MEET THE BREED OLD ENGLISH SHEEPDOG NIKOLAS KANALES

Aryakas

Old English Sheepdog

About The Breeder

Firstly, can you give us some background on yourself? When and how did you start to breed Bobtails?

Umberto Eco, in his bestseller “The Name of the Rose”, mentioned something akin to: “Every book was written for another book”. Therefore, I firmly believe that anyone who has succeeded in dogs has done so by following the example of successful individuals before them, particularly breeders. This success is definitely achieved with the enlight-ened guidance and mentoring of at least one talented mentor!

Born on the Greek Island of Paros, I spent a significant part of my childhood in close contact with many different kinds of animals raised on my grandparents’ smallholding. As far back as I can remember, dogs played a significant – I would even call it “karmic” – role in my life, long before Old English Sheepdogs (OES) came into the picture. As a toddler, I took my first steps holding the tail of a wonderful female dog, a multipurpose hunting dog named “Arapina”, who was very tolerant and kind to me.

My grandparents were accomplished breeders of working dogs and other animals, demonstrating a unique respect, love, and care for all the animals they raised. My grandfather, in particular, had an incredible “eye for a dog” and other types of animals that “we” used to raise, including goats, cattle, horses, and even chickens. I regard him as my first mentor in breeding and evaluating dogs.

Later, we purchased the most beautiful female German Shorthaired Pointer (G.S.P.) I had ever seen. Almost simultaneously, my grandfather was asked to train two exquisite pedigree Irish Setters for hunting. That’s when I started understanding what a pedigree dog was and began noticing the differences.

Moving to the city of Athens in my youth, I downsized to Cocker Spaniels, my first “personal breed”, though I had tried to acquire an English Pointer earlier.

As a child, I was notorious for “collecting” dogs and other animals of all sorts, and by the age of 14, I had already bred three litters of Cockers on my own!

Old English Sheepdogs (OES) came into my life in 1981 as “helper dogs” for my autistic younger sister Anna.

From then on, they became a huge part of my life, proving to be incredibly understanding, trustworthy, mild, clever, calm, and also vivacious. Especially with an autistic child at home, OES proved to be easily adaptable, incredibly easy to train, and great fun to have.

I must stress that I believe I would have never accomplished anything in showing or breeding dogs without the guidance, help, and mentoring of some great dog people I was fortunate to meet in my life, includingmylategrandparents,thelateMrs.Virginia Mary Saunders, and a few others.

While I’ve always been interested in many other breeds and have been lucky enough to have or live with some of them, such as Schnauzers, Norfolk Terriers, Kerry Blue Terriers, and Griffons Bruxellois, it’s important to note that not all of my efforts were successful. There were some dogs and litters that were almost “a total disaster”. It’s a grave mistake to assume that consistent success in the ring means everything was handed on a plate. Behind such success, you often find a degree of heartbreak and disappointment. However, the determined breeder overcomes such setbacks.

What is the story behind your kennel and your kennel name? How many litters have you had so far? When did you breed your first litter?

“Aryakas” is the unofficial name of the area where I was actually born, on the dry Cycladic island of Paros in Greece. In the local dialect, it refers to a stream of water go-ing towards the sea. The history and etymology of the name are very dear to me as they are related to my grandfather; he had given away half of his property for access to this “priceless” source of water, every second day!

While I have bred fewer than 20 litters under my affix during almost 40 years of in-volvement with the breed, I am responsible for quite a few more that have been bred or co-bred with other people as a result of “team breeding”. Although there have been some issues over the years, I am very positive about the overall outcome.

As a young boy and teenager, I bred litters of Cockers on my own and took care of a few other litters of German Shorthaired Pointers, Hungarian Vizslas, and

English Point-ers. My real involvement in showing and breeding Old English Sheepdogs came much later in my life, in 1995, with the priceless mentoring help and guidance of Gina Saun-ders, to whom I owe most of my success in breeding quality dogs.

Where did your first dogs come from?

