Top Notch Toys July 2019

The dog show magazine celebrating the Toy Group of dog breeds - featuring articles, tips, and information provided with help from breeders, owners, handlers, club members, and judges.

RICHARD L e BEAU BREEDER/OWNER/HANDLER:

TAKES ANOTHER TOY GROUP 1ST AND ANOTHER NOHS BEST IN SHOW!

MICHAEL J. WHITE, MD, CO-OWNER:

ALSO WINNING BACK-TO-BACK NOHS TOY GROUPS!

BEAUPRIX ENGLISH TOY SPANIELS PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA BEAUPRIX@COMCAST.NET

JOSH KREPPS ASSISTANT:

OUR APPRECIATION TO JUDGE Mr. James Frederiksen for Toy Group 1st on Sunday, June 30. Champ repeated his beautiful grandsire’s victory Ch. Beauprix Baritone won the Toy Group at Bushy Run Kennel Club on July 2, 2005 under Judge Mrs. June Penta! Our thanks also to Judge Dr. H. Scott Kellogg for awarding Champ Owner Handled Toy Group 1st.

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#1 NATIONAL OWNER HANDLED SERIES Blenheim & Prince Charles English Toy Spaniel in 2018 and 2019 * Multiple Toy Group and Specialty Winning

r i

OUR APPRECIATION TO JUDGE Ms. Shelley Hennessy for Toy Group 2nd and for NOHS Best in Show on Saturday, June 29 at Bushy Run Kennel Club, Vandergrift, Pennsylvania. Special appreciation to Judge Mrs. Rachal McKee Sager for awarding Champ Owner Handled Toy Group 1st.

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m u l t i p l e g r o u p w i n n i n g c h a m p i o n

TIMEB MB PUFF Thank you judges Benson Ray , Ange la P i ckett & donna buxton

judges ALAN ODUM, group 1 & MARK KENNEDY , group 3

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SWEEPS THE BREED AL L FOUR SHOWS & GARNERS THREE B I G PLACEMENTS

o w n e d b y ROY & JO-ANN KUSUMOTO

B R E D & C O - O W N E D b y DARYL MARTIN

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*TNT all breed stats as of 5/31/19

Bronze Grand Champion ALFA LAVAL AYRON DOG

MOVING RIGHT ALONG IN THE TOP CRESTEDS TOP 10 ALL BREED ** Owned by Roy & Joann Kusumoto | Presented and spoiled by Daryl Martin | BRED BY TANYA ZHUKOVSKAYA #5 BREED *

*TNT breed stats as of 5/31/19

**TNT all breed stats as of 5/31/19

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“the facts are black and wh i te FOR THE RED DOG IN THE TOP CRESTEDS"

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*TNT all breed stats as of 5/31/19

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HAMPTON COURT RACHEL DAWES

Breeder VICTOR MALZONI JR. | Handler KELLY SHUPP PHA Owner VICTOR MALZONI, Hampton Court & CLAIRE WISCH ABRAHAM, Mountain View

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candids by NorCal Bulldogger 2019

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CONTENTS TABLE OF

ARAMEDIA

AJ ARAPOVIC President aj@aramediagroup.com Office 512-686-3466 ext. 102 Cell 512-541-8128 HANIFA ARAPOVIC Vice President hanifa@aramediagroup.com 512-686-3466 ext. 104 Cell 512-541-8687 MICHAEL R. VERAS Chief Operating Officer michael@aramediagroup.com 512-686-3466 ext. 101 SAMANTHA ADKINS Production Co-Ordinator Advertiser Relations samantha@aramediagroup.com 512-686-3466 ext. 103

MAILING ADDRESS PO BOX 18567 TAMPA, FL 33679

TNT

52 54 56 59

69 69 70

14 From the 22 Toy Talk

Exhibiting, Spectating & Judging: Very Differ- ent Perspective Cecilia Resnick

TNT Top Twenty Toys

Editor-in-Chief Joe McGinnis

BONNIE GUGGENHEIM Editor/Advertising Director 512-971-3280 bonnie@aramediagroup.com DANIEL CARTIER Director, Social Media & Web Site daniel@aramediagroup.com JOSEPH NEIL McGINNIS III Executive Editor Emeritus Chief Media Consultant editor@aramediagroup.com

Judging the Toy Fox Terrier Susan Thibodeaux

TNT All-Breed System

Bonnie Guggenheim

24 What Dog People Do Best Jacquelyn Fogel 32 Cyberminster Lilian S. Barber 38 Nor’East Cluster Candids

If You Breed It, They Will Come Dan Sayers

TNT Breed System

TOP NOTCH TOYS is published twelve times per year by AraMe- dia Group, Inc. PO Box 18567, Tampa, FL 33679. Postage paid at Omaha, Nebraska. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the express writ- ten permission of the editor. The opinions expressed in this publica- tion either editorially or in advertis- ing copy are those of the authors and do not necessarily constitute endorsement by the publishers. The editor reserves the right to reasonably edit all copy submitted. All articles become the property of the publishers. Subscription price for third class service in the United States: $75.00. Canadian and U.S. First Class: $110.00. Overseas rates upon request. Inquiries to: Michael R. Veras, COO, AraMedia Group Inc., PO Box 18567, Tampa FL 33678512 686 3466 ext 105 or michael@aramediagroup.com.

