Page 52 - 1st Quarter 2018

They are wrong. How arrogant can you get thinking that
the dogs there were wrong and our dogs were all right. But
after 3 months, I suddenly realized that maybe ours were
wrong. And that was when I started importing dogs from
the top kennel in the UK. I had 2 English champions.
Was there any breeding that you would have redone in
another way through the years?
There have been times when you looked at the puppies
and know that it didn’t work so you did it again.
What percentage of your breeding would fall on that
particular side?
Not too many. My principle in breeding is to breed for
myself first then to supply the puppy market. I always keep
a puppy from every litter I breed.
Would there be any other important pointers that you
can give to people who are thinking of going into dog
breeding?
If you are not prepared to go for the best don’t do it at
Did you have any plans when you started? all. Don’t settle for the 2nd best.
None whatsoever. I had no idea what I was doing either. Be critical. Some years ago, some friends of mine said
that I am too critical with my own dogs but I don’t see that
How was the first litter? as a problem at all. I think it is one of my strengths.
One puppy and she was terrible.
You have been breeding for almost 5 decades and you
That did not discourage you? have seen how things have changed over the years.
No. What would you consider two or three significant
challenges that a dog breeder would probably face in
At what point did you produce your first champion? the next 5 to 10 years?
I sent a bitch to Australia to be mated. I got my first I think it’s the animal rights movement. I think that
champion out of her. We have a minimal gene pool in New is the biggest single challenge facing the dog world now.
Zealand and there was only one other dog in New Zealand They are going to stop dog shows as we know them today.
that was of the breeding that I wanted but that was the bitch’s Already in some countries, they are not allowed to dock
father so I had to send the bitch to Australia to be mated. I got tails, not allowed to crop ears and remove dew claws. Now
a Best in Show winner in that litter. in New Zealand, the RECIO PHILIP DOG is not allowed
to be advertised in the media. The animal rights people
What would you consider the most challenging aspect in and the veterinarians don’t want any snub-nosed breeds.
deciding to breed purebred dogs? One of our most significant problems is that we are too
There is a big time commitment to it. And with so many complacent, we let somebody fight the battle for us. We
other things in my life, I found it very difficult. With the help of should be out there fighting for what we believe in.
Karen McIntyre, I was able to continue with my breeding and
judging. She is now a kennel partner.
You seem to have approached breeding in a scientific
manner.
I decided that if I was going to do it I was going to do it
properly. So, I imported about 10 or 12 dogs from England
and they came from the top kennel in England. I imported two
stud dogs and the bitch went to the first stud dog first then the
progeny went to the 2nd stud dog and that is how I did it.
Apparently, after some time, you were able to develop a
particular plan of action. How did you get about going
there? Did anybody mentor you?
In 1995, I went to the UK for 3 months. I went to the dog
shows and I looked at the dogs and I reckoned and thought,
these dogs are nothing like what we’ve got in New Zealand.
What do you think would be the biggest opportunities? What would you consider to be the biggest rewards of
The biggest changing point in breeding dogs is the frozen judging?
semen. We now have the best dogs in the world available for us. When you judge a dog and you put your hand on it, like
yesterday there was a particular breed, with this young dog
How did you get into judging? that was on the table. It was a coated breed and under that
I wanted to judge Corgis only. But in New Zealand, it is not coat was a fabulous body. It went around the ring and it just
big enough to be able to do that so I went and got my license made me go goosey.
for the Herding Group. I enjoyed it so much that I just kept on
learning. I also found that I learned a lot from my judging that Throughout your judging career, what has been the
helped me in exhibiting. One of the things I learned was to listen biggest dilemma that you have faced as a judge?
to what the judge tells you because as judges we have to judge Seeing dogs in the ring that shouldn’t be in the ring.
250 dogs in a day on occasion. After a judge has done 240 dogs, Because somebody sold them. Sometimes even less than a pet
they are exhausted and when the exhibitors do not do what they quality dog.
are told to do, they are very very cranky. So the number 1 rule is
to do what the judge tells you to do. What would you consider as the fondest memory
as a judge?
How long have you been judging? I have so many fabulous fabulous memories. When I first
I got my first license in 1985. started in showing dogs, never in a thousand years did I think
that I would travel the world and judge dogs. If somebody
How many more years do you would have said that to me, I would have said that they are
intend to judge? crazy. But it is the most rewarding career that I think anybody
Well, I am thinking about could have. It is so educational, it broadens your mind. It is the
retiring now actually but I have most rewarding experience.
appointments up to until the
year 2021. I don’t want to When you have a dog line up, what mental process do you
get into a stage that I no go through to be able to choose the dog that you like?
You must look at the dog and sometimes what you put up
longer enjoy it. When you
travel from New Zealand, as a judge is not what you put up as a breeder. As a breeder,
everything is a long-haul flight you have different priorities than as a judge. The dog should
and traveling gets to me. be a show dog. It must have the breed characteristics. A good
head that will look at me with a beautiful face.
From your perspective, what
would you consider as essential How do you want to be remembered as a good judge?
qualities that a person must She loved the good head.
have to be a good dog judge?
Integrity. Integrity, integrity.
Don’t be swayed by what other
people say. Don’t be corrupt. Do
what your heart tells you.