Regrettably, I obtained my very first non-pedigree Old English Sheepdog from a pet shop, a rather traumatic experience at a young age that I would rather not dwell on. This experience motivated me to focus on getting my dogs from reputable breeders later on, and it became clear that I needed to explore new bloodlines. So, around 2000, I started by sourcing dogs from, or related to, the Reata’s kennel of Davor and Andrea Javor from Croatia. These lines traced back to some of the legendary dogs from Zot-tel’s, owned by Mrs. Christina Bailey in the UK, among a few others I had admired.

What is your breeding policy? Do you work with other kennels, have joint owner-ships, or rent dogs from other kennels? Or do you prefer to have your stud dogs for yourself?

From time to time, we have had dogs come to stay with us solely for breeding pur-poses, for a limited period of time. This includes both males and females. While we would prefer to have the best stud dogs in the world at our home, we recognize that there are some exceptional dogs in other people’s homes and we have strived to use them when necessary, on multiple occasions.

Of course, we collaborate with other reputable kennels and breeders. While we own, or co-own many dogs on paper, only a handful of them actually live with us. Times have changed a great deal and the historic “big kennels” with many dogs are rare nowadays. We firmly believe that our dogs should live the life of a family member in loving, per-manent homes, therefore, we don’t support the idea of keeping a large number of dogs ourselves.

In our view, breed improvement can only be achieved through collaboration between capable and honest people. This can sometimes be difficult to find as greed can be a significant downfall in human nature. Naturally, there have been some disappointments along the way.

Which dog do you consider the foundation of your own breeding?

Without a doubt, it would be multi BIS & BISS Multi Ch. Reata’s Cosmopolitan – “Cosmo” and his “wife” Ch. Fan-Fell Qualify for Happiness – “Patsy”. Typically, one be-gins with a female for breeding, but in my case, I first acquired Cosmo and shortly afterwards, decided to get my foundation bitch, Patsy. Of course, I thoroughly studied pedigrees and types to ensure this combination would be highly compatible and ideal-ly, produce the results I was looking for. Despite originating from different kennels, both dogs were line-bred on some of my favourite dogs in our breed, and to the best of my knowledge and ability, it worked out very well.

What kind of selection do you prefer in your breeding program - line breeding, in-breeding, or out-crossing?

I am inclined to say, “One must know how to outcross in order to line-breed effective-ly.” One aspect of my studies focused on genetics, and I firmly believe that heavy in-breeding can cause numerous issues within the world of pedigree dogs. A breeder’s decisions can indeed influence a breed for many generations to come.

To improve any breed in terms of type, soundness, and temperament, I believe one must know how to primarily line-breed to achieve the best possible results. However, it’s also crucial to understand how to outcross to avoid heavy inbreeding and associated health issues.

What would you say was your greatest achievement as a breeder so far?

To be completely honest, it’s impossible for me to single out only one achievement as my greatest. I have been very fortunate to have had some wonderful experiences in both breeding and dog showing, which, to me, go hand in hand.

Perhaps my greatest achievements are related to the happiness and joy that well-bred dogs can bring to the daily life of a family or an individual. Additionally, witnessing to-tal newcomers, both in dogs and in our breed, achieving incredible results has been rewarding.

While I have won the FCI World Show and the FCI EuropeanShowafewtimesandhavebredChampions, Best In Show, and Group winners in many different countries around the world, my greatest achievement was likely at Crufts 2017. Multi BIS & BISS Ch. AryakasPegasoswonthePastoralGroup,whilehiskennel mates UK Ch. Aryakas Stefania at Beauvallon won the Bitch C.C. and Multi BIS & BISS Aryakas Pandora won the Re-serve Bitch C.C. What made this more special to me is that none of these dogs actually lived with us at home!

Pegasos’ human mom, our dear friend Paola Siciliano from Italy, had never had a dog before him. Pegasos is actually her pet, accompanying her to her fashion store every day and frequently swimming in the sea, even during his career as a “top show dog”! At the same time, Ch. Aryakas Stefania lives with our friends Gareth & Helen Harris in the UK, and CH. Aryakas PandoraliveswithAlainandValerieLabousinFrance. This truly demonstrates the power of teamwork.

