Breeder Interview: With Maria Arechaederra ...
BY ALLAN REZNIK continued
“I BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX TO GET YOUNG PEOPLE INVOLVED IN OUR SPORT...”
in pet stores. While on the surface this may seem like a good thing (since some of these dogs come from puppy mills or less than honorable breeders) the greater implication and problem is that it again reduces the public’s access to pure- bred dogs. Ideally purebred dogs should be purchased from ethical and responsible breeders, but there are many success- ful people in the dog fancy like myself whose first purebred was purchased from a pet store or backyard breeder. It is that market we will now lose since the start of these sham “retail rescue” marketers. Being involved in a rare breed, you may have some very specific concerns. How do we encourage newcom- ers to join us and remain in the sport? I believe that we need to think outside the box to get young people involved in our sport before purebred dogs become a thing of the past. We need to utilize social media more effectively to reach the next generation. AKC needs to tell the next generation why “purpose-bred” dogs still matter in a modern world. We need to find those who possess passion. I am confident that there are millions of kids out there who, like me, weren’t raised in dog fami- lies but can become passionate and significant contributors to our sport. They are out there; it is just that we have not figured out how to find them or tap into their enthusiasm. Youth farming organizations like the 4-H clubs are a good place to start. What are your plans for Ederra in the next decade or two? Well, I will be quite a “senior” lady in the next decade or two, but assuming I am here I would still like to be breeding Kuvasz and Pumi. I would love for Caroline Clegg to take over my breeding program and I still have a lot of great, historical stud dogs cryogenically frozen. I recently purchased all of the last remaining semen of a wonderful Kuvasz of the 1990s named “Django” (Ch. August Django) and am already plan- ning for some exciting combinations. Finally, tell us a little about Maria outside of dogs... your profession, your hobbies. I graduated in 1986 from Marquette University Law School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and practiced in Wisconsin for two years before moving to California and taking the bar. I was a senior trial attorney for USAA Insurance where I worked for 20 years before starting a firm with my husband David who is also an attorney. David and I actually met in a deposition as opponents in litigation in a dog bite case. We’ve been married for 23 years and have two wonderful adult children, Jacque- line and Michael. Other than dogs, I love to hike. I summited Mount Whit- ney (the highest peak in the contiguous US) in 2013. Other hobbies include travel and golf. I am good at one of these and not the other. In 2012 I was diagnosed with breast can- cer and underwent about two years of treatment, including five surgeries and 12 rounds of chemotherapy. As a survi- vor, I’ve spent time since then counseling other women with cancer.
126 • S how S ight M agazine , J une 2018
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