Sangre De Cristo KC Candids Photos by Tom Weigand 71

National Owner Handled System Top Toys

Photos by Thomas Baldwin 60

72 74

Affenpinscher Club of America’s Land of Aff-Enchantment 2019 Nationals Kathie Timko

Advertising and Subscription Rates

50 Toy Box

Let’s Talk About Heads Lou Ann King

Index to Advertisers

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THE AMAZING TEAM DEBORAH WHEELER & PETER PARKER SIRE OF GRAND CHAMPION & MULTIPLE GROUP PLACING OFFSPRING

A special “Thank You” to our judges for all these outstanding awards. Mrs. Ruth H. Zimmerman | Group & BIS Judge Dr. Troy Clifford Dargin | Breed & Group Judge Mr. Jon R. Cole | Breed Judge Ms. Marjorie A. Tuff | Breed & Group Judge Mr. Richard D. Albee | Group Judge

owned by George & Debra Kailer www.gryphonwoodpoms.com Facebook/George Kailer bred by Gail Garvey

MULTIPLE RESERVE BEST IN SHOW WINNING GCHG GAR-V N GW’S THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

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FROM THE EXECUTIVE EDITOR EMERITUS SOMETIMES ONE JUST HAS TO CELEBRATE . Joseph Neil McGinnis III

Forget what looks like product place- ment; the photo’s there for a reason. Zell vonPohlman and I are pictured waiting to board our flight to judge the Nor’East Cluster, comprised of two clubs: the Clas- sic Toy Dog Club of Western Massachu- setts and the Town & Country Toy Dog Club of Eastern Massachusetts held in North Kingston, Rhode Island May 24-26. The event features Conformation, Obedi- ence and Rally in a very nice show site with more than enough room for growth. It was exciting to have these three very distinct types of competitions under one roof and in a relaxed-enough atmosphere to get to enjoy all. I certainly enjoyed my assignment, as did Mr. vonPohlman. Also, although the show was indoors we all know how capricious Mother Nature can be in that area of the country. The weather, however, was absolutely gor- geous. Speaking of which, there was an ab- solutely gorgeous family sitting across from us at the boarding gate. They were very quiet and seemed amused at our joc- ularity. Conversation ensued. We ended up having a thirty-minute course in Dog Shows 101 with the mother—who dou- bled as our photographer—the father, and their three kids. Interesting thoughts were shared—I’m always intrigued by ‘laymen’s’ opinions of the sport—but we were shocked at their surprise that we’d be “so much fun.” I guess they expected serious, which they’ll get in the ring, and weren’t prepared for the happy attitude and Toy-dog-like celebration of life that fanciers often spread around like sun- shine. I think we learned that from our dogs. In any case, we welcome them (and hope they’ll follow up on what we sug- gested.) Our thanks to the two Clubs, with special kudos to Tom Baldwin and Tammy Jack- son, for a very nice weekend. But that was then and this is now. On this day, I’m reminded of the Pledge we said each day in school, and which I hold so dear. We are extremely lucky to live in a country where we can pursue this hobby; we can never forget how fortunate we are. Until August (August!?!), please remem- ber: He Who Lives with the most Toys Wins! n

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

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Xeralane ' s next toy group contender

On the cover

Just like that Julian completed his championship at 7 months. he finished his Grand Championship at 8 months with six consecutive Breed wins and group placements. Just like that

Bred & owned by Xeralane Kennel,& Bonnie Prato

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MBISS MBISOH GCHS ALURA WARWICK THUNDER DOWN UNDER FOR CLOVELLY

• #1 Male Italian Greyhound 2018 ** • • Group Winner • • Multiple Group Placements • • Multiple Specialty Winner • • Multiple Best in Show OH • • AKC National Championship • Best of Breed Winner

Thank you to all the judges who have helped make Boy so successful! Bred, Owned, Handled & Loved by LYNN PARTRIDGE Co-Owned by ADAM DAVIDSON & ANDREA REID Co-Bred by DAVID JOHNSON & LOIS MARCH

*TNT breed stats as of 5/31/19

**TNT breed stats 2018

CH MARCHWIND PEWTER X GCHB DC WARWICK'S VIOLET BLUE AT MARCHWIND SC

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NATIONAL TREASURE OF MICCI BISS MRBISOH GCHS ALURA

Owned & Handled by LIBBY SEAWRIGHT Bred by LYNN & SCOTT PARTRIDGE, ALURA ITALIAN GREYHOUNDS #2 Breed & All Breed ** Group Winner Multiple Group Placements Multiple Reserve Best in Show OH Best in Specialty Winner

*TNT breed stats as of 5/31/19

**TNT breed & al l breed stats as of 5/31/19

Candid Photo by Brenna Spencer www. lumosphodography.com

Thank you to judge Patricia Hastings for the group win!

CH MARLORD'S CHAS 'N THE BLUES AWAY X GCHB DC WARWICK'S VIOLET BLUE AT MARCHWIND SC

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W H A T A W I C K E D T I M E W E H A D A T T H E R O V I N G !

Best In Specialty Show, Best Of Opposite Sex and Award Of Merit,

A T 3 O F T H E 5 S H O W S !

Thank you to our Judges for recognizing Wicked

Janice Pardue for the BISS | Deborah Barrett for the AOM | Debra Ferguson-Jones for the BOS

Tonia Holibaugh did her usual outstanding job presenting our girl and I cannot thank her enough. I also want to thank Edgar Cruz Guevara for his many hours spent molding our girl into a great show dog.

BREEDER/OWNER ROSANNE FETT, WWW.ROSEMARKKENNEL.COM

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best in specialty show winner bronze grand champion ROSEMARK'S WICKED! T op N otch T oys , J uly 2019 • 21

TOY TALK ETCETERA by Bonnie Guggenheim, TNT Advertising Director & Associate Editor

