Showsight Interview: Milan Lint, Pouch Cove...
BY ALLAN REZNIK continued
Group winner, and Best in Show win- ner at the 2013 AKC/ Eukanuba Invita- tional. Importantly, not only did Matisse win BOB at the 2014 National Specialty, he was also the sire of the Winners Dog, Winners Bitch, Reserve Winners Dog, Reserve Winners Bitch and Best Puppy in Show! Peg and I feel that our approach to producing healthy, happy and hand- some PWDs has worked to date. The PWD parent club in the US has been extremely active regarding health issues and related testing, and we have taken full advantage in utilizing identi- fied gene markers which has been a plus in improving the chances of producing extremely healthy dogs. That said, it is a real balance, as our breedings consist of much more than mixing one pile of health certificates with another. For us, in addition to the health clearances, the potential parents must also have the structure, carriage, demeanor, overall breed type and beauty that we prefer to admire and interact with each day. Making all of that come to fruition isn’t easy, but we keep on trying and hope- fully succeeding, despite occasional setbacks. 5. Please comment on your breed’s present condition and what trends might bear watching. Relative to the 1980s (when I first entered the breed), the PWDs of today are more sound in temperament and with less variation in breed type. Sim- ply put, we have pulled in the extremes where the current population of PWDs has a more definitive look. In my esti- mation those improvements have in no way negatively impacted the breed’s working ability.
Regarding trends, we have been par- ticularly focused on overall proportion and balance, as the breed was tending toward lower and longer—character- istics that Peg and I find less appeal- ing, and critically, are not in keeping with the breed standard. Our boys have helped in this regard, where the length of leg to length of back ratio and the resulting carriage across the breed is generally more appropriate and to our liking. 6. You keep a few Affenpinschers at your residence in New York City. Are all your large dogs housed at Pouch Cove? Tell us about the facilities and how the dogs are maintained. Mitch and I have three monkeys (Frieda, Berta and Greta) with us in the city, while Fiona remains with Ernes- to Lara. We have a country home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and it is set up for the PWDs, and as you men- tion, Peg and Dave also have PWDs at their place in Flemington, New Jer- sey, serving as exercise buddies for the Newfs. Additionally, Michael and Michelle typically have at least one of our PWDs and as you might imagine, that is a tightly run operation with fantastic facilities matched with the best of care and conditioning. Regard- ing Pouch Cove, if you ever have the chance to visit Dave and Peg at their home be certain to take advantage of it. The combination of the spectacular property, the quality and care of the dogs, and the history and knowledge of the hosts is unique. Simply put, better mentors and friends do not exist, and I could go on and on about Peg and Dave’s attributes, accomplishments and contributions. That said, their
success in purebred dogs and their stature in the community are more than evident. 7. Now with your campaigning of the Old English Sheepdog, Elsa, after Matisse and Fiona, did you make a conscious decision to begin backing worthy show dogs of other breeds? What went into this decision? There is less to the story than what one might imagine. Simply put, we breed, own and exhibit PWDs, and with Peg and Dave’s guidance, Michael and Michelle’s presentation skills, and my partner Mitch’s patience and financial indulgence, PWDs are my primary focus. Mitch and I have owned Affens for many years, and while we completed championships on several, we are not breeders. We have the Affens as they are a great source of entertainment, making us laugh each and every day. That said, when seeing Fiona as a pup- py we knew she was something spe- cial, and we thought it would be fun to work with top-notch dog people such as Tina and Bill Truesdale, and Ernesto, on the two-year campaign that resulted in Fiona being the Number one Toy in 2017, and a two-time National Specialty winner. Elsa the OES came about in a very different manner. We do not breed or own OES, yet we very much admire and trust Colton and Heather, who had exhibited PWDs for us in past years—and, as many of your read- ers will remember, Colton and Swag- ger, Michael and Matisse provided the fancy with some of the great com- petition and sportsmanship in dog show history.
Fiona the Affenpinscher with Ernesto Lara and his team.
Milan Lint and Portuguese Water Dogs doing a morning TV interview to promote the 2018 Westminster dog show.
46 • S how S ight M agazine , J uly 2018
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