From the archives of The Canine Chronicle

By Trisha Murphy-Horman, Sharrah Afghans, est. 1971

“Vun more time a-vound da ring!”, Judge Dr. Gerda Kennedy commanded in her native Austrian tongue.

As she twirled her long pointer finger, only brave, hard-bodied individuals dutifully ran around her ring. They hoped for a coveted win, usually with bragging rights, from the great Dr. Kennedy. Though her ring etiquette was taxing, there was a sincere acceptance for the unskilled exhibitor with a superior dog. Young, old, male, and female were charmed by her, because she had the ‘it factor.’ While exhibitors loved her, kennel clubs suffered because she was thorough and overshot time constraints. It hurt her marketability, but made the win more special. Gerda was impeccably dressed, usually in a white suit that never soiled. I imagine if she took a mountain hike dressed like that, she would return fresh and spotless. Amazing. The stately woman stood proud and uniquely different from other breeders, owner-handlers, and judges. As she judged in adverse conditions, even howling winds and driving rain left her untouched, like a biblical character parting the sea. She nary had a hair flip out of place. What was that magic spray? When judging, she had a critical eye for dogs in general, but she is gone. Dr. Kennedy survived a massive stroke January 17, but lost the battle on February 2, 2013 at the age of 93.

Born in Rohitsch Sauerbrunn, Austria  on September 25, 1919, Gerda came to the U.S. in 1948, escaping the devastation of war. She became a naturalized citizen in 1958. She did not practice medicine in the U.S, and in 1960 married Bill Kennedy, of Kennedy Engineering. In 2001, she had a heart valve replacement, and then sold the ranch in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, the birthplace of Shangrila Afghans. She moved to an independent living facility in Edmond, Oklahoma. She is survived by her daughter, Irene McPheron, of Edmond, Oklahoma and son, Louis Shaffer of Victor, New York. Her grandchildren are Aaron Hillhouse and Christa Hillhouse and Matthew Dean Shaffer and great-grandchildren are Ryan Hillhouse, Brandon Hillhouse, and Victoria Shaffer.

Shangrila Afghans, established in the ‘60s, was revered as one of the TOP places to purchase an Afghan. The name in the movie and place in the Himalayas were as magical as the fountain-of-youth connotation, but in reality the range was close in proximity to where Afghans originated. The Shangrila name was as mystifying as the private, stoic Gerda Kennedy, who rarely granted interviews. Her line was comprised of Akaba Afghans, from Lois Boardman, and Scheherezade Afghans, from Lt. Col. Wally Pede. Gerda added Swedish blood from Cynthia Guzevich’s Joh-Cyn line.

In addition to Afghans, Gerda also added Borzoi and Lipizzan horses. Per daughter, Irene, “Mother did buy two Lipizzan mares from Austria around 1970. They were both older mares that were bred in Vienna and then shipped to mother. However, only one of the mares had a foal and mother named him “His Majesty”. The two Lipizzan mares both did have the original “royal crest” which did prove that they were both from original Lipizzan stock from Austria. I have all paperwork – the horses are long gone now.”

As a breeder-owner-handler, Gerda achieved 13 Best In Shows on extreme mover, Ch. Shangrila Pharahna Phaedra, whelped in 1967. The exotic black and silver bitch, with long silk coat, held the title of #1 Afghan bitch of all time for many years. When she retired in ’72, she amassed 4 Specialty wins (there were less specialties then), 49 Group 1s, 21 group placements with 80 breed wins. Group 1s comprised 61% of her wins, and 76% were total Group placements. Phaedra was out of Am. Ch. Sandhihi Joh-Cyn Taija Baba x Ch. Shangrila Pharahna Cleopatra.

It was hard to deny Gerda and Phaedra. They were perfection. Deafening silence dominated as Gerda effortlessly lead Phaedra around the BIS ring. When the bitch hit her stride and went into double suspension, it typified pure kinetic balance. She floated and spent more time in the air than on the ground; it was machine-like and powerful. People jerked back awestruck. One time, Phaedra pulled Gerda off the mat and gaited to middle of the ring then hopped up on the BIS podium and self-stacked; she then panned the lowly humans. The crowd applauded, hooted and cheered with approval. Yes, she won that one, too. I was honored to sign the back of that 13th BIS rosette, and it was her last. It became a “freeze-frame” moment and started in motion my direction in Afghans.

I witnessed Gerda’s command, “Phaedra wee-wee”, and voila! The sweet thing looked up devotedly at Gerda then went on the single paper towel sheet. Phaedra would go on a bumper, if so directed. With a short 2 year campaign, Phaedra retired at age 5. Then Gerda’s quest started to breed her stunning girl. Much time was spent flying back and forth from Oklahoma to Illinois, my home state, where reproduction specialists worked diligently with Dr. Kennedy. Ultimately, Phaedra produced a small litter of 2 bitches and 1 male. They were not the best quality. As Gerda said, “Sometimes the genes are not kind, dah-ling.” It was then she began to discuss her struggles climbing to the top. It was as though she became liberated talking about it. She was a woman breeder-owner-handler in a man’s world and helped break the mold for women to follow.

Though Gerda had many Shangrila champions, her other heart tug was elegant and rangy, highly marked black and tan, Ch. Shangrila Pharaoh Gandharra (Ch. Sasha of Scheherezade x Ch. Akaba’s Royal Gold). I walked him at the same show as Phaedra’s last BIS in Michigan. Those were amazing times in the kingdom with Phaedra and Gandharra.  Gerda commanded the utmost in respect, and her entourages eagerly complied.

In the mid-70s, Gerda stopped exhibiting and breeding to judge because she had a strong belief regarding conflict of interest. Though many people today do both, the clean break was non-negotiable for Gerda. Since collecting semen was non-existent, she did not preserve Shangrila’s lineage. That’s when she began her mantra about gene pool. Certain actions and reasons for operating as she did molded my direction in Afghans even more.

Elegance in the ‘70s from Shangrila Afghans was unique. It was called “the look” and it was undeniable. My first Ch. Afghan, Ch. Shangrila Pharaoh Kauravya, won an art contest because of that LOOK. The award was an original 24 x 36” Virginia Szekula that resides on my ‘wall of fame’. Shangrila’s elegance and Gerda’s dedication to line breeding and gene pool I cannot stress enough, and I will come back to it. Type and movement were also vital. Blending these elements, as a breeder, along with Gerda’s exceptional grooming and exhibiting skills, as well as later when she transitioned into the judging realm, put her on the map forever. The combination of the aforementioned solidified my path.

Gene pool: Gerda repeated over the decades, “pick a line and stick with it.” No, she beat me over the head with it! She emphasized that was the ONLY way to preserve the Afghan Breed and stressed establishing a line, growing a gene pool and, more importantly, maintaining it. The maintenance aspect separated the true breeder from the chaff, she insisted. She claimed those who bred to a dog linked to their dog more than 3 generations kidded themselves. The gene pool had to “march forward” with each generation. She believed in two line breedings, (one in-breeding could be one of the two), the third should be an outcross with a dog that possessed a portion of the line. I call it ‘outcross light.’ That was Gerda’s ‘secret sauce’ for a gene pool. My first Afghan, Ch. Kauravya (yes, one of “the look” dogs), was out of Shangrila Pharaoh Kama (a Ch. Gandharra son) x Ch. Shangrila Pharahna Uvasa (a full Ch. Gandharra sister), and it was a tight line breeding. Whether one liked Shangrila dogs or not, most serious breeders appreciated Gerda’s efforts as an art form. But, she had acreage and few constraints; therefore, she had many dogs to develop a gene pool.