PICTURES, WORDS AND THE SMELL OF INK

T here are many reasons to adver- tise in a print magazine versus digital publications— Top Notch Toys offers a fabulous, premier, niche, national magazine for the Toy fancy. The magazine is a collect- ible and can be reviewed for the last six issues online however it all starts with a printed magazine. A showcase for you and your dog, the success you have achieved, the knowledgeable judges in gorgeous, colorful photos and don’t overlook the sensation of holding the printed magazine. When TNT arrives it is exciting to feel the outstanding quality pa- per, smell the ink and start looking through each page browsing the beautiful pages creatively designed that allow you to return often for a more careful look. Digital images can never equal the sensory feel of holding a magazine. Words do matter and it is correct that a picture is worth 1000 words. Branding offers a permanent refer- ence in print media and is a power- ful way to build continued success Facebook cannot do this nor can

digital magazines as these images are not a permanent reference you can hold. They do have a place but the printed word in TNT offers long term impact and engagement with those that matter in our wonderful world of dogs. We do offer a digital issue af- ter the magazine is printed and we post ads on Facebook. Words, pictures and the smell of the ink gives readers a reason to return to your ad and is a powerful way for you to promote and accomplish your goals. Traditional printed magazines of all types and categories are a permanent reference with historic breed value based on articles provided by parent clubs and highly successful authors. Email your exciting news and great ideas as well as adorable puppy pho- tos for our “Toy Box” section of TNT . Remember, inquiring minds want to know. Bonnie bonnie@aramediagrp.com 863.738.8848

“WORDS, PICTURES AND THE SMELL OF THE INK GIVES READERS A REASON TO RETURN TO YOUR AD and is a powerful way for you to promote and accomplish your goals.”

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Stryker

A VERY CORRECT YORKIE!

# 1 OWNER HANDLED YORKSHIRE TERRIER *

THANK YOU TO RESPECTED JUDGE MR. HOUSTON CLARK FOR THIS GREAT OH GROUP 1

THANK YOU TO THE JUDGES THAT ARE FINDING STYKER’S ADHERENCE TO OUR AKC STANDARD.

*AKC NOHS STATS AS OF 6/11/19

MULTI GROUP PLACING/OHBIS G C H S T YAVA’ S S U G A R F OOT ’ S S T R I K E F O R C E

BREEDER AVA TYREE | TYAVA’S YORKIES

OWNER / HANDLER VICKI EDWARDS | SUGARFOOT YORKIES

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WHAT DOG PEOPLE DO BEST C all the Cavalry! Dog people are there to help! I was struggling to come up with an idea for this month’s column. I read what very happy with the quality and con- dition of the eight puppies. I kept four and sent the other four back homewith Joe and Gert. Special Thanks and a huge hug to the following for showing up on short notice. The Cavalry: Gert Peneboom, Karen Ritter, Sue Green and son, Michael Finnegan, Jen Amundsen & Lis De Sousa by Jacquelyn Fogel

Joe also has a history of health issues and he tries to take good care of him- self. He’s diabetic and has some he- reditary issues that he does not dwell upon. He sees doctors when he needs to and had just had cataract surgery so he could begin to drive at night again. He was sure he was not hav- ing heart problems because none of the doctors he’d seen in the previous two weeks had said anything about his heart, it had always been strong. So he did what a lot of people do, he guessed that the symptoms he was feeling—the tiredness, the inability to focus, indigestion were all symptoms of other minor ailments or side effects of the cataract surgery. They weren’t. They were symptoms of a major heart attack, and it hit him hard on the Tuesday morning after we evaluated our litter. For the second time in two months relatively young Bedlington friends of mine were having heart attacks. We had just lost Nancy Kosteleba to a sudden heart attack during a barn hunt last month, now Joe was in the cardiac care unit of the UW hospital battling for his life. His family con- verged around him, but there was only Gert to look after the dogs. Fortunately Gert was there when Joe’s family realized what was hap- pening to him. I was her first call. She was clear and calm, but obvi- ously starting to panic as she realized she was going to be responsible for Joe’s 11 dogs, and that was part of the friendship she had not signed up for. At that point we did not know Joe’s prognosis, so I suggested we get the

other people were writing, and I sur- veyed what I was doing with my dogs this month. Nothing was entering my consciousness as worthy of writing about. I started to write about the art of selling puppies, since I have been doing a lot of that lately. I was not feeling inspired. Part way through the column I got a really disturbing phone call. My Bedlington co-breed- er in Madison had just been admit- ted to the UW hospital with a major heart attack, and the call was fromhis neighbor, Gert, who didn’t know what to do with his dogs. Gert is an amazing woman. She’s 76 years old, sharp as a tack, funny, re- sourceful and always willing to help a person or animal in need. She’d been helping Joe with our nine week old Bedlington litter because Joe had just had cataract surgery, and he hadn’t felt well for a couple of weeks. In hindsight, I am guessing he had more than cata- racts going wrong, but he was not iden- tifying the symptoms of heart failure. Thankfully, Gert was there to help. She came to his house at least twice every day to feed and clean-up the puppies and let the older dogs out for potty breaks. Joe had three adult Old English Sheepdogs, two adult Welsh Terriers, two adult Bedlingtons and eight puppies when she began assist- ing. He’s also a landscape contractor, so having puppies in Spring made life very busy for him. We had just split up the litter three days earlier, and I was

Joe is 46 and lives alone with his dogs. He’s a hard-working small busi- ness operator who just loves to breed dogs. He’s good at it—has one or two litters every year, carefully checks out the stud dogs he uses, does all the health testing breeders recommend and takes advice and correction well. He will drive halfway across the coun- try to breed to the right dog, and come back to a full work schedule. He does not show the OES or Welsh Terriers, though they are all purebred, but I have always shown the Bedlingtons for him, so his Bedlington foundation stock is all titled. I love to work with Joe because he is straight-forward, honest as the day is long, reliable and has no patience for small talk. His motto has always been, “Say what you mean, and mean what you say.” Prom- ises mean something to him—he keeps them, and he honors them. He some- times complains that he can’t find good reliable landscape workers or that he doesn’t havemuchof a social life, but he never complains about the dogs. I have, on occasion, suggested to him that he spend a little more time in social are- nas where he can make some human friends, but he usually says he has no time for that frivolity. And he really en- joys the company of his dogs. I think he just doesn’t have patience for the small talk and flirtyness required to start friendships. He’s too no-nonsense in a social world that likes fluffy, light talk and selfies.

