australian terrier Q&A WITH KERRIE BRYAN, GRACE MASSEY, CHERYL MECHALKE, KIM OCCHIUTI, ALEXA SAMAROTTO, TERESA SCHREEDER AND JULIE SEATON
another breed. Breeders know when you are not interested in the breed and the Aussie will be an even lower entry for you. Advice to a new breeder: develop friendships with oth- er Aussie people, look for a mentor to help you understand pedigrees and dog breeding. Your mentor can assist you with issues that come up with puppies or issues with dogs. In my area we are all interactive, new people are included in puppy grading and show set ups. We are all competitive but still very supportive of all Aussie accomplishments. The most common fault I see when traveling around the country: short upper arm is the most common issue, resulting in a short striding front. The same issue all over the country, despite effort by breeders it is a tough fix. JULIE SEATON I live in Muskego, Wisconsin
him, but I know he is doing good over there, is loved and cherished and adding to the breed gene pool as well. That was more important to me, as his breeder, that I did the right thing not only for myself and my kennel, but for the breed. Advice to a new breeder, slow down! Know what you are doing before you dive into breeding. A breeding program is built on good bitches, not flashy stud dogs. Get the best bitch you can and start your breeding program with that bitch. Don’t settle for second best. Also, get a breeder/mentor that will guide you to make the best decisions you can about your breeding program. Advice to new Judges, know the standard, judge to the standard. It is there for a reason. Read it the night before you judge and have it on hand in case you need to reference it while judging. Don’t award a dog with points if they do not meet the standard. Remember, they may be used in that exhibitors breeding program! You are not helping the breed when you do this! You are judging breeding stock! Points are not man- datory to award, nor are ribbons! I hear too many times that if the dog has points or an AKC Championsip that must mean it is worthy to be bred. When points are awarded to inferior dogs, you are, for that exhibitor, confirming to them, that you feel the dog is worthy of being used to reproduce. The most common fault you I when traveling around the country: dogs that have no bone and are high in leg. This breed is longer in body then they are in leg length and should have some substance to them, they are not Silkys! The bal- ance is off when you look at a dog with no bone and is high in leg, you should see balance. As a breeder, I have learned that the most important thing you can do for the breed is make sure you breed happy, healthy, well-rounded puppies and that you screen prospec- tive buyers carefully no matter what they are buying the dog/ puppy for. You brought them into the world and started them on their journey, so it is up to you to make sure that they go into homes to continue that journey. A happy, healthy well- rounded puppy will turn into a happy-healthy well-rounded adult. The new owners will love and cherish them as much as you do. In the end, that is a win-win for everyone involved. When I was fairly new in the breed I was to show under a judge that a friend knew. She said to say hello. So while on the table, I said hello to the judge by name and said my friend said to say hello. (I was the only entry). The judge said she would pass the message along. I had the wrong judge! “DON’T AWARD A DOG WITH POINTS IF THEY DO NOT MEET THE STANDARD.”
and outside of dogs I am involved in photography and having fun with the grandkids which are up to four now with another one on its way! I have been a Breeder of Aus- tralian Terriers for 25 years and have been dedicated to the breed since that time. I am a member of the Australian Terrier Club of America and am currently on the
Board and have been the Newsletter Editor for the club since 2011. I am also involved and serve on the board for Australian Terrier Rescue. Thoughts on the breeds current sustainability issues: our breed is in trouble and luckily our parent club developed a breed sustainability committee in 2018 to tackle the issue. We want to see the breed thrive and I hope that every repu- table breeder takes what needs to be done to heart and helps whether they are a member of the ATCA or not! We need to band together to make sure our breed survives! I think the quality of the Australian Terrier is really good at the moment. Yes, you will see some in the ring that are not- so-good and do not conform to the standard, but they are few and far between. Honestly one of our biggest health issues is the fact our breeders are aging out and the breed is dwindling in num- bers. We need to promote the breed and breeders need to put differences aside and work together to secure our breeds future! The biggest problem facing me as a breeder is making sure I always do the right thing. I have worked really hard on my breeding program over the last 25 years. I have people want- ing dogs from me all over the world. One breeder from Aus- tralia wanted a dog and knowing the money she was spend- ing, she had to wait almost three years until I made sure she got the right dog. I wanted to send the best I could breed to her, not the second or third best. That dog within three months of arriving at the age of a year and a half won the Australian National Specialty and last year was the top Aussie in the country. I tell myself all the time I should have kept
296 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , M ARCH 2019
Powered by FlippingBook