Jennifer Wilburn
1. I live in the mountains of the panhandle of North Idaho in the town of Sandpoint. As a kid we had a Siberian Husky and a Samoyed that I would play “Dog Show” with. When I was in my early 20’s, I started out showing a retired American Cocker Spaniel; later I showed my chocolate field Labs while learning very quickly there was a difference in conformation standards. But, I fell in love with the sport and was hooked. I have about 37 years with Conformation dogs, 16 years with the Rat Terrier, working closely with Tracey Kallas of K2 Rat Terriers, an AKC/UKC Terrier Judge, and a local long-time friend and breeder of Golden Retrievers, Dani Yandt of Double Take Goldens who is always there for puppy evaluations and training. My kennel name is Indigo Rat Terriers. “It’s All About the Dogs.”
2. Yes, the Rat Terrier is a healthy, long-living, fun-loving breed. It is still working through some refinements, however, and I feel privileged to be a part of that. I would say all breeds have their trends when it comes to type and temperament. As a breeder, I focus on healthy, conformationally correct dogs. My concern is that the breed is still finding a set type that aligns with the Breed Standard. I don’t feel there are enough serious preservation breeders out there to warrant pursuing individual kennel lines at this point. I would like to see more breeders be able to share their lines with other serious breeders for the sake of the future of the breed. I am sure this is a common complaint across all breeds, as new breeds become more established and consistent in type and temperament.
Everyone wants their lines to be what is recognized as the “upper standard.” I feel the window of opportunity to breed to the best of our ability is short and the dogs used to solidify the breed for the future is limited with stud books being closed. With that said, there are a limited number of qualifying studs available to diversify the breed. This is not a kennel breed. They love to have a family, so keeping more than a couple of studs while still making them part of your family is difficult. Finding pet homes that will house a dog while keeping them intact is also difficult. Finding homes that will house a bitch and follow through with titles and future breeding so that she can live with a family is also difficult.
3. I feel being a preservation breeder means breeding for specific improvements and being very selective about what and when you breed. If I could breed for one perfect puppy for each breeding, I would. I do not like adding dogs to this world, but I am a huge believer in preserving purebred dogs that were bred with and for a purpose.
I think many judges either do not understand the Breed Standard or they don’t pay enough attention to awarding dogs with correct conformation, especially pertaining to movement with plenty of reach and drive to cover ground effortlessly, where they possess the capacity to move quickly to take down prey as they were originally used on the farm. This includes a correctly structured, balanced dog that is hard-muscled and fit, capable of work or play all day. They should have a correct bite capable of tearing through its prey. They should not be fine-boned, toyish, bulky, or course, but have type matching the Breed Standard.
They should not be timid, rather have unyielding terrier tenacity. I see judges picking people, not dogs. Those judges do a disservice to the future of the breed. They tend to throw out breed type for a dog that can free-stack. A Rat Terrier should possess that balance and a pretty stack. Dog show are all across the country for people who live all across the country. Do I want more? Yes, but then numbers are diluted. Nationals help to curb the problem when trying to show where there will be majors.
4. Montgomery is the “terrier of all terrier shows” in the US. I hope to go, but my dogs and running a business keep me extremely busy as I do it all by myself. So, using a handler is a must. I send my dogs out with Martin Glover who has been wonderful to work with.
5. Social media can be used to boost or tear down. It is a matter of how you choose to use the various platforms. As a breeder and small business owner, I focus solely on my dogs and the health of dogs in my community. Social media can be very harmful if misused.
6. The biggest challenges include: cost and time for those already in love with the sport; a lack of education and mentors to help those who show interest in breeding and/or showing dogs; and people who use people and bend rules for their own selfish gain, whether it be for financial reasons and/or to gain status. I am sure there are many ways to address the challenges in the dog show community. I have found that breeders need to have strong contracts, and follow through with enforcing them and be willing to walk away from corrupt individuals, letting time and karma do their job, all the while staying strong in personal values.
7. I would say a positive change is the growth of performance sports so that people of all levels of interest can participate in the different performance events. Also, the educational programs for judges and exhibitors have been a wonderful way of providing breed education relating to the Standard of each breed.
