Page 246 - ShowSight - September 2019

Terrier Q & A
Sue Bachman & Theresa Schreeder continued
Who was our mentor? Carolyn Erickson and Roland Taub. They taught us how to evaluate a dog.
What terriers of the past have impressed us the most? Crest- wood’s Crakerjack and Benayr Reckless.
The most humorous thing we’ve ever witnessed at a dog show? While in the breed ring, a gopher came out a hole and was walking in the grass and none of the dogs ever saw it.
ANNE BARLOW
I live in the greater Austin, Texas area. I bought my first Airedale in 1980 and went to our first show in 1981. The first person to come up to me at that little show in Texas and introduce himself was Ric Chashoudian.
At what age do I pick a show prospect? I know who I’m going to hang onto by eight weeks—with the hope that teeth and testicles are still okay at a later date. But picking a show prospect is a process, not a one time/one date decision. I clipper my pups with a 10 blade at five weeks (due to advice many years ago from Ric Chashoudian, which has proven to be invaluable) and begin watching them on the ground. Hours and hours are spent just watching them with their littermates in their play yards. I do start teaching them to stack on the table then, too. But have never picked a pup just from how it looks standing on the table. The one that keeps catching my eye among its littermates is usually my pick and he or she would, of course, also look good standing on the table.
How do I choose a Stud Dog? Both phenotype and genotype— depends on what I think the bitch needs.
How do I place my pups? I find homes several ways. I have a Facebook page for my kennel, I’m on the breeder referral list for the Airedale Terrier Club of America and advertise in the AKC Mar- ketplace. Finding good homes for an Airedale is fairly easy. I have a detailed puppy questionnaire that has to be filled out and returned before I’ll speak to a prospective buyer.
Is a win at a Specialty more important to me than a win at an all- breed show? Depends on the Specialty and which all breed show we are talking about. But generally a Specialty win is more important to me than winning the breed at an all breed—unless it’s Devon or Hatboro!
Are there any overall trends in my breed that should be addressed before they get out of hand? The Airedale is a square breed—not a rectangular one. Too many rectangles are rewarded, especially at the breed level. This has gone on long enough that now many breeders find it acceptable and judges, too. Several top winning dogs over the past 20 years have not been square and now we see it all the time. I am not immune from having several bitches who are not square enough for my liking, so I am guilty of showing less than square ones, too. But in my opinion, the silhouette of the breed is a defining point of breed type for me and when it is wrong you have lost an essential piece of breed type.
Who was my mentor? I didn’t have one in Airedales but general dog show mentors included Henry McGill who handled my first girl, Ric Chashoudian and Margo Klingler.
What terriers of the past have impressed me the most? Gosh there are so many! Trying to name them here will result in me leav- ing important ones out! But a few that come to mind are Mick the Kerry, Max the Airedale, Toodles the Parson, Tux the Smooth and Splenda the Airedale.
The most humorous thing I’ve ever witnessed at a dog show? I was judging at the January shows in Portland one year. Bill McFad- den put his Norwich specials dog on the table, I approached the dog from the front and he flipped off the side of the table to my right. I somehow managed to dive and catch him before he hit the ground. It all happened in a split second, Bill and I definitely laughed about that.
JANET BARTHOLOMEW
I live in Reeds, Missouri and I have been in dogs for 48 years.
Picking a puppy is a slow process. I start at eight, 12 and 16 weeks. I check show personality at six to 12 months. Of course, I have made many mistakes. I have had a lot of experience and getting pretty good now.
Picking a stud dog takes time. I use both Phenotype and Geno- type for the stud and the bitch that is to be bred.
I place my puppies very carefully. I interview the people and love to place one in a former owner home of a Scottish Terrier and former owners of my puppies.
My favorite wins are from good judges that know my breed. It is all about the judge.
Bergit Coady Kabel has been my mentor for years. Grooming, handling and conformation. She is still working with me.
We are starting to get incorrect eyes and shorter heads. The dogs are starting to get too big. Our fronts are improving and now we must work on rears. Bad behavior should never be allowed.
CH Dunbars Democrat of Sandoone has been my favorite Scot- tish Terrier. I had the honor of owning his litter sister CH Sandoone Miss Patches.
Breeders should leave their mothers with the puppies as long as possible. Those mothers will correct the puppies and make better personalities. However, the mother must have a good personality.
The funniest thing at a dog show: Fred Young was judging, I was a beginner and I got all mixed up in the ring. Mr. Young went and sat down, he said, “When you decide what you are doing, I will start judging.”
ANDREA BRADFORD
I live in a small town called Ball Ground, Georgia, just north- west of Atlanta. I bought my first AKC registered Samoyed in 1978, though I did have pure bred dogs known then as Eskimo Spitz prior to that. Started showing soon after getting my Sammy and have been involved ever since. My first Terriers were Smooth Fox Terriers in 1990, then Staffy Bulls in 1992 and now have had Irish Terriers since 2017.
At what age do I pick a show prospect? For me, choosing a show prospect is dependent on the breed. I could generally choose a Sam- my very early on, but the Terriers and Hounds change so much! Terriers around eight weeks, Beagles/Foxhounds closer to 12 weeks, IGs I like to look at the litter around five weeks and again around eight weeks.
How do I choose a Stud Dog? A combination of Phenotype and Genotype, and a review of what the dog has produced to date (if anything), combined with that “gut instinct”—and not just mine, I do look for the opinions of breeders who have years of experi- ence and produce the things I am looking for out of the breeding. I generally do not find a dogs show record is in any way indicative of what he will produce.
How do I place my pups? At this point in my life I do not breed, whelp and raise puppies myself. I feel I cannot give a whole litter enough attention and will not ask my husband to put up with the whole process any longer. I do work with a couple of breeders with whom I co-own dogs, and they are very careful about finding the right homes, which sometimes does make it difficult.
Is a win at a Specialty more important tome than a win at an all-breed show? Depends on the competition. A win at a big spe- cialty with lots of competition would be very exciting, but not more important than a win in the same kind of competition at an all- breed show.
Are there any overall trends in my breed that should be addressed before they get out of hand? For the Irish Terriers, size is getting to be a problem. This should be a breed you can carry out of the field,
244 • ShowSight Magazine, SepteMber 2019