TopDogWeekly’s Cover Dog... RAY
Sometimes dreams do come true! With RAY mainly known as “the Golden Boy” it did… He is the second Tibetan Terrier in Canada to obtain a Grand Champion Excellence title. I was very lucky to be able to co-own RAY with his breeder and my friend Anette Ohman from Dscho Utra such a beautiful Lamleh Tibetan Terrier. While not the most popular colour in the ring, RAY is a unique “solid gold” colour that has now become his nickname. RAY took his time to mature and to become the showman that he is today. In 2011, he was #1 TibetanTerrier and he was awarded 2 All Breed Best in Shows and one of them was owner/handled! What a fantastic thrill it was! Shown occasionally in 2013, he was able to add another Best in Show to his record, plus adding even more group placements making him currently the #2 Tibetan Terrier. This year RAY has 5 Group Wins, 3 Group 2nds, 2 Group 3rds and 5 Group 4ths! RAY is always handled by his “BFF” Emily Burdon. He is more than a show dog to me, he is my best friend and my faithful show companion! Claire & Ray “The Golden Boy” P.S. At his last show (Societe Canine du Quebec) Ray was awarded a Group 1st under respected Judge Mrs Lettitia Bett and a Group 4th under Mrs. Margaret Jones. Thank you!
BEST IN SHOWS week ending September 2nd, 2013
Kamloops & District K.C British Columbia Friday Samoyed Ch. Vanderbilts Let The Games Begin Judge: LeeAnne Bateman Saturday West Highland White Terrier Ch. Whitebriar Jaw Dropper Judge: Jim Reynolds Sunday West Highland White Terrier Ch. Whitebriar Jaw Dropper Judge: David Ojalvo Monday West Highland White Terrier Ch. Whitebriar Jaw Dropper Judge: Enrique Fillipini Saskatoon Kennel Club – Saskatchewan Saturday Shetland Sheepdog – Ch. Miqelon Perfect Storm Judge: Polly Smith Sunday Shih Tzu Ch. Symarun’s Forbidden Love – Dr. Robert Smith Monday Norfolk Terrier Ch. Somebuddy Llwydd Red Baron – Lynda Saranchuk Cornwall & District K.C. – Ontario Thursday Doberman Pinscher Ch. GChEx Goldgrove High Intensity Judge: Phyllis Pancel Friday NSDT Ch Roaneden’s Int’l Harvester Judge: Thomas Alexander Saturday Basenji Ch. Ahmahr Nahr’s The Lost Angel Gabriel Judge: Thora Brown Sunday Yorkshire Terrier Ch. NicNak’ Second To None Judge: Michael Hill Essex County K.C. – Ontario Friday Great Pyrenees GChEx Monark Abbeyroads Molly Malone Judge: Garry Allan Saturday Australian Shepherd Ch. Hearthside Riveredge Sure Is Summum Judge: Dr. Jose Raul Nova Cuello Sunday Australian Shepherd Ch. Hearthside Riveredge Sure Is Summum Judge: Johan Becerra-Hernandez Monday Australian Shepherd Ch. Hearthside Riveredge Sure Is Summum Judge: Alan Ewles Halifax K.C. – Nova Scotia Saturday Affenpinscher – Ch. Champagne Charly V. Tani Kazari Judge: Robert Rowbotham Sunday Norwegian Elkhound Ch. Vin-Melca’s Daggarwoods Delight Judge: Doug Windsor Monday Std. Poodle – GChEx. Vetset Kate Winsit Judge:Anslie Mills Conception Bay K.C. – Newfoundland Saturday Show 1 Labrador Retriever Ch. LandnSea’s Lighthouse KeepHer Judge: Martin Doherty Saturday Show 2 Labrador Retriever Ch. LandnSea’s Lighthouse KeepHer Judge: Linda Millman Sunday Show 1 Labrador Retriever Ch. LandnSea’s Lighthouse KeepHer Judge: Michael Lanctot Sunday Show 2 Labrador Retriever Ch. LandnSea’s Lighthouse KeepHer Judge: Patricia Lanctot
UPCOMING SHOWS this weekend
Skaha K.C. – British Columbia
Pictou County K.C – Nova Scotia
TOP TEN ALL BREEDS Courtesy of CanuckDogs.com
1
Ch Whitebriar Jaw Dropper - West Highland White Terrier
14109
2
Ch Champagne Charly V. Tani Kazari - Affenpinscher
5969
3
GChEx Vetset Kate Winsit - Standard Poodle
5579
4
GChEx NicNak's Second To None - Yorkshire Terrier
5382
5
GCh Polo's Air Force One - Afghan Hound
5363
6
Ch Ahmahr Nahr's The Lost Angel Gabriel - Basenji
4363
7
Ch Hearthside Riveredge Sure Is Summum - Australian Shepherd
4258
8
GCh Roaneden's Int'l Harvester - Nova Scotia Duck Toller
4240
9
GChEx Goldgrove High Intensity - Doberman Pinscher
4008
10
Ch Flacon d'Paris of Neigenuveaux - Barbet
2874
10
Ch Flacon d'Paris of Neigenuveaux - Barbet
2578
(TopDogWeekly does not verify these stats. They are supplied as a courtesy to our readers)
MEET OUR JUDGE OF THE WEEK WILLIAM (SANDY) GUNN Norwood, Ontario