An unforgettable moment for me was when Reata’s Cosmopolitan won Best of Breed at the World Dog Show in Portugal under Mr. Carlos Saevich from Argentina. Despite be-ing far from home and sick with a fever that day, the breed judge admired my

15-month-old dog enough to award him Best of Breed over Champions. After his judging, he genuinely asked me: “Now tell me, who the hell is this dog? And who the hell are you?” A couple of years later, I was thrilledtowinBestofBreedatCruftsforthefirsttime with the same dog, under Mrs. Jilly Bennett (Pelajilo OES – UK), whose judging I had long admired.

Yet,Ibelievemygreatestachievementisstillaheadof me and should be strongly relat-ed to the consistency in breeding quality dogs.

About The Breed

How do you interpret the standard? Do you accept that other breeders have dif-ferent points of view as to what a Bobtail should look like, or is there just one correct type?

Many people seem to believe that various breed standards can be open to multiple interpretations. However, I don’t think the OES breed standard is that ambiguous. That said, one should really study it thoroughly and try to read “between the lines” and “behind the words” to be able to answer the “whys”. For instance, why should the OES be strong, square, with its “characteristic topline”? Once one is capable of answering these “whys”, they then understand the Standard, and there’s no need for individual interpretations!

Nevertheless, if I didn’t accept that other people have different views, it would be like denying the sun rises from the east each morning. In many ways, I’m grateful for these differing viewpoints as they add to the intrigue of our field. On the other hand, some keyboard warriors may appreciate dogs that, at times, I find to be practically of a dif-ferent breed.

What three qualities do you think are the most important when you look at a Bobtail?

I’m not sure I could boil it down to three words, but I would value a compact, strong, bear-like balanced dog, with a profuse harsh coat, and a playful intelligent character, of very even disposition.

In essence, I would want a dog that’s capable of doing a day’s work, referring of course to the work OES were bred for!

Which faults would you not tolerate in your breed?

I would not tolerate any faults that would prevent a dog from performing the tasks it’s been bred for. Top of my list would be an unreliable temperament, as I believe that is one of the worst faults an OES could have. I also find it hard to tolerate a weak, long, tubular body that lacks balance, an unsound dog, lacking the breed-specific topline, or a soft untypical coat.

In my opinion, these are faults one should never have to tolerate, neither in judging nor in a breeding programme. This is because, although very few of us may have cattle or sheep these days, the dogs we breed and show indeed have a crucial role to play in our modern society. This role should coincide with the original purpose for which the breed was created.

In my book, OES have a great role and a significant job to do nowadays as a companion and family dog. They can even serve as a helping dog, as they have done in my own family. This role should never be underestimated.

Would you say there is a difference in dogs and dog types in Europe and USA? What is the difference in AKC and FCI Standards?

There has been, and still is, significant interaction between different parts of the world concerning OES breeding and showing. This doesn’t only involve the US, UK, and Eu-rope, but also Asia, Oceania, Latin America, etc.

Responding to your question, something immediately comes to mind: I recently read an article by a wellknownDogClubcommitteememberandbreeder,who claimed that the “best dogs of his breed are bred in his own country”. I believe such a viewpoint probably indicates a lack of understanding, lack of interest, or even kennel-blindness, since this person has likely only seen dogs of his own breed on “Facebook”! Dog show-ing and, by extension, breeding, is an international sport with no realistic borders. What happens today in one part of the world can influence events in a completely dif-ferent place more quickly than we sometimes can imagine! This is what makes our dog world even more fascinating. Sitting behind our PC screens, believing that we have the best dogs, probably makes it all quite monotonous.

