Showsight - February 2022 Edition

WORKING GROUP BREEDERS Q&A

My dogs do best in homes where they are part of the family, but know who is boss. Do I feel that my breed is supported by a sufficient number of preservation breeders? In recent years, the number of preservation breeders has gone down. I’m not sure that this has greatly impacted the breed as a whole… yet. For a bit of fun, what’s the most amusing thing I’ve ever experi- enced with a Working Dog? I’m not sure if it was amusing for me, but I had a special who decided to do “the zoomies” in the BIS ring in front of Jon Cole. There just wasn’t anything I could do about it but let him have his fun. JOAN LIEBES I purchased my first Samoyed

stimulation. So, any new home has to be committed to providing for those needs. Too often people don’t understand the importance of mental stimulation. This is a very smart breed, bred to work, and if their mind isn’t kept stimulated it can result in bad behaviors. Do I feel that my breed is supported by a sufficient number of preservation breeders? I think the Doberman has a wonderful com- munity of preservation breeders. There are new breeders since I got involved, and I am confident we will do our best for this breed. For a bit of fun, what’s the most amusing thing I’ve ever experi- enced with a Working Dog? My girl “Neuma,” CH Allettare Royal Neuma, has no concept of personal space and has some weird desire to be on top of me as much as possible when we cuddle. I swear she is trying to get inside my skin. They don’t call the Doberman a “velcro dog” for nothing! PAM FUSCO Where do I live? How many

and attended my first dog show in 1968. Along with my mother, Pau- la, and sisters, Laura and Connie, we have bred 80-plus champions under the Azteca prefix; and owned another 16 champions. Our dogs have sired 40-plus champions. Our most successful-winning Sammy was MBIS, MBISS CH

years in dogs? How many years as a breeder? We live in Southeast Michigan. I started showing Gold- en Retrievers in 1981. My first lit- ter of Alaskan Malamutes was born in 1997. What is my kennel name? How many dogs do I currently keep? Our kennel name is “Illusion.” My hus-

Sitkin’s Simply Scrumptious (Scarlett). She won 150-plus Best of Breeds, 70-plus Group Placements, 7 BISS, and 1990 SCA BOS & Brood Bitch Winner. MBIS, MBISS GCHS Azteca’s Triple Seven (Jett) won Best of Breed at the 2012 Samoyed Club of America. He also won another BIS from the Veterans Class in May of 2017 at age nine. Litter sister, GCHS Azteca’s Pink Camillia, was the #2 Samoyed Bitch in 2012. MRBIS, MBISS, GCHG Azteca’s Red October (Sean) was the SCA #2 Samoyed Male for 2018 & 2019. RBIS, Multi-Group GCHG Azteca’s John Denver, owned by Con- nie Rudd, was #3 Samoyed All-Systems for 2021. I began judging in 1996 and I adjudicate the Working, Herding, Non-Sporting, and Toy Groups, 17 Sporting breeds, five Hound breeds, Juniors, and Best in Show. I judged Intersex at the Samoyed Club of America in 1999, Bitches in 2007, and Intersex in 2013. Internationally, I have judged Samoyed Specialties in Spain, Aus- tralia, New Zealand, and Ireland. In 2013, I went to Beijing with the American Kennel Club’s Global Service Program to teach about the Northern breeds. I am an active member of the Woofstock Cluster, Evergreen Kennel Club, Colorado Springs KC, Samoyed Club of America (past Judge’s Education Chairman and current Illustrated Standard member), and the Northern California Samoyed Fanciers. My husband, Eric, and I relocated to Peyton, Colorado, six years ago. We have eight dogs (Komondor, Ibizan Hound, and Samoyeds), one Thoroughbred Hunter mare, an eight-month-old Hanoverian filly, a Connemara hunter in training, and a very pregnant Conne- mara. My education includes a BS Physiology, MS Physiology, and an MBA Finance. Where do I live? How many years in dogs? How many years as a breeder? I live in Peyton, Colorado. I’ve been in dogs for 50-plus years and I’ve been a breeder for 40-plus years. What is my kennel name? How many dogs do I currently keep? Our kennel name is Azteca; five Samoyeds, two Komondorok, and one Ibizan Hound. Which show dogs from the past have been my noteworthy winners? Noteworthy winners include MBIS MBISS CH Sitkin’s Simply Scrumptious, MBIS MBISS National Specialty BIS GCHS Azteca’s Triple Seven, BISS. GCHS. Azteca’s Pink Camillia, RBIS, MBISS GCHS. Azteca’s Sopwith Camel O’ Snoflyte, and MRBIS MBISS GCHG Azteca’s Red October.

band is a professional magician, and each dog that we keep is named after a magician or a magical effect. We currently have six dogs. Which show dogs from the past have been my noteworthy win- ners? There are two. The first was my first male, “Houdini,” CH Sno Shire’s Houdini of Illusion OA OAJ NJP WWPD. He was a multiple Group winner and placer. We also had a lot of fun in the agility ring together. The second is “Tornado,” GCHS Ch Illusions Beyond Imagination WWPD. He was a multiple Group winner and placer, as well as a multiple Specialty winner. Which have been my most influential sires and dams? Tornado has been my most influential sire, and his grandmother, “Trix,” CH Storm Kloud’s Xpect My Trix WWPD, my most influential dam. I can see her face in all of my dogs. Luckily, she didn’t pass along her tricks to her kids! Can I talk a bit about my facilities? Where are my puppies whelped? How are they raised? We don’t have a facility. We do have a few indoor/outdoor kennels and fenced exercise yards. Our pup- pies are born in our home with us. Once they are moving around pretty well, they spend most of the day playing in the puppy yard. I like to be sure my puppies get lots of fresh air and exercise. What is my “process” for selecting show puppies? At what age do I make my decisions? I watch my puppies moving outside naturally. I have found that at eight weeks, what I see and feel is how they will be as adults. How do I prepare my pups for the show ring? Does my breed require any special preparation? Just practice at home and in class. Are Performance and Companion titles important to me as a breeder? Are parent club titles? I encourage performance and com- panion titles because they help with the relationship with the han- dler. Our parent club working titles are important to me because they allow me to evaluate work ethic. In my opinion, is my breed in good condition overall. Any trends that warrant concern? I think the Malamute is in good over- all condition. For the past several years, a rounder eye is seen, which is undesirable. Is my breed well-suited to be a family dog? Who are the best candidates to own my breed? Yes, they can be great family dogs. A fenced yard is a must, and owners who are “strict” are best.

SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, FEBRUARY 2022 | 189

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