to ground level and get up again. Keeping my beloved Irish Setters in show condition has become a real challenge since the coat requires bathing at least weekly, and getting a 70-pound redhead into a bathtub is not for the brave hearted 90-year-old.

So, I decided to do something really dumb and contacted an old friend and Rhodesian Ridgeback breeder and asked if he was planning any litters. I did request a reincarnation of his sublime Ridgeback girl Penelope, one of the most beautiful dogs of any breed that I have ever seen. Nothing happened for a couple of months, and then a year ago a couple of photos of Ridgeback puppies appeared in my email messages and resulted in a 10-week-old bundle of energy joining the household of my wife and myself — exactly what two 88-year-olds needed!

The die was cast, and it turned out to be a stroke of genius, not a dumb move. We have a gorgeous young girl named Delia who is a reincarnation of Penelope, and we can keep involved with our fascinating sport but with a manageable coat. Dealing with parking and mobility at the shows is a challenge since accessibility for the handicapped is in short supply at most shows. You all have seen the signs “Parking for Officials and Handicap Parking,” which is always immediately occupied by officials. We have even “had a go” at Fast CAT and are enjoying that dog activity a great deal.

So, 80 years on from when I would take my show rabbits to the local rabbit show at the Swan Hotel in Lancashire, England, I am still involved with All Creatures Great and Small. No small dogs for us. We have a 12-month-old powerhouse weighing 65 pounds who can go from zero to 30 mph in one second. Sorry, but I am not ready to be put out to pasture just yet. I will reassess the situation in a decade’s time.

Angela Stein

Patrick Springs, Virginia

Now I get to sit back and enjoy the fruits of all the work of generations down with others doing the schlepping, enjoying their successes!

Giselle Simonds

Petaluma, California

This question really hits home. My "U" litter is one week old, consisting of a singleton male. After a rough start I really did ask myself why I want to continue. 

I love the breed that I have been involved with since 1987. I find them easy to live with since I have low expectations.

Starting in purebred dogs in 1970, there isn't much that I haven't seen or heard about the competitive aspect involved, from conformation to performance.

I do enjoy judging conformation but feel due to the behind-the-scenes personalities in my breed that assignments would be few and far between. Most people just want to win and don't really want an honest evaluation of their dog.

So to answer your question: I don't know what I will do. I don't want to end up like Sue Grafton and die before I finish the alphabet.

Charlotte McGowan

Newton, Massachusetts

Such a difficult question. Breeding and showing dogs has been such a big part of my life. Such a joy, so many wonderful experiences and so many wonderful friends.

I started in dogs at age 11. But now after multiple surgeries, the pandemic and some broken promises, I have nothing left to breed. And the idea of spending the many hours raising toy litters, the very high current costs of veterinary care at all but a few vets, the public seeming to want rescues, doodles and poos rather than carefully bred purebreds — things are different. I’ve also judged for well over 50 years, but because of the pandemic and a long recovery I feel mostly forgotten. I miss my all-breed club meetings and programs. Now there are no programs, and club meetings have limited social time as they struggle to run shows and pay for them. With so many shows, too many, it is so different.

I would love helping a few more local clubs judging occasionally, but I am well past the days of doing three shows in a row with 175 dogs and two groups a day. At a time when we had a lot fewer shows, I belonged to eight local clubs and a couple of parent clubs and was happy to attend meetings and help. Those days are gone.

To answer the question, if there were fewer shows, more clubs with programs and social functions, and a sense this sport was about breeding dogs, learning about bloodlines, anatomy and type, and preserving breeds instead of collecting ribbons, judges taking tests, checking boxes and sending in money, it would be better. I loved showing dogs. I loved huge entries with lots of breeders showing up. And it would be so nice if newer people called on some of us older people to share breed knowledge. I’d love to judge some specialties in favorite breeds.

Marie Pletsch

Sarasota, Florida

My showing ended due physical health restraints of not being able to groom anymore, but I couldn't let my dogs sit idle. We now participate in rally and obedience. I may start Scent Work soon.

Joan Krumm

Poplar Grove, Illinois

Many years ago, my local dog club needed a member to help with dog-handling classes. It seemed if nobody could or would take them over, they would be canceled. I couldn't let them do that because I needed those classes to socialize and train my pups in a quality setting to prepare them for showing. I had been searching out other clubs in a 50-mile radius and had found several handlers who were willing to help me learn proper skills and competitive ideas for a couple of years, but I realized that nobody was going to take on class responsibility unless I volunteered.

At first there were only four or five of us in the classes, but I kept up the other learning experiences I was participating in and while we all shared our ideas, the handling class became interesting to many more members. When I found another daytime class that some other friends were holding, I added theirs to my collection of show participants of many different breeds. Eventually, after working my pups for a few minutes each, I was asked to go over everybody else's dogs, and with their help and guidance I began to learn about presentation of many breeds and how to help class members improve their presentations.

It was a gradual experience teaching classes into working with children and then juniors. As a public-school teacher, I always loved working with students, and in the daytime classes were several families that home-schooled juniors. I even worked with pre-school children who watched older siblings and grew up into Junior showmanship to become winners as Best Junior Handlers! 

