Showsight September 2021

MONTGOMERY COUNTY KENNEL CLUB

2019 - WELSH TERRIER GCHG BRIGHTLUCK MONEY TALKS BREEDER: JANET MCBRIEN

and finishing his original championship. Keith Bailey, whom I’ve been friends with for over 20 years, asked to co-own with me and put him with her handler, Tracy Szaras, to see what he could do— and the rest is history. Many, many judges saw in him the same qualities that we felt made him spectacular. To have a dog finish as the #1 Welsh Terrier and the #1 Terrier, for two years in a row, still has me in awe of the great teamwork done by “Team Dazzle” with my boy. They made sure he was presented at his full potential. Dazzle is happily home with me now after his spectacular career, and I can say that after about three days of readjustment, running in the yard and sitting in my lap, he remembered absolutely everything he did as a puppy. 4. Every purebred dog is the result of a series of breeding deci- sions. Can you share a bit about your dog’s pedigree as well as his/ her impact on the breed? I had a background in horses for twenty years before I switched to dogs. I had a Welsh Terrier as a teen, and then again after I got out of horses. In my Welsh breeding program, I’ve been able to keep two somewhat different pedigree lines going. Like most breeders, I did a litter, maybe, once every 12-15 months and kept the show qual- ity pup for me to show to its championship. As I look back now, I realize that the best I was keeping and showing probably wasn’t necessarily up to top-quality breed standards. It took me, probably, 10 more years before I really started to have very competitive Welsh. I was able to keep my lines going with an occasional male outcross breeding. That outcross dog went back in pedigree to some of my early lines, and I would always choose the dog I thought would best physically compliment the girl I was breeding. Those few out- cross breedings really strengthened and complimented my line. Welsh of my breeding have influenced quite a few other Welsh breeders’ lines. I expect the same will be true of Dazzle’s influence on the breed, as his type, size, temperament, and quality will favor- ably influence other lines that other breeders have worked so hard to establish. 5. The future of some Terrier breeds appears to be uncertain. Do you have any advice to offer today’s breeders whose efforts are helping to preserve breeds that may be vulnerable to extinc- tion? Breeding dogs is not for the faint of heart. Don’t be kennel blind about your own dogs’ weaknesses. I’ve found that being my own worst critic about my dogs has kept me improving my lines. Be vigilant about health clearances, breed type, temperament, and compatible pedigrees. It’s not about breeding to the most popular winning dog, it’s about enhancing your girl’s qualities so that your next generation of Welsh will be better in some way than the last. Our breed of wonderful Welsh Terriers is a preservation breed. Please don’t hesitate to freely share your hard-earned knowledge with other Welsh people, and try to mentor someone who is trying to get started in Welsh.

1. The Montgomery County Kennel Club dog show is widely considered to be a breeder’s showcase. What does it mean to have bred a Best in Show winner at “The Greatest Terrier Show?” It is a thrill and a great honor to have bred a Montgomery BIS Winner. As a Welsh Terrier breeder, it is always a goal to show and win at the prestigious Montgomery Terrier Show, and to have won BIS left me giddy and awestruck as it is the greatest Terrier show in the world. 2. How did you react when you realized that one of your dogs was awarded Best in Show at Montgomery? Were you there? I was sitting ringside in the drizzling rain that day. When the judge pointed to my boy, who was beautifully presented by Tracy Szaras, my heart just swelled with pride and joy. I really thought he showed terrifically well, but I really doubted if a Welsh Terrier would win that year since a Welsh had won the previous year and there were so many wonderful Terriers presented that day. 3. Can you tell us a bit about your winning Terrier? What made this dog so special? GCHG Brightluck Money Talks (Dazzle) was special since he was an 8-week-old puppy. He was full of per- sonality with a good temperament. He was a terrific, sound mover and was so square. As he grew up, he simply maintained all of those characteristics. At 10 weeks, he could stack, sit, down, come, target to hand, and do spin circles in both directions. He went to three

different series of training and socialization classes, and when he was finished, he could do a thirty minute down-stay as well as many other skills. He would happily practice that in the middle of the kitchen floor while I was fixing dinner. My friend, Carolyn Camp- bell, is responsible for grooming him and getting him show savvy,

SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, SEPTEMBER 2021 | 161

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