Page 174 - ShowSight - January 2020

Breeder Interview: Philip Martin BY ALLAN REZNIK continued
Two of my last horses Phyllis who I raised from 7 days old and Curtis as a yearling Res. lunge Line at the Congress (largest quarter horse show)
ones coming up, including “StatSon,” Res. BIS GCh. Phillmar So Good To Be Me CGC WAC. I hope StatSon follows in his sire’s pawprints as another Ryan award recipient. The list goes on and on. As they say, “the best is yet to come.”
Please comment positively on your breed’s present condition and what trends might bear watching. What are your thoughts on the cur- rent state of the fancy?
I think the breed is in okay shape today. I would like to see breeders go back to more bone and more balance but overall, I think it is like a pendulum that swings from one extreme to the other over the years. As with many types of animals, once selective breed- ers find something they designate as special or an improvement to the breed, they go overboard; then they find that they have to go back to basics. I have seen the sport change drastically since I started showing Dobermans in 1996. There are fewer class dogs and more specials. Many people think if they finish a dog it becomes a special.
Fewer class dogs tells us there is less breed- ing going on. Many people approach good breeders because they want to own a qual- ity, healthy, companion Doberman, but they are met with contracts and restrictions to the point where they go to other breed- ers, or even other breeds. I always welcome newcomers to our breed and do what I can to help them get a good dog. We want them to have a positive experience and possibly they will explore showing their dog. I breed for show dogs but I love my companion homes. If I have a puppy that I really want shown, I keep it and do it myself. I do not force people to do anything with a puppy I’m willing to sell to them.
Where do you see your breeding program in the next decade or two? And tell us a little about Philip Martin outside of dogs... your profession, your hobbies.
I do believe I consistently try to improve my breeding program as I aim to breed the perfect dog with good health, tempera- ment, beauty and brains. My dog showing
and breeding career started during my first career as a hair stylist in Atlanta, Ga. I was chosen one of the Top 20 stylists by Atlanta magazine. I left the styling business to pur- sue my love of dogs full time and I built a dog facility from scratch. Two years later I sold it and moved to Florida where I spent two years showing, breeding and enjoying my dogs. In 2006 I bought another board- ing facility in Aiken, S.C., that I grew into a five paw resort. I sold that business in 2017 and spent another two years with my dogs. I recently purchased another kennel in High Point, N.C., with my sister, who is going to do the day-to-day management. I still have one horse and have hopes I will ride again in the future.
I’m not sure what the future holds but I have had a great life doing it my way. I do believe my love of all animals and my involvement in the care of so many different animals has made me wiser in my breeding of dogs. For now I will keep doing what I love and trying to live my best life.
Stat loved the water and StatSon is now loving and enjoying it with me also.
166 • ShowSight Magazine, January 2020