Now, though, my showing days were slowing down mainly because of my physical limitations, and by offering my own well-trained show dogs to them to learn on, I was able to finish a few more Bred-by champions as they took them back into the breed and group rings. As they moved on out of Juniors, some of them accomplished group wins, Westminster acclaims and Best in Show wins.  

I am not showing my own dogs anymore, but I am still seeing more young Junior showmanship hopefuls come along with excellent skills and parents who are supportive and very helpful to continue with classes and guidance to success. Do not be deceived, though: There are many adults who are beginning to want to show their new puppy, purchased from a well-known breeder, and they need and want help to do an excellent job learning the skills needed to adequately finish their hopeful pup. 

Ah, yes, there does come a time [to stop] breeding, training, travel, competition, and hopes for another grand hopeful accompany me to dog shows to participate and visit with old and new friends. Jesus helped me understand that helping others was the way to continue growing in everything we do. I've heard it said, "You can get everything you want if you just help other people get what they want." This entire ride into today's show results by students showing across the land make my golden years very bright, indeed. While I had only wished to have a place to learn how to adequately show my family-raised dogs, I have acquired an entire new vast friendship base into the wonderful world that our purebred dogs have supremely blessed me with in my final years.

Leslie Earl

Davis, California

Performance events, particularly, for me, Scent Work. I’m proud to say that I have the first Pembroke Welsh Corgi to earn AKC’s highest/most challenging Scent Work level of Detective Dog. Plus he has all his Elite titles in all the regular elements as well. Another of my Pem Corgis has all her Elites up to Master, has her Master title and is working on her Master Elite titles. So there is a lot of fun and bonding with each dog in a sport that engages the dog’s brain and body. Plus, while mentally very challenging, it is a bit less physically challenging for both dog and handler than some other sports. And the dogs LOVE it!

Nancy Matthews

Easton, Maryland

Although I have participated in obedience and rally in the past with my show dogs, I enjoy Fetch and Scent Work. 

My dogs visit at facilities: our hospital, assisted living and a reading program in school. As therapy dogs, they bring smiles to many.

Susan Shephard

Deltona, Florida

Ending judging and exhibiting does not mean you're done. There are plenty of critical roles you can play that keeps the sport moving forward. Judges’ education and breeder education are critical. You can work on the show committee. You can find a novice to mentor, and perhaps that moves your breeding program to the next generation. 

Bobbie Wood

Cranford, New Jersey

I bred my last litter in 2012. They are now 13 years old. I kept two girls and they both are grand champions. One is a multiple BISS winner, and one is a NOHS Best in Show winner. One is now acquiring Scent Work titles, and she is one leg from her SWN title, but has her Elite title in Containers. I keep busy on the boards of my national club and a local Lhasa club. I am also on the board of my very active dog-sports club and an all-breed kennel club. I am also president and show chair of another all-breed kennel club. My biggest challenge is trying to remember which Zoom meeting I am attending and that they don’t clash. I love being involved even though I am very old now and can’t do all I want to do physically. I like to steward for local shows but that’s hard for me now as I can’t move well. I think the mind is still pretty sharp, but who knows when that’s going to go. I’ll just keep going and trying to help as much as I can.

Kate McMillan

Delisle, Saskatchewan, Canada

“Right now as we speak, more Internet is being deleted than is being created”— Tech entrepreneur Brian Roemmele

We live in an age of "internet amnesia." The preservation of human memory and wisdom is now nearly exclusively digital, published to websites that can disappear at the click of a mouse or crash of a hard drive.

I currently serve as editor of the American Miniature Schnauzer Club's magazine AMSCOPE, which functions as our breed archive, in continuation of and in tribute to the work of the late and irreplaceable Dan Kiedrowski. As an archival magazine, we publish only in hard copy.

After my breeding and exhibiting years, I would hope that I and others like me will do our part to support the hard-copy publication and preservation of our breed magazines and books by keeping them safe on our bookshelves, waiting to be passed to the next generation when the time is right.

Anne Marie Kubacz

Jackson, New Jersey

Several great ways to stay involved:

1. Join your local kennel club and help at their show.

2.  Contact a chief steward at a show near you and learn how to steward. 

3.  Attend your parent-club national specialty and offer to help.  

Beverly Vics

High Point, North Carolina

I ended my breeding program back in the ’90s but remained active in the sport as a conformation exhibitor until four years ago. I have become very active in performance and companion sports. We are very active in my new passion ... agility: My dog, Dani, and I are now trialing in Masters, seeking our first PACH (Preferred Agility Championship). We also trial in obedience, seeking my first ever CDX (Companion Dog Excellent). We have rally, Scent Work, Fit Dog and CGC titles. Loving the sport, now in another venue but still as active as ever.

Mary Anne Brocious

Milford, Michigan

Continue to work for my all-breed and national clubs. Perhaps smaller things, but continue to be supportive until I cannot contribute. Mentor new people in the breed and perhaps develop a youth program for my all-breed club. As we age out, new members should be encouraged. I will look back fondly on my years in the fancy and recall the wonderful people, places and things that I have had the privilege of being a part of.