Page 82 - ShowSight - July 2019

ShowSight Interviews: Alan Reznik Visits Ed Thomason
BY ALLAN REZNIK continued
Who were/are some of your most signifi- cant dogs, both in the whelping box and in the show ring?
The best-producing Amstaff we have bred has to be Ch. Alpine’s Jamaica Me Crazy, “Vixen.” Every top dog we have ever produced goes back to her. Other notable sires would be Ch. Alpine’s Rio Grande, GCh. Alpine’s Ring Of Fire and, of course, GCh. Alpine’s Highwayman. Our current special “Pancho” is blazing a path for the breed. In a very short 18 months he has amassed 107 Group wins, 27 Best in Shows and 28 Reserve Best in Shows. As a young dog he was awarded the coveted honor of Best Bred-by-Exhibitor in Show at Mont- gomery County, as well as winning the Bullyganza competition held at the Santa Barbara Kennel Club.
Please comment positively on your breed’s present condition and what trends might bear watching.
All breeds have their ups and downs. I think our breed is in decent shape. I always remind judges, when educating them on our breed, that Amstaffs should have a slightly sloping topline from withers to rump, with a slight fall off at the croup. We DON’T want a “table top” Working dog type topline.
I would also mention that this is not a breed to be raced around the ring at Sporting Dog speed. The Amstaff should keep the same shape on the move that it does standing.
The sport has probably changed a lot since you first began participating. Speaking as both
a breeder-exhibitor and a professional han- dler, what are your thoughts on the state of the fancy and the declining number of breeders? How do we encourage newcomers to join us and remain in the sport?
Being a breeder today is tough. You see the push for people to “rescue” dogs rather than purchase a reliable companion from a reputable breeder. While social media can certainly play a positive role in purebred dogs and our lives, it also seems to encour- age fighting and squabbling among some. So between the fighting and the pressure from various groups it has become difficult to breed dogs and place them. This, in my opinion, has weeded out many breeders so that today, we generally have only the very passionate folks left.
Still, Karen and I have done a good job of using social media to our advantage. We started a Facebook page, “Alpine Amstaffs,” which now has more than 30K followers. We post show wins, fun photos of the dogs and lots of shots of puppies playing. This has brought positive attention not just to our breeding program but also to our breed. We also have a closed Facebook group called “Alpine Amstaffs Family and Friends,” for folks who have purchased a dog from us. We have created a community of people who often share their pet photos with one another. It has also sparked interest among owners of Alpine dogs to do more with their dogs, like Fast CAT events.
If I could give anyone some advice it would be: Be nice to new people and most important, be encouraging to the juniors
who are coming into the sport. I believe we must take a more active role in our local 4-H programs. If we can turn these folks into breeders and supporters of pure- bred dogs, we will start to grow our young base again.
Where do you see your breeding program in the next decade or two?
We have big plans still. Karen and I are very goal oriented. We will continue to strive for correct type, and to produce dogs that are not only competitive in the show ring but in performance events as well. Our dream is to breed and handle a dog that becomes America’s Top Terrier. To the best of our knowledge, this has never been done before in a “bully” breed. We have been blessed to have multiple Top 5 terriers and even hold the ranking of Top Terrier and Top Dog in America for a short period of time. In order to achieve a goal you must do much more than dream. So we will contin- ue to work on our plans to achieve this. We are young and our breed is winning more than it ever has so we are getting close.
Finally, tell us a little about Ed and Karen outside of dogs...your professions, your hobbies.
Karen works at a local vet clinic and loves the outdoors and hiking. She usu- ally does those activities with an Amstaff or two. Besides being a professional handler, I work for Impact Dog Crates. I love cars and car shows. I also enjoy studying the real estate market. But our favorite pastime is to sit on our deck with our close friends and family and enjoy a nice dinner.
76 • ShowSight Magazine, July 2019