by Bonnie Guggenheim, TNT Advertising Director & Associate Editor TOY TALK ETCETERA NATIONAL CLUBS & FABULOUS BREED FEATURES
P lanning for our BreedFeatures begins two or three months prior to the date that we have dedicated toward making your special breed a focus in TOP NOTCH TOYS . National Boards are contacted with a phone call and/or a letter explaining what TNT is planning and to request Board-approved articles. Please encourage your club to participate. Most important to many of us are those articles from the Judges Education Coordinator. You can find the JEC for each Toy breed listed on the clubs’ websites or fromAKC, and since these positions do change, please be sure that you have included the name of the cur- rent author. Permit Judges rely on the clubs to provide meaningful information on each Toy breed, to enable them to become great judges in the future—and those under whom you want to exhibit. Secondly, we also like to include articles and pho- tos from the Club Historian or from breeders with the knowledge and years of experience that can pro- vide this important part of our Breed Feature. Often, they’ll include photos of the big-winning, top produc- ers as well as the winners from the past. The further back you go, the more it’s appreciated. If you want a map to see where you are going, you need to know where you have been. This saying certainly applies to the art of breeding beautiful and correct show dogs, per the written standard. Review pedigrees and use them as a road map to success. See as many of the dogs in those pedigrees as possible while search- ing for the attributes that you want to include in your breeding program.
The next itemhas to dowith grooming. All the long-coated breeds have wonderful examples of dogs in cute, cut-down clips that make living with them easier, and the clubs offer articles on their websites related to show grooming. Prac- tice makes perfect! If your breed is great in Agility, why not promote it? There are many new opportunities to have fun with and enjoy your dogs, from Barn Hunt and Trick Dog to Fly Ball, Dock Diving, andmore…Would you be interested in a sec- tion on these fun sports for Toy dogs? Please let me know! When your club is contacted, I hope you will encourage them to participate, to promote your breed and to help in- terested people learnmore about them. I amalways happy to assist and make it easier for participants to submit ar- ticles or ads. TOPNOTCHTOYS is the “go-to” place for judges, history buffs, and anyonewho is interested in your breed as a show prospect or house pet.With your help, your breed’s feature can become one of the best-ever in our Group Five, All- Toy, National Magazine—Dynamite in a Small Package! Wishing you continued success with your Breed Clubs and with your Breed. Remember, inquiring minds want to know, so stay in touch and win lots more!
Bonnie bonnie@aramediagroup.com 512.971.3280
14 • T op N otch T oys , O ctober 2021
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