In her later years, we discussed the decline in Afghans. When she exhibited, 16 dogs were needed for 1 point, now it is 2. As a judge, she experienced people bringing many dogs from a kennel to create majors to finish inadequate stock. When she took those 80 Breeds with Phaedra, she consistently defeated 50-100 dogs (in ’72 it took over 71 males and 70 bitches for a 5-point Major).  Still, she pressed me to stay the course and educate.

While some judges today appreciate standard-sized, square, level-topped, deep-chested, open moving dogs, others award over-standard, slab-sided ones with poor front assemblies, high withers and bad toplines. Gerda felt it was the breeder’s responsibility first, but the judge must know a given breed well to excuse and educate where necessary. It should not be about assignments, but the dogs, but the trend has changed. Gerda had judge friends who refused to play the proverbial game then suffered with additional assignments. Those that participated gained power, income, and more judging invites. Gerda claimed judges were indirectly encouraged, by the AKC and/or reps, to put up the handlers. At first I did not believe her, but upon investigation, I believed it to be true. She felt it was harder than ever for a breeder-owner-handler (like me) to get in the Top 10 and maintain that status. Gerda had a strong opinion that dog shows are no longer about the dogs, but about the numbers and money. She was frustrated by such “shenanigans” and said it destroyed what the AKC once stood for – to work in the best interest of purebred dogs.

I talked with Gerda at Christmas and was ready to call her after the Chicago International. I was excited to tell her about my exciting special (84 crosses to her famed, Ch. Gandharra). In 3 outings, he started out the year with 2 more Group placements (total of 9), and was in the Top 10. Those 2 recent Group placements were from iconic Afghan judges as well. She respected both of those individuals, but repeatedly over the past 10 years stated one, “was a hard nut to crack.” Well, I did it! Gerda, was full of delight when I called… maybe longing for those days with Phaedra.

We also discussed dancing in Austria (she was a Waltz princess in Vienna), her safari, breeding, showing, raising kids, art, music, and vitamins. Yowza! She liked those vitamins!  Claimed she had the mind of a 60 year-old, so she tried to sell them to everyone. Regardless, like an attentive student, I took notes, and that’s why I have the information for this tribute. She would repeat stories she embellished and I never stopped her. I chuckled; she was a character.

After 42 years in Afghans and 8 Sharrah generations, having the first confirmed case of Parvo in the Midwest (yes, I am the one who started the fund and campaign and raised over $1 million for Cornell), then becoming the “Logansport Girl” (yes, again, and after that assault, judges must sign their books before handing out ribbons), going through challenges with Gerda early on, and communicating with her consistently in the past decade, will remain special. Though Dr. Kennedy was not a Parent Club member, Afghans and the dog world lost a grand lady and a tower of strength; the aura around her memory lingers.

Go around the ring, Gerda… one last time.

Taken from the archives of The Canine Chronicle Read more at: August 2012

By Amy Fernandez

Named as AKC’s Hound Breeder of the Year in 2007, Stanley D. Petter, Jr. is celebrated for importing and breeding quality Greyhounds under the Hewly prefix. But outside of the dog fancy, he is acknowledged as one of the world’s most astute bloodstock agents. “I grew up showing saddle horses and recently someone asked me if I would do it over again.” Without hesitation he says, “I would do the horses in a minute. But, after seeing the sport at its zenith, I would not get into dogs today.”

Petter’s involvement in Greyhounds began in the early 1950s. His peers and mentors included some of the dog world’s immortal names. First among these were the amazing women of Andelys, Barbara Fallass and her daughter Susan Mason. Petter met them at his first GCA specialty. Although Susan Mason was at the top of the game and he was a rank novice, their shared appreciation for quality animals led to an immediate friendship. “Susie and I often talked about how important it was to understand horses in order to understand dogs. That is where you really get into the basics of form and function.” And he happily confesses that, “I was horse crazy when I hatched, and I have been horse crazy ever since.”

Born and raised in Paducah, Kentucky, Petter learned dogs and livestock breeding from his father and grandfather. At age six, his grandfather surprised him with his first horse. “He didn’t believe in ponies. He brought home this old gray work mare.” He had to climb up her leg to get on, but he had a horse. At age 11, he was upgraded to his first really nice horse. “He was sent to Helen Crabtree, the country’s best equitation trainer for Saddlebreds. She saw to it that I learned to ride him.” He began riding competitively and horses became the center of his social world and convenient transportation during the war years. “As I got older and wanted to go to town, I couldn’t drive because of gas rationing. So I rode my horse.” Petter fondly recalls riding all over western Kentucky with groups of friends. “In those days, no one worried about us, not until we started dating. Then my mother worried plenty.”

At 18, Petter became an English major at the University of Virginia. He spent his spare time foxhunting and capitalizing on his horse sense “buying hunters, slicking them up and selling them at a profit.” But he admits that he was totally out of his depth when it came to Greyhounds. “My first one was a track dog, which I received as a gift. I dragged that around the shows for a while.” Through the grapevine, he heard about a beautiful bitch, available for the freight charges from Chicago. This turned out to be Canyon Crest Coronation, bred by Margaret Bagshaw.

Bagshaw’s start in Greyhounds came in 1941 when Percy Roberts sold her Ch. Giralda’s White Knight. Imported by Geraldine Dodge in 1938, he was sired by Am. Eng. Ch. King of Trevarth out of Parcancady Girlie. Bagshaw also utilized Mardormere, Foxden and Montpelier stock, which traced back to the same rock solid Cornwall bloodlines. Petter says this was typical of most breeding programs. “There were very few dogs available back then. AKC registered about 60 Greyhounds per year. No one shipped bitches for breeding. Stud dogs were completely regional.” And British imports were the cornerstone of American Greyhound development. In 1953 Bagshaw’s import Ch. Viverdon Staffarella whelped a bitch puppy named in honor of Queen Elizabeth’s coronation that year.

Petter admits that the deal sounded too good to be true. “Cory had been sold to Dr. Ralph A. Logan, a very well-heeled Chicagoan.” Logan was ahead of his time, indulging himself by randomly purchasing top show dogs and leaving their care to kennel managers and professional handlers. Cory, reportedly, didn’t get along with Logan’s kennelman. So, $34 dollars later she was in a freight car headed for Virginia. “I was there at the train station at 2:00 AM, anxious to see my shiny new dog. She arrived in a big box, not a proper dog crate. I opened the door and she shot out of there and was gone.” Petter dashed outside to find a cop sitting idly in his car. “I jumped in and told him to chase her.” (Imagine the fate of the average citizen who impulsively jumped into a police car today). “He was bored and happy to have something do.” Petter and the officer eventually cornered her between two buildings. “This would have been a very different story if he hadn’t been parked there.

Read more at: August 2012

]]> https://caninechronicle.com/current-articles/i-was-there-for-the-golden-years-stanley-d-petter-jr/feed/ 0 https://caninechronicle.com/uncategorized/in-memoriam-isabell-j-stoffers/ https://caninechronicle.com/uncategorized/in-memoriam-isabell-j-stoffers/#comments Sat, 31 Aug 2013 15:19:31 +0000 subschron http://caninechronicle.com/?p=30691 204 – August, 2013

Isabell Stoffers started in dogs in the 1940s with a Doberman. She bought her first Whippet in the ‘60s and started her line of “Runners” Whippets. She was always proud to say that her Whippets competed in Conformation, Obedience, ARM Racing, Lure Coursing, Open Field Coursing, Agility, and Junior Showmanship. She was best-known for her homebred Am./Mex. Ch. Runner’s Our Own Charisma, ROM aka “Carrie,” and Am./Mex./Can. Ch. Runner’s He’s The Continental, ROMX, “Tally.” Both were top winning show dogs and great producers. “Carrie”, to this day, holds the distinction of having won the largest Best in Show ever by a Whippet in the USA (1974). And “Tally” was a Best In Show winner in three countries.