1) Home city? I was born in Sydney Nova Scotia, attended St .F X University in Antigonish, NS and following graduation then moved to the greater Ottawa Area where I lived in rural communities surrounding the city until July 2011. My wife Kirsten and I moved our Pointers and Jacks, our Tennessee Walking Horses, and ourselves to Norwood, Ontario where we have a 69 acre property and lots of room for our animals, ourselves, and for like-minded visitors. 2) Breed or Breed’s you have bred? I am known primarily as a Pointer breeder having devoted 42 years to this breed, to the near exclusion of all others. Prior to Pointers I bred some Gordon Setters, and I grew up with my family’s Labrador Retrievers, GSP’s and my own Rough Collie, Bonnie Lass of Trafford. I have also bred JRT’s when there were ‘overs’ and ‘unders’ and before CKC involvement, and mine were of the under variety. My firsts homebred started out with 3 PBIS’s, one each under three different judges from the UK, Australia, and the USA, all breeder-judge authors and authorities on the breed. 3) Years you have been Judging? Other than sanction matches, my first real assignment was an AKC Specialty Sweepstakes for Gordon Setters in 1982, followed by an Open show for The Northern Dog Club in Middlesbrough, UK in 1985. I first became CKC licensed to judge half of the Sporting Group in 1988. 4) Licensed for or, on Permit for? I am now licensed for all of Sporting, Hounds, Working, Toys, Non-Sporting, Herding and I am on permit for all terrier breeds and the group. I can finally accept all breed assignments in Canada and all but Terriers in the USA. 5) Judged in what Countries? In addition to having judged across Canada and much of the USA, I have judged numerous specialties, twice in Argentina, twice in Australia, All-Breeds in Bermuda, All- Breeds twice in China, All Breeds in Colombia, three times in England + Field Trials in Ireland, twice in New Zealand + Field Trials, and in Scotland. 6) All time favorite assignment? Judging an incredible entry of 178 bitches, and BIS with the Judge of the males, at the UK’s Pointer Club’s annual Championship Show and seeing my bitch go BIS. I considered this an incredible honor for a small breeder from Canada where Pointer’s were then practically a
rare breed! I was also honored to judge at the same club’s annual Championship field trial in Scotland several years later. Another great show I judged the most fun ever, was a Bassett Specialty near Wellington in NZ, great dogs and great exhibitor’s. 7) Favourite dog or dogs Judged from the past? In Pointers the dog who I would have loved to have owned, and to have been able to breed to, was Peakdale Badger an outstanding male in the UK, one who exuded the essence of the Pointer and whose picture I carried in my wallet for many years, and still carry in my mind almost five decades later. Several other dogs also stand out in my memory, Charlie Lunn’s Saint, “Ambassador”, the great Landseer, “Long John Silver”, Honey Glendenning’s “Sunny” English Setter, and a Gordon I was privileged to show to group wins in Canada and the USA, and to breed to and produce Specialty Winners called Afternod Nimrod Nuggets. 8) Pet Peeves in your ring? Very little actually bothers me when I am judging but given a choice, I’d prefer handlers didn’t feed their dogs whilst I am examining heads, bites and expression. 9) Favourite way to relax? Fishing and hunting, but I am a reader with fairly eclectic tastes and I carry a virtual library on my iPad when travelling. I also enjoy movies at home, and weather permitting, there are few places I would rather be, or things I’d rather be doing other than judging shows and trials of course, than riding our horses on our own property or on trail rides throughout the area. 10) How do you occupy your time in travel? I read, both for pleasure, and to bone up on illustrated standards of breeds I am scheduled to judge but don’t get to see often enough. 11) What do you think is the biggest problem facing our Sport? Falling entries, of course, but also while I am very encouraged to see some of our most successful handlers being barely out of juniors (from my senior standpoint) I worry that most clubs are sadly lacking in volunteers, and active members, and those few who do all the work are both getting on in years, and are burning out without a lot of new blood on the horizon to take their places. 12) What are your thoughts on Limit Dog Show’s I have judged some of which were sheer pleasure for the quality of the dogs being shown and for the efficiency of the running of the shows. Association Canine Charlevoisienne in beautiful Baie-St-Paul, Quebec, being an absolute standout! Others good clubs, through no fault of their own, have been disappointing when entries seem to have been divided between clubs just the bare minimum apart and competent professional handlers will obviously go where their clients’ dogs who are being campaigned are more likely to win, and less likely to be met by their top competition in their breeds and groups.