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*TNT ALL BREED STATS AS OF 5/31/19

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messages and texts at 11:30 p.m., and finally by 1:30 a.m. I decided to try sleeping. It sort of worked, but I was up early to check for more messages, send responses and get the latest news fromGert. At 8:30 a.m. the next day, the Cavalry showed up at Joe’s house. I was on the phone with Sue when Gert pulled up, and she said Gert was speechless. I quickly got off the phone so they could do introductions and get to work. I had spoken to Gert at 8:00 a.m. She thought she was going to be alone at the house. I told her I was pretty sure at least two other people would be there tohelpwith thedogs. Therewere six people in all. As they were work- ing, I received a text frommy groomer friend in Madison, who said she actu- ally could take the two Welshs be- cause they are Terriers, not Springers as she first thought. Everybody left Joe’s house with dogs. The Bedling- tons were brought to me by Gert and Joe’s aunt and uncle, two OES went with our family friend and the two Welshs left with the people fostering the other OES, to be delivered to the Madison groomer. This experience has taught me some really valuable lessons. Don’t take good health for granted. Find a neigh- bor like Gert to have access to your house if something happens. Make sure she knows who to call first for help with the dogs. Have a list of names and phone numbers of people to contact, including your veterinar- ian. Have your dogs identified and their records in good shape. Use So- cial Media for good! Ask for help and be grateful when it arrives. This story is far from over, but here is one last thought I had this morning as I was discussing the situation with one of Joe’s puppy buyers. I started to think about what would have hap- pened if Gert had called the Humane Society or SPCA instead of me. Gert is just a friend who loves puppies. She doesn’t know or much care about the battle between good breeders and the Animal Right’s movement. Only one of Joe’s dogs has been altered, be- cause he is a breeder. If she had called

a humane society, they would have “helped” her by picking up the dogs, spaying andneutering all of the adults, then selling them to create income for their business. In a sort of morbid way of looking at it, Joe’s demise would be more convenient for a shelter because then they would have valid reason to collect and sell his dogs without hav- ing to worry about legal ownership issues. They don’t care about careful breeding programs or pedigrees, they just want inventory to sell to make money. Oh how the world has shifted. Remember when good shelters used those very words to describe the ter- rible puppy mills? Every single person who has one of Joe’s dogs appreciates the work he has done to breed healthy purebred dogs. Every single person will take care of his dogs in the hopes that Joe will be able to reclaim them in the same con- dition they were in when they lived with him. Every single person who is fostering understands the true mean- ing of dedication to the passion for breeding healthy dogs and the impor- tance of preservation breeding. Every single person who has taken Joe’s dogs is genuinely concerned about his health and recovery, and wishes him well. Every single person is tak- ing this situation personally and seri- ously, and they are all prepared to be in it for the long haul. Yesterday my daughter said some- thing to me that really got my atten- tion; “You know, Mom, I had forgot- ten how nice it is to be part of this tight-knit dog world that really cares about each other and helping people out when there is a need. I actually got teary eyed watching the responses to your post come in. These are great people, and I’m glad I’m back!” I got teary-eyed when she said that. It is a remarkable community that we live in. I am not sure we always give our- selves enough credit. Yes, we can be fiercely competitive in the show ring. But we also come together in a crisis like no other group I have ever seen. An attack against one of us is an at- tack against all of us. We are our own United Nations.

word out to the dog world that we had a lot of dogs that needed temporary fostering until we had solid informa- tion about whether Joe would be able to care for them himself. We had no idea how long that might take—we just knew the dogs needed a place to be by the next day. Gert wanted to bring all of the dogs to me, but that didn’t seem like a really good idea. I could handle the Bedlingtons, but the others would put a huge strain on my already thinly stretched staff and facility. I immediately called a groomer friend who lives in Madison and she suggest- ed we get the word out through social media. Facebook was our primary platform—personal pages and a Wis- consin Groomers page. I put out an emergency notice onmy personal page and my daughter put out a notice on theWisconsinGroomers page. Within one hour our posts went viral. Mine was shared 64 times, and my private messages were coming in so fast that I couldn’t keep up. I got a text from a Bedlington owner who said she could go over that evening if that would help. I asked if she could go over to reassure Gert that the Cavalry was on the way, and if she could handle fostering the puppy Joe wanted to keep from the litter, Gert and I would be eternally grateful. Two hours later I got another text from her showing me the baby girl resting comfortably on some soft blankets. She was noisy, but safe. One down, ten to go. At least Joe’s pick pup- py was tucked safely away with some- body I trusted completely. The next hurdle was finding people to foster the three OES and the two Welsh Terriers. I scanned the offers for help and chose one from a per- son who has been a family friend for 20 years, and one from a breeder in the Madison area who immediately started working on the logistics of getting the dogs placed by forming a Messenger Group of people who were local and ready to help. Both people agreed tomeet Gert at Joe’s house the next morning and make sure all dogs were out of the house when they left. I was still responding to private

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R KF an d R uss i an Cham p i on | G rou p Wi n n i ng

Introducing a V e ry I x c l u s I V e P o m to the U . S .

Gch. Thai silk Ixclusive priority

M rs . Nancy Sm i t h Haf n e r S i nce r e Appr ec i at i on

Own e d by DAWN KRAU T KRAM E R B r e d by M i ron e n ko Sve t lana I gor evna

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GCH SHAR’S KRAZY KASEY

TOP 10 SMOOTH COAT CHIHUAHUA *

*TNT BREED STATS AS OF 5/31/19

Kansas Toy Dog Club Thank you Judge Richard Mullin for this group placement!

