Page 437 - ShowSight - December 2019

Tricia L. Snedegar continued
at the 2013 Westminster Kennel Club Dog show, and just moments before I entered the green carpet in Madison Square Garden, my son wished me luck and said during our phone call, “Hey mom, don’t trip and show everyone your underwear!”. Best advice ever! He may not share the passion I have for the breed, but he is and always will be my #1 fan!
MARK & ROBBIE STERNLICHT
We each have had dogs as pets since we were children. Robbie’s first conformation dog was a Rough Col- lie she had as a young girl, and she later bred and showed Shih Tzus for 21 years before we started with Rus- sian Tsvetnaya Bolonkas.
The Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonkas were a later-in-life surprise for us. After we learned about the history of the breed in Russia and in the US, we became determined to help the Bolonka survive and thrive.
Lillian Chang, of India and Hong Kong, was one of Robbie’s most beloved mentors during 21 years of breeding and showing Shih Tzus together. Dr. Patricia McRae, one of the first persons to bring Bolonkas to the US, introduced us to Bolonkas and worked with Robbie on breedings that produced two top champion Bolonkas. Robbie also has two Russian mentors who share their knowledge with her. One is Elvira Romanenkova, an FCI all-rounder judge who is the preeminent authority on Bolonkas. The other is Olga Zhigareva, who has bred and shown Bolonkas for many years.
Robbie is retired, and Mark still works as an attorney. As a result, Robbie does almost all of the training and day-to-day care- taking. Our granddaughter helps out during summers, and family members cheer us on.
We are members of the Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka Club of America, with Mark serving as a board member and Secretary, Rob- bie serving as Membership Chair. We co-chaired the most recent Specialty. We belong to the Cape Fear Dog Training Club and the Fayetteville Kennel Club. Robbie was President of the Cape Fear Dog Training Club for three years and is returning to the board. Both of us are officers in the Fayetteville Kennel Club.
Our dog are pets that participate in conformation and obedi- ence sports. They live in our home, and we have a dog door that opens into a fenced area that is large enough for the dogs to run and play.
We named our kennel Red October Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonkas after the Red October Chocolate Factory in Moscow.
The Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka is an FSS breed with a small gene pool. The AKC could help by providing easily accessible information about basic genetics, the importance of selecting the best possible dogs to import and breed, and the benefits of having a mentor.
We show our own dogs. The opportunities to introduce FSS breed to judges and the public is especially important for FSS breeds. Showing also provides many learning opportunities for any- one who intends to breed.
One of the most amusing incidents at a dog show was seeing a young woman spraying starch and combing a long-haired puppy. When asked why she was spraying starch, she said her breeder told her to use starch on mats so she could comb them out more eas- ily, but it seemed to make the mats worse and sticky. Being careful not to laugh, Robbie gently explained that the breeder must have meant corn starch. Robbie gave her some and showed her how to
use it to separate the hair in a mat. She said the corn starch worked much better.
ELIZABETH VOLZ
I was five years old when I told my mother, “I want a dog.” At six, I insisted I wanted a German Shepherd to breed and show. I finally got my wish at seven, a beautiful German Shepherd, I named Trina, from Connie Beckhardt and Maurice Sendack. Trina, her daughter Tammy and I began junior handling at German Shepherd Specialty Shows as soon as I was old enough to compete. I was hooked, I loved grooming, training and showing my dogs.
Since then, I have enjoyed a wonderful, successful career as a Professional All-Breed Handler, a Breeder of Merit of Portuguese Water Dogs, an owner and more recently a teacher, mentor, and coach to owner- handlers and breeder owner-handlers who want to train, groom, and show their own dogs in both conformation and performance.
Since 1985, I have shown many breeder owner-handled PWD’s to awards both here and abroad, Best in Shows in multiple countries, four PWD National Specialty wins in four countries, Westminster Kennel Club, Crufts and the World Show. I have and continue to work with many breeders of PWDs both here and abroad to breed the best of the best in my breed, to maintain the level of excellence I was taught years ago by Deyanne Farrell Miller and Carla Molinari. Now considered “an Old Timer” in PWDs it is my goal to help as many breeders and owners as I can to pass along all the amazing knowledge I learned about my breed from my many mentors.
I loved animals from as far back as I can remember. Ponies, horses, and dogs. I was either in the barn or working with my dogs. I was that little girl sitting outside the ring at dog shows wanting to be that amazing handler and breed amazing PWD’s for all the other little girls and their families that wanted a wonderful, sound, healthy, correct PWD for their families. To bring the same joy and relationships to their lives as my dogs have to mine. I would not be the person I am today if not for my dogs.
I have been very fortunate to have many amazing mentors throughout my dog showing and breeding career. They taught me many valuable and important lessons that I implement to this day in my breeding program. I am a true student and mentor of the PWD breed.
Some of my mentors include the following amazing dog people: Mrs. Connie Beckhardt—GSDs, Mr. James Moses—GSDs, Mrs. Barbara Whitney—Spindrift PWDs, Mrs. Deyanne F Miller— Farmion PWDs, Mr. Bill Trainor, Mr. Lewis Grello, Mr. Peter Green, Mrs. Annie Rogers-Clark and Mrs. Carla Molinari—Do Vale Negro PWDs.
There really isn’t just one best thing about being a breeder. It’s so many small successes that come together to create great PWD’s. Such as learning pedigrees and dogs, why Deyanne taught me how much Algarbiorum to mix with how much Alvalade to create con- sistent, classic water dogs. Working with breeders both here and abroad to better all of our breeding programs, seminars, etc world- wide to keep our breed as one dog, one breed. Being a PWD breeder is the best thing in many important and rewarding ways.
The toughest part of being a breeder to me is when a major health problem arises in my breed. Encouraging breeders to share knowledge and work together as one to diagnose and work to find a test for our dogs. It can be heartbreaking and tough going. We, as breeders, have to work together for the betterment and success of one of the best breeds in the world.
I have worked outside my home, raised an amazing son as a sin- gle mom and had the opportunity to focus solely on breeding and showing PWDs. I actually retired for a time in 2009 to focus on
Breeder Q & A
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