That said, there are indeed differences, notably regarding the tail, which is “natural” in Europe and docked in the US, along with other aspects such as white markings in the grey parts of the dogs, which are allowed in the US but not in Europe and the UK, etc. Also, the AKC standard calls for slightly shorter dogs than the European and UK stand-ards, but in reality, American dogs – especially males – are overall bigger and even tall-er compared to European dogs.

It’s more a matter of what exhibitors and judges are accustomed to seeing in different parts of the world, rather than actual differences in the breed standards, regarding our breed. While the average American dog may be a bit more substantial and squarely built, accentuated by a bit (or maybe a lot!) more scissoring, and at times with stronger rear movement, the European Dogs generally may have better quality coats, darker eyes and may excel in front angulation and topline. This is definitely a generalization, and may not even be applicable nowadays, since I haven’t visited the American Nation-als last year. From another perspective, pigmentation is generally better in Europe, and heads, I believe, may be stronger in the US over the last few years.

How has the breed changed over the years? Would you say it has gone to better or worse?

Like many breeds, OES have evolved in various ways, and there is a lot of literature on this topic, written by well-known and respected writers and journalists. In many ways, our breed has evolved for the better, with many health issues like hip dysplasia, cataracts, and PCD almost disappearing due to careful breeding and neces-sary testing. Longevity and overall soundness have improved in some bloodlines, which many believe were sorely lacking during the latter part of the 20th century, even in some top-winning dogs in Europe and the UK.

On the other hand, some modern OES may be too photogenic, with a lot of attention given to looks rather than function. As a result, in some dogs, coat quantity seems to be overtaking quality. Instead of double-harsh, realistically protective waterproof coats, we sometimes see softer, longer coats. This is unfortunately aided by excessive artificial scissoring and trimming to disguise the actual coat quality. In some cases, groomers and handlers even go as far as creating something resembling a giant Bichon Frisé ra-ther than a typical OES, which is, to say the least, rather disappointing.

Numbers have drastically dropped, but I would not like to be one of those who con-stantly ONLY praise dogs from the past. Living in the past, to me, likely means that we are unable to appreciate good dogs today or to do anything other than “moan” about our breed. Even worse, we may be unable to appreciate someone else’s good dogs!

I genuinely believe we also have some fantastic dogs today!

Can you describe an ideal Bobtail?

The ideal Bobtail would be strong, capacious, square, profusely coated, balanced, bear-like, sound, and rhythmically moving. It would be intelligent, playful, free from exag-gerations, and have a strong head and bone structure.

Please name 3 of your all-time favourite winners bred by you, and 3 not owned nor bred by you.

Having to choose, I’ll only name dogs that are no longer with us, or have retired. Among my homebred dogs, Aryakas Cosmo-Junior, a.k.a. “C.J.”, deserves mention first. Living in Austria with his human mom Ms.ElisabethAntl,C.J.haswonasignificantnumberof championships in many countries, and an impressive number of Bests In Show. He became Top Dog of all breeds in Greece, following the family tradition of his sire. Not to forget, he won Best of Breed at Crufts, the World Champion and European Champion titles, etc.

Another one close to my heart is UK Ch Aryakas Genesis at Beauvallon a.k.a. “Geena”. She was primarily shown by her owner, Mrs. Helen Harris (UK), and despite only being shown in the UK, she was incredibly beautiful. Geena later won Best Of Breed at Crufts and the prestigious pastoral Group 4th place in a very competitive year.

Lastly, I must mention the very special Multi BIS & BISS, INT. IT. & GR Ch Aryakas Pegasos, now retired.

He had a very limited show career - probably shown at no more than 20 dog shows during his life. But, he won many Group 1sts and Best In Show awards, as well as Best Of Breed and the Pastoral group at Crufts. Loved and condi-tioned by a newcomer to dogs, Ms. Paola Siciliano from Italy, and groomed and han-dled by Matteo Autolitano and myself.

As for dogs bred by others, I have to start with the legendary Ch. Zottel’s Miss Marple of Lameda, a.k.a. “Missy”. Bred and handled by Mrs. Christina Bailey, she was a joy to watch in the ring and excelled in breed type, conditioned to perfection.

