Page 438 - ShowSight - December 2019
P. 438

                  Elizabeth Volz continued
raising my son. Being a mom is the most important thing to me for my son. He always came first, even if that meant putting my aspira- tions on hold for awhile. In 2018 my son sat me down and told me, “Mom, you have done so much for me. Now it is time for you to go back to what you love. It’s your turn now. Thank you for every- thing, now go help everyone else”. I now focus my life mentoring, teaching, and coaching all I can in my breed. It is very rewarding.
My family is very supportive and helpful in my pursuits as a breeder. My son always takes great care of my dogs when I go to dog shows or performance events, helps raise wonderful puppies and always has tips for my families about their new puppy. My better half, Benny, is the lover and chief-in-charge of spoiling our dogs. He always has a dog or two or three on his lap getting petted or sharing whatever he eats with the dogs. Without their support I would not be able to do what I do as well as I do it.
I have been involved in many Breed clubs and All-breed clubs throughout my years in dogs. It is important to be a part of main- taining the importance of Pure-Bred dogs and all the events associ- ated with pure-bred dogs. I have not held office in these clubs as I feel I am much better utilized as a volunteer and cheerleader for events. Volunteers are the backbone of a breed club. There is no such thing as too many volunteers.
My dogs are born, raised and live in my house. PWD’s are meant to be with their people and do not do very well in a kennel situa- tion or in large numbers. They do best with tons of people time, exposure to any and all environments and lots of socialization. I have a huge fenced backyard for running, playing and working on whatever discipline each dog is working on. They sleep on my son’s bed as well as my own.
My kennel name is very special to me. When my brother and I were young we were told that kennel names should be personal, mean something to you. We decided to take our first names and put them together. ROB for Robert, and EL for Elizabeth, cause “Robeli” was silly and made us laugh. So ROBEL it was, it’s our personal bond that lives on with us. My kennel name is not regis- tered because I share it with many breeders to show that breeders can work together and support each other. It’s not just about one person or kennel name, it’s many people and kennel names com- ing together for the betterment of our breed. Sharing in the work and successes enjoyed by all of us. It’s one dog, one breed. Not one person or one kennel name.
I do co-own and co-breed with many breeders and owners in my breed. It’s my way of supporting and helping in all of our endeavors in our breed. It is very rewarding to help a young breeder learn and grow with my knowledge and mentorship.
PWDs are innately intelligent. They are not for everyone. They want to be an integral part of their families, not a cute object. They need a job and will make one up if they are not educated in good ways to work with their people. They are like children, they need rules. They are the best breed I have ever owned and bred. In the right home they do amazing things and have great relationships for and with their people. They are not hard to place if properly bred, raised, temperament tested and structure evaluated to fit their fami- lies and their families to fit them. Proper vetting and lots of support after my puppies go to their new homes create lifelong happy, sup- ported relationships that have lasted through multiple generations of PWDs. I wish I was more tech savvy, as much of the communica- tion is now through things like the internet and social media. If I need to advertise, I use many of the tools available through the AKC and PWDCA. I do not currently have a website, something I have been told I need to fix. Writing a book has also been mentioned to me.
Something I think the AKC should focus on is how important, fun and educational dog shows CAN BE. The National Owner-
Handler series is a great start. Focus on younger generations becom- ing involved in any and all venues offered at dog shows, it is a safe and enriching place to take children and can be fun for the whole family. Education and working with the older generations to come together with the younger generations to enrich our sport and pure- bred dogs is something in dire need of attention. A class to allow breeders to showcase their breeding programs would be amazing. European dog shows have a Kennel Class. A class after best of breed for children and their dogs would be fun. There are lots of things that could better the sport of dogs and pure-bred dogs. We must educate the public as to the importance of pure-bred dogs over bou- tique cross breeds.
The most important thing a young breeder can do is research and find a great mentor in their breed who has the credentials and knowledge to help them do well in their quest to breed their breed to their full potential. Be a student of your breed, not a follower.
I have seen and been a part of so many funny and amusing sto- ries in and around dog shows, it is a big part of why I like dog shows so much. The wonderful memories I have are a wonderful part of who I am. I remember at the first PWDCA National I had been bathing and trimming dogs for hours. I looked like something the cat dragged in when a client of mine arrived to drop her dog off with me. The next morning, I was walking to the ring to get num- bers after a shower and getting properly dressed to show dogs. The same client saw me, stopped me and asked if I had seen Lizzy, I said chuckling to myself, “Sure, she’s back at her set-up.” I continued to the ring, got my numbers and was walking back to my set-up, when my client rushed up to me saying, “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t recognize you, Lizzy.” I smiled, gave her a hug and said, No worries, it’s truly amazing what a shower and makeover can do, isn’t it?” We laughed and went on to have a great day.
BONNIE WAGAMAN
How I got started in dogs: being a Marine wife, we relocated often, so unlike many in the fancy, I did not grow up in the indus- try, nor did I marry into it; however, my husband’s parents had a Boxer kennel, so when we decided to get a pure bred dog, Boxer was the only option. I immediately fell in love with the breed. I loved their silliness, loyalty, and guardian nature, and of course, the children loved having another playmate. As my children got older, I missed the nurturing of babies, and my kids loved animals. I did like many “pet/companion” families do. I had a litter of puppies. It was a joyful experience for the entire family. Watching them start from helpless rats and in eight weeks become mini Boxers was fun and exciting. The next logical step was to show them so we could continue with activities as a family. Once that decision was made, my husband being the man he is, insisted I study the breed and what it would take to become a breeder for the breed and compete with them. I did my homework, got two beautiful foundation bitches from a proven kennel (Telstar), and the rest as they say is history.
Who were my mentors? I am very fortunate to have wonderful mentors. The most influential are Jennifer Tellier, Bonnie Keel and Cheryl Robbins. Jennifer sold me the two lovely girls that I built my breeding program. She introduced me to the world of showing and has been a good friend and somebody I can call when I have a question on puppies or Boxers. She is a funny, funny lady. Bonnie is like family. We were showing two lovely Telstar bitches when we met and hit it off. Having the same name and similar physi- cally, we loved confusing fellow breeders whenever we attended the National together. We have been called Bonnie squared, Bonnie 1 and Bonnie 2, and partners in crime. We have shared many fun memories. She is somebody I call often, not only to talk Boxers/ breeding, but just to chit chat. My dear friend and confidant. When
434 • ShowSight Magazine, DeceMber 2019
Breeder Q & A
 

















































































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