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Most people want Judges to participate in our Sport to stay in touch, but should they actively campaign dogs and then Judge at the same time? Jack Ireland I do not see anything wrong with a judge showing a dog to its championship, and bringing the dog out to support a Specialty or a special event. Having said that I would not campaign a dog, this is only my opinion and I am sure some Judges feel differently on this subject. I think as Judges we can still participate in the dog world along with judging by taking an active part in dog clubs, seminars etc. Caroline Thibodeau I have absolutely no problem with a judge breeding, showing, as well as campaigning a dog. I think if a judge is ethical, he is ethical and if not then it matters not what he does. Cec Ringstrom I think judges should stay active in our hobby. I feel it is appropriate to show our dogs to their championships, during puppy careers and occasionally spot show a special. I truly feel that campaigning a dog as well as judging is not appropriate. Just my opinion! Frank Davey Judges who actively campaign their own dogs, particularly those who owner-handle them, put themselves, unfortunately, in an irresolvable and extremely real conflict of interest. They create a fog of suspicion around the integrity of their judging of their own breed, their own group, and BIS. Worse, they cast a small dark shadow over conformation showing, and could well be one of the causes of declining entries. I’m sympathetic to their plight, but is there a way out of it? If their dog is competing for a group ranking, and they don’t give awards to dogs close to them in the group standings, some exhibitors are going to be suspicious, no matter the quality of the dogs that the judges did put up. Are they deliberately dumping dogs that could be a threat to them? Exhibitors will view with similar suspicion wins that the judgeexhibitor do receive from other judges who campaign their own dogs. If an ordinary exhibitor has a handler, that handler may very well explain a loss, or a failure to get a group placement, by pointing out that your dog is a threat to the group standing of a dog owned or owner-handled by the judge, or that the judge ‘owed’ a win to the judgeowner of a winning dog. These stories get told, and may often be without basis, but are damaging to judges and to dog showing and to show entries.
It seems to me that judges who campaign their own dogs are, from a reputation point of view, in an almost no-win situation. It may mean that they have to work extremely hard to maintain a good reputation. But I don’t know how they can do that when many exhibitors have inflated expectations of their own dogs and are easily suspicious when they don’t win. And then rumors circulate, and as a dog community we all lose. Honey Glendinning Define “Actively Campaign”. I am having a dog shown right now, but at the same time I am not at the same time advertising his wins or the dog. I am doing it for the sheer pleasure of having a Setter from the lines I have been working on for over 44 years and proud of. He has only been in the ring this year for about 3 months and that to me is not a campaign, just having fun with a mature dog. Another way of looking at it is the quality of the dog the judge owns, it tells a lot about what they consider is good breed type. Just my take on it. Doug McIntyre “Showing” dog’s is one thing, but actively “campaigning “ while Judging puts a lot of “new comers” off. This sport desperately needs to keep them. In my opinion I could care less either way, but it’s the new ones we have to keep addicted, I’ve been in therapy for years !!!!!!! Lol Virginia Lyne I believe that many of the judges who remain active both breeding and occasionally showing dogs continue to have empathy for the exhibitor. They are more understanding of the challenges that the exhibitor faces. However, for a judge to actively campaign dogs is a very different matter if they are going to be around the shows and be involved in their dog’s progress. Perhaps this is the time to take time out from judging for a while if your campaign means you are striving for “top dog” status. I do believe that a campaigned dog should be shown by a handler only. The potential for conflict of interest exists in judging decisions made by judges who have dogs in the rankings.
