Page 406 - ShowSight - December 2019

Kathleen Kolbert continued
What made me know that this was what I wanted to do? Pick- wick was such a cute puppy and I really enjoyed all of his puppy antics. However, I had a huge problem he was growing coat very quickly. I knew nothing about caring for his coat. I lived in the same area as Jane Forsyth and I call her for advice. Jane gave me the name of Terry Childs and I contacted him and this
was the beginning of learning how to care for a Yorkie’s coat. Terry also invited me to go to a couple of dog shows and I found them very interesting and Pickwick was doing so well with classes and conditioning. My first show was in Hartford at the Govners Foot Guard show under Mr. William Kendrick and I won his first points from the puppy class.
My mentors were Joan Gordon, Janet Bennet, Betty Dullinger and Terry Childs.
The best thing about being a breeder? The satisfaction of pro- ducing a good healthy specimen of the breed.
The toughest part about being a breeder? The unknown factor of the breed and how to keep the good and improve the faults. I have read every article and book on the breed and found the breed to be very inconsistent in type from one breeding to the next. At this point, I decided to develop a line and see what this would do to improve type and soundness.
Do I work outside of the home? I have retired from a career in banking where I was able to enjoy my hobby of showing the dogs and also Judging.
Is my family involved? My father was a Norwich Terrier Breeder.
Am I involved with a breed club and all-breed club and held positions within the club(s)? Yes, I am involved in Breed Clubs and an All Breed Club. Member of Naugatuck Valley Kennel Club since 1968, Treasurer for 14 years and President for the past three years. Member of Progressive Dog Club since 1968. President for the past five years. Member of The Yorkshire Terrier Club of America since 1968. Past Treasurer for ten years, and Judges Education Assistant Chairman. Founding member of The Yorkshire Terrier Club of Greater New York. Vice President and past Treasurer for 12 years.
How did I come up with my kennel name and is it registered with AKC? Our home in Oxford was built in 1714 and was known as Tury’s Tavern and a Stage Coach Stop. It was also a part of the underground railroad, with a special place to hide the slaves. Tury- anne has been a registered kennel name for several years.
Do I co-breed and co-own with others? For several years I have not done outside breedings. However, I have a Special Contract with several who are willing to stay in the line and we work well together for the betterment of the breed.
Is my breed easy to place? I do not advertise, most of my babies go to repeat customers. Last year I had a litter of four very small girls and each of the puppies went to a home with two senior Yorkies ranging fro 14 to 18 years of age.
What can AKC do to help breeders attain great results? It would help a great deal if AKC would Showcase the Breeder’s and show the public where the puppies were born and cared for. More of the puppies’ life before it became a Star.
Any hint or trick I can share with fellow breeders? Trial and errors are painful, however good record keeping of your dogs is very important. First step, all dogs should have as many health tests, for all the problems that affect their breed. As coat color and texture is of prime importance to the breed. You can concentrate on your stock that carries the gene for good color. You can’t hide a defect by ignoring it and repeating it over and over again. Spay and Neuter the problem and start over. As an example, your dog and bitch have tested for Liver Shunt below 10. You use these two dogs for breeding and end up with Liver Shunt babies. Why? because they are both
carriers and should never be breed together. Bred with other dogs that are not carriers you could have healthy babies.
Do I show my own dogs? Yes, 53 years later and I look forward to every show.
LINDA KUNICKI
How I got started in dogs? My parents had a pet Sheltie when I was born so my introduction to the breed was this little loyal dog. When my dad died our lives changed and we moved from Chi- cago to Michigan for six years. When we moved back to Chi- cago I was 11 years old. My mom was creative in finding interesting things we could do on a weekend. She found the International Kennel
Club Dog Show at the Amphitheater located in the Chicago Back of the Yards. I was fascinated with all the dogs in their little areas as it was a benched show. I told myself, “Someday you must learn more about dog shows.”
Years passed and I started dating Len Kunicki when I was 20. One day I saw a poster on a lamp post advertising the International Kennel Club Dog Show at the Amphitheater, so Len took me to it.
More years passed then in 1985 Len and I decided to investigate what we had to do to have Shelties we could show. We visited spe- cialties and joined the Chicagoland Shetland Sheepdog Club. Later in 1995 I also joined the American Shetland Sheepdog Club.
What made me know that this was what I wanted to do? We loved the breed and were inspired by other breeders and dog show people we met. However, it wasn’t just having show dogs as we keep very few Shelties at one time and they live with us into their elder years so they must keep their quality and be great companions also. It’s also the lovely people we have met through the years who men- tored us but also the many it’s just great to hang out with at shows and education events.
Who were our mentors? We were lucky and had a number of people. When we first started Nancy of Hy Fy Shelties let us come up to her home in La Crosse, Wisconsin as often as we were will- ing to drive five hours one way. We’d spend the weekend learning pedigrees and grooming. But also meeting other long time breeders and dog show fanciers. Along the way we have had other mentors as well too numerous to list here.
The best thing about being a breeder? Producing quality that lasts into the veteran years so a family can enjoy their pet for a long time. But also having older shelties who as veterans have accom- plished new levels of winning and titles. GCh. Starlite’s Cast in Red, Rudy, was one of those dogs. We had not been actively show- ing for about eight years due to life situations.
We thought it would be nice to take Rudy to the 2011 American Shetland Sheepdog Club’s National Specialty. So for practice we went to the International Kennel show where the judge awarded him Select Dog and said ‘this dog deserves’ his Grand Champion- ship. At the time I laughed as Rudy was close to 13 years old.
We went to the National Specialty where Rudy won second place in the 12 and older veteran class. Afterwards, people around the ring, including some judges said, “He looked great, you should keep showing him for his Grand Championship”. So, we thought we’d do some shows over the summer and have some fun. Well, Rudy, took only five months of limiting showing to earn his Grand Championship at 13 years old including several Best of Breeds. At the time in 2011 he was the oldest AKC dog to accomplish this title.
Breeder Q & A
402 • ShowSight Magazine, DeceMber 2019