BREEDER INTERVIEW: DAN NECHEMIAS & LOIS CLAUS
“Black”
“Blake” and “Fenster”
“Jory”
“Mooskie”
“Lillie”
“Paula” and Pup
“Sasha”
“Angelica”
“Roux”
“Blake”
“Pala”
“Toga”
Please comment positively on your breed’s present condition and what trends might bear watching. Internationally, the TM is in a great place in terms of type. There are exceptional breeders and examples of great TMs all over the world. Opportunities for collaboration abound and the future is bright. Domestically speaking, the TM is better struc- turally than it was in 2006/AKC recognition. The challenge for the TM breed is keeping the balance. There is a strong tug-of-war between the hyper type of too much hair, lip, and droopy eyes, and too generic a look; too short and low, and lacking a correct head and expression. Tibetan Mastiffs are a large and primitive breed. What are the challenges of retaining the aloof, guardy nature of the breed while still ensuring they can be amenable to showing in the AKC ring? The answer to this is you cannot have it both ways. If we bred solely to produce TMs that were amenable to showing, we would destroy correct temperament. What we do means that sometimes the “pick” puppy from a type and structure standpoint will not have the right temperament for showing. We still keep that puppy and hope to compensate in the next generation with a more ame- nable disposition. That same litter likely has an extroverted pup as well that hopefully has good type, too, but that does not mean we will take an extroverted pup with insufficient type and show it just because it likes to show. Not every TM litter will produce an excel- lent candidate to campaign and that is part of the breed. Of course, socialization and training are key components as well. What are your thoughts on the current state of the fancy and the declining number of breeders? It’s important to ask questions. Why is the sport thriving in Europe, Asia, and South America? Why is dog ownership in the US at an all-time high, but the AKC registry is shrinking? The AKC has been on defense to the Animal Rights community for years and needs a proactive approach to “brand building” the pure- bred dog. Probably a structural reorganization is needed to change
the organization from a club of clubs to a member-driven advocacy organization like the AARP. We have got to create value, both real and perceived, in purebreds and the registry. How do we encourage newcomers to join us and remain in the sport? With patience and kindness. Understand that there will always be generation gaps in communication and when an opportunity to be helpful presents itself, seize it. Be there for someone, even if they made an ignorant post on Facebook, got their first dog from a puppy mill, or said something that scrunched your brow. Sure, after all your hard work, it is offensive when some prospective pup- py buyer just asks, “how much?”. But that is today’s Amazon mar- ketplace and they do not know any better. Yes, 75% of those types of inquiries might not be a good home. Some of them are. Some of them might become fanciers. Some of them probably became Whatchamadoodle breeders. Treating them with ire and arrogance is not good for the sport and it represents missed opportunities, however few. Pushing for structural change at the AKC is important as well. All of us continuing to tolerate their failures because we are too complacent to speak out or act will only perpetuate the status quo. We really need to allow for day-of-show entries. The dog show entry rules were made decades ago when people sent entries by mail and there was no social media. Where do you see your breeding program in the next decade or two? Hopefully, in the capable hands of the next generation. We do our best to offer our best dogs and insight to any seekers. Finally, tell us a little about Dan and Lois outside of dogs... your professions, your hobbies. Dan is a partner in a small wine software company and Lois is a credit operations manager for a national bank. Dan enjoys cooking, traveling, and anything outdoors. Lois enjoys working on their property, gardening, photography, traveling, and most activi- ties outdoors in nature as well.
52 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, OCTOBER 2021
Powered by FlippingBook