BREEDER PROFILE WRATH - LIBERATOR DOBERMANS PAT BLENKEY & BRIAN CASEY
What attracted you to your breed? Their sleek beauty and intelligence, although we didn’t know it at the time, their complete devotion and loyalty to their people. They’re not called the “Velcro dog” for nothing. How many years have you been breeding and exhibiting? Pat I bought my first Doberman in 1958 while living in England. When I moved to Canada I sadly had to place my three Dobermans and my Afghan Hound. I was here only six weeks when I answered an ad in the newspaper, went to see a litter of puppies and came home with “Wrath” and the rest is history... Brian bought his first Doberman in 1969 and bred his first litter in 1973.
What are your accomplishments in your breed? We have bred or owned approximately 300 Canadian champions and now have 38 American Champions - this in very limited U.S. showing. Several dogs have the distinction of being top winners and or producers in our breed, with others going on to attain higher awards. I’m a horrible record keeper so can’t quote statistics or number of ‘bests’, but I do know that 39 individual dogs either owned or bred by us have attained Best in Show or Best in Specialty wins, or both. Three are DPCC National specialty winners, and others have been the sires of several others. Doberman Pinscher Club of Canada Breeder of the Year: 1979,80,89,90,91-94,96-97, 2000, 2002, 2006 and 2010. #1 Doberman and #3 Working 1984 and 1985 Am/MBISS/MBIS Can/Bda Ch Ambermark Accolade for Pip - the first bitch to win the DPCC National #1 Doberman and Top Working Dog, 1986 - Am/MBISS/MBIS Can Ch. Liberator’s Mercedes - in less than six months of competition and the first bitch of any breed to win this award. Am/MBISS/MBIS Can Ch. Liberator’s Springsteen #10 All Breeds 1992. #1 Doberman and #7 All breeds 1994 and #2 Doberman and #6 All Breeds 1995 - Am/ MBISS/MBIS Can Ch. Wrath’s Tequila Sunrise #2 Doberman and #10 All Breeds 2002, MBISS Am/MBISS/MBIS Can Ch. Liberator’s Blonde Ambition - the first and to date, only fawn to win a Canadian best in show. #1 Doberman #1 Working and #5 All Breeds, 2003 - MBISS/MBIS Ch Liberator’s Valentino #3 Doberman, 2005 AND #1 Doberman, #8 Working Dog, 2006 - MBISS/MBIS Ch. Liberator’s Chasing Rainbows #1 Doberman, #5 Working Dog, 2008 - MBISS/MBIS Ch. Wrath’s Soldier of Fortune #1 Doberman, #4 Working Dog and #14 All Breeds, 2009 - MBISS Am/MBISS/MBIS Can Ch. Liberator’s Hollywood Park Last year, in very limited showing four dogs either owned or bred by us, placed in the top 10 of our breed. We currently have 38 American Champions to our credit, and at the Doberman Pinscher Club of America Nationals have twice won Superior Quality Specimen awards, Winners Dog three times, Reserve Winners dog once, and Winners Bitch once. We’ve also had back-to-back Winners Bitch and Reserve Winners dog at DPCA host club specialties. Did you have a mentor in your Breed? Pat Joey Purdy was always someone I could listen to for hours - I consider her my mentor. Brian Pat and Joey Purdy gave me a good background and knowledge of
the breed. As a handler, I always credit the late Shirley deBoer who taunted me unmercifully each time she beat me, but was the first to offer congratulations and praise when our roles were reversed. Do you believe Judges have a good understanding of your breed? On the whole the majority do - after all, what you see is basically what you get! We do enjoy showing to judges who take virtues into consideration instead of focusing on faults. However, some judges, especially the less experienced who may not have had an opportunity to see some really good specimens, do need to educate themselves about breed type. This can be a challenge with declining entries, but we admire those judges who go out of their way to attend breed specific seminars or who seek input from experienced mentors. We love good movement as much as anyone, but find that some judges find a way out by placing too much emphasis on down and back at the expense of type, especially since our breed allocates only SIX points in total to movement. Generic type and movement do nothing to improve any breed. We believe this is reflected in some of the exhibits we see in the ring. In turn these dogs are bred and faults are perpetuated. As one wise and very highly regarded judge commented “sometimes you have to give up a little to get a lot”. The straighter dogs may often perform a better down and back than some of their more correctly angulated counterparts - but there again this deficit shows up on side gait which we feel is a much better assessment of movement and structure. Judges need to discourage the current trend of moving the dogs too fast, and instead concentrate