Page 274 - ShowSight - January 2020

Jaime Vasquez continued
amongst all breeds, the Bulldog has a special gait of a “roll” that is a must to see! They are not sporting dogs! The judges need more mentoring before they can truly see the Bulldog standard qualities.
One of the funniest situation at a dog show personally was show- ing a class dog to the esteemed Barbara Alderman. When I took the dog on the down and back the dog decided it was time to use the bathroom. Everyone laughed and clapped at it! I was all red and turned many colors of embarrassment! Needles to say, I was awarded the major point that championed the dog!
LEE WHITTIER
Lee Whittier is a professional mentor of dog show owner han- dlers. She has judged Westminster, Palm Springs, Del Valle, Great Western, NorCal Terrier, numerous specialties as well as shows in Aisa. She breeds and sometimes exhibits Tibetan Terriers. Lee lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Wayne, and three TT’s. Learn more about Lee at DogShowMentor.com.
I lived my whole adult life in Vermont until 2008 when I moved to Vancouver, Washington to work for AKC. The moderate cli- mate in the Pacific Northwest is perfect for both my dogs and my flower-growing habit. We’re just a few miles from the Portland, Oregon airport.
Like many dog people, I rode horses competitively when I was growing up. Horses teach you a work ethic like no other sport. There’s so much at stake with proper care being the difference between the horse’s life and death.
As a young woman, a natural transition took place to showing dogs. I had been raised with dogs. My personal housedog was a black Miniature Poodle predictably named Pierre. My mother was a hobby breeder of Rough Collies and Golden Retrievers. I even found a ribbon among her keepsakes from Morris and Essex dated back to the 1950’s. According to her diary, for a short while, she was a member of the New Brunswick Kennel Club, or at least she attended meetings.
My involvement in the sport started when my friend bought a beautiful Akita bitch. I had to have one, so the search began. I did a passable job on finding a dog. To this day, after breeding Rottwei- lers for over 25 years, I have never had a dog as tough as that one.
His temperament led me to meet one of the grand dame’s of Rottweilers, Jan Marshall. She got me involved in obedience classes and the progression continued as she invited me to join our local dog club, the Woodstock Dog Club. I was a member from 1981 to 2008 and received the AKC Good Sportsmanship Award in 2008.
To say I worked hard to train my Akita is an understatement. Once I won my first five-point major, I was hooked on dog shows. Sadly, my beloved OKami died of parvo on the Cherry Blossom Circuit in 1982 before I was able to finish his championship.
In spite of that heart-wrenching event, I was in love with the sport. Thanks to all the breeders and professional handlers who were kind and generous, I stayed in the sport and bought my first Rottweiler. Having been raised with puppies, breeding was yet another natural progression. Twenty-five years later, I found myself the breeder of Best in Show, multiple group winning, obedience trial champion Rottweilers under the Legend prefix.
I was guided by successful breeders of Rottweilers such as Mike Grossman of Powderhorn-Wencrest and Sheryl Hedrick of Pioneer Rottweilers. Additionally, I have owned and/or shown Bullmas- tiffs, Samoyeds, Siberians, a Sussex Spaniel and of course now the Tibetan Terriers.
I had always wanted a TT. When I lived in Vermont, the only thing that kept me from having one was the harsh winters and my desire to show any dog I owned. I knew I wouldn’t be able to deal with the coat with the number of dogs and puppies I had at any one time in my active breeding program.
After I left AKC, I lost my last Rottweiler. As an experienced dog person, I had learned the value of a good mentor. I found that in David Murray of Players TT’s. He guided me and shared his knowledge generously, looked at hundreds of pictures and dozens of videos I sent to him, teaching me about Coat, with a capital “C.” I was determined and relentless. He was patient beyond words. I am also grateful to the many Tibetan Terrier breeders who shared their knowledge to help me capture the essence of the breed by mentor- ing me by the ring and in the setups. They helped me to breed well and judge well.
I am now the proud breeder of a multiple group winning, Top 5 Tibetan Terrier and have been nominated to judge the Tibetan Terrier National Specialty.
My breed described in three words: squarely-built, agile and profusely-coated.
The Tibetan Terrier is #96 in overall popularity in AKC breeds; in Non-Sporting we are predictably behind the Keeshonden and ahead of the Schipperkes. Coat care is known to be a factor for many breeds, determining their popularity in the general public. One exception in the Toy group is the Shih-Tzu which is often pic- tured as a puppy, so people aren’t as deterred by coat care.
Our breed is actually very popular in pockets. What I have found is that the kind of person who is interested in this breed is somewhat reclusive and often the dogs are not taken in public. They are also not easily recognizable by the general public because they come in all colors. When I take two dogs out hiking, people invari- ably ask me the breed of each dog because they are different colors, though they are easily identifiable to a dog person as TT’s.
The Tibetan Terrier is an easy dog to spot in the Non-Sport- ing group. The coat of many colors not only stands away from the body, but stands out in a large group of dogs. The Tibetan Terrier is a breed that should be light on its feet and greatly agile. As a result, we have many sound dogs in the breed which gives them an advantage over less sound members of the Non-Sporting group. The standard is 14-17 inches, and as in many breeds, the smaller ones aren’t always recognized as being as correct as the larger ones. Three inches is a big variation in a dog of its size. There are some good ones out there that deserve recognition and get it.
The biggest misconception about the TT is that they’re just cute, sweet, cuddly dogs. Yes, in the 21st Century, most of them are. Anyone interested in owning one should remember the origi- nal purpose of this breed. The larger puppies were functional dogs for the Tibetan people. When pack animals moved through the mountains, the TT’s would leap onto their backs and urge them forward with their barking. Think of the kind of dog that is athletic enough to leap up and determined enough to urge a much larger animal than itself to move forward in deep snow, rough terrain and high altitude.
They also had to be mentally keen enough to survive in the mountains. Sometimes that meant sensing danger in people who may not have been trustworthy. I have seen some in the ring that can be quirky. The smaller dogs were often sent to monasteries for breeding and as watchdogs. They have a far-seeing eye and can spot any object in the house that has mysteriously moved out of its right- ful place. I have seen this breed climb a serious of six foot chain link fences in a matter of seconds. They can be primitive to this day.
Our parent club, the Tibetan Terrier Club of America, is already very proactive in educating the public about our breed. Our rescue is a tremendous resource, easy to work with and a great introduction to prospective buyers. Many later buy a puppy from a preservation breeder. Some breeders need further education in understanding the line between selling pets as pets with a binding contract, and letting go of the old ways of the mid-20th Century where we made ongoing breeding impossible. It’s important to be inviting. Most
266 • ShowSight Magazine, January 2020
Non-Sporting Q & A