Page 172 - ShowSight - May 2020

feed and wipe puppy butts when I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer, and going through every last hour of it with me.
PATTY METZGER
I have been breeding and exhibiting Pekingese (under the kennel name “Muhlin”) for 50 years and bred and/or owned 119 champions, 92 that are homebred. Included in that number are sev- eral multi-specialty and multi-all- breed Best in Show winners.
I have also been a member of the Pekingese Club of America for over 40 years and am currently serving as President, having served earlier as both Secretary and more recently as Corresponding Secre-
tary. I have judged Pekingese sweepstakes classes at a number of Pekingese specialties, including three PCA assignments. I have also judged conformation classes at the 2018 Pekingese Club of America National Specialty.
I live in the west suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri. I am retired now, but used to work in the Chicago suburbs at Lucent Technolo- gies in software development.
Do I hope the breed’s popularity will change or am I comfort- able with the placement? I’d like to see it ranked as more popular than it is now, but I don’t want it to be in the top 5-10. That encour- ages the puppy mill people to get busy cranking out puppies, in terrible conditions, that don’t even resemble Pekingese.
Do these numbers help or hurt the breed? I don’t think the num- bers do much at all to help or hurt the breed.
Can I characterize the distinctive rolling gait of the Pekingese? The Peke should move at a trot in a confident, unhurried manner. Because of his shoulder layback, short bowed front legs and big rib- cage at the “front end” and his narrower and lighter hindquarters, he gently rolls toward the unsupported side with each step he takes with his front legs. His waist basically serves to neutralize the dis- tinctive roll and he does not roll from the waist back.
The most challenging colors to breed and show? I’ve finished champions in just about every color except blue and liver. Most challenging to show were the black and tans. Judges weren’t sure what to do with them and a lot of time the dog would get a reserve when he or she should have had the points. As far as breeding vari- ous colors, if you’re breeding for a color that is genetically recessive (i.e., parti-color, black and tan, white etc.), you have to either breed two of that color together or two who each carry at least one copy of the gene for the desired color together in order to hopefully get the desired color. I never noticed one color being more difficult to raise than another color.
The biggest misconception about the Pekingese? The notion that they are little fragile “foo foo” dogs is quite a joke. They are actually tough as nails and love to run headlong into a mud puddle if at all possible. They’re supremely brave in the face of pain and you really have to pay attention to them in order to notice any subtle signs of discomfort, etc.
Does the average person on the street recognize the breed? Many times, no. The luxurious coat that Pekes that are shown need to have throws a lot of people for a loop, and mouths drop open when you answer their “what kind of dog is that?” question.
What special challenges do breeders face in our current econom- ic and social climate? Other than perhaps needing to get to the vet for a c-section while under “stay at home” orders, I can’t think of any special challenges.
At what age do I start to see definite signs of show-worthiness? I think I can see signs of a puppy being possible show quality before puppies are weaned, but I prefer to wait until permanent teeth are in place to make a final determination.
The most important thing about the breed for a new judge to keep in mind? Please judge based upon which dog comes closest to meeting the breed standard, rather than what we call “fault judg- ing.” Every dog has at least one “hole,” and it’s been my experience that the better the dog, the bigger that one hole. Please don’t dismiss the dog who makes your heart beat faster, but has a fault, or you may very well ultimately end up rewarding the “mediocre” (noth- ing terribly wrong, but nothing superlatively right either) dogs in your ring.
The best way to attract newcomers to my breed and to the sport? Hopefully by showing how versatile Pekingese are. You name it, they’re willing to try it and enjoy the challenge.
My ultimate goal for the breed? I hope our current trend toward larger Peke entries at shows continues and that the number of peo- ple falling under its spell in general also continues to grow!
My favorite dog show memory? Judging the conformation class- es at our National in 2018. Such an honor to be elected to judge and a lovely entry with many really excellent Pekes throughout as well. At times, “goosebump city” for me!
I’d also like to share: I think in the 50+ years since I began breeding and exhibiting Pekes, breeders have successfully removed, for all intents and purposes, some of the things that had detracted from the ideal. For example, our breed standard used to have a penalization for a “badly blemished eye,” and a disqualification for a “Dudley (or (flesh-colored) nose.” You just don’t see either problem these days and haven’t for quite a while now. As a breed, they are remarkably free of so many of the problems, conditions and diseases that plague so many breeds. They need dentals on a regular basis and you have to avoid jumping off furniture and running down a flight of stairs. Easy, peasy in the grand scheme of things!
SUSAN SHEPHARD
I have been a preservation breeder/exhibitor for about 25 years. Currently, I am a Silver Register of Merit breeder with the Pekingese Club of America. I am the Vice President, Publi- cations Chair and Judges Edu- cation Chair for the Pekingese Club of America, plus the Show Chair for my all-breed club, West Volusia Kennel Club in DeLand, Florida. Addition- ally, I bred the first American- bred Pekingese dog to become an English (U.K.) champion;
UK and AM GCH Deja vu Stand By Me. I live in Central Florida. Outside of dogs I putter with my flowers, travel and enjoy my retire- ment.
Do I hope the breed’s popularity will change or am I comfort- able with the placement? Personally I would like to see the number higher. Like much of the sport, we are a graying breed. If we ranked higher in popularity we would probably see more younger people coming into the breed.
I think low numbers hurt the breed. Lower overall inter- est means there are fewer and fewer dogs which means we have a diminishing gene pool.
Can I characterize the distinctive rolling gait of the Peking- ese? The correct action of a Pekingese will never be seen if they
PEKINGESE Q&A
170 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, MAY 2020