There are numerous Whippet breeders who started with a “Runners” Whippet from Isabell. Isabell was always happy to help a newcomer, whether it was giving encouragement, advice or even and always the honest truth. Her stud dogs were only available to bitches that she felt would produce nicely.

Isabell started her judging career in the ‘70s. She was licensed to judge Hounds, Toys, Non-Sporting, and Dobermans (her first love). She was a very popular and respected judge. She is one of the very few judges to ever judge the Whippet National twice.  She was also very popular internationally, having judged in 13 countries.

She is survived by six children (yes 6) and 9 grandchildren. Her daughter, Christy Nelson, will carry on the “Runner’s” tradition.

Photo to left with Isabell and daughter, Christy Nelson, also includes Charisma and Continental to the right and three Continental kids to the left.

text and illustrations by Ria Hörter

Courtesy Dr. Francisco Gonzalez, Uruguay

The head shows several molossian characteristics: a powerful muzzle slightly shorter than the skull; broad nose; and powerful jaws.

The FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale), the World Canine Organization, includes 86 member countries and contract partners (one member per country). Each issues its own pedigrees and trains its own judges. The FCI ensures that the pedigrees and judges are mutually recognized by all FCI members.

Recognition of a breed by the FCI means that in almost every European country, that breed can be awarded FCI championship prizes. The Cimarrón Uruguayo (Uruguayan Cimarron) was provisionally accepted by the FCI in February 2006.

PAMPAS

The Oriental Republic of Uruguay, a country of approximately 175,000 square kilometers, is situated in the southeastern part of South America. Uruguay has about 3.5 million inhabitants of whom 1.8 million live in the capital, Montevideo. An estimated 88 percent of the population is of European origin.

A large part of the country is covered with grass – the pampas, a large flat plain with some small bushes and few trees, that is suitable for livestock breeding. Uruguay had its own cowboys, the gauchos, nomadic horsemen who lived on the pampas while hunting wild cattle.

Most Uruguayans are descended from Spanish – especially Basque – and Italian conquerors and settlers. Before European colonization, the only documented inhabitants were the Charrúa people, a small nomadic tribe living along the Rio de la Plata as hunters and fishermen.

CATTLE

The Spanish discovered the territory of present-day Uruguay in 1516, but native resistance to conquest limited settlement in the region during the 16th and 17th centuries.

Because the area lacked gold and silver, the Spanish began to introduce cattle in 1603, to become a source of wealth in the region. And, where there is cattle, dogs are needed. During the 17th century, horses, cattle and dogs were imported to Uruguay from Europe.

CIVIL WAR AND A MILITARY COUP

In 1811, José Gervasio Artigas launched a successful revolt against Spain, defeating Spanish forces on May 18 at the Battle of Las Piedras. In 1814, he formed the Liga Federal (Federal League) of which he was declared Protector. We will meet Artigas – Uruguay’s national hero – later, in the history of the Cimarrón Uruguayo.

Other names of the Cimarrón Uruguayo

• Cimarron Creole
• Cimarron Dog
• Maroon Dog
• Cerro Largo Dog
• Uruguayan Gaucho Dog
• Perro Cimarron

CIMARRON = WILD OR FERAL

“Cimarrón” is a Spanish word used in many applications; for example, it’s the name of a mountain chain in Colorado, villages in New Mexico and Kansas, and a brand of French jeans. The English translation of Cimarrón – “wild, untamed or undomesticated” – is a clue to the breed’s early history: Cimarrón Uruguayo means “untamed in Uruguay.” In Uruguay, the word cimarrón is used for anything wild as opposed to domestic.

SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE CONQUERORS

“Las Meninas” – The family of King Felipe IV of Spain. Painting (1656) by Velasquez, Museo del Prado, Madrid. This type of mastiff is one of the forerunners of the Cimarrón Uruguayo.

About the history of the Uruguayan Cimarrón, the FCI standard states: “The origin of the CIMARRÓN Uruguayo is uncertain. It is known to be descended from the dogs introduced by the Spanish and Portuguese conquerors.

“These dogs left in the country crossed among themselves. Natural selection had as a result that only the fitter, the stronger and more clever individuals survived. This is how the Cimarrón was born.

“The inhabitants of the time, recognizing the value of these dogs, domesticated them and progressively began to use them successfully as guards of their estates and as herding dogs in their daily work with cattle.”

The FCI uses the word “uncertain” in describing the breed’s early history. “Uncertain” also applies to the origin of many other types of dogs taken from Europe to the colonies in South America from the 15th to 18th century. They were cross-bred and their history was seldom documented. However, we know what these types of dogs looked like, thanks to paintings and other old depictions.

It is assumed that the “old Spanish presa” and other Spanish and Italian molossian types were the forerunners of the Cimarrón Uruguayo. Some writers assert that the molossian types were crossbred (in Uruguay?) with sighthounds to achieve more speed and versatility, but I did not find any evidence to support this claim.

In South America and elsewhere, European dogs were developed into new breeds that showed a remarkable similarity. Think, for example, of the Dogo Argentino in Argentina, the Dogo Canario on the Canary Islands, the Cão Fila de São Miguel on the Azores, and the Fila Brasileiro in Brazil. Each has old molossian and/or old mastiff blood in its veins. Sometimes the similarity is striking, even after more than five centuries and separated by thousands of miles.

SEMI-WILD

In Uruguay, many of the domesticated animals, including the dogs, brought by Europeans during colonization, were set free and became more or less feral. Although there is no written history, we can be certain that the Cimarrón Uruguayo comes from crossings among the dogs brought in by Spanish, Portuguese and Italian conquerors and colonists. Only the strongest survived and, thanks to natural selection, developed into a strong and intelligent dog.

Unfortunately, their numbers became too large to be sustained and they began attacking livestock and even humans. As a result, thousands of dogs were killed at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century when the government paid a bounty for each dog killed; a jaw or an ear was provided as evidence.

It is said that large numbers of bitches and their puppies escaped to the woods along the Olimar River, to the Sierra de Otazo and the Cerro Largo (hence the name Cerro Largo Dog), a region bordering Brazil. Recognizing them as good cattle drivers and guard dogs, local rangers started to breed these dogs, keeping the puppies that showed the same qualities as their parents. Gauchos used the dogs with their cattle, but they also proved to be useful for hunting big game and as guard dogs. Thanks to these rangers and gauchos, Uruguay now boasts a national breed with a number of working qualities.

NATIONAL RECOGNITION

Cimarróns Uruguayo at a Uruguayan Kennel Club dog show in 1989.

In 1969, the Cimarrón was entered at a Uruguayan Kennel Club dog show for the first time. Twenty years later, in 1989, the breed got its national recognition by the Asociación Rural del Uruguay and by the Kennel Club Uruguayo (KCU, founded in 1938).

A breeders club – la Asociación de Criadores de Cimarrones Uruguayos – was founded and wrote the first breed standard in cooperation with the KCU, which maintains the studbook. The number of registered Cimarróns in Uruguay is now about 2,000. Outside Uruguay, the breed is present in Brazil, Argentina, the United States, and in some European countries, such as Sweden and the Czech Republic.

