the toy group Q&A
ZELL VON POHLMAN
importance is extremely helpful. Don’t be in a hurry—a dog is a long-term investmen. Learn the strengths and the weaknesses in hour choise breed. Take your time. And be selective and practical in your breeding stock. New Zealand, being an island country, really impressed me with the depth of quality—proving you don’t need huge numbers to consistently produce good dogs. If you want to judge, my advice to the new judge is to always be honest to the dogs. Don’t be in a rush and remember that toys are real dogs and need to be as sound as any other breed, as well as pretty. Two ladies gave me invaluable advice when starting out. On the flight from Jacksonville to Houston to judge the French Bulldog Top Twenty, I noticed there was a hole in the sole of my shoe. Meeting the late Miss Dorothy Nickles in the airport, and knowing she was quite the clotheshorse, I asked about local shoe stores. She said “Make sure you get shoes with a wide toe so there is room for your feel to swell.” Many times through the years I thanked her for that suggestion. (This was not the only time I got wardrobe assistance from Miss Dorothy. Years before, she saw where I had a provisional judging assignment in Louisville. She called and asked me to be her date to the Awards Dinner. Then she said “Remember, you’re with ME. Dress pretty!”) And a note from the late and well-respected Mrs. Thomas M. (Kay) Gately when I was planning to start judging advised “Always look at the end of the lead attached to the dog, not the other way around.” 8. Anything else you’d like to share? Learning other breeds sure helps in your evaluation of your own. Always being hyper-critical of your pups is extremely important. Being honest about their faults doesn’t mean you don’t love them—it means you truly love the breed. 9. And for a bit of humor, what’s the funniest thing that you ever experienced at a dog show? I remember sitting ringside as the Groups were being done. The judge sent an exhibitor down and back and on the return the handler tripped, flipped and spectacularly fell. (Luckily neither she nor her dog was injured.) She jumped up, brushed herself off and asked the judge if she should do it again…to which the judge replied “If you think you can top that, be my guest.” Zell von Pohlman has been judging since 1997, and has officiated all over the U.S., Canada, South America, Europe and Asia. He has also been instrumental in the foundation and operation of several breed and all-breed clubs, and held numerous positions in all. He is currently approved to judge the Toy Group, the Non-Sporting Group, most of the Herding Group and Best in Show. FRED
I live in Lake City, Florida. Outside of dogs I have bred and shown Cavys, had Best in Show winning Silkys (as in chickens, not terriers), and since the late 70s I have bred Masked Afri- can Lovebirds. The garden is my quiet time.
1. Give a brief overview of the Group. How did it evolve historically? What is its place in our present-day society? History shows lap dogs played significant roles in many countries and with these new immigrants came their dogs: Italian Greyhounds, Maltese, et cetera, and Havanese, one of our newer examples of just this world- wide love of dogs. 2. What is your opinion of the current overall quality of the Toy Group? I feel the Group is in great shape, filled with quality in every part of the country. 3. What changes have you seen during your tenure as a guardian of these breeds? The popularity and quality of the Japanese Chins has been impressive. Breeders have done a great job with the breed. 4. Have there been any shifts that you’ve seen in the balance of popularity among breeds? Why? As fashion changes, so does breed popularity. I’ve seen the Chinese Crested rise to and remain a dominant force in the Group, followed by the super popular Havanese. Now in the Toy Group’s future we’re seeing the advent of the Russian Toy and the Biewer Terrier which will more than likely join us fairly soon. Although we haven’t grown at the rate of some of the other groups, i.e. Herding which has gone from fifteen or so breeds in 2008 to thirty breeds in 2018, we’re still twenty-one and growing. That’s a lot of lovely Toys to enjoy, admireand judge. 5. Males vs. Females: How do bitches fare when it’s down to the wire? Coated bitches often go bald after raising their brood. In coated breeds I have always made allowances for blowing coat. In Pekes, especially, body shape is first! 6 Any particular challenges breeders face in our cur- rent economic/social climate Limited Space, many of us don’t live on acreage—making keeping the numbers necessary to build a line difficult.
BASSETT 1. Give a brief overview of the Group. How did it evolve his- torically? What is its place in our present-day society?
7. Advice to the new breeder? New judge? I would say to anyone getting started in the world
of purebred dogs—buyer beware. Go to shows, establish a relationship with several breeders, read everything you can find. Learning how to interpret pedigrees and their
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