O W N E D , H A N D L E D & P R O U D L Y B R E D B Y S H A R O N M A S S A D , S H A R O N M A S S A D @ G M A I L . C O M

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GCHP Dartan Diamonds Are Forever at Viva

Best in Show Multiple NOHS Best in Show

Owner Handled Best in Show #18 June 29, 2019

BR E D BY DARW I N D E L AN E Y & KA T HY S AWY E R OWN E D & E XC L U S I V E LY HAND L E D BY C E C I L I A BO Z Z O

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*TNT all breed stats as of 5/31/19

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*TNT final Stats of 2018

CYBERMINSTER by Lilian S. Barber

A few years ago—in 1996 to be ex- act—I wrote the following short story. It was intended to be fiction, and at that time it was. However, in the past few years something has sprung up on the Infodog site on the Internet. Infodog is sponsored by MB- F, the mega superintendent for numer- ous dog shows throughout the United States. Some of you have already “ex- hibited” in one or more of their virtual dog shows. At the rate things are going, particularly with the rapidly escalating cost of gas, non-refundable fees for hav- ing dogs inmotel rooms and the general anti-breeding climate in most parts of the United States, we may eventually have to go to this type of dog show. She leaned back in her chair and re- garded themonitor screenwith amix- ture of satisfaction and boredom, her right hand still resting on the mouse. With her left she reached for the mug of now lukewarm coffee that teetered precariously among the clutter. Her tired eyes drifted to the picture on the mug, and the corners of her mouth flickered into a near smile. It was a McCartney caricature of an Italian Greyhound with the typi- cal saucy expression and wildly wagging tail, ears at major alert and incredible charm that were McCartney trademarks. “Wonder what Mike is doing now,” she said half aloud. Well, whatever it was, he was undoubtedly successful. She remembered how it used to be at the dog shows whenMcCartneymade one of his rare personal appearances. The lines of people waiting for him to sketch their dogs reached to the

doors—sometimes even beyond. She became so absorbed in her reverie that she put the mug down without even sipping the coffee. Something about the diagram on the screen was not quite right, and she frowned for a moment, then picked up a thick, yellow and black volume from among the large paperbacks next to the CPU. “Cybergenetics for Dummies,” the cover proclaimed. She leafed through the index, then turned to a page toward the middle of the book and studied it intently. A few mouse clicks and some key- strokes later she nodded at the im- proved schematic on the screen. It was a diagramof a dog that plainly showed the skeletal structure and muscula- ture. The genes she had exchanged with her finger tips had lengthened the upper arm a little and dropped the depth of brisket to the elbow. The rear angulation still needed some work, she thought, and after that she would be ready to check out the animation. Glancing up at the clock she saw that she still had over an hour before en- tries closed. She relaxed a little, plan- ning to play with color and markings before creating a final version of her virtual Italian Greyhound. The fax phone behind her rang, sig- nifying a real call, and she turned to answer it. “Hello?” she asked, hop- ing that it wouldn’t be someone who wanted to sell her something. Tele- phone soliciting was still rampant in spite of the “no call” registries. Shop- ping via television and off the Inter- net were much better than doing it by phone. It seemed that no one ever

went to the malls anymore. That was another sentimental memory from the not too distant past. Many of the malls were even being torn down to make room for more high rise hous- ing—with built-in, deluxe wifi access, of course. The call was from someone wanting stud service. “Just sendme your bitch on a CD,” she said. “Or on a floppy. I don’t want to do it on theWeb. If you send me the disk, I can run it with my male and see if they’re compatible.” “I saw him at the last show from your sector,” the voice at the other endwent on. “He looked like exactly what my Ch. CD-Roma needs.” “That must have been the Terminal Kennel Club show. We did pretty well at that one.” She smiled as she thought about it and the great online rosette she had printed out and framed. After the conversation she saved her work and added a layer of virtual skin, followed by a representation of hair. A few more keystrokes changed the tex- ture, softening it into the desired silky looking finish. Then she dipped into the color palette, tinting the coat a deep, orangy red. Tapping in the genes for Irish markings, she gave the dog flashy white feet, collar and tail tip. She made a few minor changes that increased the amount of white on the hind legs, giving the dog socks to go along with the white feet and created a narrow, slightly off-center blaze. The ears required a little genetic en- gineering before they appeared to be of the correct size and carriage. She hoped that the combination of

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“IT BECAME VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE MAJORITY OF EX- HIBITORS TO ATTEND MULTI-SHOW WEEKENDS AND CIRCUITS. For those who persisted in doing so, not only comfort but safety was being seriously compromised.”

and enforcement was increasingly rigid. It became virtually impossible for the majority of exhibitors to at- tend multi-show weekends and cir- cuits. For those who persisted in do- ing so, not only comfort but safety was being seriously compromised. For the show giving clubs, the superinten- dents and the AKC, holding a show had become a nightmare—a nearly impossible nightmare. At the same time there was also a huge problem in nearly every show giving kennel club. People were too busy with their work, their families and their computers to volunteer to help with the many-faceted details of putting on a dog show. Other than the few persons who wanted to be show chairs, no one wanted to do anything. No younger people who would be ca- pable of doing any of the physical work of putting on a dog show were joining the clubs. They were all too busymak- ing a living, driving their children to soccer and Little League games—and conducting their lives on Facebook. Eventually the aging show chairs all died or became otherwise incapaci- tated and unable to manage the run- ning of a show. “It’s so different now,” she said, half to herself and half to Sandy, who, as always, appeared to be listening, al- though she had long ago lost most of her once acute hearing. She clicked on the file button again and saved what was on the screen. Then, with a huge sigh, she checked the animation and prepared to trans- mit her entry, viamodem, toMB-F for the big closed circuit virtual show that would take place on the second Mon- day and Tuesday in February.

