I was first drawn to the breed because of its physical appearance—a balanced dog with distinct black and tan coloring. Their size, disposition, and lack of shedding were all factors that made the breed a good fit for me as a pet owner. Over the years, I have had a lot of success in the show ring. I unabashedly admit that this success has sustained my interest. Winning is fun. However, studying pedigrees, understanding type, ensuring health and temperament, and looking forward to the next generation of dogs has become the driving force in my long-term interest. Nothing is more gratifying than seeing a dog that you’ve bred and raised fulfill your hopes in the show ring and go on to be a great companion.
In recent years, mentoring individuals about the breed and breeding has become something I enjoy. It is another avenue of involvement with Welsh Terriers. As a long-time breeder, I believe it is my duty to pass my knowledge on to the next generation.
There is no perfect dog, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to create it. Breeding is a combination of art and science. The science is evident in genetics and calculating the co-efficient of inbreeding for any given pair, the health testing performed, and the methods utilized to ensure successful breeding and whelping.
The art comes into play when I look at a bitch, understand her strengths and the things I would like to improve. Then I pair her with the stud dog that I think will compliment those strengths and hopefully improve any weaknesses. This requires a breeder to be honest with themselves about their dogs and have vision about where they are wanting to go. The question should always be, “What is the goal?”
Once puppies are eight weeks old, initial evaluations our done with our handlers, Tracy Szaras and Luiz Abreu. At this time, we will decide if there are any puppies we want to grow up as show prospects and place the others in companion homes. From there, it is a waiting game. We will continue to look at the puppies and evaluate until they are 5-6 months old. At that time, if they continue to look promising, they will go to live with Tracy and Luiz and start to get ready to show. This process can take anywhere from six months to two years, depending on the dog. Sometimes they are shown and finished as puppies and others are held back until they are more mature.
This is a very timely question that my co-breeder and I have been wrestling with. I believe that making stud dogs available to others is imperative to the long-term health and viability of the breed. This is especially true in a breed as small as Welsh Terriers—we need the genetic diversity that breeding to outside dogs can provide. However, there are logistical issues to consider. For instance, in all the years that I have been breeding, I have only ever had a few people reach out and ask about breeding to one of my dogs.
This isn’t just an issue in Welsh but one that the larger dog community faces. Is convenience or quality the priority? We are all protective of our dogs and our breeding programs, but a major cultural shift needs to take place that encourages trust and open dialogue among breeders before most will be willing to open themselves and their dogs up for additional scrutiny.
I am a proponent of leasing bitches for breeding purposes. It’s another way to promote genetic diversity and introduce desired traits into a program. Over the years, I have adopted a model where I finish bitches and place them in companion homes on breeding contracts. I have never had the desire to have a large kennel, and it’s important for me that my dogs get to live as companions.
By placing my girls on breeding contracts they get to live as the one and only dog, come back to me to be bred and then again the week before they are due to whelp. Once the puppies are ready to be weaned, the girls return to their family and resume their normal lives. This works very well for me and allows me to continue breeding around six litters a year, but it also works well due to the temperament of the breed. They are well-adjusted and always up for an adventure.
As a preservation breeder, the Breed Standard provides a blueprint for the breed. However, there are some sections that are up for interpretation. For example, the word “moderate” can mean different things to different people. That is why it is also important to understand the purpose for which your breed was created.
For breeders and judges, continuously reviewing the Standard and evaluating stock while referencing it is the only way to ensure breed type. Preservation breeders and parent clubs have an obligation to educate and mentor upcoming breeders and judges to ensure that the best representation of the breed is being rewarded and encouraged.
The anti-purebred rhetoric that has taken hold in this country needs to be addressed externally and internally. Externally, preservation breeders need to be very open about what goes into raising purebred dogs. There is an idea that purebred dogs are only for the elite; that purebred dog breeders are only in it for the money; that purebred dogs are not as healthy or robust as a mutt. None of these things can be further from the truth.
Preservation breeders need to explain why some dogs are chosen as show and/or breeding prospects, the time and investment made, how puppies are raised, and the commitment to beautiful dogs that are healthy and sound. This needs to be explained to potential puppy buyers, veterinarians and veterinary students, and the general public. We, as the dog community (i.e. parent clubs, kennel clubs, breeders, handlers, and owners), need to be better, more strategic, and more united around purebred dogs and preservation breeding. We cannot be afraid to call out the “hybrid” dog community about the issues with breeding random dogs.
Internally, we have to change the culture around dog breeding. We need to encourage open conversation around health, type, and temperament. We also need to start thinking futuristically in order to protect our breeds—especially when considering genetic diversity. Furthermore, preservation breeders have an obligation to pass down their knowledge to the next generation of enthusiasts, breeders, and judges. This requires mentoring and participation in educational programs.
