3. Do you inbreed, linebreed or outcross? Why? At different times in a breeding program I believe all of the above are necessary. For the most part I would say that we linebreed. There are so many unknowns in our breed these days and we have been the most successful by only breeding dogs that we are confi- dent we know well. 4. How do you house your dogs? (together, separate, runs or pens) I believe all dogs need their own place to sleep and eat on their own. They run and play together in groups of friends. We believe in lots of time to exercise and play and just be dogs. 5. Do you feed supplements? In general, no. Our dogs are fed a premium dog food and organic yogurt. 6. Where do you whelp your bitches? We whelp in the living room in a comfortable chair. 7. How and when do you deter- mine a show quality puppy? Many times a show quality puppy will stand out from the start. However, it is around five months that we are more confident. We first look for cor- rect coats as this is the hallmark of our breed. Assuming the coat and bite appear to be fine, then we generally choose the puppies that show themselves as they play. They consistently self stack, they are bold and confident. 8. At what age do you begin train- ing? Please share training tips. I am a terrible trainer. I have been known to lead train my puppies at ringside just before going in the ring for the first time. However, I do want to add that I think we have a problem in our breed with over-training. I see so many young puppies pushed and pushed to be perfect little statues. These are toy- terriers. They need to play and have fun in the ring, especially when they are young. I firmly believe that we have so many dead-head, no personality, adult Yorkies in the ring today because they are having their Yorkie spirits trained out of them at a young age. 9. Do you thing your current standard is adequate? If not, what changes would improve it? Long before I ever thought of own- ing a Yorkshire Terrier there were peo- ple breeding dogs using the standard we have today (minus the DQ). Many
great dogs were produced, and contin- ue to be produced by those who use our current standard as a compass. There are those who say that we should add something more specific about struc- ture and movement to the standard. Per- haps that would be helpful. However, if you really study the standard, you will find all that you need to know about the movement and structure of a correct Yorkshire Terrier. 10. What is the great health con- cern to breeders today? I can’t speak for other breeders, but I would personally like to see more par- ticipation in health testing in our breed. Nothing puts us all at risk more than what we do not know. 11. Is dental care important? There is nothing more revolting than a mouth full of dirty, loose teeth. In general, Yorkshire Terriers require a great deal of attention to their teeth from a young age. Providing hard toys for chewing, feeding a quality diet, and brushing the teeth can help. However, I find that most Yorkies need to have their teeth cleaned by a veterinarian at least once a year, no matter what is done at home. 12. What do you enjoy most about owning this breed? I would have to say that I still enjoy showing a really good one more than anything else. 13. What grooming tips or hints would you like to share? Grooming is important. I would say that is as important to winning as having a good dog. Find someone who grooms well and watch them over and over. You are doing yourself and your dog a disservice if you don’t take time to learn to be a great groomer. 14. What makes this breed a great show dog and companion? A Yorkie with a correct tempera- ment shows himself. He is proud and confident and it is truly fun to be in the ring with a dog like this. 15. What tips or advice would you offer the newcomer? I often get calls from newcom- ers wanting to buy a show dog. They don’t really seem to know anything about the different bloodlines, nor do they care. They just want some- thing to show. I would suggest to any newcomer that they go to as many spe- cialties as possible. Get a catalog and sit at ringside watching the dogs. If
you can get an experienced breeder to sit with you that is even better. Start making notes about dogs you like and WHY you like them. Then find out who is breeding what you like and go after it. It has been my observation that those who just call every breeder in YTCA asking for “something to show”, generally just get “something to show”. If you want a great dog, I would advise you to learn more about the breed and the different bloodlines; determine what it is you like, and get to know those breeders who have what you like best. A call to a breeder that starts with something like “I really like the dogs I have seen in the ring produced by your xyz dog”, will take you a lot far- ther than a call that starts with “do you have any show dogs for sale”. Knowl- edge is power. 16. How do you determine the stud dog you will select to breed to your bitch? So many things go into this decision. We first start with physical character- istics that we feel might need a little help, then we look at pedigree. One thing you will never see us do is breed to the current top dog just because he is winning at the moment. We want to see what a stud dog has produced, see what the other dogs in the pedigree have produced, and know a lot about the health and temperament of the dog. We generally only breed our girls three times, and so each breeding is very important. 17. If you were starting a ken- nel would you buy a bitch first or a dog? I would definitely start with a solid bitch with a great pedigree. You can easily have your choice of stud dogs if you have a quality bitch to bring them. 18. What is the single biggest mis- conception about your breed? That they should be sweet, baby- doll faced wimpy dogs. The Yorkshire Terrier is a Toy-Terrier. The smushed in muzzles and big round eyes are sim- ply not correct. The Yorkshire Terrier should have a pleasing head, but not a baby-doll type face. 20. What is the most defining physical characteristic? The silk coat is what sets it apart. 21. What three words best describe your breed? Silk, Toy Terrier.
T op N otch T oys , J anuary 2017 • 83
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