Cindy Vogels – A Remarkable Life in Dogs

by Joan Harrigan

Cindy Vogels grew up in Rockville Centre, Long Island with parents divided on the subject of dogs—her mother loved them, and her father did not. Jackie Gottlieb prevailed, and the family had acquired a backyard-bred poodle bitch when Vogels was very young. “When she passed away, I was in junior high, and my father agreed that we could get another dog,”

Vogels recalls Eugene Gottlieb had conditions, however; the dog had to be medium-sized and non-shedding. And, he added, “For heaven’s sake, if you are getting a dog, get a decent one this time!”

A remarkable career in dogs for mother and daughter all began with an ad in the Sunday New York Times. In the 1960s, the sports section of the Sunday Times contained a treasure trove of classified ads for pets. There were ads for every breed imaginable—the perfect place for a teenaged “dog-crazy” girl to dream about a new addition to her family.

Vogels found a puppy ad for a breed that sounded perfect—Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers. Jackie Gottlieb agreed, and they purchased their first Wheaten. Most families don’t im- mediately begin showing their pet, but “this was 1968; Wheatens were a Miscellaneous breed, and everyone was encouraged to show,” Vogels recalls. Miscellaneous classes in those days were huge—in addition to the appealing Wheatens, Akitas, Shih Tzu, Bichon Frises, and Cavaliers were all working toward full AKC recognition.

Jackie Gottlieb made it her mission to gain full recognition for the breed she quickly came to love. “A diligent group of breeders who were and still are friends all worked together,” Vogels says. The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier gained full AKC recognition in 1973, and Jackie Gottlieb was instrumental in its success. In fact, she’s known as “Grandma Wheaten.”

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Posted by Alex on Aug 14 2017. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.