Page 246 - ShowSight - February 2020
P. 246

                  Lori Walton continued
What qualities in the field also come in handy around the house? The Curly standard says he is eager, persistent and inherent- ly courageous in the field and at home he is calm and affectionate. In my lexicon those adjectives would be antonyms. What I like to say (and this has been said by others so I take no credit for coining new terminology describing a Curly) is that the Curly has an on/off switch. Outdoors he can be a determined ball chasing/retrieving fool—land and water, go hiking, running, comb the fields for good smelling scents and chase them to flight, point them to location or less desirable roll in them acting like a clown. In the house there are hopefully more subdued activities such as reading with the children, or watching TV, laying next to someone who is relieving the day’s tension by petting the calm demeanored Curly. If pressed as to identifying similar field and house qualities is the independent nature and discerning intelligence. In the field the Curly will assess the situation and if there is an easier path to retrieve the fallen bird than a straight line, the Curly will take the easier path—though it may not be the most direct and in the house, if the children are engaging in rowdy play, the curly will decide to sit back and watch rather than contribute to the melee.
What about the breed makes them an ideal companion? The ideal companion is really based on the personality of the individual owning the Curly and as well as the curly living with the individual. Each one adapts to the other’s needs. In other words, the Curly will, for the most part, adapt to fit in and the owner will adjust his needs based on what the Curly is capable of giving. This ability to adapt to the situation is what makes Curlies ideal companions, in my opin- ion. If the owner wants an active—go, go, Curly, that Curly will be happy to meet the needs expressed by the owner. If the individual want a less active Curly, within reason, understanding sufficient exercise physical and mental is necessary to maintain balance, the Curly will adapt to meet those needs too. The drawback to wanting a less active Curly is understanding the physical and mental bal- ancing exercise may require the individual adapting more so than the Curly. And the challenge for the individual may be attaining that balance. Bottom line the individual wanting the ideal com- panion should do his or her homework and assure themselves that they are capable of meeting the needs of their Curly. I recommend new owners to the AKC website Dog Breed Selector, (https://www. akc.org/dog-breed-selector/) to ensure that the Curly is best suited for their lifestyle to be an ideal companion or to look at other breeds as I prefer successful puppy placements where I know the family/ individual has no reservations in this curly that they have chosen to bring into their family.
Are there any misconceptions about the breed I’d like to dispel? Certainly—Curlies shed! Maybe not as much as other Retrievers but they shed. All Curlies are not aloof with strangers (gasp! But it says so in the standard), some like to brush up against you, first on one side, then the other, then lean on you. Curlies are not stubborn, they are independent thinkers. Curlies do not only hunt water fowl or upland game birds, they hunt hare, squirrel, deer and other types of game.
What special challenges do CCR breeders face in our current economic and social climate? CCR breeders and those breeders of less easily recognized dogs face similar challenges. The current eco- nomic and social climate may be a little less obvious than to other breeders, but as I can only speak for myself, this is what I have not- ed. The social climate (presuming you mean animal rights/rescue groups, adopt/don’t buy organizations) has provided little influence into my decision making process to whelp out a litter. Especially when you consider that some of the rescue groups charge quite of bit of money for their rescues. I get it, everything is expensive. With regard to economics, maybe I did not increase the price of the puppy from last year or two years ago while remembering I chose to breed a litter this current year because there was something I was looking
for in this specific breeding—and you can’t keep them all. I have very rarely been challenged on the puppy fee I have been asking but when asked my reply is standard. Selling puppies out of a litter that I have chosen to breed provides a bolus of money that replaces the amount I spent on health clearances, breeding expenses, pregnan- cies that did not take, c-sections/fading puppy interventions and the like. Not even mentioning the time factor required to care for the puppy as it is developing to be that cute little bundle of fur picked out by its owners at eight weeks or sometimes later.
At what age do I start to see definite signs of show-worthiness? I evaluate at eight weeks of age using Pat Hastings, the Puppy Puzzle. I have been successful using that for identifying the conformation of a Curly when it is full grown. As the puppy matures I observe the temperament developing and that determines if I finish the dog or go onto ‘special’ the dog. For a specials dog I feel the dog needs the “look at me” attitude for success and I believe that is harder to find than a conformationally correct Curly.
Is there a good show/pet market for the breed? I have found my Curlies to attract the pet market as their temperaments are usually good for families. The show market, I have found, is a little more difficult to crack and I attribute that difficulty to myself rather than to any outside influences.
The most important thing about the breed for a new judge to keep in mind? The majority of Curlies being presented to you prob- ably has been to a minimal number of conformation shows. You are looking at raw talent. The majority of handler’s are more than likely the dog’s owner and may or may not have been to handling classes, or entered into shows on a regular basis to confirm/improve their handling skills. You are looking at raw talent. Look beyond the ring mistakes, use your hands to assess conformation and your eyes to confirm what you felt. Remember the Curly is not flashy in move- ment as it was work all day retrieving in the heaviest of cover and iciest of waters. Efficiency equals effectiveness.
The best way to attract newcomers to my breed and to the sport? Enthusiasm, approachability and kindness.
My ultimate goal for the breed? My goal requires the assistance of others who are current and future breed enthusiasts and that is to maintain enough healthy dogs with breeding lines diverse enough to not cause a genetic bottleneck in the future. And to do that, in my humble opinion, we need to attract more people who want to actively participate in dog events, who are bit by the breeding bug and can avail themselves of the resources available to ask ques- tions and commit themselves to continue the Curly future while acknowledging its past.
My favorite dog show memory? I am a first generation dog show person. In the early 90s I did obedience events with two dogs and got their CDs and then took a hiatus. I returned to dog showing in the early 2000s and started conformation. The first time I showed a Curly in AKC conformation and was out-handled or so my friend told me. I started taking handling classes and was “warned” about this one judge who liked the “L pattern”. I went in front of the judge and he said, “Do the ‘L’—do you know what that is? I said, “Yes, my instructors warned me about you.” The judge burst out laughing, I did my pattern and came back and he said, “That was the smooth- est ‘L pattern’ I have ever seen.” I would go to a show every time that judge was in the area and each time he would give me grief. It made me smile; I hope he smiled too when I came into his ring, or at least put a gleam in his eye. Unfortunately the judge has since died but I will remember those experiences with him. There are a few other judges who make me smile and I always look forward to showing under them and it is not necessarily because they place me in the ribbons.
I’d also like to share that a Curly-Coated Retriever is a best kept secret, he is a thinking man’s dog and like potato chips you can’t stop at one.
Curly-Coated Retriever Q & A
  244 • ShowSight Magazine, February 2020




















































































   244   245   246   247   248