Page 370 - ShowSight - December 2019

Terrie Cowan continued
Is my family involved? My husband is VERY involved, we are a team. He currently does not show, but we have some upcoming show prospects and that may be his debut!
Am I involved with a breed club or all-breed club and held posi- tions within the club(s)? I am a member of The American Toy Fox Terrier Club, the Central Florida Toy Fox Terrier Club and The Hungarian Pumi Club of America. I have served on the board for the national club and am currently the secretary/treasurer for the Central Florida Toy Fox Terrier Club. I am new to the Pumi Club but confident I will get more active in the future.
My kennel/exercise areas described: we have a new kennel build- ing that has four outdoor runs and dog doors that the dogs can come and go in or out. The kennel is 24’X32’ and has all the com- forts of home. Washer, dryer, humidifier, air and heat, and internet with security cameras. The runs are surrounded by an exercise yard. The runs and exercise area is completely fenced with eight foot pri- vacy fence. My husband built the kennel, it is awesome! We live on three acres which is completely fenced so the dogs have plenty of room to exercise.
How did I come up with my kennel name and is it registered with AKC? My kennel name is Ter-Lee after my name Terrie Lee. I wish I would have thought of something more creative when I started but that has been my kennel name for 25+ years. It is not registered with AKC.
Do I co-breed and co-own with others? Yes, I do breeding and co-ownership of all my Toy Fox Terriers with my mentor. This arrangement has worked well for us for many years.
Is my breed easy to place? I have no difficulty placing puppies, I usually have a waiting list. I have a website and advertise on that and have never had to do any additional advertising.
Do I think “Breeders’ Showcases” as a special event at an orga- nization’s site will give breeders the recognition they deserve? Many local kennel club shows have offered this and sad to say the entries have been very low. In a larger show where there are more exhibitors I think it is a great way to showcase your breeding.
What can AKC do to help breeders attain great results? The AKC has already started several programs to assist breeders, starting the Breeder of Merit Program, and ways to locate an AKC breeder in your area. The Breeders newsletter is also available, and they just started the Breeders toolkit. I think continuing to provide support and recognition will help breeders success.
Any hint or trick I can share with fellow breeders? You definitely need to have a mentor and a good veterinarian on call, a lot can hap- pen when whelping and raising puppies. The most important thing I have learned is you need to socialize puppies early in their develop- ment, expose them to different people and surroundings. The first 12 weeks of a puppy’s life is the critical socialization period. You can have the most beautiful show puppy, but if it is not socialized you will not win!
Do I show my own dogs? Yes!
The most amusing thing I’ve ever witnessed at a dog show? I saw this just recently, an exhibitor was showing and her lead broke. She was very “flustered” and went around the ring looking for assis- tance, and the dog gaited next to her perfectly. The dog was so well trained did not even need the lead! And ended up winning the breed from the classes!
JEANINE DELL’ORFANO
How I got started in dogs? I became serious about dogs when I moved to Nova Scotia in 2003 to my first farm. I grew up in Brooklyn, New York without the ability to have many animals due to space. My whole life I wanted a place where I could have all the pets and livestock I wanted and I looked into Bergamasco
Sheepdogs for my goat farm. I didn’t know anything about shows at that time and was more interested in the herding and working aspects of the breed. Exhibiting came naturally as part of being an ambassador for the breed and promoting such a rare breed to the public. It wasn’t until I moved back to the United States that I really became involved.
What made me know that this was what I wanted to do? I live and breathe dogs. They are the only fire has never been extinguished in my life as far as passions go. I can’t imagine a life without dogs.
Who were my mentors? I have had all kinds of mentors over the years. Some people don’t even realize they have been mentors to me. I have also had more mentors outside of my breed than within it. I think learning from different people in different breeds is impor- tant. I owe a lot of what I know about breeding and dogs to so many people, too many to list. I try to learn what I can from the original breeders of the Bergamasco Sheepdog but they are all in Europe, Italy mostly. Some of those original breeders are still breeding today and some are second generation. Lele Mariani of the Lupercali Ken- nel and Professor Calvachini of the Valle Scrivia Kennel are respect- ed mentors to many Bergamasco breeders. Through their publica- tions, books and conversations with them I have learned a lot about the breed. I have learned about breeding, showing and being a “dog woman” if you will from wonderful breeders I admire and respect such as Berna Welch, Mary Davidson, Amanda Shea and Lynette Melville to name a few.
The best thing about being a breeder is the joy of having pup- pies and watching those puppies grow into beloved family members and successful dogs that are examples of the goals of my breeding program. I think the toughest part is being accountable for all my puppies for the rest of their lives. It is an endless job to keep track of every puppy and to be a resource and support to their families at all times.
Do I work outside of the home? I work from home. I think I am very lucky in that respect. I am always on my farm with my dogs and my horses, goats and poultry. This is how I am able to manage six Bergamascos around the clock.
My husband Joe Dell’Orfano is a huge support and without him, this would not be possible for me. He supports the fancy and my passion for exhibiting and breeding. My two daughters enjoy the dogs of course, but I am mainly the hands-on person who caters to their needs and takes them to shows. My family comes to many shows to watch and experience it too.
Am I involved with a breed club or all-breed club and held posi- tions within the club(s)? I am a member of The Greenwich Kennel Club. I served as Vice President of the AKC parent club for many years before serving a term as President. I am the founder and Presi- dent of Bergamasco Shepherd Association of Canada and I am a member of other AKC breed clubs that I enjoy supporting. I am also a member of Bergamasco clubs such as The National Bergamasco Sheepdog Alliance and the country of origin Bergamasco breed club in Italy, Associazione Amorati del Cane da Pastore Bergamasco.
My kennel/exercise areas described: we are a small breeding pro- gram and are considered hobby breeders. All six of our Bergamascos live inside our home and sleep in our bed. They have free access to our eight acre farm in Connecticut.
How did I come up with my kennel name and is it registered with AKC? I came up with the name Alp Angel Bergamascos because the breed is an Alpine breed and of course they are angels— like all dogs. They are my angels who have been with me through thick and thin, divorce, cross-country moves, marriage, kids—they are my saving grace. It is not registered with the AKC.
Do I co-breed and co-own with others? Yes, I do co-own some puppies with others. I have not co-bred thus far.
366 • ShowSight Magazine, DeceMber 2019
Breeder Q & A