In the 1980s, the breed became popular in cities, especially in Montevideo. Breeders and the University of Montevideo signed an agreement and genetic studies have been undertaken by the College of Veterinary Medicine. Information about the genetic studies can be found on the Internet. Cimarrón breeders are now united in the Sociedad de Criadores de Cimmarón Uruguayo – website: www.sccu.com.uy

JOSE ARTIGAS

Cimarrón fanciers like to quote the Uruguayan national hero and freedom fighter José Gervasio Artigas (1764-1850), who fought for independence from Spain. At a time of need, when many soldiers were losing their lives, Artigas wrote to General Carlos Federico Lecor, “When I run out of soldiers, I will fight with the Cimarrón dogs.” This phrase has come to stand for independence and loyalty.

Judging the breed in its native country Photo courtesy of Dr. Francisco Gonzalez

The Cimarrón is now a national symbol in Uruguay, was honored with a stamp issued in 1995, and is currently the mascot of the National Army of Uruguay, taking pride of place in the annual Constitution Day parade on July 18. On this occasion, a soldier of the Artigas Blandengues Regiment (honor guard and escort to the president) is accompanied by a Cimarrón Uruguayo.

The connection between José Artigas and the Cinmarrón goes further: in 2007, the fourth Cimarrón dog show was held in the old headquarters building of the Blandengues Corps once led by (then-Captain) Artigas.

BREED STANDARD

As far as I know, there is no special book about the Cimarrón, but a prominent writer and composer in Uruguay, Pedro Martins Marins (“Duca”) – wrote a booklet about the breed: Los Cimarrones en el Uruguay – Monografia del Perro. It contains only 12 pages and is on offer on the Internet for $200!

Apart from being a cattle driver and guard dog, the Cimarrón is a hunting dog on big game – especially wild boar – and companion dog.

The breed’s FCI standard states that the Cimarrón Uruguayo is a “medium-sized dog of molossian type; strong, compact, with good bones; well muscled and agile.” Its temperament is “balanced, intelligent and of great courage.”

The height at the withers is the same as the height at the croup. The topline is level or slightly saddle-backed, loins are slightly arched. A typical male from Uruguay. Photographer unknown

There are some important proportions: the height at the withers is equal to the height at the croup; and the height to the elbow is the same as from elbow to withers. The muzzle is only slightly shorter than the skull, measured from occiput to stop. The skull is wider than long, the stop is moderate.

The head shows several molossian characteristics: a powerful muzzle slightly shorter than the skull; a broad nose; and strong, powerful jaws with complete scissor bite. The medium, almond-shaped eyes have an inquisitive expression, the color any shade of brown and in accordance with the coat color.

The medium-sized, triangular drop ears are not held close to the cheeks. They may be cropped round in shape, looking like puma ears, but not more than half their length. The neck is strong, not too long, and well-muscled.

The topline is level or slightly saddle-backed; the loins are slightly arched. The chest is broad, deep, well-developed, reaching at least to the elbow. The ribs are well-sprung and the forechest well-defined. The Cimarrón’s tail is thick and medium-set, reaching to the hock, and carried horizontally or slightly upward in motion.

MOVEMENT, COAT AND SIZE

The forequarters and hindquarters are straight and parallel, the shoulderblade well laid back. Elbows turn neither in nor out. Forearms are strong-boned, the hindquarters well-muscled and powerful. The stifles are well-angulated; the oval front feet and hind cat feet have strong pads. Movement is effortless, with good reach and drive, single tracking with increased speed.

The thick, supple skin is covered with short, smooth hair growing close to the body. There is an undercoat. Coat color is brindle or all shades of fawn, with or without a mask. Fawns may have black shadings. White marks are allowed on the underjaw, lower part of the neck, forechest, abdomen and lower part of the legs.

The Cimarrón weighs between 35 and 40 kilograms (77 to 88 pounds). The height at the withers is 58 to 61 centimeters (23 to 24 inches) for dogs (two-centimeters [3/4-inch] tolerance), and 55 to 58 centimeters (22 to 23 inches) for bitches (two-centimeters [3/4-inch] tolerance).

Lips excessively pendulous at the corners; excessive dewlap; too-prominent cheeks; and two missing first premolars are regarded as faults. White markings with the exception of those mentioned above; clear departure from the important proportions; absence of sexual dimorphism; and size under or over the stipulated height (including the tolerance) are severe faults. Eliminating faults are aggression or over-shyness; long hair; any color not mentioned; undershot or overshot jaw; and clear lack of type.

The Cimarrón Uruguayo has no breed club in the United States.

Attempts were made to find the names of the photographers. Unfortunately we did not succeed in all cases. If you think you have copyrights on photos, please contact the author.

By Debra Lampert-Rudman

“Although we may be able to extend their life span by improving their nutrition, breeding, and care, it’s almost certain that dogs will never live as long as we do. Yet, across this bittersweet divide, which separates us so finally from them, we reach out – again and again and again”

– Ted Kerasote

For more than five years, Ted Kerasote was on a mission; traveling the world questioning leading experts: geneticists, veterinarians, dog breeders, pet food manufacturers, and others, seeking answers to the question all of us have asked after losing a beloved dog: “Why do they die so young.”

Many answers are detailed in his latest book, Pukka’s Promise: The Quest for Longer-Lived Dogs including diet, environmental conditions, and vaccinations; however, according to Kerasote, a large part of the solution rests with dog breeders, particularly show dog breeders, and judges.

Kerasote, best-selling author of the memoir Merle’s Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog, cited as possibly, “…the best book ever written about dogs,” by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, author of The Hidden Life of Dogs and a “must read” by Temple Grandin, began his quest after his beloved Merle’s passing at the age of 14 from brain cancer, a passing which Ted lovingly describes in heartrending detail, along with the extended hospice care he gave Merle at home.

Meeting Merle: 20 Years Ago

Ted, a passionate outdoorsman and award-winning author, found Merle – or more accurately, Merle picked Ted – while on a rafting trip with friends along the banks of the San Juan River in 1991. Merle, a Golden-red “houndy Lab” with some Golden Retriever mixed in, had inquisitive brows and loved “singing”. The two connected instantly and Merle, used to surviving on his own, exposed Ted to new ideas of life with dogs: dogs as peers. Without expecting to find him, Merle was the dog Ted unconsciously needed: one who would thrive as an independent, athletic, and intelligent dog in their small Wyoming village. The “door” in the title was the dog door installed in Ted’s home through which Merle – and his friends – conducted their lives with, and separate, from Ted and their owners. Readers of Merle’s Door were introduced to life in and around Kelly, Wyoming, as seen through Merle’s eyes. Ted and Merle hunted for their food together, skied and climbed towering mountains together, rafted together, and traveled the world developing a deep bond.

Pukka’s Promise carries readers back to the glorious mountaintops, waterways, and wildlife of northwestern Wyoming with Ted, the lively, free-roaming Pukka, a now 4-year old, intact male: the pup after, and reminiscent of, Merle; and both their canine and human friends. Pukka, like Merle, learns to “leave it” when otters call him to swim; how to break trail for perfect skiing; and is Kelly’s Deputy Mayor of sorts, visiting folks in and around the village on a daily route, always returning home to Ted for dinner, hikes, and other sporting adventures.

The book’s detailed and highly-researched chapters focus largely on factors people can control when selecting and raising a dog including: purebred vs. mixed-breed, training, exercise, healthy toys and chews, the ethics of diet and nutrition, vaccinations and health care, health testing, environmental toxins, the spay/neuter question and other options including maintaining an intact dog and tubal ligation, as well as an extensive resource chapter and notes.

Breeders and Judges Hold Keys to Longer-Lived Dogs

In a recent phone interview, Ted described his initial search for his pup, one that included visiting a diverse number of shelters and breeders and weighing the pro’s and con’s of purebred vs. mixed breed. Knowing he wanted a Labrador retriever with the houndy attributes of Merle, he visited many breeders.

