TOY GROUP BREEDERS Q&A “I am biased, of course, and think that the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is the ultimate family pet. Their temperament is gentle, yet playful. They are able to bond with more than one person, which gives each person in the family a precious relationship with these lovely dogs.” M We currently have five Cavaliers as a part of our Finnickyskye brood. Four dogs and one very bossy puppy bitch (lol)! Our dogs range from almost eight years old to our youngest, “Vera,” who is seven months old. Which show dogs from the past have been our noteworthy win- ners? Our boy Edgar, (MBIS CKCSC USA & Group-Placing MRBI- SOH MBISS AKC GCHS CH Brookhaven The Dream Lives On AW CGCA), has done us proud as owner-handlers! In 2018, Edgar was the No. 1 NOHS Cavalier and the No. 24 overall Cavalier. In 2019, Edgar was the No. 1 Dog in the CKCSC, US, and No. 3 over- all Cavalier in the CKCSC USA, and the No. 1 ranked CKCSC USA Top Twenty. In 2021, he was awarded an Award of Excellence at the AKC National.
any breed. Those breeders who have dedicated their lives to preserv- ing a breed want and need to vet those of us who are new. Their legacy of passion and love for the breed is one they protect until they know that they are mentoring someone with the same passion, love, and dedication they started with—someone who has integrity and high values. Most importantly, we all want to see that making money is never a motivation for a newcomer. When money drives a breeding program, dangerous concessions are made and the breed, as a whole, suffers. Is my breed well-suited to be a family dog? Who are the best candidates to own my breed? I am biased, of course, and think that the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is the ultimate family pet. Their temperament is gentle, yet playful. They are able to bond with more than one person, which gives each person in the family a precious relationship with these lovely dogs. They are as active as their owners (I have a pet family that kayaks every weekend, with their Cavalier perched on the front of the kayak) or they can Netflix binge with the best of us. Cavaliers are happiest when they make each and every member of the family happy. The best families for Cavalier ownership are those that are able to be with the dog at all times. I never consider placing a puppy with a family or individual who has to leave the dog alone for more than three hours at any time. This breed does not do well when left alone for long periods of time, and can become depressed and/or anxious if this happens. For a bit of fun, what’s the most amusing thing I’ve ever expe- rienced with a Toy Dog? Our first Cavalier and AKC Champion, Boatswain Ciril, “Brunello,” loves puppies. He always has! When he was out with his handler, Hiram Stewart, we had conversations about how Brunello had taken to “mothering” his Pekinese puppies. Brunello continues to nanny each and every one of our puppies— taking time to groom them, play with them, help detour them from anything he considers unsafe, and curling up with them for naps. He also demands to be in the whelping room every time we whelp—even when he hasn’t sired the litter. Our mothers don’t mind at all, as he lies quietly next to their whelping bed in what we can only describe as support and protection. When we have no puppies in the house, which is often, he has two special “babies” that he totes around with him everywhere and arranges on his cushion at bedtime. SHARON & JIMUTYCH Where do we live? How many years in dogs? How many years as a breeder? We live in Alpharetta, Georgia, a northern suburb of Atlanta. We have been “in Cavaliers” since 2008, with our first Cavaliers, “Finn” and “Skye.” Up until February 2022, we only had males and stud dogs. We welcomed our first bitch, Harana Harvest Moon, “Vera,” in February in hopes to breed her and continue the Finnickyskye name. What is our kennel name? How many dogs do we currently keep? Our kennel name is Finnickyskye, named after our beloved boys, Finn and Skye. Finn was our first and the consummate show dog. He lived to be thirteen years old and we miss him and our sweet Skye every day.
Our first boy, Finn (MBVIS MBVISS Karvale Brookhaven Finn CGCA THDA C-TCX), was Edgar’s half-brother (same sire) and was a dream to show; 61 Best Veteran in Show wins, multiple AOMs, BOBOH, and multiple National Sweeps BOS wins. He was also one of the very first Cavalier AKC Achiever Dogs and a titled Therapy Dog. Which have been our most influential sires and dams? Edgar cur- rently has, with very limited breeding, two champions that he has sired. He is the sire of our boy “Catcher” (RBIS CKCSC USA & Group-Placing MBISOH MRBISOH AKC GCHS CH Legendcrest Finnickyskye Dream Catcher, JW AW CGC). Catcher is a platinum level NOHS Cavalier, was the 2019 CKCSC USA No. 4 Dog, and has won multiple owner-handled BIS. Can we talk a bit about our facilities? Where are our puppies whelped? How are they raised? Our “facility” is our home. Our Cavaliers live with us and are a part of our family. We currently do not breed, but when we will begin to breed in a few years they will be whelped here at our home and raised in our home with love and attention. What is our “process” for selecting show puppies? At what age do we make our decisions? Again, we do not currently breed. However, when we selected our boys, we looked for those Cavalier qualities… temperament, first and foremost. We do have a “type” of Cavalier we prefer and strive for, and we have this in our Edgar. We like to see the puppies at around 6 weeks, to see their heads, shape, etc., then again at 12 weeks to make a determination. How do we prepare your pups for the show ring? Does our breed require any special preparation? Our boys are bathed and groomed for every show. The Standard specifically states NO TRIMMING, so, of course, we do not have to worry about trimming or sculpting our Cavaliers. Can we share our thoughts on how our breed is currently pre- sented in the show ring? For us, personally, we see several Cavaliers that have been trimmed or have had their ears sculpted, which is “a no-no” per the Breed Standard. Are there any health-related concerns within our breed? Any special nutritional needs? Cavaliers are susceptible to mitral valve disease. It is always prudent to take advantage of the heart health clinics at shows to have a cardiologist listen to your Cavalier’s heart. Great strides have been made in supporting their heart health with medications and supplements. We feed a raw diet supplemented with home-cooked organic veggies, supplements, and goat’s milk.
180 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, APRIL 2022
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