loved it. It actually had begun with the show sites. There were fewer and fewer of them available, and as the number of exhibitors with large motorhomes and trailers had grown, there had been fewer locations with sufficient parking to accommodate these be- hemoths. At the same time, warn- ings about motels had continued to remain unheeded. Exhibitors had been allowing their dogs to become a nuisance. Dogs were being left for hours unattended in rooms, where they barked and howled, disturbing other guests. Dogmesses and uneaten dog food were being left in vacated rooms. People did not pick up after their charges when they had exercised them on motel property and the sur- rounding areas. At first many motels had begun to ask for increasingly large deposits. Then exorbitant, non-refundable charges for keeping dogs in rooms were add- ed. Still, exhibitors had continued to trash motel rooms or to allow their dogs to do so. One by one the once dog-friendly motel chains had ceased to allow dogs at all. Eventually, the unthinkable happened. NO hotel or motel would allow dogs—anywhere in the country. Exhibitors who could not afford to buy or operate an RV—rentals on these to dog people were being almost 100% refused—were forced either to drive all night to get to shows or to sleep in their cars. Streets surround- ing show sites began to be occupied by bumper to bumper parked cars full of weary, cranky and unwashed people and dogs. Local ordinances address- ing overnight parking and occupancy of vehicles became more restrictive,

characteristics would be right for proper animation, not only for correct front and rear movement but also for presenting the ears when called for. Time was running out. The old dog in the bed under the desk stirred awake, shook herself, “rat- tling” her ears as no creature on earth other than an Italian Greyhound can do, and stretched lazily. She laid her gray but still handsome long, narrow muzzle softly across the foot of her mistress and closed her eyes again. The woman reached down and stroked the silken head. She sighed. Dog shows had been so much fun in the old days, she thought. Sandy, espe- cially, had been a joy. She had always been so responsive, so full of life and so full of love. There had even been a judge who had wanted to buy her after having given her that finishing major. She would never have parted with Sandy, of course, but it had been a very flattering offer. It had been years since the last of the old type of shows had taken place. At one point there had even been complaints about there being TOO MANY shows. Entries started drop- ping off, and shows became smaller and smaller. Then, suddenly, there had been not enough shows. Eventu- ally there were none at all. It would have been easy to say that computers and the Internet were at the root of the problem, that too many people had begun to prefer surfing the Internet over actively participat- ing in the pursuits they had normally followed. That may have been true of some sports and other events, but it was not the final denouement that caused the demise of the dog show scene as so many had known and

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H E S T E P P E D OU T O F A D R E AM

MARLEX SUNSPRITE DREAM MAKER

MULTIPLE BOB WINNING PUPPY

Owners/Handlers LARRY & PENNY DEWEY ARMANDO ANGELBELLO Breeders ARMANDO ANGELBELLO MARCIA TUCKER

Dreamer and Larry are pictured above receiving Best of Breed from Judge Ted Eubanks. Thanks to Mr. Eubanks for the BOB on Sunday at Acadiana Kennel Club and to Mrs. Donna Buxton for the BOB on Saturday at Acadiana Kennel Club. Special thanks to Mr. Armando Angelbello for trusting us with this amazing puppy. This puppy is a dream walking.

T op N otch T oys , J uly 2019 • 35

B E N D I L L T A I L W I N D GCHB LAMPLIGHTER

# 1

BEST IN SHOW SPECIALTY TOY DOG CLUB OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

SILKY TERRIER *

*TNT BREED STATS AS OF 5/31/19

THANK YOU JUDGE DR. TROY CLIFFORD DARGIN

PRESENTED BY BARBARA BEISSEL | ASSISTED BY ROZALYNN MAY OWNED BY JIRI HALONEN, JANET ASLETT, BARBARA BEISSEL & MARK BENSON BRED BY BEISSEL-BENSON-DILLMAN

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BEST I N SPEC I ALTY SHOW & MULT I PLE GROUP WI NS

GOLD GR AND CHAMP I ON BRYLEE’S ENDLESS LOVE

CO - OWNED & BRED BY MI CHELLE ABELS

OWNED BY S ANDR A GROAT V I VACE HAVANESE | SGROAT@COMCAST. NET

HANDLED BY ROBERT ALEXANDER RBALEXANDER6 0 9@HOTMA I L . COM

T op N otch T oys , J uly 2019 • 37

NOR’EAST CLUSTER CLASSIC TOY DOG CLUB OF WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS INC. & TOWN AND COUNTRY TOY DOG CLUB OF EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS INC.

Ludlow, Massachusetts . May 24-26, 2019 photos by Thomas Baldwin

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Northwinds Farm’s B R O N Z E G R A N D C H A M P I O N Hollywood Starlet

AWARD OF MERIT AMERICAN MALTESE NATIONAL SPECIALTY THANK YOU JUDGE SANDRA BINGHAM PORTER

OWNED BY ANNE HERNANDEZ

BRED BY JANET ALTSCHUL CACAO MALTESE

T op N otch T oys , J uly 2019 • 39

A special thank you to Judge Barbara Alderman at Troy KC for his finishing Major

Nightrider atMiracles Owned by CINDY BETHMAN, GAYLE ACKERMAN-VOGT & SHANNON BREAU AM/CAN CH SHANASH

Both Dogs Loved & Handled by MJ HELD 1442 Orchard Park Road | West Seneca, NY 14224

You Can Dance RIGAIR

Owned by NEIL FEERRAR

A special thank you to Judge Susan St. John Brown for awarding Dnaa winners

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GCH INTEGRA SOMETHING TO SKYPE ABOUT AM/CAN/UKC GCH DEERFIELD’S JACKSON CAGE THD X GCH INTEGRA’S MASQUERADE PARTY

BIS BISOH MBISS

MULTIPLE GROUP WINNING

bred by MARK LUCAS, INTEGRA

Winning the IGCA National last year under breeder judge and toy expert Mr. Tim Catterson was a thrill of a lifetime! Good luck and best wishes to everyone at this year’s IGCA National! Skye is enjoying retirement while waiting to breed this winter.

owned by CHIP DIMAGGIO & DARLENE WALLACE

handled by DARLENE WALLACE, DEERFIELD

T op N otch T oys , J uly 2019 • 41

Hank GCH Isa’s A Country Boy Can Survive Isa’s Chihuahuas

He’s a little bit

country...