“In the book I was clear that you should go to a reputable breeder – you should visit the kennel where the dog is bred,” Kerasote said. “I did not go to a show breeder because I had no desire to have a show dog. I wanted a working dog, all about function and for many breeds that is no longer the case.”

Pukka is descended from Labrador Retrievers for 30 generations; Ted analyzed Pukka’s pedigree and coefficient of inbreeding before purchasing him. He also visited the breeder’s home several times, meeting both the sire and dam, and encourages readers to do the same when looking for a pet.

Pukka is purebred Labrador, “but as I tried to point out in the book, back in the early part of the century, Lab breeders were looking for new blood…so breeders of labs started bringing foxhounds into the breed. I believe that there are these houndy labs like Pukka, like Merle, who still have hound-like traits from a century ago… I think many of our Labrador retrievers, especially our field labs, do have some of those leftover houndy genes in them.”

In Pukka’s Promise Ted writes, “After speaking with many breeders in both North America and Europe, I began to develop a theory. I noticed that a considerable number of breeders involved in the show world share two characteristics: a strong competitive drive to win blue ribbons and a love of how a dog looks instead of how it performs. I suspect that it is these two qualities that begin to take some breeders down a slippery slope, one dog at a time, overriding first caution, then common sense, and finally compassion.

“…I met breeders and breed standards that simply create unhealthy dogs,” Kerasote said. “How can you look at some modern (dogs) and say that that Standard is creating a healthy dog?”

Kerasote remarked that in the years spent researching his book, he repeatedly, “ran up against breeders who were erring on the side of the dog who looked a certain way but who could no longer perform as members of the breed performed half a century ago.”

He said he also ran into judges who would look at the breed standard and then award blue ribbons to, “dogs who, in the casual observer’s eye, did not meet that breed standard at all. “

Kerasote went on to say that there are lots of breeders who are not like the above but, “we wouldn’t be in the straits we’re in with dog health if the show world hadn’t gone too far in the direction of form rather than function.”

“Judging Seems to be the Problem”

The “most impressive person” Kerasote met in his travels and research was the United Kennel Club President Wayne Cavanaugh. According to Kerasote, Wayne Cavanaugh believes that judging seems to be the problem with dog health.

“That’s where he pins the blame,” Kerasote said. “Wayne Cavanaugh gives Judges seminars every few weeks trying to walk judges through the historic breed standard and the breed standard as it now exists…instead of always erring on the side of the dog that has a little bit more of an exaggerated feature, for example a Bassett Hound whose belly drags on the earth.”

In the book, Kerasote points out that Wayne Cavanaugh started with reforming the German Shepherd standard. “He basically said that German Shepherds with low slung back ends will no longer win in UKC events. He’s calling that the UKC’s moral duty to the canine world.”

In conversations with AKC representatives, Kerasote said he found that AKC claims the breed clubs own the standards. When asked if he believed that breed clubs, rather than a registering body, would be most knowledgeable about their own breed’s health, form and function, he said not much is happening in some breed clubs.

“The Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian and the British Kennel Club have taken the bull by the horns and said, ‘You breed clubs are not being proactive enough for the health of dogs,” Kerasote added.

According to Kerasote, the Swedish Kennel Club began proactive measures in the mid-1970s requiring breed clubs to devise healthier breed standards to produce healthier dogs, or risk their breed not being eligible for registration.

“As far as I can tell, the AKC is not being the most pro-active kennel club in the world right now,” Kerasote said. “The AKC has many good things going for it, but it isn’t leading the way for its breed clubs and encouraging them to produce healthier dogs.”

Ted believes there are a tremendous amount of good breeders putting their hearts and souls into it. “But they aren’t doing enough to get all the bad breeders and the slack-off breed clubs in line to produce healthier, longer-lived dogs,” he stated. “Good breeders should work through the AKC encouraging their clubs to be more pro-active voices in producing healthier dogs for everyone.”

Shelters and Rendering Plants: Bearing Witness

Before finding Pukka, Kerasote visited shelters throughout the country searching for a “houndy lab” like Merle. Several of the most moving passages in the book revolve around Kerasote’s visits to shelters and rendering plants where deceased shelter dogs are disposed.

“My goal in this book was to be comprehensive and rigorous – to cover all the factors that are generally noted as affecting the canine life span and not to offer secondhand reporting about it – but to go and see for myself – to bear witness,” Kerasote said.

Sitting outside a building at a large shelter, Kerasote “waited for the animal control officers to lead the condemned dogs across the compound.” He watched as healthy dogs and later cats considered unadoptable for various reasons were brought into a “killing room” for lethal injections.

“We hear all the time, ‘Well, 1.5 million healthy dogs are euthanized in our shelters.’ People talk about dogs being ‘put down’, ‘destroyed’ is the British word, but very few of us have actually seen that happen. I thought it imperative that I bear witness to what is going on every day in our shelters and make people aware of it so that people could no longer use the world ‘euthanize’ (which comes from the Greek and literally means ‘the good death’) for healthy dogs being killed.”

The book also describes promising programs in which poor, Southern shelters are working together to ship healthy dogs to shelters in other parts of the country where they have greater chances of being adopted.

When describing improved nutrition and diet for healthier dogs, the book includes a great deal of information, including a chapter entitled, “Should a Wolf Eat Corn?”, on corn, corn products, and rendered ingredients found in dog food.

“Rendered products are used ubiquitously, and someone needed to speak to this issue of dogs and cats being killed in shelters and then being rendered with a firsthand eye witness report. There’s been so much misinformation and hyperbole around the issue of rendering – I wanted to lay it to rest once and for all and tell it as truthfully as I could about how rendered products go into pet foods.”

Kerasote feels it is very easy for the public to dismiss what goes on in overcrowded shelters, and what goes into our dog’s food, with euphemisms. “Someone has to portray what is happening here and that is what I did.”

A Pukka Blueprint

According to a note at the front of the book, the word “pukka” comes from the Hindi and means “genuine” or “first-class”. In our society, most dogs can’t live a “freethinking” life; most of us don’t hunt for our, or our dog’s, food; and most of us don’t eat, or feed our dogs, a completely organic, natural diet; and, most unfortunately, overcrowded shelters won’t magically find homes for every dog in their charge, however, Ted Kerasote presents a comprehensive blueprint for future generations of healthy, longer-lived dogs while sharing his own joys in raising a healthy, vibrant Pukka.

About The Author

Debi Lampert-Rudman is a Freelance Writer, a Ceramic Artist represented by The William Secord Gallery, and breeds and shows Parti-Color Cocker Spaniels under the Topaz Cockers prefix. A member of the American Spaniel Club, Cocker Spaniel Club of New Jersey, and Board Member, Match Show and Publicity Chair of the Morris & Essex Kennel Club; Debi lives in Pennington, New Jersey with 5 cocker spaniels and her husband, Richard. She can be reached at bonbritany@aol.com

text and illustrations by Ria Hörter

The FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale), the World Canine Organization, includes 86 member countries and contract partners (one member per country). Each issues its own pedigrees and trains its own judges. The FCI ensures that the pedigrees and judges are mutually recognized by all FCI members.

Recognition of a breed by the FCI means that in almost every European country, that breed can be awarded FCI championship prizes. One of the newly recognized breeds is the: RUSSKIY?TOY  Russian Toy (Terrier)

Russkiy Toy – Russian Toy (Terrier)

This photo of SeUCh, FiUCh Ooo Save The Planet I´m A Polo Bear. Kennel Ooo, www.oooriginal.com is a good example of the breed. The ears are big, thin, set high and erect. This is a male’s head.