Another perfectly conditioned and shown dog was UK Ch. Bobbington Latin Lover, han-dled by Mrs. Alex Little, who also bred him. A dream to watch, he would be an example for anyone wanting to appreciate breed type.

Choosing my third pick is challenging, as I have admired so many, but I’d probably choose Am. Ch. Mop Top Good Lovin from the US. Although I’ve never seen this dog in real life, I’ve always admired him. And his winning the OESCA Nationals under Jilly Ben-nett’s guidance convinces me I can’t be far off.

What homebred dog of yours comes closest to your ideal?

I appreciate this question, as I’ve bred some nontop winners that are very close to my heart and my ideal OES. These dogs have offered their families and me much love and affection. While dog showing and breeding is undoubtedly one of my greatest passions, dogs are long-standing companions of humanity, and they live an everyday 24/7 life with us, away from showing. Among my most beloved dogs are Ch. Aryakas Caryatis, her litter sisters Calliopee and Callipous, Aryakas Dorothea, Fotios with Fotini, GeoCosmic, Hermes and Hercules, Ikaros, Ionios and Idioteleia, Kallistos, Lygeia, Midas, Niki, Ophelia, Pandora,PhoenixandPherenikee,Rodanthi,Stefania, Simon, and Timon. Some have had successful show careers, some not, but I couldn’t exclude any of them and I’m sure I’ve forgotten some.

What would you say is the secret to continued success in breeding Bobtails?

I believe that the key principles to successful breeding have been often stated by breeders of many different breeds, and these principles apply to OES breeding as well. A breeder should be passionate and committed to the improvement of the breed, put in substantial effort in studying and continuous research, and respect the work and history of others. It’s crucial to develop a well-informed opinion based on facts and not be swayed by what others publish or think. You shouldn’t be misled by the occasional top winner of the time, but should admire its virtues and choose the right one that suits your bloodlines and the particular female at the time.

My original studies in the medical field and my understanding of genetics, coupled with interactions with excellent breeders, judges, and mentors, have been invaluable. Early on, I developed the concept of the “Double X factor or XX factor”. As American breeder,judge,andauthorPatriciaTrotterhaspointed out, while males may be influential, they contribute only 25% of their genes’ potential to a breed’s gene pool. In contrast, fe-males can influence a breed 75%, due to their XX gene. Hence, each offspring inherits one gene from each parent, making the X genes more influential, constituting 75% of a gene pool. The secret of a successful breeding program lies in quality females and a strong bitch line. Moreover, any male should ideally come from a virtuous strong bitch line.

What advice would you give to a new person in the breed?

Newcomers, who are much needed, should strive to discover the best that this beauti-ful breed and world have to offer… and leave out the rest! Always start with quality, which may be challenging to find initially, but is worth the effort. Be responsible and let your decisions be guided by your genuine love and passion for this wonderful breed.

Be more interested in learning than in becoming interesting immediately. Learn by traveling, and don’t travel only to win at various dog shows. I have learned a lot more by listening and observing, even from losing, than from talking and winning!

Try to differentiate truly knowledgeable dog people from those who make too much noise on the internet and social media. Don’t be swayed by superficial opinions that always reflect the incredible, nonexistent values of their own expert breeding… especially when they have only bred a few litters… with other people’s dogs. Noise and self-promotion are not the best routes to achievement. A truly successful dog person or any serious breeder doesn’t need to be a “keyboard warrior.” Avoid being a big fish in the small pond of your own backyard; this does not

benefit any breed!

Seek out the added values within the wonderful breed of OES, and within any breed, and discover the many ulterior motives involved in showing and breeding truly good dogs.

Have at least one good mentor. Place your trust in someone who has integrity, ethical standards, and a proven track record of results. Define “good” as the people who don’t only think that their current dogs are the best ever, but also know how to evaluate dogs according to the breed standard.

And always remember, if you try and succeed, you may face problems, but if you don’t try, you will gain nothing!