# 16 breed *

special thanks to

Shalisa Neely (pictured right), Joan Zielinski, Sandy Bingham Porter, Pat Hastings, Bonnie Linnell Clark, Connie H. Clark, Lawrence Terricone and all the other judges who have awarded Hank’s lovely structure and true showmanship!

bred by Melanie & Taylor Bowling owned by Andrea Carter & Melanie Bowling handled exclusively by Andrea Carter, True Shot Chihuahuas & Handling

# 16 # 13

all breed ** OH ***

...She’s a little bit

rock & roll

GG sp cial tha ks to

CHB Isa’s You Know You Love Me, XOXO

Helen Winski Stein (pictured left), Nancy Liebes, Jamie Hubbard, Anne Katona, Mark Kennedy, Don Sutton, Susan St. John Brown and the other judges who have appreciated GG’s saucy temperament & correct movement!

bred & exclusively owner handled by Melanie Bowling co-owned with Hailee Bowling

*TNT breed stats as of 5/31/19

**TNT all breed stats as of 5/31/19 ***AKC NOHS stats as of 6/7/19

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SILVER GRAND CHAMPION GINGERY'S HIGH VOLTAGE

handled by VICTOR HELU

owned by JACQUI DIPIETRO & ARLENE BUTTERKLEE

bred by ARLENE BUTTERKLEE

T op N otch T oys , J uly 2019 • 43

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CH WINDSONG POMERANIANS SARABI

THANK YOU JUDGES

Owner Anabel Castro Texas Quality Pomeranians Handler Deb Wheeler

T op N otch T oys , J uly 2019 • 45

Kira

Lo &

(CH DARTAN THE VAL IANT ALADAR X PERL I TA DE MALKANORAH)

CHAMPION

BRED BY PERUVIAN BREEDER Sandra Ludmir, Malkanorah Chihuahuas OWNED & LOVED BY Lo Wolfson & Roz Maser, Mahogany Chihuahuas, askforlo@bellsouth.net HANDLED BY Lo Wolfson WATCH FOR KIRA TO START HER SPECIALS CAREER! Finishing her Championship in style at the Tampa Bay Chihuahua Club Specialty. Going WINNERS BITCH & BEST PUPPY IN SHOW at 9½ months under Judge Edd E. Bivin

KIRANA MALKANORAH

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CH WYNSON'S MEET ME IN ST LOUIS CH KOBI'S RAVEN DANCE X CH WYNSON'S SHOWME A SMILE

BREEDERS/OWNERS: DIANA & BILL CHAPMAN WYNSONDOG@HOTMAIL.COM

T op N otch T oys , J uly 2019 • 47

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T op N otch T oys , J uly 2019 • 49

TOP NOTCH TOYS

TOYBOX

SUBMIT YOUR CUTE PHOTOS TO OUR TOYBOX DEPARTMENT. Any clear photo will do—black & white or color, regular photo or digital. (If sending digital images, send high resolution 300 DPI for best quality.) Please submit your name and the name of the dog. 50 • T op N otch T oys , J uly 2019

U K C N A T I O N A L S

| B E S T F E M A L E

T H A N K Y O U J U D G E K E L L E Y M A L D O N

Owner & Handler LILA FAST

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EXHIBITING, SPECTATING & JUDGING: VERY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE by Cecilia Resnick

S o now I am a judge. If you asked me, when I first started exhibit- ing over 15 years ago if I would ever consider being a judge, I would have told you “No”. But times change and so do interests. One thing that has never changed is my love of animals. Early on, my pets included both Toy Fox Terriers and Lhasa Apsos. As a young woman, my love of animals, along with a desire for competition, led me to both breeding and showing quarter horses in Ari- zona. Everything about the show life was richly rewarding: constant trips to new towns and show sights, horse folks, the competition and, of course, the beautiful and majestic animals. A career and family pulled me away from this life for a while. But as the children grew and no longer needed constant attention, the pull back to the competitive life became strong. In the early 1990s, I had a full size Greyhound, “Twiggy”. She was sweet and loving and brought great joy to the family. Shortly thereafter

I made the decision to return to the show ring. I loved the temperament of the Greyhounds, however, and made the decision to start exhibit- ing Italian Greyhounds. I have met wonderful people over the years that helped get me started, and freely of- fered both their advice and critiques. When you exhibit you however, your focus is all about your dog and the direction given to you by the judge. Once the preparation is done, and your dog is clean and groomed, you do everything you can do cor- rectly present your dog. This in- cludes the first look you give to the judge, gaiting the dog at the proper speed for the breed, proper stack- ing of the dog on the table (for the smaller breeds), and making sure that the dog stays in the judge’s line of vision as you move around the ring. While you may be completely focused, it is important to remem- ber that you are not the dog, and the dog may have other things on its mind! As a result, you must also

maintain the dog’s attention and insure that all the requirements mentioned above are presented in a manner that allows a judge to see your dog as an exemplary example of the breed standard. What makes this perspective interesting, is that while most of your attention falls to your dog, you are trying to keep your eye on the judge to make sure that everything that happens in the span of just a few minutes that is commensurate with both what the judge is looking for and when the judge wants to see it. Really not a simple task! Outside the ring as a spectator, the perspective changes. Whether you are keeping track of your own breed or watching another competition, you are making judgments from a dis- tance, and at angles that you cannot realize within the ring. You are also likely making comparisons among the dogs, noticing both their strengths and weaknesses, and quite often con- versing with folks that have their own