The FCI uses the name Russian or Russkiy Toy Pycchh Toh-Teplep). The word “terrier” was dropped, since it was felt that the breed is solely a companion dog. The Russkiy Toy is classified in Group 9 (Companion and Toy dogs), Section 9 (Continental Toy Spaniels and Russian Toys). The original valid standard was published in 2006.

Black-and-Tan Terrier

In 16th- and 17th-century England, terriers were considered a separate group of dogs with a number of similar characteristics. Their development took place in rather isolated areas of Great Britain and, at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, their general appearance reflected the work they were bred for and their environment.

Evidence of English terriers living in Russia is preserved in the Zoological Museum of St. Petersburg. In its collection of “Curiosities,” the museum owns a mummified black-and-tan terrier, about 14 inches (35 centimetres) at the withers, that lived from 1716-25. The inscription reads, “Dog of the sleek terrier breed, named Lisetta. Belonged to Peter the Great.” Peter the Great visited Europe and England in 1697-98 and westernized Russia by introducing European and English customs. Likely the Old English Black-and-Tan’s arrival in Russia was part of the general westernization.

Prague Ratter

A dog fancier who doesn’t immediately see the difference between a Russkiy Toy and, for example, an English Toy Terrier or Chihuahua, should not feel ashamed. An English Toy Terrier and a black-and-tan, smooth-haired Russkiy Toy look very much the same. Their size is especially misleading: 8 to 11 inches (20 to 28 centimetres) for the Russkiy Toy, and 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 centimetres) for the English Toy Terrier.

The Prague Ratter (Pražský Krysa?ík), a small terrier in the Czech Republic not yet recognized by the AKC or FCI, is also similar to the Russkiy Toy. It is said that the Prague Ratter has existed since the Middle Ages. I did not find any connection with the Russkiy Toy, but looking at photos and knowing that the Czech Republic was a vassal state of Russia for decades, it’s not difficult to conclude that the Prague terrier might have contributed to the development of a small black-and-tan terrier in Russia (or vice versa).

Communism

The Chihuahua contributed to the development of the longhaired Russkiy Toy. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Before the Russian Revolution in 1917, the English Toy Terrier was a popular breed in late-19th- and early-20th-century Russia, where English dogs and horses were favorites with the elite. Russian aristocratic ladies visited parties and theaters carrying small English Toy Terriers in their arms or in the sleeves of their coats. Eleven Toy terriers were exhibited at a dog show in St. Petersburg in 1907.

Although foreign pedigree dogs were associated with wealth and the aristocracy, which were denounced by communism, two English Toy Terriers and one Manchester Terrier were entered at a show in Moscow in 1923. At the 1924 show in Odessa, three Toy terriers won a medal, but almost 20 years later, in 1947, only one Toy terrier was entered at Leningrad.

Gradually, contacts abroad became sparse and, eventually, most of the dogs had no pedigree. When a small terrier similar to an English Toy Terrier was developed, it was not purebred.

Political Situation

English Toy Terrier, late 19th century, ­by British artist Benedict A. Hyland (1829-92)

One would expect that the recent history of a young breed could be easily retrieved but, in this case, nothing is further from the truth. Because of the political situation at the beginning of the 20th century and the Iron Curtain erected in 1945, there was no free contact between Russia and the West. Descendants of the pure or not-so-pure English Toy Terriers developed in isolation into a more-or-less local breed, the Russkiy Toy.

When contact with the West was re-established, some Russian breeders were shocked. As much as they had tried to preserve this and other breeds, sometimes the differences between the dogs in Russia and those in the West were huge. A pragmatic solution was chosen for the Toy terrier. Descendents of English Toy Terriers bred in Russia were considered a separate breed, and a new national breed was born with the prefix “Russkiy.”

Extra Handicap

The breeding of pedigree dogs experienced a revival during the 1990s thanks to glasnost (openness) and perestroika (reformation). However, Russia’s vast size proved to be a handicap for breeders trying to locate dogs that could contribute to the restoration of the type that had existed before the Second World War. At that time, the Toy terrier was bred predominantly as a small guard dog and companion. Although small of stature, he sticks up for himself when something is wrong. In Russia, the breed’s nickname is “living alarm.”

Isolation

Until the 1990s, the Russkiy Toy was almost unknown outside Russia. Note the big ears and erect tail on this black-and-tan male.

It wasn’t just the purebred English Toy Terriers that disappeared in Russia. Between 1920 and 1950, the number of lookalikes diminished dramatically as well, but in the mid-1950s, Toy terriers started to show an upward trend. Most of the population in the Soviet Union is urban. Small dogs are very suitable as companions in small apartments, and are less expensive to keep than bigger dogs.

Seventy-six Russkiy Toys were entered at a dog show in Moscow in 1960. (Other sources mention about 100 in 1967, also in Moscow.) The dogs came from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg (in the Urals), Novosibirsk (in Siberia) and Alma-Ata (Kazakhstan). They all had a pedigree or at least a piece of paper with information about their origin but, because of their isolated development, there was a substantial difference in appearance. Breeders realized that a standard should be written for their breed.

Smooth-Haired and Long-Haired

Eugenia Zharova with a Chihuahua, the breed she used in her longhaired Russkiy Toy breeding.

The English Toy Terrier (called the Miniature Black-and-Tan Terrier in England prior to 1960) was the ancestor of the Russkiy Toy; however, there are substantial differences between the two breeds.

The Russkiy Toy is long-legged, the English Toy’s legs are proportionate. The Russkiy Toy’s head is small compared to the body, with a clearly pronounced stop. The English Toy’s head is proportionate, long and narrow, with a slight stop. Its ears are candle flame in shape with slightly pointed tips, and placed high on the back of the skull. The Russkiy Toy’s ears are big, thin, set high, and erect.

The eyes are different as well. The English Toy’s are dark to black, relatively small, almond-shaped and not prominent. Russkiy Toy eyes are quite large, rounded, dark, slightly prominent and set well apart, and look straight ahead.

Unlike the English Toy Terrier, the Russkiy Toy has two coat varieties: smooth-haired and longhaired. The English Toy has only one accepted color: black and tan. The Russkiy Toy comes in black and tan, brown and tan, blue and tan, as well as any shade of red, with or without black or brown overlay.

“Spectacular Fringes”

The longhaired variety came about more or less by happenstance.

Of the two coat varieties, the smooth-haired is the oldest; the longhaired variety came about more or less by happenstance. When two smooth-haired Russkiy Toys were bred in 1958 – one with a slightly longer coat than the other and, the story goes, one with no pedigree – the result was Chikki (or Chicky), born on October 12, 1958. As he matured, Chikki developed “spectacular fringes” on his ears, neck and legs. Chikki was bred to Irma, a smooth-haired bitch that had a little more coat than usual. The subsequent litter included three longhaired puppies, thus founding the longhaired variety.

At first, the longhaired were called Moscow Longhaired Toy Terriers or Moscow Miniature Longhaired Terriers; these names are still sometimes used.

The story about Chikki and Irma has several versions. It is, however, indisputable that Chikki became a popular stud dog.

A Remarkable Personality

Yevgueniya (Eugenia) Fominichna Zharova was the Moscow breeder who played such an important role in the development of the longhaired variety. For a while, some fanciers wanted to name this variety the Zhar Terrier after her.

Zharova was a remarkable personality. Born in Irkutsk in 1921, she moved to Leningrad, studied at the Technical University in Helsinki for a short time, as well as music and drama in Moscow, and wrote magazine articles about circus life. In the 1950s, Russian circuses used small dogs in their acts, mainly Pinschers and Chihuahuas, often not purebred.

In 1956, Zharova received two small dogs as a gift from the Moscow Circus. Some writers claim that she used them in her breeding of the longhaired Russkiy Toy, but others deny it.

