Page 299 - ShowSight - October 2019

Jeanne Nonhof continued
worth of class dogs and bitches. Those were the days when it took 26 bitches for a five point major. A friend was handling my seven month old puppy dog. She had taken Winners Dog with him, bless that judge’s heart. Now we are in for BOB and I have what I think is pretty nice specials bitch. I thought she could possibly take it all since it was a breeder judge and breeder judges tend to lean toward bitches more than the all ‘rounders. Ugh! She wasn’t interested my darling girl. Spent too much time with the dogs at the end of the line. Then she pulled the puppy dog to the center of the ring and I thought, “Good, maybe we are going to get Best of Winners.” She kept working with bitches and the 43 exhibitors in the ring were wondering what she was up to. She pulled a couple of other dogs to the center. It got very quiet in the hall. Total concentration in the ring. I am still working my lovely bitch because you know what they say, “Never, ever give up.”
Then the judge turned around and gave the whole blessed thing to my seven month old puppy dog. The place erupted. I think I reacted very unprofessionally by crying for joy.
That judge was Karen McFarlane, that handler was Carol Hjort, that dog was GCH Moonlighter’s Solitary Man (Manny) who went on to achieve great things in the show ring, weight pull- ing, pack hiking, Agility and sired this year’s top winning NOHS dog, GCh. Delador’s Picture Perfect Bada Bing, Bada Boom (Fonz and Doreen Villasenor), before Manny had to be neutered due to a prostate problem. This sport has so many highs and so many devastating lows.
If you are a breeder and in for the long haul, have bred more than five litters, you will inevitably encounter some problems, whether it be shy dogs, heart problems, weak rears, eye problems, whatever. Dogs can get the same problems people do and then some. I wish todays breeders would study and practice genetics a little more intensely. When you encounter a problem, there are ways to go around that problem. We need true breeders, not mere puppy producers.
HELEN SULLIVAN
I have been breed- ing and showing dogs under the kennel name Skilo Bear Samoyeds since the late 1980s.
I have had the top Samoyed bitch in 2015, a Samoyed male in the top twenty in 2017/2018 and my cur- rent special Annabella has been consistently ranked #3 Sammy Bitch in Breed and #4
in All Breed. All my dogs are obedience trained and have titles in performance events.
I live in Boston, Massachusetts. I am a school psychologist and I have a husband and three children. I like to draw and do photogra- phy in my spare time. Of course, most of my art work is of my dogs.
How does the breed fit into a contemporary household? The Samoyed is a happy go lucky, love everyone type of dog. They love people, kids and other dogs. They easily can fit into any living situ- ation provided they have exercise, i.e. walks, playdates, training classes. They love to do things with their pack. They will become very destructive if ignored i.e. dig, chew, bark, etc.
Does the breed’s eye-catching color and flashy gait give him an edge in Group competition? A Samoyed’s coat has silver tips. Their coats glisten in the sun. So if the handler does not trim the coat or use grooming products, the tips will shine and there will be a halo around the dog. This definitely gives the breed a competitive edge if the groups are held outside on a sunny day.
Has the breed’s popularity fluctuated during my involvement? Samoyeds have recently increased in popularity because people think they are hypoallergenic. I tell people this is not true. I have known people that are allergic to nothing but very allergic to Samo- yeds. I have also known people that are allergic to everything but not allergic to Samoyeds. Allergies are very finicky. I cringe when I get calls from families saying their children have allergies so they want to get a Samoyed because they have heard they are hypoaller- genic. I do not know how this rumor got started.
How do I place my pups? By word of mouth.
At what age do I choose a show prospect? Evaluations start at birth. I am always documenting which puppy does what. I eventu- ally see patterns start to emerge in both movement and attitude. Show puppies need to have confidence and stamina in addition to being structurally sound. At eight weeks, I invite fellow breeders over to evaluate the pups and get their opinion. Seeing puppies for a few hours is good but documenting everything for eight weeks is better.
What clothing color do I favor to complement the breed’s gorgeous coat? Black, black and more black. This is tricky when the dog is starting to blow coat and white hairs can be found most everywhere.
My favorite dog show memory? I have many fabulous dog show memories. I think going to Westminster has to be on top of my list. I love going to New York. I love everything about Westminster, i.e. the hustle and bustle, the lights, the smells, the crowds, the people. It is always an adventure. The pupparazi always make me and my dogs feel special. It seems we also end up on TV for some reason. One year we were on Good Morning America because my dog was named “Brady” after you know who, so they made a big deal about that. It was cool.
Samoyeds are a fun breed to own because they could pretty much do most of the extracurricular activities that are available to dogs today i.e. dock diving, barn hunt, herding, CAT and Fast CAT, nose work, therapy work, etc. They love to work and if trained properly they could do most anything.
Samoyed Q & A
“THE SAMOYED IS A HAPPY GO LUCKY, LOVE EVERYONE TYPE OF DOG. THEY LOVE PEOPLE, KIDS AND OTHER DOGS. They easily can fit into any living situation provided they have exercise, i.e. walks, playdates, training classes.”
ShowSight Magazine, october 2019 • 297