The Seven Secrets of Show Success: Be a Kennel BY MICHAEL AND CATHY DUGAN continued
“AS A BREEDER, WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO STRIVE FOR? BE A KENNEL!”
I was once told by a judge and fel- low breeder, “You show the dogs you have!” If that’s all you are prepared to do, you will go nowhere fast. In the last fifteen years, Aviator Kennel has produced six to ten new PWD champi- ons every year producing a formidable “bench” with over 110 PWD AKC Cham- pions to date. Prior to that we produced over 70 Dalmatian and Brittany champi- ons. This gives us the option of know- ing when a dog should begin competi- tion and when a dog will be ready for breeding in the future. We never want to put a young dog out in the show ring until we really feel that the dog is ready to be competitive and get their championship. Because of this, our dogs gener- ally finish their championship in 12-20 shows, making the experience much easier and less costly for their owners. In our experience, the cost of finish- ing a champion is about $5-8,000 with entry fees, grooming, handling, and other costs, so we want to make this process as efficient as possible. If you only have one or two dogs to work with, you limit your options for show suc- cess. We’ve seen dogs dragged around for many months trying to get a cham- pionship and years after that because it was the only dog the breeder or owner had available. Typically, we will take a potential show dog to a dog show once they’re at least six months old. That gives us the chance to observe the dog in the hectic chaos of a show and see how they react. We’ve noticed that the really strong show dogs are instantly curious, watch- ing everything going on around them. At ringside dogs like Ladybug, even as a puppy, watched the other PWDs intently, learning from the process. Because we always have several dogs coming of age at different times we have the chance to plan when and what dogs will be showing two years ahead of time. We try not to compete against ourselves and with multiple dogs avail- able for showing we can phase in new dogs as others finish their champion- ships. Sometimes, we have to hold a dog out for a while because they’re simply not quite ready for the ring. We’ve had boys who had to wait until they were
First, you have to have enough dogs year after year competing successfully in dog shows. Having one or two dogs is fine but that won’t build longevity and consistency that displays your breed- ing program. We’ve had many judges and competitors talk about the fact that they can recognize an “Aviator” dog in the ring. Cathy breeds to consistency that displays the best attributes, move- ment and type of PWDs. It is our goal that we create a common “look” for our dogs that keeps them competitive and desirable. Recently, “Jedi” a dog we bred who lives in South Korea, sweep several shows in the Philippines. The owner/handler told us that several of the American judges immediately spot- ted Jedi as an Aviator-bred dog; they rec- ognized the “type.” Second, you have to be willing to use multiple marketing tools to make people aware of your kennel. You have to think about yourself as a “brand” and not just a breeder. We use advertis- ing, our web site, emails and mailings, going to dog shows and seminars, being active in dog clubs, and working as an AKC judge and as a ring steward. In all of these situations you have the chance to network and interact with other peo- ple in the dog world. Does it pay off? We have placed dogs in China, Korea, the Philippines, Aus- tralia, France, Brazil, Portugal, Croatia, South Africa and Germany, as well as all over the United States and Canada. Why would we do that? It’s a lot of extra work, but it expands the footprint of our brand immeasurably. For example, when the international standards for PWDs began to restrict the amount of white that can be exhibited on a PWD, we got inquiries from Australia, where they have a lot of white dogs. An established breeder there pur- chased a male and female from different litters and breeding lines so she could start her new program there. We keep the dogs here until they were almost a year old, trained them and finished both of their AKC championships and then sent them to Australia where they both have achieved their championships. We do this in an effort to enhance the qual- ity and consistency of PWDs with our own special imprint. As a breeder, what else is there to strive for? Be a kennel!
almost three until they had grown into their show bodies. WHY DO YOUR CO-OWN- ERS REALLY MATTER, WHETHER FOR PETS OR SHOW DOGS? We sell all of our dogs on contracts whether for show homes, pet homes or fellow breeders. As a responsible breeder this should be a required part of the process and is required by most national and regional clubs. Since Mike is a lawyer, he has worked hard to fine- tune our contracts adjusting to new conditions and people as they arise. If a new buyer is reluctant to sign a con- tract, that should be a big “red flag” for a breeder. The best way to get rid of a “friend” is to do business without a contract. With a well-written contract everyone knows what the requirements and expectations are for owning a pure bred dog. Co-ownership is the best means as a breeder of ensuring that the owner will do what we want with the dog. Once a pet has been spayed or neutered or a show dog has finished their career, then the breeder can sign off AKC Registra- tion solely to the owner. More impor- tant, having co-owners creates partners in the show dog world. If you have done your job as a breeder and worked fairly and supportively with new owners you will build a cadre of people who love their dogs and support their breeders as well. The only way we can grow and sur- vive as a sport is to recruit, train and mentor new pure bred dog owners. Co- ownership is a great vehicle for that. We also stay in touch with our owners, show or pet, even after we’ve signed off on their papers. They are our best friends in the dog world and our best sales people for Aviator Kennel. Most of our sales come from referrals from past owners. More than once, we’ve gotten a call from a new buyer who has met an Aviator dog taking a walk. There is no better advertising. HOW DO YOU CREATE A WINNING TRADITION FOR YOUR KENNEL; A “BUZZ” FOR YOUR BRAND?
72 • S how S ight M agazine , N ovember 2018
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