After 1956, Zharova imported two Chihuahuas that were used at least twice in her breeding program. Today, one can still see Russkiy Toys of a Chihuahua type. Zharova became a show judge and mentored new breeders, and in 1966 helped write the first breed description. She passed away in 1996 and is remembered as being “civilized, smart, stubborn” and “the mother of the longhaired Russkiy Toy.”

Assumptions, Rumors and Recognition

There is little information available about Zharova’s breeding, mainly because her use of other people’s dogs was the subject of assumptions and rumors. After her death, some documentation was passed along by her family to a well-known Moscow kennel, Bravo Zhadar, owned by Irina Polovinkina.

There are still opponents of the longhaired variety because, in their opinion, it resembles the Papillon too much. Was this breed also used by Zharova? Nevertheless, despite criticism and setbacks, 24 longhaired Russkiy Toys were exhibited at a Moscow dog show in June 1964.

The official breed standard was drawn up in 1965-66 – for both varieties – under the auspices of the Russian Ministry of Agriculture. Crossing the two varieties is permitted, so it’s possible to get longhaired and smooth-haired puppies in the same litter. By 1968-69, there were already about 300 of the longhaired variety entered in the Russian studbook – a remarkable number for a breed with small litters. National recognition for both varieties followed in 1981. There have been various revisions to the standard; the most recent dates from July 2006.

International Interest

Apart from Russia, Belarus, Moldavia and the Ukraine, there are now breeders in the Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary, Poland, Germany, the Baltic States, Scandinavia, England, Ireland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada and the U.S.

In 2011, the Russian Toy Club of America (russiantoyclub.org) merged with the Russian Toy Club of USA to work toward AKC recognition of the breed. To this end, the RTCA as well as the Russian Toy Dog Club of America, Inc. (russkiytoyclubofamerica.com) are working with the American Kennel Club’s Foundation Stock Service® (FSS®) to promote the breed and educate the public about the Russkiy Toy. The longhaired Russkiy Toy first arrived in the States in the 1990s; today, there are an estimated 250 in the U.S. Approximately 145 are registered with the AKC FSS®

Although still a rare breed, there were 113 Russkiy Toys at the 2009 World Dog Show in Bratislava – 56 smooth-haired and 47 longhaired.

Something From the Breed Standard

Longhaired black-and-tan Russkiy Toy at the European Dog Show in the Netherlands, 2011 (Photo: Ria Hörter)

The Russkiy Toy faces the same problems as any other new breed, and it’s obvious that there are still huge differences in type. Some resemble Papillons, others Chihuahuas.

Its general appearance is that of a small, square-built, elegant and lively dog, long-legged, with fine bones and lean muscles. In temperament, the breed is active, very cheerful, neither cowardly nor aggressive.

The muzzle is pointed and slightly shorter than the skull. The Russkiy Toy’s eyes are quite large, round, dark, slightly prominent and set well apart. The ears are big, thin, set high and erect. The neck should be long, lean, carried high and slightly arched.

The topline slopes gradually from the withers to the root of the tail; the back is strong and straight. The oval chest is sufficiently deep and not too wide. The tucked-up belly and drawn-up flanks form a nicely curved line from chest to flanks.

In countries were docking is still allowed, the tail is short (two or three vertebrae) and carried high. An undocked tail should be carried as a sickle tail.

A red, smooth-haired Russkiy Toy

Smallest Breed in the World

The long front legs are straight and parallel, the bone thin and fine. Forefeet are strong and oval, the hind feet arched and a bit narrower than the forefeet. The muscles of the upper and lower thighs are lean and developed.

The Russkiy Toy’s movement is easy, straightforward and fast, with no noticeable change in the topline.

The coat is described in detail in the standard, as are the permitted colors. Blue and tan is the rarest color.

Males and females are of the same size: between 8 and 11 inches (20 to 28 centimetres) with a tolerance of one-third inch (one centimeter) either way, and up to 6-1/2 pounds (three kilograms). The Chihuahua is said to be the smallest breed in the world. Russian breeders point out that the Russkiy Toy – when just under eight inches (20 centimetres) at the withers – could claim that title.

Timid behavior, a level bite, semi-erect ears, a low-set tail, and small white spots on the chest and toes are some of the faults. Eliminating faults are aggression or over-shyness, an overshot or pronounced undershot bite, hanging ears, short legs, many bald patches on smooth-haired dogs, and curly hair or absence of ear fringes on longhaired dogs. More than 12 inches (30 centimetres) or less than 7 inches (18 centimeters) at the withers is also an eliminating fault.

The breed is subject to patella luxation and epilepsy. It is said that epilepsy could be an over-reaction to the rabies vaccine.

The breed standard can be found at fci.be. It’s interesting to compare it to that of the Chihuahua.

We have tried to find the names of all photographers. Unfortunately, we did not always succeed. Please send a message to the author (www.riahorter.com) if you think you are the owner of copyright.

By Fran Reisman of Santa Barbara, CA

FR: I have known you both a long time and I’m thrilled for you. I’ve seen you behind the scenes, at the kennel, working very hard. Winning BIS at Crufts couldn’t happen to two more deserving people. I would like you to answer a few questions so that people in the States and around the world get a better look at who you are.

You both started in dogs at very young ages. Were your families involved in our sport?

Gavin: My parents had a GSD and a pet Beagle. I was about 8 when we got our first show beagle, and I then began doing junior handling.

Sara: We got our first show dog when I was 7 which was a Rough Collie. My dad first started to show her, then someone suggested to let me have a go. I don’t think he ever showed again.

FR: What breeds did you both start out with?

Gavin: Beagles mainly but we got our first PBGV in 1984.

Sara: Rough Collies, then at 13 I got my first Smooth Collie.

FR: Who were your mentors ?

Gavin: I had a few but Marion Spavin of the famous Dialynne Beagles gave me sound advice as did Andrew Brace and Marita Rodgers. Marita taught me how to trim.

Sara: Whilst having Smooth Collies there was only one person, Pat Lister of Newarp Smooth Collies; then when I started showing Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers, it was Julie Moyes.

FR: Are you still breeding other breeds or have the PBGVs taken over the kennel?

G&S: We do also have Basset Fauves which we enjoy very much. Similar to the PBGVs, less work on the coat! And I still try to breed a top Miniature Schnauzer!!!

FR: Why PBGVs?

G&S: They are just such a fun breed with so much character. They have gotten completely under my skin. I have been to all corners of the globe to see kennels and certain dogs. Ken Sinclair from the famous Araki Tibetan Terrier kennel persuaded me to concentrate on them more than the Beagles and we have never looked back…really.

FR: You won the group at Crufts 2 years ago. Was that with Jilly?

G&S: Yes. Jilly was attending her 5th ever show when she won her 2nd CC with BOB and then the Hound Group followed by RBIS at the age of 17 months, one of the youngest dogs ever to do that. It’s something we will never forget, it was such a shock. Since then she hasn’t looked back!.

She then went on to be top hound in 2011. She was Group 2 at Crufts and top dog all breeds in 2012, and the top winning PBGV of all time in the UK.

FR: What do you think makes Jilly a “great one”?

G&S: Personally, I think she is beautiful breed type throughout. I love her size, balance and construction, but where she excels above any other PBGV we have had is her style and showmanship. She never let’s you down on the move and has that essential busy, active movement that depicts the true PBGV type.

FR: How many shows was she shown at this past year? For US readers, it probably won’t sound like very many. When Afterglow Woody Woodpecker was in the States, he must have gone to at least 2-3 times as many shows during the year he was up for Top Hound.