on carriage, outline, cadence and coverage of the most amount of ground with the least amount of effort. In as few words as possible describe the essence of your breed? Presence, power and elegance contained in a sleek, tight wrapper. What are the medical problems in your breed? Cancer is our biggest killer, followed by cardiomyopathy. Unfortunately as yet, we have no reliable early markers for cardiomyopathy. Although research continues, we feel there will be no early marker during our lifetime in dogs. In recent years chronic active hepatitis seems to be raising its ugly head. Perhaps people are more aware of this through testing, or perhaps it’s simply just becoming more prevalent - we really don’t know. Through testing, breeders have a real handle on vonWillebrand’s especially compared to 25 years or so ago when many were unwittingly breeding affected to affected dogs. Fault wise, currently what needs the most improvement in your breed? All in all Dobermans are in fairly good shape in this country. But, like many breeds, straight fronts or fronts set too far forward have been a problem for as long as we can remember. Properly angulated fronts are hard to breed, but even harder to hold onto. Perhaps in our breed it has something to do with the fact that we call for 90 degree angles in a square dog. I’ve always felt that the standard is a
bit of a contradiction, since the two don’t necessarily go hand in hand, and that combination is pretty hard to attain. The front legs should not sit under the neck - a fairly common occurrence. Instead, breeders need to look for a smooth well laid on shoulder along with an equal return of upper arm to give that sought after 90 degree angle. To quote Peggy Adamson of Damasyn fame, “Dobermans with correct fronts look different from the more upright, straight fronted dogs... The correct fronted Doberman should be studied and the balance memorized as ideal”. Another front problem is a tendency towards lack of front fill. When viewed head on, a full, oval shaped front with tight elbows is something that should be recognized and appreciated. While we see a variety of good heads, we feel that more emphasis could be placed on the smooth blunt wedge, parallel planes, under jaw and tight lips that make up the classic head called for in our standard. Gay/squirrel tails are something to be watched, especially if (perish the thought!) docking should ever be banned. What do you believe to be the best dog you have bred? That’s a tough one since over the years so many have special places in our hearts or have made their own individual contributions both in the ring and in the whelping box. However, probably Harlow, Ch. Liberator’s Blonde Ambition has a bit of an edge since she created such a stir when we first brought her out. Showing a fawn (Isabella) was a bit rough in the beginning, especially under some Canadian judges, but it wasn’t too long before she was appreciated by most of the judges who put their hands on her. She was beautiful in every way... What dog of your breed would you have loved to own? In bitches “Indy” - Ch. Royal Tudor’s Gone With the Wind. In dogs it would be a toss-up between Ch. Legend’s Extravaganza v Deco - “Chaos” and Ch. Brunswig’s Cryponite “Kafka” How many dogs do you normally have in your kennel? We actually don’t have a kennel in the accepted sense of the word. We currently have 11 dogs, perhaps too many especially since our breeding plans have been seriously curtailed and some of our girls have never been bred. But these comprise of veterans 12 years of age down to puppies that are just 3 months. How many litters do you have in a year and what is the average size of your litters? One, or a maximum of two litters is more than enough for us. Our main reason for breeding is to have something up and coming to show and to carry on our breeding program. Eight is an average litter size for us, which suits us just fine. Are you having trouble selling or placing your puppies? No, since we don’t breed a lot we usually have a waiting list and often have repeat buyers.
How many Canadian Shows do you attend in a year? Used to be every weekend, but over the last couple of years we’ve slowed down and like many breeders or owner handlers, have become more selective of the judges we show to. How many American Shows do you attend in a year? We lost our kennel sitter, so no longer show in the U.S. unless it’s at a location where we can drive back and forth each day and those are few and far between. Do you attend your Canadian or American National Specialty Shows? We try to attend both depending on the locations. We do like the American National and regard this as our vacation because it stretches over a 10 day period.
