Page 256 - ShowSight - July 2019

Owner Handler Q & A
my dog, my grooming and my presentation must always be better to be noticed. I am thrilled to say we have bred five Best In Show dogs all owner/handled.
I would like to think that my years of dedication as a breeder/ owner/handler would give me an advantage by having the best mov- ing, best structure and best handled dog in the ring. I always show in the Bred-By Exhibitor class with my young dogs. I hope it makes a statement that I bred this KBT and am very proud to be on the end of the lead.
Where do I whelp pups and determine optimal breeding time? Determining optimal breeding time can be done with an experienced male who can tell when she is ready to breed or by testing. My girls tend to be predictable with regular cycles and are ready to breed between days 12-18. However, last year I was gone to a National Spe- cialty and thought I had missed her time but decided to give it a shot on day 21 and got seven puppies. To determine whelping dates charts are available or count 63 days from first day of breeding. Then we take her temp starting a few days before the first due date. When the temp drops into the low 98 degree range we know first stage labor will be starting in the next 24 hours. Our puppies are whelped on a special table my husband built designed to make it much easier on our backs, hips and legs. It is set up now in our great room as I am writing this since we have puppies due anytime sired by Xaiver, our most successful home-bred boy. He is MBIS MRBIS MBISS Can GCH Am GCHG Krisma’s Xman First Class, also the top dog all breed in Canada 2018.
At what age do I place show or pet pups? Puppies are handled, watched, desensitized, socialized, trained and evaluated from the day they are born. It is interesting to see how soon personalities emerge but I try to hold off on seriously evaluating structure until the 8-9 week time. They change so rapidly that I don’t want to fall in love with the wrong one. We are always looking for that puppy that car- ries itself with such presence you can’t take your eye off of him or her. Puppies begin to leave from ten weeks on. Some stay longer for vari- ous reasons especially when I just can’t make up my mind right away. I have been very fortunate to have the best possible people contact me for our puppies. Interviewing and matching up potential owners with the right puppy for lifelong success is one of the most difficult parts of being a breeder.
Has local legislation affected my ability to own, breed and raise good dogs? Yes, Iowans have been battling unrealistic legislation each year since 2010. It is hard to keep up with everything that comes up each year. However, I am not doing this to mass produce but am focused on breeding the best Kerry Blue Terriers I can for great com- panions, performance and success in the show ring so that future gen- erations can still enjoy this magnificent breed. I am required to have a state license and we are inspected yearly. As an in-home kennel I have restrictions on the number of breeding dogs I can keep. We have a large room in our home dedicated to our Kerry’s housing, grooming and care with lots of yard space. One comment made by an inspector was that if all dogs were raised like ours, she would be out of a job.
Which mentor gave me the most valuable advice? Three amazing women have been responsible for guiding me from the beginning and are still encouraging me today. Jana Deaton didn’t have a litter when I first contacted her but helped me locate my first Kerry from Terry Worful. Jana spent endless hours over the years teaching me to groom, show and breed. Over the years this relationship turned into a suc- cessful breeding partnership. Virginia Harding came into my life as Jana was retiring but was a long time breeder/owner/handler as well. Both of these women knew the pedigrees and bloodlines all across the USA and Europe. They also had practical valuable experience in horses which was a natural transition to applying that knowledge to raising and showing dogs. Dana Lynch breeds English Springers but we became friends when she spotted one of my KBT’s at a show and simply wanted a beautiful Kerry to love. She is one of the most knowl- edgeable breeders that I know. These women have a vast amount of
information and are so giving and willing to share everything they know with anyone willing to listen and learn. What I learned from them I try to pass on to every new owner that is interested whether a they are buying a companion puppy or a show potential puppy with great big dreams.
I was the ultimate “newbie” and soaked up everything I could. I grew up on a dairy farm where having a dog was for the purpose of moving cows and they knew the job they were expected to do. Even though Kerry Blue Terriers were bred to be a working farm dog there is so much to know about this breed. Without these mentors and their continued dedication to the breed I would not have been able to contribute what I have to date to this breed. My advice to anyone especially in a breed that requires expert grooming and show prep to find the best breeder and mentors that you can, get involved in breed and specialty clubs and soak up everything you can. Remember that if it is worth doing it is worth the effort it takes long term to get there.
I would encourage a discussion on the need for everyone in this sport to change the way we think about ourselves and work together to protect our rights to breed, raise and show our chosen purebred dogs in our local communities. Our rights to do so are being attacked in every state across this nation. That is a topic for another article. For today just be the person your dog thinks you are!
COLLENE HAMM
My place of residence is 481 Sunday Rd., Lenhartsville, Penn- sylvania. I own and operate Collene Crafts & Flowers in Kutztown, Pennsylvania for the last 33 years.
When I was 14 my father brought home a male Keeshond that we named Smoky, this is when the love of the breed started for me. I had met a women named Emma Jean who was breeding Collies and Keeshond dogs at the time. She helping me learn the breed and how to welp a litter at the age of 19. I waited two years to find my second bitch. I could not figure out why it was so hard to find this amazing breed. I had later learned people wanted them to be kept a secret.
When I started showing Keeshonden it was a very much own- er handled breed. So we knew the dogs were pretty much winning who deserved it. Over the years more people started hiring handlers which now was taking some of the wins from the dogs who deserved it because some judges were looking at who was on the other end of the lead. Adding the owner handler was a great idea for the many of us who enjoy showing their own dogs.
I do feel owner handlers have an advantage to winning to a point, because of the bond with their dogs. However , over the past few years I have watched some judges go to the book to see who the handlers are and make sure they get the breed win and give the owner handlers select or best of winners. This is not all judges. Many still pick the dog. We as owner handlers started to keep track of those judges and will not show to them again.
What’s more important to me, an all-breed win or a specialty win? All breed wins are important to me! A specialty win is much harder to get and when I get them it’s and amazing feeling knowing you whelped that litter, chose your puppy, taught it, groomed it and then took it in the ring yourself and won the points. It’s a feeling of pride that is indescribable.
If you’re a breeder/owner/handler, are your wins that much more special? Being a Keeshond breeder of 34 years showing that puppy to a championship is an amazing feeling, winning the AKC medallions are also very special that we are awarded for finishing our dog to it AKC championship in the bred by class. Anyone can by a show puppy and hire a handler to show a dog. But it also makes you think, did that dog win because of who was showing it or did it really deserve to take the breed? Many times we walk away from the ring knowing the answer. But this is all part of the dog show world.
250 • ShowSight Magazine, July 2019