senior dog—over 10 years old. Win- ning a second Best in show at WKC was never something I had dreamt of. This is a thrill that will last a lifetime. The stars aligned that night and he was up for the challenge. It was so fun and so exciting and really one of the best dog stories of triumph over illness and testament to devotion and medical advancement in dogs. This win was a win that could be celebrated from every angle. from What loss did you learn the most? The loss of a litter from a poorly performed c-section. I learned I had to have better medical care for my dogs, to seek out and find a vet who would be as interested in my success as I was at wanting to be successful. Breeders have to have skilled veterinary services. We rely on them to keep our family of dogs happy and healthy. If you are not work- ing with a vet who is able to celebrate your success, then you need to find another one. It is a partnership for sure. What one person has influenced you the most either in or out of the dog World? I could never say one. I have several that have influencedme for different rea- sons. Everett Dean certainly influenced me as a judge; his way and style have played a part in how I hope to portray myself. Sandy Blakeley, as a breed men- tor, gave me great dogs and the knowl- edge of how to breed them. Bryan and Nancy Martin influenced me on condi- tion and showing and Margaret Cur- tis guided me and allowed our kennel to be successful. for the remaining ques- tions let’s focus on the toy group: do you have a favorite toy breed? It would have to be English Toys, but I am open to them all! Let’s just say I don’t have a least favorite! do you have an exciting english toy litter planned, or a special dog Waiting in the Wings? I think all of the litters are excit- ing. We are planning to use a lovely dog from Russia this year and that is certainly exciting. I have done lots of
“ADDING TOY BREEDS to my kennel hAs mADe me keep InteresteD In the Dog show competItIon AnD keep chAllengIng my brAIn, leArnIng About other breeDs AnD trAIts, reproDuctIon DIfferences AnD DIfferent socIAlIzAtIon processes.”
right time. I was young and impression- able, seeking acceptance and enjoyed the company of dogs. My first Clumber was my best friend in high school. The dog community was good to me from the beginning; I started with strong role models and mentors and had ear- ly success as a breeder. These things combined to create a path that lead to where I am today. What made you decide to branch out from your famed clussexx program to incorporate toys into the fold? I love dogs and I am always interest- ed in different breeds. I saw an English Toy at a show and was taken by him. I hope to continue to breed for many years and I wanted a smaller breed that I could pick up as I age. I love the Clum- bers, but I won’t be able to breed them at 80! I plan to be around doing this for a long while, so this breed afforded me some similar traits in a smaller package. Adding Toy breeds to my kennel has made me keep interested in the dog show competition and keep challenging my brain, learning about other breeds and traits, reproduction differences and different socialization processes. It has been beneficial to me on many levels. The English Toys are an obvious choice for us with the mass and bone and emphasis on head. We love Spaniels so this is right up our alley. The Chins were introduced to me while working with Bryan and Nancy Martin. There is not a bigger fan of that breed than Nancy. I have loved them since that time and the
Pekingese are the best companions to have around. Those three breeds make for a full house. I would love to breed a litter of Pekes someday but that breed has wonderful breeders, the English Toy breed needed us more and we felt we could really contribute to their qual- ity by breeding them, and I think we certainly have. I am proud of the work we have done with that breed in such a short time. My experience as a master breeder and preservation breeder of various Sporting Dog breeds is an advantage as a breeder of Toy Spaniels. What Was your first big Win handling one of your oWn dogs? My first big win with my handling was long ago winning Winners Dog at the National under a very famous and successful English Breeder, Ray Furness. The dog was “Wilbur”, Ch. Smokerise Country Gentleman, and he would go on to be a very influential sire in our breed. He was the sire of “Brady”, the first WKC BIS winner I bred. But I have had many gratifying wins, my first all-breed BIS was under Ron Pemberton, and that was a thrill for me since he was fond of Clum- bers and many years prior showed the breed. I also won our National Specialty under the famous Spaniel man Norman Austin in the early part of my career. What is your most mem- orable Win as either a handler or an oWner? Without question this would have to be Stump’s win at the Garden as a
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