Page 110 - ShowSight Express, October 27 2020

as my breed—or any Toy breed—is being judged by someone who doesn’t have a clue. After 30 years with TOYS, it wears me out try- ing to explain TOPLINE for my breed. Please don’t judge them if you can’t figure it out. And please, if you feel I’ve screwed up your breed, tell me. I’m not beyond learning something every day.
Can I name one or two of my all-time favorite Toys? There are so many great dogs. (I’m not big on remembering them all.) The three dogs I always loved were Lucky, a red Long Coat Chihuahua (I believe he was the first Long Coat dog to win a BIS. I bred to him several times and we finished every puppy he produced. Unfortu- nately, he was owned by a novice obedience person and was sold to Japan without letting his breeders in this country know). Mala- chy the Peke, of course, which I was honored to award the Group at Westminster [in 2012] and, of course, Prince the Pom (Best in Show in 1988]. Absolutely the best BIS at Westminster I ever saw; I’ve been to the last 35.
Would I encourage exhibitors to enter their Toy dogs in Com- panion Events? Of course, any time you can spend with your Toy dogs the better.
JOHN CONSTANTINE-AMODEI
John Constantine-Amodei first became involved in dogs when he was a teenager in the 1970’s, working several dogs through to their Obedi- ence titles. In 1979, John purchased his first Miniature Schnauzer. He obtained his first Brussels Griffon in 1999 and became involved in Bos- ton Terriers in 2011 via his husband, Lloyd Constantine-Amodei. John has been judging since 2003.
John has bred over 125 champions, including Group and Best in Show winners, and handled over 150 champions. He bred the first dual USA/UK Champion and top Miniature Schnauzer in the United Kingdom in 2003. He has judged the American Brus- sels Griffon Association National Specialty and the American Miniature Schnauzer Club’s National Specialty twice. John has an active life in the sport, judging both domestic and foreign assign- ments, serving as Parent Club Past President, Show Chairman, and Judges Education Chair. He is presently approved to judge the Ter- rier, Working, Toy, and Non-Sporting Groups, several Hounds, and Best in Show.
I live in Nokomis, Florida. I have 45 years in dogs and 17 years as a judge.
Do I have any hobbies or interests apart from purebred dogs? Cooking and hiking.
Can I talk about my introduction to the Toy breeds? I got my first Brussels Griffon in 1998 and began exhibiting and breeding them. I always loved the breed and followed them, but it was dif- ficult to get a nice one to start with. I always liked smaller dogs and have followed many breeds at shows throughout the years.
Apart from size, how would I define this Group? Disparate; the breeds vary from Spaniels to Sighthounds to Terriers to “brachys.”
Do I personally categorize the Toy breeds into any “subgroups?” Not really.
How important are presentation, conditioning, and expression in the Toy ring? Extremely important. Of course, structure and type are equally important. However, the primary purpose of most of the breeds was to be a thing of beauty, so expression, coat condi- tion, and interaction with the handler are very important.
Is it acceptable to reward a Toy dog with a bad bite? A bite that is slightly off is acceptable to award as long as it isn’t a critical piece
of breed type (i.e., Brussels Griffon) and it doesn’t affect proper expression or impact the dog’s health.
Can I speak to the current overall quality of the Group? I think, overall, the Group is in good shape. It is, in my opinion, more difficult breeding Toy dogs. There are smaller litters and it is hard to keep proportion and substance when breeding such small dogs. I applaud the Toy breeders for being able to keep Toy dogs so competitive.
Why do I think so many Toy breeds are popular today? Of course, they are great house dogs (easy to live with, and needing less room and exercise), not to mention they are damn cute. I can’t explain why some are rare, but there are only four low entry breeds in the Group, so I think most breeds are rightfully popular.
Are there specific challenges presented when judging the low entry breeds? The challenge would be that you get to see very few exhibits, which makes it difficult to get a true feel and com- fort with the breed. It truly takes judging many of a breed before you get really comfortable with that breed. Also, it is difficult to get education in rare breeds; again making it difficult to get a deep understanding.
Do I have any advice to impart to new Toy judges re: the table exam? Always, always have gentle hands. Never, never open the mouth of a flat face breed (Brussels Griffon, Pug, ET, Chin, Pekingese).
Any comments regarding judging Toys outdoors versus indoors? Judging outdoors can be difficult if the grass is not very short. Toy dogs tend to hop and jump through the grass, otherwise making judging movement and outline on the move difficult. Most Toy dogs are also much more sensitive to the weather, especially cold and rain.
Can I name one or two of my all-time favorite Toys? Ch. Cil- leine Masquerade, the Brussels Griffon. This is one of my breeds. He was the first smooth dog to really do well for the breed and just epitomized the breed.
Would I encourage exhibitors to enter their Toy dogs in Com- panion Events? Absolutely! I see many Toys running in agility. They do well and it really builds an even deeper bond with your dog.
TED EUBANK
I am a native Texan and I live in Dallas. Although I grew up with gun dogs, we got our first registered pure- bred dog (a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) in 1990. I began judging 21 years ago (1999).
Other hobbies include woodwork- ing, hiking, reading books, and music. Introduction to Toy Breeds: Our first Cavalier (a female, “Chelsie”) was purchased as a pet for my wife some six years before AKC recog- nized the breed. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club, USA was the only Cavalier registry organized in the US at the time, and we began to attend their shows, matches and other club events to learn more about the breed. By the time that AKC recognized the breed in 1996, we had acquired several other Cavaliers and had bred a few litters. My wife and I both entered a very rigorous and structured CKCSC, USA Judging Program in 1995. In 1999, I was approved to award Championship Certificates by that Club. With AKC rec- ognition, we began to show in AKC events and made up some of the first champions that were awarded. It was then that I began to
seriously study other Toy breeds.
Apart from size, how would I define this Group? Size does typi-
cally define the Toy Group. Within this group of dogs, we have breeds that could otherwise be in the Terrier Group, the Sporting Group, the Hound Group, the Non-Sporting Group, and maybe even the Herding Group. The Toy breeds bring attributes common
TOY GROUP Q&A