Page 334 - ShowSight - November 2019

Norwich Terrier Q & A
“FOR ME, THIS BREED IS JUST RIGHT.
They are the perfect combination of energy, tough terrier and just plain lovable. They can do just about anything. I have shown mine in both Agility and Conformation. But, I am sure they’d love to do other things, including lure coursing, nosework and barnhunt.”
Cathy Rogers continued
bitch to start a breeding program, it can be a huge challenge, often with quite a wait. Because of their small size, and happy personality, Norwich are in pretty high demand and short supply. Thanks to a great Breeder Referral page on the NTCA website, usually there isn’t a problem placing puppies.
Is the Norwich the ideal household companion? I think they are! They are ready to go when you are, but if you are ready for a nap, they will curl up next to you and sleep. For me, they are just the perfect combination of spunky and lovable.
What about the breed serves them well in the living room and in the show ring? Their spunky attitude serves a Norwich well in the Terrier ring. And yet, they are able to shift gears pretty easily to being a homebody. By the way, mine do like to hunt. They have rid my lawn of moles, though it looks a bit like a minefield. It is also interesting to see litter mates, patrol the perimeter of the fenced area, one in front and one behind. I don’t know what there is in the longer grass, but something is. They continue to work together to hunt.
At what age do I start to see definite signs of show-worthiness? I have seen “it” as young as five weeks, but also some that mature slowly can fool you and be real sleepers. I usually wait until four or five months for any that have good structure and movement. The heads go through many stages before they reach their adult poten- tial. Patience is a must.
What is it that makes showing dogs all worthwhile? Breeding is not for the faint of heart in this breed either. Watching a litter of puppies develop and choosing one that turns out to be correct, makes it all worthwhile. The terrier ring is not full of breeder owner handlers. A big win in a ring full of professionals is very gratifying for someone who does this as a hobby.
What is the most important thing about the breed for a novice to keep in mind when judging? Norwich are the smallest of the short legged terriers. The length of back and distance from with- ers to ground should be approximately equal. So, they are a not “square”. They must have a happy attitude.
What is my ultimate goal for the breed? That’s an easy one. I hope we can breed healthy Norwich that are typey and sound. But, doesn’t every breeder wish for that?
My favorite dog show memory? The two All Breed Best in Shows I put on my homebred “Eddie” myself were beyond com- pare. It isn’t something most breeder owner handlers get to experi- ence. But, nothing can top the day his mother was Winners Bitch at Montgomery from the 9-12 Month Puppy Class. After a ten year hiatus from showing dogs, I came back to Montgomery with her, just hoping for a placement in the classes. That day changed my life, and so did she. She is the behind everything I breed and show. She bequeathed upon them her wonderful showdog attitude.
For me, this breed is just right. They are the perfect combina- tion of energy, tough terrier and just plain lovable. They can do just about anything. I have shown mine in both Agility and Conforma- tion. But, I am sure they’d love to do other things, including lure coursing, nosework and barnhunt. My busy schedule hasn’t allowed
me to do much with these. It takes a little creative thinking to con- vince a Norwich that Agility is their idea, but once they realize that, they make great partners. They are highly adaptable to any situa- tion and that is the beauty of them for me.
LISA SONS
I have been breeding and exhibiting Norwich Terriers for 15 years under the kennel prefix Taliesin. Taliesin has produced top winning Norwich Terriers including GCHS. Taliesin Twice As Nice, National Specialty winner, winner of Montgomery KC 2016, winner of the Terrier Group at The AKC National 2016, and win- ner of the Terrier Group at Westminster KC 2017.
I live in the suburbs of Chicago and I work full time as a Product Manager in the IT industry. This leaves little time of for much of anything outside of dogs.
Is the breed’s popularity good or bad when it comes to finding breeding stock? Small dogs can fit into about any situation. I believe that the Norwich is an ideal household companion because of it’s size, character and love of people. Portability makes them fantastic for people who do a lot of travel and they are wonderful with kids.
What about the breed serves them well in the living room and in the show ring? What serves a Norwich well in the living room is lots of toys that squeak and lots of interaction. Norwich really like their food so a good combination of bait and squeaky toys in the ring keep them focused.
At what age do I start to see definite signs of show-worthiness? I really start looking as soon as they are born but I think it takes until about 12-16 weeks to really know what you have.
What makes showing dogs all worth while to me is when I pro- duce a dog that I think is beautiful and I see it bring a smile to the judge’s face. A big red white and blue ribbon isn’t so bad either.
What is the most important thing about the breed for a novice to keep in mind when judging? I think one of the most important things to keep in mind about the Norwich Terrier is that they are a square breed as measured from the withers to the tail.
My ultimate goal for Norwich is to continue to breed to the standard while making health my number one priority. Over the last five years we have learned a lot about the upper airway syn- drome in our breed through research funded by our parent club, the Norwich Terrier Club of America, and from the Canine Health Institute. As we continue to improve our understanding this issue, my plan is to apply to this knowledge to my breeding strategies to continue to breed healthy dogs and improve upon the health where possible.
My favorite dog show memory? Winning the Montgomery Ken- nel Club Terrier show in 2016.
My hope is that breeders make use of the tools (testing) avail- able to us to help us improve the health of our breeding stock. It is through sharing the good, the bad and the indifferent that we can make the choices to collectively preserve and improve the health of the Norwich Terriers that we all love so much.
332 • ShowSight Magazine, noveMber 2019