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hour, and you are no longer focused on any one particular dog. You must see them all within this restricted timeframe, and put yourself in a position to best judge which dogs comes closest to meeting the breed standard. As you judge conforma- tion, are you able to clearly see the dog, without the distraction of the handler that is trying to present the dog in its best light? Is the dog’s at- tention on the task at hand, so that you have the best opportunity to make that judgment relative to the breed standard? Conformation of course includes movement, and again you are trying to take note of that movement free from the view of the handler. Has the handler done their job while moving the dog around the ring, to make sure your view is free and clear of other dogs and handlers? Yet again however, your viewing angle has changed: Although you clearly get to observe each dog up close, you generally see only one side of the dog. You now have the advantage of being hands on with the dog, however, and your breed knowledge must be impecca- ble through the entire showing pro- cess. There may be many excellent exhibits in the ring, but only one can be chosen on the day. Three different views: exhibitor, spectator and judge, and as a result three different perspectives. One perspective that never changes how- ever is the love of the animals and the love of the sport. And if you take that away from any show, no matter what

your view, I suspect your experience will as rewarding as mine has been over the many years. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cecilia is presently an AKC judge for the Italian Grey- hound breed and is working on ob- taining her judging license for the Toy Group. She has

been involved in Italian Greyhounds for over 15 years (Fiore Italian Greyhounds). Prior to IG’s, she gained sight hound ex- perience, beginning many years ago with Greyhounds. Cecilia is presently on the Board of Directors for the Italian Grey- hound Club of America and Judges Edu- cation Chair for the National Club. Past offices and experience with local clubs includes serving on the Board of Direc- tors and Trophy Chair. In order to fulfill her dedication and love of Italian Grey- hounds, she is involved in various clubs on both a national and local level. Cecilia is an AKC Breeder of Merit and has had numerous dogs in the Top Twenty for many years, including Multiple Specialty winners from Bred By. Since 1998, she has gained knowledge and experience in breeding and the sport of Conformation Showmanship. Cecilia has participated in various seminars and workshops re- garding canine whelping, conformation handling, genetics, breeding and move- ment. Cecilia has been studying the Toy Group and is now showing and breeding Japanese Chins along with her beloved ItalianGreyhounds.

opinions about the same dogs you are watching. You are also dealing with all sorts of distractions, as friends come and go, and dogs enter and leave the ring in a brisk pace. And although you often come to some conclusions about which dog best meets the stan- dard, you are making that decision without having crucial data that can only be gained within the ring. You have no hands-on evaluation, nor can you see the condition of the bite, for example. Nevertheless, this aspect of the show life is great fun, and cer- tainly exposes you to the many dogs within your breed, as well as dogs out- side your current area of expertise. It is a learning experience, but still does not give you a full perspective. As I went the through the qualifica- tion process for becoming an AKC judge, I was again introduced to a large number of people that gladly offered their help. The process to be- come licensed is not a quick one, as the list of requirements is quite ex- tensive. The final steps include judg- ing while under observation by an AKC executive field representative. Do your job, and you are now on your own in the ring. As a judge in the ring, the perspec- tive changes yet again. The AKC en- courages a pace of 25 dogs within an

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by Susan Thibodeaux JUDGING THE TOY FOX TERRIER

T he Toy Fox Terrier is a playful and pretty dog to have in your ring and exhibitors hope that the judges like the breed as much as they do. However, this is not always an easy breed to show and if you have a sense of humor and patience you can help make the experience fun for all. Your first impression of the Toy Fox Terrier should be balanced and el- egant. The breed standard states they have an athletic appearance display- ing grace and agility. Characteristic traits which should be evident im- mediately are the elegant and distinc- tive head, erect, inverted V shaped ears, short, glossy and predominantly white coat with the predominantly solid head and the short high tail set which the standard calls for docked. This is a square breed; bone is strong but not excessive and the standard tells us overall balance is important. The word balance is used a number of times throughout the standard as is the word elegant. The Toy Fox Terrier is both Toy and Terrier and both have influenced his personality and character. They have unending energy and a zest for life. These influence their behavior in your ring. Dogs lacking good Ter- rier attitude and personality are to be faulted. It’s often stated examine on the ta- ble and judge on the floor. These are true words for the Toy Fox Terrier.

This diminutive dog’s character and personality are best displayed on the floor. When the Toy Fox Terrier is first presented in the ring, under- stand their natural alertness and in- telligence may have them focusing on things other than their handler. This is a breed which is self-possessed, spirited and often highly animated. However, as many Toy Fox Terriers are extremely food motivated, they may also focus on the bait—both the handler’s and the bait on the floor. If there is excessive bait strewed around the ring, you will be well served to ask the steward or a ring clean up crew to pick it up or you might see more duck- ing and diving than good movement. After you have sent the dogs around and the first dog is on the table, give the exhibitor a moment to get their dog ready. Don’t rush to the table, but stand a few feet away to check the out- line. Proportions and silhouette that might be skewed in the grass or stand- ing over such small dogs is often easi- er to ascertain when the dog is on the table. Like many toy breeds, young and less experienced Toy Fox Terri- ers are often uncomfortable with the table exam. Approach the Toy Fox Terrier from the front. It is often a good idea to say hello or good morn- ing to the exhibitor in a friendly tone but refrain from making puppy talk to the dog. Overly enthusiastic pup- pies will try to jump into judge’s arms,

some less confident will sway away from the judge and it normally takes a bit of ring experience and maturity before a Toy Fox stands like a statue for a judge’s exam. With the short, satiny coat it doesn’t take a lot of manhandling to check the structure on this breed. Gentle hands are needed to do the exam. After you have examined the dog, ask the exhibitor to show you the bite. It’s not a disqualification or fault to have missing teeth per the Toy Fox Terrier standard so the oral exam should be a quick and easy review to ensure it is scissors. Undershot, wry mouth or overshot more than 1 / 8th inch are disqualifications. While the dog is on the table is a good time to review if there are any size or color disqualifications. Toy Fox Terri- ers must be between 8 ½ an 11 ½ inch- es with 9-11 preferred. Over or under the acceptable range must be disqual- ified. We often see 11 inch dogs wick- eted when the other exhibits are on the small end of the scale and 9 inch tall dogs wicketed when everyone else in the ring is hovering near 11. Do not be afraid to call for the wicket if you question the dogs’ size, but be aware that 3 inches in a toy breed is a size- able variation and that the only pref- erence is not larger or smaller but 9 to 11 inches. Be aware of color requirements. The standard calls for a body that is a

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