WORKING GROUP BREEDERS Q&A
What is my kennel name? How many dogs do I currently keep? I use the kennel name Aquilon (a French word for North Wind), which is registered with AKC. I’ve used it since the second Pyr I bought. I’ve had as many as 25 dogs/puppies at a time, but only have five right now. Two are over 11 years old and only one girl is for breeding a future litter. As we “age,” it is important to be able to give each dog the very best care. Each owner needs to re-evaluate how many dogs they can care for, and make adjustments accordingly over the years. Which show dogs from the past have been my noteworthy win- ners? My very favorite was “Tiger,” FCI AKC CKC Mex. CH Aqui- lon Wind and Fire CGC. She became the #1 female in 1988. She was my house dog, pack leader, ultimate lover of showing, and lived almost 14 years as the ruler of my house. My second was “Joy,” AKC/UKC GCH Aquilon Double Jump for Joy, HOF. Joy was also an IABCA Gold Cup winner. She had many AKC and UKC BOB wins and became a Top Producer. She was also my house dog and definitely MY dog, as she would not allow anyone else to take her into the ring. She lived well past 14 years and ruled the other five girls in the house the entire time. My third is my current house dog, “Nubbikins,” AKC/UKC GCH Aquilon for Wind and Fire. She is now over 11 and has won two regional specialties and finished 2020 as #3 in Breed statistics. She believes her house is sacred and will not allow any other female inside. She tolerates the house male, “Freddie.” She sleeps beside me every night. Freddie sleeps in the kitchen. Which have been my most influential sires and dams? I believe every successful kennel starts with the best females money can buy, then “rents” the best males for litters. So, I don’t consider any male influential for me. I know what other breeding lines produce with my girls, and I try to go to the best ones for my girls. This may vary by girl. I bought a young male I called “Slick,” CH Valle d’Aspe’s Ahsum Adrian, HOF. I found that he produced well for my females, but I did not use him in the general population of females. He became a Top Producer with the litters I used him for. For females, I believe my best producer was “Ruffian,” AKC CH Aquilon Fire and Magic, HOF. She only had one litter of eight pup- pies. Six of those finished easily (with OFA-E hips for many) and went on to produce well. (A seventh was pointed when killed in an accident.) I kept four pups from that litter, so I didn’t need another litter from her for my limited breeding program. Another was “Joy,” AKC/UKC GCH Aquilon Double Jump for Joy, HOF. She produced three litters, with six titled from 10 total pups. One pup is now a Top Producer and another pup produced a Top 20 female. These two Joy pups were sired by a male from the Ruffian litter. He produced well and I intend to use his frozen semen again. Can I talk a bit about my facilities? Where are my puppies whelped? How are they raised? I have a three bedroom house on five fenced acres… and wonderful neighbors. I have a building with four 4x16 ft. in/out dog runs that are no longer used. All the dogs are now either in my house or terrorizing cats, birds, squirrels, snakes, or anything else that trespasses in their yard. They are in love with baby Great Horned Owls, for some reason. Regardless of their preferences, they all eat and sleep in the house. Keeps the neighbors happy. Puppies are born in my guest room and kept in the house until they leave for a new home. From the time they are about three days old, they have regular training four or more times each day. At about 5-6 weeks, they eat and nap in individual wire crates in my living room several times a day.
Which have been my most influential sires and dams? The most influential are MBIS MBISS CH Sitkin’s Simply Scrumptious (six champions from her only litter), MBIS MBISS National Specialty BIS GCHS Azteca’s Triple Seven (six champions), and CH Holi- day’s LaBelle Candida (eight champions; foundation bitch). Can I talk a bit about my facilities? Where are my puppies whelped? How are they raised? We live on a 35-acre ranch in South- ern Colorado. Our males are all intact and they all run together in a 2-plus acre paddock and have a dedicated “boy room” just off our bedroom. Our girls have a dedicated separate deck and paddock area, and sleep in the bedroom. The horses (Thoroughbred hunter, 8-month-old Hanoverian filly, and a VERY pregnant Connemara) have an eight-stall stable, riding arena, round pen, and day access to 5-plus acres. We have a Connemara hunter in training. I take les- sons twice a week with women of my age. We are known as “Fossils Over Fences.” Puppies are whelped in our bedroom. For the first three weeks, puppies are in their whelping box next to our bed… then to our family room with lots of activity until they go to their new homes. What is my “process” for selecting show puppies? At what age do I make my decisions? We try to match personalities for all puppies and homes. Eric likes to evaluate puppies at eight weeks. How do I prepare my pups for the show ring? Does my breed require any special preparation? Socializing is key. During COVID, a group of us would meet at a park to practice. No special prepara- tion is needed. Is mine a cropped and/or docked breed? No. In my opinion, is my breed in good condition overall. Any trends that warrant concern? We have some eye health issues that have cropped up. Some are predictable, some not. We have many over-sized dogs. Bigger is not better. Size is a survival feature. We are a moderate breed with moderate side-gait. Big, overreaching side-gait is wrong and would not survive in the arctic. Is my breed well-suited to be a family dog? Who are the best candidates to own my breed? Yes, families with children are the best candidates. Do I feel that my breed is supported by a sufficient number of preservation breeders? Not sure you can ever have enough preserva- tion breeders! In August of 2021, we had a litter of six (three boys and three girls), born from semen that is 37 years old. We consider this a miracle litter. For a bit of fun, what’s the most amusing thing I’ve ever expe- rienced with a Working Dog? We took one of our retired, big-win- ning show girls to a Herding Instinct Trial. “Cami” didn’t like the sheep, nor the muddy paddock. She stood on a tiny piece of grass, ignoring the sheep, and then made a mad dash towards the car. SANDRAMCCRADY Where do I live? How many years in dogs? How many years as a breeder? I’ve always lived in the Colorado area, but would like to advise future breeders that it is important to pick the very best breeding pairs from around the entire US—or even the world. Don’t become blind with your local dogs. Your litters are only as good as the pair selected as parents. I have over 50 years in dogs, but I have not bred many litters. I keep a log of every litter I’ve bred, down to the individuals, along with sex, markings, any titles won, and any health notes I’ve accu- mulated. I don’t look for numbers of dogs finished, but percentage of litters that finish titles, live long lives, and produce well. I bred my first Great Pyrenees litter in 1973 from a female I co- owned with an experienced breeder. With her assistance, we picked a good male and produced a Top Producer from that first litter.
190 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, FEBRUARY 2022
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