THE HISTORY OF PLUSH PUPPY Cheryl LeCourt
My husband Jon and I have ran many businesses over the years including a chain of hair salons, a hairdressing Academy and I have manufactured hair care products under the Genetix and Revita labels for over 30 years. Between us we have over 90 years of hairdressing experience. Jon is well respected everywhere and known for his good training and business acumen. We have a long and interesting history and one of the hats I wore in my career was as a Hairdressing chairman of Judges for Australia, so dog showing is just a perfect hobby for someone who is pedantic about the details! When we began showing dogs over 25 years ago, it was with Siberian Huskies, which no one seemed to prepare with more than a wipe over with a wet towel and brush! Oh dear, I like to do the 100 little things and there were just two! It was frustrating that my out come orientated mindset was not satisfied with the available products anywhere. Sure, there were the usual things to cleanse and maybe smell nice but it was pretty primitive and nothing of the quality, direct outcome nor were there products with a conscience. I managed to think outside the square and ignore tradition and experience. I often think tradition is just many years of bad habits! Not always, but in many cases, and what we all had available back decades ago, is not the case nowadays. Gosh, now we have hydro baths, surge baths, hydraulic lift grooming tables, turbo dryers etc. Why not cutting edge, innovative products too? I see the various breeds in their entirety and their silhouette, and it seems that the quest is to get a dog, or make a dog, fit that silhouette as best you can. Well, I have a breed that says, basically, “thou shall not trim” and therefore all the work has to be in the breeding and/or the preparation of that coat for the show without removing hair. Thus Plush Puppy began in its early embryonic years and blossomed to do so many things for so many reasons.
It costs to make a good quality product and use the quality of extracts that make a real difference. It also costs to use naturally sourced ingredients. We do not use petro chemically sourced ingredients in our shampoos and we do not use any soap based shampoos. Everything is tried and tested but never on lab animals. I do know how and what special ingredients are needed to make a coat fuller, softer, harder, flatter, shinier, straighter etc and how to get optimum growth on a coat. Plush Puppy was started to empower me and my breed and the other breeds we have subsequently owned and previously owned - Setters, Terriers, Poodles, Pekingese etc. We have groomed and had experience with just about all the known breeds with the exception of some of the rare European breeds but if you tell us what the outcome you desire is, then we can work it out pretty accurately and fast. Plush Puppy is now all about empowering you the exhibitor to create the perfect silhouette with your own dogs and the various differences even within your own breed. Through the grapevine and then the Internet people worldwide found Plush Puppy and it is now available just about everywhere, from Kazakhstan to Iceland and Canada and the USA to the UK, Japan, China, Philippines, NZ and Europe and Scandinavia. Not forgetting South Africa too. Everything is made here in Australia with strict quality controls and using all ethically sourced, finest quality ingredients. For almost two decades, we have made our own formulations along with a couple of WORLD LEADING chemists and never use generic recipes which most tend to do. You will never find a Plush Puppy product formula in any other dog product anywhere in the world. Plush Puppy is hypoallergenic, as naturally sourced as we can without compromising the environment us, or the dogs and yet still get a definite result. You can cleanse a dog with most things and some smell great too. However it is in the tweaking of the coat for that special texture or outline that Plush Puppy shows its worth. A friend cheekily told me that if I was to fall off the perch, then he would like the recipe for Seabreeze Oil left to him in my will as he reckons I have been putting Rolls Royces into every product and maybe the next person would not. As Seabreeze Oil is his all time favorite product and he swears he can’t live without it, the recipe would be my best legacy to him ensuring true quality forever! LOL! We truly love dogs too. That is always essential when you wish to make good things. As a hairdresser I always loved my clients and many have stayed friends over the years, growing with them and their children and grandchildren. It is the same for us and the dogs and exhibitors. I have great times with you all and am as happy to chat and discuss the perfect silhouette for your dog as readily as my own. Never wait for 25 years to try to learn how to get that silhouette for your dog or hope someone will share their secrets – they never do – but I will! Just email and ask! PLUSH PUPPY HEDQUARTERS info@plushpuppy.com.au