Page 248 - ShowSight, November 2020
P. 248

                grateful for the opportunity. Beyond that, I am happy for the rec- ognition my dog receives.
How important is the owner-handler to the future of the sport? I think owner-handlers are, indeed, important for the future of the sport. Most dogs are exhibited by an owner, and they are usually the people who will be approached at a show when someone wants to know more about their breed and are looking for a puppy. We have an opportunity to present the sport and our breed in incredibly pos- itive ways. We need to be open to conversation and introduce people to our breed in personal ways, using each chance as a mini Meet the Breed. Each encounter can lead to a new breeder/owner-handler; the next generation to carry on our breed, and future events.
The funniest thing that’s ever happened to me (in or out of the ring) as a breeder/owner-handler? In the ring, a few years ago, my lead broke while finishing the first go around. I don’t think my Sealy noticed (she was well experienced by then), and she stood there per- fectly, watching me, until a friend grabbed a lead from my tack box. Outside the ring, a male Irish Terrier had gotten off lead and was having a grand time running and dodging everyone around. I’d quickly remembered the Sealy girl I was showing was in heat, so I pulled her out of the crate, and walked her towards the path of the Irish. I have never seen a dog reach a dead stop so quickly!
CHRIS LEITKOWSKI
Do I have any hobbies or interests apart from breeding and showing dogs? Mountain biking, boating, SCUBA diving, hunting, fishing, and competing with my dogs in performance events too.
How often do I breed? Do I breed to compete in Conformation or Performance? We are on our third litter for this year. We breed for conformation and performance. I feel form is extremely impor- tant for function. As a breeder, I strive to produce a truly versatile dog that not only can compete in the conformation world, but also in obedience, the field, tracking, agility and, most importantly, to be a part of your family.
Do I compete in the AKC National Owner-Handled Series? Yes, I compete in NOHS.
What has been my greatest challenge as a breeder/owner-han- dler? Earning the respect of professional handlers and judges. I feel many view an owner-handler as an athlete competing in the special Olympics, and that owner-handlers are a joke, beneath them.
What has been my biggest thrill as a competitor? My biggest thrill is also my biggest frustration with the AKC: When a good judge truly recognizes and rewards our outstanding breed type and movement, and chooses to judge the dogs in the ring based on their merit and not who’s on the lead. Throughout COVID, there has truly been a great divide in judging, with many good judges taking their time to judge dogs on merit rather than who’s on the other end of the lead. These judges are the ones who will truly help maintain good breeding stock in each breed—and this is the whole point of dog shows.
Where the thrill turns into frustration is when you see a dog get put up, not based on your breed standard as all dogs should be judged, but rather on the handler who is on the other end of the lead. This type of antics completely defeats the whole purpose of a conformation show. It then starts a domino effect and hurts future generations of your breed. These judges aren’t doing anyone a favor as in the end this will destroy quality in each breed. I had a judge (whose name will remain anonymous) tell me the way they judge each breed is as if they had a check in their pocket to buy the best dog of that breed at the time to add to their breeding program. So, at that point you then ask yourself, “Is that a dog I want in my breeding program?” If the answer is no, then that dog hasn’t met muster. It was a great explanation that really hit home.
How are me and my dogs keeping busy now that most dog shows are on hiatus? We have had to travel much greater distances to be able to show. When all shows had stopped, we did some breed- ings, trained dogs, and refocused on the things to better our home.
Do I have any specific goals in mind for my return to the show ring? Continue to bring superior dogs to judges for their evaluation, so they will appreciate how nice a truly purpose-bred dog is when it is true to the breed standard and type.
How important is the owner-handler to the future of the sport? I think, as a breeder/owner-handler, it is the real backbone of the sport. If the breeders continue to see the bad judging, as I have on many occasions, you start to see dog shows lose credibility in their ability to ensure good breeding stock.
BREEDER/OWNER-HANDLER Q&A
 Throughout COVID, there has truly been a great divide in judging, with many good judges taking their time to judge dogs on merit rather than who’s on the other end of the lead. These judges are the ones who will truly help maintain good breeding stock in each breed—and this is the whole point of dog shows.
  I live in Uncasville, Connecticut. I’ve been in Weimaraners for 16 years and Labs for 12 years prior to Weims.
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