Page 266 - ShowSight - January 2020

Non-Sporting Q & A
Cathy Clapp continued
The biggest pitfall awaiting new and novice judges? Being ner- vous approaching a Chow. Believe me, Chows pick up on it and will react by backing away. If you are afraid of them, they don’t want anything to do with you. So don’t hover or stand and stare. Ask the handler if they are ready and then just walk up to the dog and put your hands on it. And always keep at least one hand on the dog as you are moving down the body so the dog always knows where you are. The biggest mistake is pulling away and then coming back from behind. Chows have deep-set eyes and can’t really see where you went. And that’s also why they don’t like you reaching over their head. Go for the chin or sides and work your way back.
And the other? Look for square and breed type and do what you think is right. And if someone decides to complain about your judging and how you put up the wrong dog because “their dog is ranked” consider the fact it’s quite likely that you might have had multiple ranked dogs in your ring and some of them are probably higher than the one that complained.
The funniest thing I’ve ever seen at a dog show? I know one of the funniest that happened to me was when I got suckered into tak- ing a Swissy puppy into the ring (I think they had most of the litter there). That bugger grabbed ahold of my skirt and wouldn’t let go; I thought he was going to rip it off me as we were trying to go around the ring! I was never so glad to get out of the ring and still have all my clothes on!
CAROL FELLBAUM
I live in Houston, Texas. I grew up in West Bend, Wisconsin. I currently breed Bichon Frise but was born into Pugs and showed sporting breeds in Junior Showmanship. I’ve been exhibiting since I could hold the leash of a Pug, about 45 years. I have lots of inter- ests but hardly have time to pursue them. My focus now is on breeding and show- ing Bichons, the breed I dearly love.
I became involved in the sport because my parents bred and showed Pugs in conformation. I always knew I wanted to breed dogs that I could successfully show in AKC shows. I like watching puppies grow and mature. I enjoy the optimism that they may grow into beautiful dogs to show.
A brief overview of my experience as a breeder: my first foray into breeding was heartbreaking, with the loss of my bitch’s litter. My next litter restored my sense of excitement.
My breed described in three words. For Bichons: happy, fluffy and companion.
How does my breed rank in popularity among other Non Sporting breeds? I would say Bichons rank in the top half of the Non-Sporting Group.
Does my breed get its fair share of attention in the Group? Attention to the breed runs in trends. Since Bichons are a more difficult breed for a non-professional to maintain to compete in the Non-Sporting group, fewer people may want to tackle the breed.
The biggest misconception about the breed among the general public? One misconception is that they are easily housebroken. They are happy and intelligent, but their stubbornness can make them difficult to housebreak.
What can my parent club do to increase awareness and popular- ity of your breed? Our parent club can continue community out- reach to include Meet the Breed.
The largest health concern facing my breed today? Health con- cerns facing the breed are bladder stones, patella luxation, cataracts, allergies and cancer. Most of these issues can be eliminated through testing and judicious breeding.
Any trends I see in my breed that I believe need to continue or stopped? We hope breeders will continue breeding to the AKC writ- ten standard. The long legs and short back/Poodle look is a trend that should be stopped.
Some of the many people who have helped me learn the ropes at different times in my career are Judy Cooper of Tip N Chip Great Pyrenees, Judy McNamara of Kings Cross Bichon, Joanne Ruben of Glory B Bichons (my co-breeding partner), and Henriette Schmidt of Hillcrest Springer Spaniels.
The biggest pitfall awaiting new and novice judges? A judge must have a vision of what the breed should look like in their mind, and know the standard. With Bichons the trimming can create an illusion; this is a breed the judge must put hands on, feel them, get underneath that beautiful hair.
The funniest thing I’ve ever seen at a dog show? As I watched, a person tripped and fell while carrying a beautiful Old English sheepdog through a wet, muddy field.
DEBRA FERGUSON
I am approved to judge both the Toy Group and the Non-Sporting Group, American Hairless Terriers, American Staffordshire Ter- riers, Australian Terriers, Bedlington Terriers, Bor- der Terriers, Glen Of Imaal Terriers, Lakeland Terriers, Norfolk Terriers, Parson Russell Terriers, Rat Terri- ers, Staffordshire Terriers and Welsh Terriers.
I live in a suburb of Seattle Washington, home of Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Boeing and the Seahawks. I have had a dog all my life. I finished my first Champion in 1968, a black Miniature. Outside of the dog world, I am a Land Developer in the Seattle Metropolitan Area. My Company, Lakeridge Development and Classic Concept’s develop single-family neighborhoods, from the raw ground to the completed homes. My hobbies outside of dogs
include horses, skiing and traveling.
I first started showing dogs in 1967 as a junior handler. I found
my first show dog, a silver Miniature, in a snowbank in Alaska. I joined 4-H and started training my dog in obedience. It was not long until the local breeders discovered me and gave me a registered Poodle.
What made me decide to become a breeder? I became Mrs Ellis’ junior handler. Mrs. Ellis imported her Poodles from England with Bud Dickey in the mid-60s. I was fortunate enough to co-breed and handle for Mrs. Ellis.
A brief overview of my experience as a breeder: dogs are my pas- sion. I bred the Best In Show winner of the Poodle Club of America in 2010 and 2018. I have owned many best in show winning dogs, most notable of which was GCHP CH Brighton Lakeridge Encore, winner of over 115 all-breed best in shows and Reserve Best In Show at Westminster. In addition to being a long time Poodle Breeder,
258 • ShowSight Magazine, January 2020