This is a complex issue that has really gotten away from us. It is going to take a concerted effort to rectify it.
We love the Bichon temperament, size, and their large dog attitude. I also love to groom!
Selecting Sires and Dams is based on qualities. We health test all of our dogs and we show the majority of them. When we are ready to breed our bitches we want to use a dog that complements her. There is no perfect dog and they all have faults, so I look for dogs that will help to correct or minimize her faults. I like to linebreed as much as possible and outcross only when necessary. When it comes to choosing the puppies that we show, it starts when they are born. We look for the obvious faults and look to the attributes as a whole. We take into account their temperament too. Not every dog is meant to be a show dog. So, it becomes a process of elimination, and then, at about ten to twelve weeks, we decide who we are keeping to grow out.
As for breeding to other individuals’ bitches using our stud dogs, I try to keep an open mind. If at all possible, I like to go over the bitch and see her strengths and weaknesses. I always look at her pedigree so that I can use the dog I feel is the best choice, and we require health testing. If they have a specific dog in mind, we talk it through. As for leasing bitches, it is a good way to bring in another line. I just make sure the owner and I have a really good agreement that is in writing.
I think everyone should breed to the Breed Standard. I do not like exaggerations. Each breed has a Standard for a reason and if you start with trends then you drift away from it. Our breed, being completely scissored, requires people to get into and under the coat to feel the structure of the dog, as some people like to exaggerate the trim. So, understanding our Standard is very important.
Today’s breeders have found themselves on the defensive from public criticism and from legislative proposals that would restrict breeding practices.
The purebred dog community is huge, but we don’t advertise or teach. The public has been fed information that is very incorrect and we need to counter it. Our dogs need to be seen and talked about. We need to reach students in schools and let them interact with our dogs and explain the importance of purebred dogs. We need to appeal to the hearts and souls of the public, as the rescue groups have, so that we are not the enemy. It can be done, but it will take a concentrated effort to accomplish. WE need to keep up with our local communities and counties so that no anti-dog legislation is formed.
In summary, I feel that breeders have been their own worst enemies by not being honest and responsible. This includes the dogs they breed and the people they sell to. We personally meet with our puppy buyers and explain the care and costs of having a Bichon. We remain available to help after purchase and we want any dogs returned to us if they are unable to keep them at any age. We encourage all of our buyers to become involved with our sport, even if they do not compete. The training involved makes for a better relationship with their own pet. When a breeder contacts someone else to breed with their dogs, both parties should be completely honest with any things that are in the pedigree that would affect the outcome of the puppies, especially health. By being responsible breeders, we can help to make responsible pet owners.
We find both Corgis easy to live with and very quick learners. We have also enjoyed interacting with fellow breeders and exhibitors of both breeds. Since 1984, we have participated with both regional and national Corgi clubs. Our love of these breeds has been very rewarding to us. We have watched families that have brought their children for their first puppy who are now back with their own children for a puppy. We have one family that is on their eighth Corgi from us. It is not just the breed itself but becoming part of families.
All of our sires and dams are fully health-tested. We then look at pedigrees and breed type. When we do a breeding, we are often planning the next generation and the generation after that. Knowing how a pedigree produces certainly helps us with our planning. Corgis can be slow to mature. We have often been fooled by that promising puppy that falls apart and vice versa. Three of my best Corgis were in pet homes only to be returned by fate. We generally run puppies on to 12 to 16 weeks or beyond. This is probably why we only have 2-3 litters per year.
We love working with fellow breeders. Sharing dogs and bitches helps both of us. We do not have a restrictive stud contract. We are not a believer in controlling multiple generations of a sire. Bitches are a bit more complicated, and unfortunately, easier to get burned for the return of a puppy or litter. You need to have extreme trust in the person you are partnering with when you send off a show quality bitch puppy.
We must stay on top of legislation and work to help people understand that we are working for the betterment of our breeds.
The Breed Standard is everything. It is the starting point for every breeder. Personally, I am not a believer in the term preservation breeder. We are each responsible for breed type and following the Breed Standard. This makes us good breeders. Unfortunately, we are seeing exhibitors not presenting breeds correctly. They are moving too fast, stretching dogs out too far, and showing dogs without breed type or with extreme breed faults. I suspect this is a problem in many breeds.
Today’s breeders have found themselves on the defensive from public criticism and from legislative proposals that would restrict breeding practices.
Breeders need to be able to defend, without being defensive, established breeding practices such as tail docking, dewclaw removal, and c-sections. In Europe, these practices are just about totally eliminated. If we are not proactive, that might happen here. The same is true for puppy sales and dog ownership. We must stay on top of legislation and work to help people understand that we are working for the betterment of our breeds.
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