Page 163 - ShowSight - May 2020
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                            They have a rolling gait with short legs and a wide, massive body. These are important breed specific qualities.
My ultimate goal for the breed? I know I am leaving this breed better than when I started. The breed has made great progress in overall improvement. I hope to have people start to raise the bar and produce dogs that are correct to the breed standard in outline and body mass, but also have the genetic clearances we require for breed- ing. I would love to see more people concentrating on breeding to dogs that are clear in hip and elbow dysplasia. These are pretty basic tests, but our breed still struggles to get them all to pass in the same animal and then have them be the right shape with a perfect bite!
JIM FANKHAUSER
I acquired a show quality Saint Bernard puppy in 1972 when I was 20 years old. I was involved with Saints for about seven years and then I took an absence from purebred dogs. I have been involved with Clum- bers using the Nexus prefix since 1994 and have been a breeder on over 100 American champions. I have also bred two national
specialty Best Of Breed winners. I have also been chosen by the membership to judge the Clumber national in 2007 and 2014. Cur- rently, I am the president of the Kalamazoo Kennel club and the Clumber Spaniel Fanciers of Michigan.
I judge the Sporting Group, the Working Group and about 2/3 of the Herding breeds.
My wife, Shirley, and I live out in the country in Schoolcraft, Michigan. I have been retired from the Pfizer Company for nine years. We live in a house that I built from the foundation up about 30 years ago. I have also taken up the hobby of model rail- roading in the last year and I am enjoying building this miniature transportation system.
Do I hope the breed’s popularity will change or am I comfort- able with the placement? Twenty years ago the breed was in the bottom 25% in registration and we are still there today, while our number of registered dogs per year has gone down. I’d like to see our numbers go up, but I don’t see it happening.
Do these numbers help or hurt the breed? Having less than 200 dogs registered a year keeps the breed with a very small gene pool and all the issues that go along with a small gene pool. Popular sire choices only add to the problem. Finding a dog you want to breed to is often a compromise.
Is there a preference for color/markings in the Clumber Span- iel? The standard says a primarily white dog. The standard allows colored ears or not, color around the eyes or not, freckles on the muzzle and legs and as few body markings as possible. That gives the breed a lot of marking options on a “primarily white” dog. Given the choice between two dogs of otherwise equal qualities, I would go with the dog with less color.
The biggest misconception about the Clumber? The Clumber is a gentleman’s Sporting dog and is a slower moving flushing Spaniel. That does not mean that he is not an athletic dog that can be moved at an easy going gait (not raced) around the ring. The Clumber does not need to be walked in the ring, as some judges do. Judges that insist that this breed be walked are 30 years out of date with our breed.
Does the average person on the street recognize the breed? Not all. I love hearing back from owners about the many questions they get about what breed they have.
At what age do I start to see definite signs of show-worthiness? There seems to be the belief in a lot of breeds that the eight week old
puppy is the miniature of what the dog will be as an adult. I can’t tell you the number of wrong choices I would have made if I picked them at eight weeks of age. Head, bone and substance are there at eight weeks, but don’t see the length to height proportions that are so necessary to the breed come into play until the 12-14 week range.
What is the most important thing about the breed for a new judge to keep in mind? Long and low, the first words in the General Description section of the standard. I gave the breed presentation at the Michigan Sporting Dog seminars for many years and getting the correct height to length proportions was always the hardest for the judges to train their eye for. The Clumber proportions are nine tall to eleven long and the length is measured from the withers. That makes for a breed that is significantly rectangular.
What’s the best way to attract newcomers to my breed and to the sport? I’m the president of the Kalamazoo KC and we routinely ask this question at the board level and the membership level. We try to draw people into the club and to participate in any of the dog sport activities. It could be obedience, agility, scent work, track- ing or conformation, but just get them involved and exposed to the many wonderful things they can do with their dogs.
My ultimate goal for the breed? To be a healthy breed that pet companion owners, performance activities owners and conforma- tion owners can be happy with.
My favorite dog show memory? Winning Best In Sweepstakes at the 2004 National under British breeder judge Andy Shaw with owner-handled Ch Nexus Blind Faith.
JAN A. SUTHERLAND
I discovered dog shows at the early age of eight. My husband and I have been showing, hunting, training, and breeding Clumber Spaniels for over 25 years. This is a breed that is not for everyone. One of the first eight recognized by AKC, it is currently ranked #143 of 195. The rarity of the breed is what drew me to the Clum- ber. More often than not, the average person is confused as to what this long, low, substantial, white Spaniel-type animal is. Is it a large Cocker Spaniel, Saint Bernard mix, or Bassett Hound? Very seldom is it recognized as a Clumber Spaniel. And when you tell someone “Clumber Spaniel,” the most frequent response is “Oh, a Clumberland Spaniel!” This is where Meet the Breeds and Pet Expos come into play. I am a big supporter of educating the public as to how amazing these canines are. If you can live with hair, slob- ber, and wet kisses, this is the breed for you. They are comedians; they are full of life and energy. Clumbers can keep you smiling and entertained. I can come home after a long commute and stressful day to a waggy-tailed Clumber with a stuffed animal in its mouth. Although Clumbers are generally mellow, they’re more than couch potatoes. They can be amazingly athletic, not the slow-moving old- gentleman’s hunting dog as believed. They are highly animated, stylish in their own Winston Churchill way. These characteristics should translate in the show ring. The biggest misconception that some judges have is that this breed should be shown at the walk. In the field very seldom will you see a Clumber walking after being released to hunt. Clumbers hunt with gusto in the pursuit of birds. In order to demonstrate reach, drive, and Clumber roll, these ani- mals need to move out. Don’t get me wrong, it is not a race around the ring, but an extended trot as often seen in the field.
The last thing I would like to mention about this breed is “sub- stantial” does not mean fat. Owners have a tendency to let these canines get overweight. Please, please do not do this. One of the biggest health issues is neck and back problems. Clumbers are long and low which will add extra load to the back and neck. By let- ting your pets get overweight, a cookie here a cookie there, you are decreasing their lifespan. Love your Clumbers with attention, not cookies.
CLUMBER SPANIEL Q&A
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