NON-SPORTING BREEDER Q&A fixing it, I was told I would have to contact AKC after the show. Then the guy said, “Oh, she’s just a puppy, so you aren’t going to win anything that would need to be fixed anyway.” Oh, really? She went Winners Bitch all three days, earning 14 points and three majors! I had to go back to the guy who commented and purposely ask AGAIN what I needed to do to make sure her points were recorded correctly! I had a Special entered that same weekend. I handed off my youngster to others to take back in for BOB. She was happy to go with anyone who had cookies, but when it came to the waiting part she got bored. When she got bored, she would flop on the ground, roll over, and point all four feet straight up in the air! Any time I looked over at her, there she was, upside down. Thank goodness the judges laughed at her too! Where do I live? How many years in dogs? How many years as a breeder? I reside in Northern Virginia outside Washington, D.C. I have owned dogs for 20-plus years and have been in my breed and breeding for approximately fourteen (14) years. I work with my co- breeder, Jerry Davis, who resides in Tennessee and started in Afghan Hounds. He has been showing and breeding for 40 years. What is my kennel name? How many dogs do I currently keep? My kennel name is Infin- ity Star and my co-breeder’s kennel is Boondock’s. We have two bitches that we were show- ing for the last two years. One was the 2022 National Specialty BOS and the other bitch was the 2023 National Specialty BOS. We have now retired them and will be incorporating them into our breeding program. This year, we will show our two boys. We also have our seniors and retirees. Which have been my most influential sires and dams? GCHS Musicbox Boondock’s Goin’ Commando has been our most influential sire. He was a successful show dog and sire. He earned two Reserve Bests in Show and sired many lovely show, performance, and companion LÖwchen. His offspring have produced many champions and helped with many breeding programs. His image is on the AKC Meet the Breed backdrop for LÖwchen. For me, the most influential dam was my first bred-by. She was not a “natural” show dog and was a late bloomer. She taught me the valuable lesson that all dogs mature differently and come into their own at their own pace. GCHB Musicbox Infinity Star Bechamel DCAT TKN CGC matured into a competitive show dog. She produced better than herself, producing nice companion LÖwchen and the 2022 National Special BOS winner. We bred these two together for our next generation show dog. Planning on finishing their son this year. Can I talk a bit about my facilities? Where are my puppies whelped? How are they raised? All of our puppies are whelped and raised in our homes. They have their own puppy room for whelping and quiet time with the dam. We employ Puppy Culture for positive experiences and stimulation. As the puppies mature, they move to the central part of the house, the liv- ing room. This gives the puppies their initial experience of what life has to offer and all the sounds of ordinary living with us humans. Next, the puppies’ world expands with exposure to different environments, car rides, the vet, and local hardware store, anywhere that will bring exposure to new experiences. Since this is a companion breed, we make them very much a part of our lives so that they can easily transition to their new families and into their next adventures and experiences. What is my “process” for selecting show puppies? Performance puppies? We have the pup- pies evaluated by someone outside of our breed to provide an unbiased opinion of structure. This is the foundation for show and performance. Next, we look at early attitudes and person- ality. We prefer outgoing personalities and puppies that can rebound from new experiences. Does my breed require any special preparation for competing in Conformance? In Per- formance Events? This is a coated breed and requires a great deal of coat maintenance for show. For Conformation or Performance, the dogs require conditioning—body and mind. LÖwchen are quick to learn, playful, and often just downright silly. They do not like to drill, so you have to make (and keep) training fun. In my opinion, is my breed in good condition overall? Any trends that warrant concern? LÖwchen are on the AKC Low Entry Breeds list. The breed does not have many breeders and we have small litters. With the Standard’s size of 11–14 inches, which may vary one inch above or below, our LÖwchen are getting bigger and losing their type and movement. The LÖwchen is in the Toy Group in other countries.
Lisa Brown
Infinity Star LÖwchen
198 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, FEBRUARY 2024
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