Page 248 - ShowSight - September 2019
P. 248

                Terrier Q & A
Andrea Bradford continued
at about 18 inches, and I am seeing too many that have edged into 20 plus inches at the shoulder. There are so many coats that show up in Irish, it can be difficult sometimes to find the right hard, bro- ken, waterproof coat—especially in the show ring where the jacket is frequently groomed too tightly to assess texture. Also, the breed should have a wedge shaped head with a very strong underjaw. As with many breeds these days, shoulder assembly to give appropriate balance, reach and drive is a challenge for breeders.
I have had many mentors over the years in many breeds and have learned valuable things from all of them. Probably the most valuable thing I have learned, that was also the most difficult to internalize, is that everyone has a different opinion/way of seeing things and none of them is more or less valid than anyone else’s. Thank goodness we do not all agree or we would lose all of our genetic diversity.
What terriers of the past have impressed me the most? There have been so many great ones! It is just impossible to narrow it down to a few. And many of the ones I considered great were not the big winners of their time.
For Terriers specifically, I think it is important for judges, breed- ers and handlers to review Standards frequently and be sure to adhere to the Standard as closely as possible, especially with regard to structure (front structure and balance in particular), which is an important element of type.
The most humorous thing I’ve ever witnessed at a dog show? Years ago at a show that was held on a holiday (Easter I think), a handler named Carroll James took a slinky Dachshund that was dressed for the occasion into the Hound Group. It was so much fun! Everyone clapped and laughed as he went around, then the judge “excused” the dog! There used to be more of those kinds of “pranks” that were not punished and just added to the good time at the dog show.
CAREY & TIM FAYRAM
We live south of San Jose, California at base of a coastal redwood forest surrounded by vineyards. A great place to raise dogs and ride ponies. We have been in dogs for 30 years but very active in the last ten years.
At what age do we pick a show prospect? We try to identify show prospects at about 12 weeks. It is a work- in-progress for us. And yes we have made mistakes.
How do we choose a Stud Dog? We consider all of the above to be important. We never make decisions alone and we always seek outside expert opinions.
How do we place our pups? We receive inquiries from a number of sources, primarily from our breed club the USLTC. We are about to launch a website.
Is a win at a Specialty more important to us than a win at an all-breed show? We place high value on wins with judges that are considered Terrier experts, be it at a Specialty show or an All-breed show.
Are there any overall trends in our breed that should be addressed before they get out of hand? The number of Lakeland Terrier litters per year is dropping over time. This is concerning.
Who was our mentor? Taffe and Bill McFadden. It’s such a priv- ilege to be working with them. We have learned so much from them about how to evaluate show prospects and good sportsmanship.
We strive to breed and show the very best examples of a Lakeland Terrier dog or bitch per the breed standard.
What terriers of the past have impressed us the most? The most striking Lakeland Terrier in our opinion was Jo-Ni’s Red Baron of Crofton. He was the top dog in country and was Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club show in 1976.
It is a tremendous honor to be showing the current No. 1 Lake- land Terrier and No. 7 Top 10 Terrier in the USA with Team Ike. We are having such a great time!
The most humorous thing we’ve ever witnessed at a dog show? At the annual Woofstock shows in Vallejo, California in early June. The costumes of the Judges are hilarious!
JOHN GARAHAN
I live in Clinton New Jersey. I’ve been showing Kerry Blues for 21 years and used them on the farm in Ireland before that.
At what age do I pick a show prospect? I pick show prospects at 14-16 weeks. I’ve made a number of mistakes; you cannot tell move- ment at such an early age.
How do I choose a Stud Dog? I choose by 75% Genotype and 25% phenotype.
How do I place my pups? AKC Marketplace and word of mouth. The only difficulty is finding show homes.
Is a win at a Specialty more important to me than a win at an all-breed show? Yes, absolutely. The specialty is the top of the game. Everyone comes out and it is a showcase. People remember who won Montgomery County, not who finished second.
Are there any overall trends in my breed that should be addressed before they get out of hand? People are not breeding our dogs for what their role was in the past. Breeders are breeding for the general public.
Who was my mentor? Carol and Bill Kearney from Yorktown Heights, New York. Carol taught us attention to detail, always be at your best and take nothing for granted.
What terriers of the past have impressed me the most? Torum’s Scarf Michael. The number one Kerry of all time.
We need to continue to be more international and bring in other genotypes. Also, our judges must be more consistent in what they are putting up. A dog can look pretty, but is his conformation fit for purpose.
The most humorous thing I’ve ever witnessed at a dog show? The handler who got stuck on a PortoJohn toilet and was yelling for someone to help her because she was going to miss her breed time. She also could not reach the door to unlock it. Was she embar- rassed? No, just angry she missed her ring time.
THERESA GOIFFON
I live in Northwestern, Wisconsin. I’ve been in dogs my entire life, in one way or another, however, we start- ed showing and breeding Australian Terriers almost 14 years ago. My youngest daughter, Ellie, at the age of eight was watching Westmin- ster and said she wanted to show dogs too. Together we researched breeds and discov- ered the Australian Terrier. Her dream became a reality when she showed her own
bred by bitch, GCH Dunham Lake Touched by an Angel “Gab- by” at Westminster in 2015, winning a Select under Judge Jerry
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