G&S: Our system is quite different to the US as we’re a smaller country so there is only 1 show on at any one time, so all top dogs compete against each other on a weekly basis. Jilly last year went to every show except 3, so around 24. They are mainly 3 day shows with an average of 9,000 dogs per show

FR: Would you send a dog to the U.S. again?

G&S: Yes for sure, but we have learned that you need a special type of dog to cope with the travel and amount of shows needed to be a #1 dog or hound. When we sent Woody Woodpecker, he had the correct attitude (and was top hound in the US in 2005!!!)

Ch. Soletrader Donald Duck was a great dog and we personally felt he was extremely unlucky not to have won more top honors. Bill McFadden piloted him to many of his wins and he could cope with weekly shows easily.

Janice Hayes has handled most of our Soletrader dogs in the US for Donna Moore. She is excellent with them and can do the coats well. She took GCh. Soletrader Maggie May to Group 3 at Westminster this year.

Donald now actually lives with Janice which is great; she is keen to be a breeder as well as a handler which is fantastic.

FR: Winning Crufts is thought of as the culmination of a career. You are both very young. Where are you going from here? What are your plans? Gavin, you already judge. What about you, Sara?

G&S: We are both breeders first and foremost, and there is always goals and challenges to be achieved. We have been fortunate to have won the PBGV Nationals 4 times and BOB twice at the Garden. We would love to breed a Westminster group or BIS winner, (but so would most breeders!)

I like many breeds so would never rule out a new challenge in a new breed for us.

We’re coming to Montgomery for the first time this year which will be fun! Maybe I should bring an empty crate?

I really enjoy my judging but would hate for anyone down the years to think that I had not achieved anything in the ring and was just a judge with no background. So I am always keen to produce another star. When I finally hang up my show lead, I would like to think people respected that we bred some quality dogs over the years. We have owned or bred nearly 50 UK champions so far.

I currently judge Hounds and some Sporting and Non-Sporting dogs. It’s a long slow process in the UK but I do enjoy judging, as well as judges education. I only want to judge the breeds I have an interest in so I will never be all breed.

Sara would like to get approved for PBGVs but has no great desire to judge. She loves to show and watch ringside. (it’s a shame as she is a good judge and has an excellent eye for dogs- gr)

FR: Just for fun… where did you two meet? Did you have any idea that one day, not too far down the line, you’d win BIS at Crufts. Was that a dream?

Gavin: We both knew of each other whilst juniors and in our early 20s, I used to think she was posh and too stuck up to speak to me!! But we actually met and got together at a Labrador friend’s birthday party. Now we’ve been together 12 years! (And she isn’t that stuck up now!!!)

We are both competitive and it’s been every man for themselves on occasions when we are in together. Sara is a better handler than me as she is better at baited breeds! But for sure Crufts was high on the wish list for us both.

FR: Do your kids (Sara & Gavin have 2 children – a boy and a girl) ever come to the shows? I know Erin is too young, but does Oliver show signs of wanting to handle the dogs?

G&S: Oliver comes occasionally but with him now being at school it’s a little more difficult. Both of the children love the dogs and they both try and show/train the pups. The one thing with Petits is that they are very full of themselves so can prove to be difficult for someone of 6 to handle; maybe he needs a new breed! He fancies a chihuahua!

FR: Thanks so much for taking the time to answer. I congratulate you again and wish you both many more years having fun in the sport of dogs. And darn, I wish I had been there!!!

Gavin: It really is a dream come true for us both, we thought about it many times and never imagined it would come true. We are truly overwhelmed by the cards, emails, Facebook messages and phone calls since BIS. It was the perfect way for Jilly to retire. Now we look forward to bringing out a Jilly baby in the next 12 months!

Francine Reisman

Santa Barbara, CA

For Light Fare and Fine Art –

New York, NY – Bring your ‘best friend’ to the “Barkfest at Bonhams” for a rare opportunity to socialize with a canine celebrity, view exquisite fine dog art and support the charitable works of the AKC Humane Fund, Inc. on Sunday, February 10, 2013 from 10 am to noon at Bonhams, 580 Madison Avenue, NY, NY.

Meet Reigning AKC/Eukanuba National Champion Wire Fox Terrier GCH AfterAll Painting the Sky, affectionately known as“Sky,” before she and handler Gabriel Rangel prepare for their appearance at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

“Our annual “Barkfest at Bonhams” Charity Brunch: A Celebration of the Dog in Art gives dog lovers a chance to experience beautiful dogs in fine art with their own canine companions by their side while furthering the Humane Fund’s mission to provide education, outreach and grant-making to deserving organizations,” said AKC Humane Fund Chairman and President Dennis Sprung.

Wait ‘til the clouds roll by – William Henry Hamilton Trood

Barkfest at Bonhams is an exclusive preview of Dogs in Show and Field: The Fine Art Sale, held February 13, 2013 atBonhams Auction House. This fun event gives attendees time to enjoy a light brunch while viewing the entire collection featuring a wide range of dog breeds before the auction. Featured works include:

• William Henry Hamilton Trood’s 19^th century piece Wait ‘til the clouds roll by
• John Sargent Noble’s 19^th century work titled The Faithful Servant
• Setters in John Martin Tracy’s Dog Talk
• Thomas Blinks’ terriers in At their master’s call

All proceeds from Barkfest at Bonhams will benefit the AKC Humane Fund, Inc., a 501(c)(3) charity promoting the joy and value of responsible pet ownership through education, outreach and grant-making. Admission to the brunch is a $50 advance donation ($60 at the door) to the AKC Humane Fund. For reservations, contact AKC’s reservation line at 212-696-8306 or reserve your spot online at https://classic.akc.org/humane_fund/donations/index.cfm.

by Kimberly Silva Garrett

What made you decide to become a judge?

I started to judge matches and sweepstakes back in the early ‘80s. I found I enjoyed learning about new breeds and searching through an entry for the one that really pleased me.

Who, if anyone, has influenced your style of judging? 

I have tried to become the kind of judge I wanted to show to. One that possesses breed knowledge, is decisive, is impartial and is kind to both the dogs and their handlers. This is an aspiration that one must continually work towards achieving.

Describe your favorite dog show memory or moment. 

I think my fondest memory was a defining one as it got me hooked for life. I finished my very first home-bred Miniature Schnauzer with two specialty BOB wins, two Group placements and a Group First. What a way to start!

What breed do you feel has the most depth of quality? 

This is a really tough question. I do believe that quality can sometimes be regional in that we have pockets of some really great breeders in specific areas of the country. I also believe that quality in a breed can be cyclical in that a breed may hit a real slump for a period of time. Pugs do jump into my mind though. I typically find ones in the classes that please me and there are currently several really nice champions out.

If you had to pick just one show to judge, which show would it be? 

I really enjoy every show I judge from the prestigious events like Westminster and AKC/Eukanuba to the small 400 dog shows. I learn something new at each and every one of them. This is what keeps it exciting and makes me want to keep doing it. Since the question forces me to make one choice, I would have to say any National Specialty as the quality is always so much higher and it is a real joy to sort through this kind of entry.

In your opinion, what is the best dog you have judged to date and why? 

My first answer is “Mick”, the Kerry Blue Terrier. I remember judging him in the Group at Devon (he won it) and it was electrifying to go over him. Since I know this choice is shared by many, I am also going to name two Schnauzer greats; the first is the Standard Schnauzer, Ch. Charisma Jailhouse Rock, and the second is the Miniature Schnauzer, Ch. Regency Twist of Fate. Both of these dogs were the embodiment of Schnauzer breed type.

What do you enjoy most about judging? 

It’s all good– except for the travel part of it! But this is a small price to pay for the joy of spending time with some really great dogs and great friends. I feel I’ve led a privileged life in the dog fancy and look forward to a lot more of it!