Page 294 - ShowSight - October 2019
P. 294

                1. Where do you live? What do you do “outside” of dogs?
2. The Sammy is an extremely active dog. How does he fit into a contemporary household?
3. Does his eye-catching color and flashy gait give him an edge in Group competition?
4. The Sammy is currently ranked by AKC as #59 out of 192. Has his popularity fluctuated during your involvement? Why do you think this is so?
5. How do you place your pups?
6. At what age do you choose a show prospect?
7. We know image is important. What clothing color do you favor to complement his gorgeous white (or more exactly pure white, cream, biscuit, or white and biscuit) coat?
8. What is your favorite dog show memory?
9. Is there anything else you’d like to share about the breed? Please elaborate.
SUE BURRELL
Sue Burrell has been showing Samoyeds since 1985. She has
shown or worked with dogs from five of the seven continents. In the last few years, Sue’s students’ and clients’ dogs have earned more than fifty new titles per year. Her current service dog, Moments of Brilliance av Fannhvit CGCA RN TKP aka “Clever”, is one of the smartest and most willing Samoyeds she’s worked with. Clever isn’t yet two, but she knows about 100 training commands, many of which have multiple meanings. Clever spends her days alerting to Sue’s medical conditions and keeping Sue entertained with fun and games!
I live in Danville, New Hampshire. Outside of the world of dogs, I take care of my three disabled family members. Inside the world of dogs, I handle dogs here and around the world. I also train dogs, specializing in service dogs.
Many of my Samoyeds fit well into family life as they are happy to run in our large fenced in yard and then hang out with us when they aren’t playing. When their energy isn’t sated playing with each other (and us), Samoyeds love games and work! They each have a job that often they give themselves and we recognize. For example, one Sammy wanted to live in the kennel downstairs despite our invites into our living area. He had six different barks that he’d use to tell us if the dogs in the kennel needed water, if a dog wasn’t well, if dogs were getting grumpy or antsy, if the dogs needed to go outside, etc.!
I think the Samoyed’s eye-catching appearance gives him an edge in life. We have traveled the world with our Sams and find that they receive more attention than most other breeds not only in the ring, but out in public anywhere we go.
Has the breed’s popularity fluctuated during my involvement? I think the popularity hasn’t changed too much. Samoyeds are a wonderful breed, but they need a lot of grooming and they are very independent. They bark, dig, and have wanderlust. If you can work with these challenges, they are humorous, friendly, happy, energetic and fun! This balance keeps them in the mid-range on the popular- ity list and is not likely to change.
We place our pups by meeting our puppy buyers early on and having them meet our Samoyed family. We teach them the draw- backs of the Samoyed breed. If they are still interested in a puppy, they complete a puppy application. We raise the litter by spending the first two weeks in the whelping box with dam and pups and by
training every day of their young lives at an age appropriate level. At seven weeks, we perform a Puppy Aptitude Test on neutral ter- ritory. We combine our knowledge of prospective homes and our pups temperaments to make the right match!
We first evaluate for show at three to five days of age. Generally, the puppy we choose at that age is the one we like best at age two. We continue to confirm that evaluation as we watch the puppies grow, being aware that growth stages happen after the first three to five day growth period. We use the Puppy Aptitude Test results to make sure that the pup with the best conformation also has the proper show temperament. For the best show dogs, you need both!
What clothing color do I favor to complement the breed’s coat? I enjoy jewel tones to highlight a beautiful Samoyed in the ring.
My favorite dog show memory? It’s hard to choose one favorite dog show memory. I enjoy campaigning my dogs overseas (client dogs come first for me in the USA). On several occasions, my dogs have been recognized for their quality. They are featured in a book on the Samoyed published in Norway. One of my stud dogs was asked to be used on many bitches in a specialized breeding program in France, and we have been invited to World Shows and specialties by breeders eager to see dogs of our caliber represented at shows in their home countries.
Many people don’t realize what wonderful work Samoyeds can do as service dogs. Many are in tune to their owners and able to monitor their health issues, like sensing low blood sugar or anxi- ety/stress levels. They are large enough to assist with several mobil- ity needs. Yet, unlike many other service animals, Samoyeds are strong-willed enough to work independently of their owners’ com- mands should the owners dissociate or be unable to communicate. They are also friendly enough not to have issues with paramedics if they’re called in to assist the owner with a medical emergency. Samoyeds are great show dogs and versatile companions! I feel lucky every day to love them!
CARRIE COLLIER
I was introduced to the dog show world thru my parents Kathy and Biag- gio Parma who bred and showed Old English Sheep- dogs, their kennel name was BobTail. How appropriate! Also how appropriate is White Magic, as the breed is White and very Magical in my personal opinion. But in 1983 I started my pursuit of happiness with the Samo- yed Breed. I found a won- derful breeder in Virginia who I purchased my foun-
dation bitch from, Kennette Tabor who mentored me and taught me much of what I still practice today! I have published a book “The Best 35 Years Of White Magic” It is 100 pages of over 200 beautiful White Magic Samoyeds that I have proudly produced and or helped show. I look forward to at last getting my judges license as I am overqualified! White Magic Samoyeds is involved with improving the breed for the future and finding new ways of doing research and making this amazing breed better than ever.
THE
SAMOYED
   292 • ShowSight Magazine, october 2019







































































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