TOY GROUP BREEDERS Q&A
KARENHANSEN
Which have been our most influential sires and dams? We have several gorgeous dams as well as sires. The most important dam for us is GCH CH Luvin Poms Yes I Know I’m Eye Candy, and the most influential sire is MBIS MBISS TH. PH. EW’19 AM. GCHS CH Tokie Trend Factor. Can we talk a bit about our facilities? Where are our puppies whelped? How are they raised? We raise our Pomeranians in our home. We have a whelping room and a puppy room, but everyone else lives with us in our home. We want to make sure our dogs are well-socialized. We have a grooming space in the lower level where all the bathing and grooming is done. What is our “process” for selecting show puppies? At what age do we make our decisions? Our puppies are evaluated for show at around 12 weeks. We measure them to the Standard and try really hard to not be kennel blind. As I stated before, we have a small breed- ing program and we keep our puppies until we determine whether or not they are show quality. That could be as early as 12 weeks or as long as 6 months. How do we prepare our pups for the show ring? Does our breed require any special preparation? Every one of our show dogs is bathed, groomed, and given a show trim before each show. It’s extremely important to line-brush Pomeranians because they are a double-coated breed and you need to get down to the skin to prevent mats. Right before going in the ring, our dogs are brushed out again and their leads are “sunk” into their coats so that the judge doesn’t see a “line” on their neck. The Pomeranian should look like a circle in a square when stacked, and the show trim should enhance that look. It is very important not to over-trim. Can we share our thoughts on how our breed is currently pre- sented in the show ring? Pomeranians can be presented in the ring a couple of ways. One way is for the handler to stand while stacking the dog, and the other way is to kneel to stack the dog. Every Pom is different and the handler knows which technique will show the dog in the best possible way. Are there any health-related concerns within our breed? Any spe- cial nutritional needs? There are some health concerns with Poms as with all other breeds. One of the concerns is BSD or black skin dis- ease. BSD is a concern for all breeders, and the APC has spent a lot of money in research to help find the cause and cure. Collapsing trachea is another area of concerns as is luxating patellas. All the breeders I know work very hard not to breed any of these issues. In our opinion, is our breed in good condition overall. Any trends that warrant concern? I feel our breed has been improving year after year with the help of reputable breeders. The tails-sets have gotten better, the bites have gotten better, the fronts and rears have gotten better, and so have ear-sets. Is our breed well-suited to be a family dog? Who are the best candidates to own our breed? Absolutely, Pomeranians are great family dogs! They are fun-loving, loyal, and smart! They love their humans and are eager to please. Most of our puppy buyers are fami- lies. We love getting pictures and updates from our puppy families! We encourage them to keep in touch so that we know how they are doing! Do we feel that our breed is supported by a sufficient number of preservation breeders? Our breed is lucky to have many, many won- derful breeders who are dedicated to the preservation of the breed and to Breed Standard. I think the American Pomeranian Club does a wonderful job of educating breeders to the betterment of the breed. For a bit of fun, what’s the most amusing thing we’ve ever experienced with a Toy Dog? That’s a tough one because every single day they do amusing things. They are a constant source of entertainment!
Where do I live? How many years in dogs? How many years as a breeder? My family and I live on a ranch at the San Juan National For- rest in Colorado. I got my first dog when I was about eight years old from a shelter in Berlin, Germany. I had picked out a young Cocker Spaniel, but my parents brought home a young Münsterlander mix. I remember going to the library, read-
ing about dog breeds, their origin, purpose, and breed standards. Dogs have always been in my life and I bred my first litter of Austrian Black and Tan Hound puppies about 20 years later. My husband and I started our Biewer Terrier breeding program in Colorado with care- fully selected European imports in 2015. What is my kennel name? How many dogs do I currently keep? Our kennel name with the American Kennel Club is Rocky Moun- tain Biewer Terriers and we use the Rocky Mountain prefix for the puppies we breed. Rocky Mountain Farm is our ranch name. The dogs get to spend plenty of time outdoors and are familiar with the working dogs, cats, goats, sheep, horses, and cows. We maintain three separate Biewer breeding lines to ensure genetic diversity and genetic availability for breeding decisions. Which show dogs from the past have been my noteworthy win- ners? Rocky Mountain’s Sir Remington was our first pup in the show ring. He was handled by Lynn Meyer and finished in just a few FSS Open Shows. “Milo” was a constant winner in the show ring and came home to become one of our most influential sires. The breed moved into the AKC Toy Group just last year. We can now compete with a lot more dogs in the Group ring. Last month, we sent Rocky Mountain’s Sir Felix into the show ring. He finished his champion- ship in one week, shown by Pat Fernandes. Our latest rising star is Rocky Mountain’s Adios Colorado who will start her debut in the show ring with Gabriel & Yvonne Rangel. Which have been my most influ-
ential sires and dams? Since 2020, Bright Bering CM3, “Milo,” has been our most popular and influ- ential sire in our breeding program. Milo is true to the Standard, with classic Biewer type, a stunning coat, balanced front and rear, firm, level topline, and outstanding disposi- tion. He has produced his outstand- ing conformation and his happy, stable temperament in his puppies,
Bright Behring CM3 “Milo” & Son 2020
with multiple dams. All of our foundation dogs were carefully select- ed imports from around the world with good health, conformation, solid temperament, and breed type being critical to their selection. Can I talk a bit about my facilities? Where are my puppies whelped? How are they raised? We are fortunate to have a home with nine bedrooms that have allowed us to set up areas to meet the needs of all lifestages for our dogs. We use waterproof flooring and epoxy on hardwood floors as well as vinyl on the walls in the puppy rooms. These materials make it easier to clean up and sanitize and it also still feels like a family home. Each room is equipped to meet the needs of the dogs. The nursery has many extra electrical outlets to sup- port the heating pads needed to keep everyone warm and thriving. The expecting and nursing moms have a separate outdoor potty area and get a different diet than the general Biewer pack. The ambient temperature in the whole house is 78 degrees Fahrenheit and the
170 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, APRIL 2022
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