australian terrier Q&A WITH KERRIE BRYAN, GRACE MASSEY, CHERYL MECHALKE, KIM OCCHIUTI, ALEXA SAMAROTTO, TERESA SCHREEDER AND JULIE SEATON
TERESA SCHREEDER
new exhibitors and breeders if we explore that interest with our puppy buyers and encourage them. Even as pets, our Aus- sies speak for themselves as purebred quality dogs and that is the asset. In Aussies, the quality has increased nicely overall in more than fifty years but that said, some of the truly great Auss- ies from the past would still be outstanding today. On the other hand, bar has raised enough to make the breed more competitive against other breeds which is very good for the future of the breed. What I have seen overall in pure- bred dogs is a very nice level of presentation which I feel makes the sport look more professional, in the good sense of the word. Temperament is one of the strong features of the breed and should be bred for and maintained. This will ensure the breed’s future and when I see doubtful temperament, I feel strongly it should not be bred from or perpetuated; remem- ber most puppies no matter whether primarily show or pets, are pets as well and must be able to function in a home envi- ronment. Type is also a concern; we all need to keep the breed’s image in mind. The biggest problem facing me as a breeder is trying to find the right sire to breed to is more challenging in a rarer breed for sure. The gene pool is small and even when dogs are imported, care must be taken to examine the pedigree. I try to linebreed with the right outcrosses and I am not alone in finding this such a challenge. My advice to a new breeder reflects my experience when I was new: learn from the standard and view with skepticism any information you get from other breeders. Let me explain before you jump to conclusions! When I started I was a kid and in those days, very little was available to read about the breed nor were the older breeders as helpful because I had not bought a dog from them. Sound familiar now? My mother and I were actually freer to read the standard and watch dogs in the ring and learn without biased advice coming our way. I learned more and faster because we read general books on structure and movement, watched not just Aussie judging but watched judging all day, especially the older great judges of that era. I feel I learned to evaluate dogs better that way than I see from some newcomers who are being led in all directions by those touting their own breeding. This advice applies to new judges: read the standard and apply it. If something someone tells you is contrary to the standard, re-read it and come to your own conclusion. We need to keep our eyes on proper front and rear struc- ture to create proper movement. This is a breed that needed to cover more ground in their environment, needed to be athletic, agile to be able to hunt. Hunting snakes as they did requires the ability to jump up and away when they needed to. We need to keep the long, strong head in mind as well which adds to their functionality. I have had the breed since 1963 and started showing in 1965 and still love every minute of being in and around the dog show world. The friends you make are the truest supporters in any time of need, or success, based on our mutual love of our breed and dogs. It is that aspect that is the most important message we need to spread: love of dogs conquers all.
I live in Northern California close to many shows. I work as a Physical Therapist. I co-breed Aussie’s with Susan Bachman under the moniker of Ryba Australian Terriers. I am an Australian Terrier Club of Amer- ica Board member, the Health Chairman as well as a board member of the Australian Terrier Trust. I participate as part of the judges education for the parent club for local shows, meet the breed and at National specialties.
Thoughts on the breed’s current sustainability issues: Aus- tralian Terriers in the last five years have reduced in the num- bers of litters produced and lower registered dogs. The issue is multi-factorial one being the age of the breeders; many are no longer breeding and only showing dogs occasionally. New people interested in the breed are more interested in show- ing and performance events and not breeding. Another issue could be external pressure from the county to limit the num- ber of dogs in the households, pressure from people to rescue and not breed. In order to change the problems one option could be co-breeding with older breeders or with your breed mentor. Leasing a female to have a litter is also an option, once the puppies are gone mom goes home. We all still have to deal with external pressures of family, work, and finan- cial. Taking the time to have a litter and enjoy the process from start to finish and end with a wonderful dog at the end is amazing. In general I have found dogs seen in the ring very nice, there are always a few that you shake your head and ask why. In my area owner handlers are very conscientious about breeding to the standard for their breed. Australian Terriers these days are overall better than five years ago. The dogs being presented are identifiable as an Aussie. We have a dis- tinctive outline and are able to keep the look of number of dogs with issues is less each National. Breeders are working hard to correct fronts and body length. Biggest health concerns of the breed: front structure is an issue, getting the correct keel, depth of rib cage and cor- rect upper arm length is challenging. When we achieve all of these factors and all other things are equal ,movement is a thing of beauty. Advice to a new judge of the breed: get your hands on as many dogs as possible. The more dogs you have your hands on the better sense of how the dogs will feel. Understanding structure is a must. Ask questions when you are mentoring. Aussies are a low entry breed; check the Australian Terrier Club of America breeder referral to find someone with dogs in your area. Attend a National the ATCA has a strong judge’s education, with hands on and education for many days. As a new judge do not go through the motions just to add
294 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , M ARCH 2019
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