Anita Kay Simpson | Tarwathie Dandies

Interview with Anita Kay Simpson, Breeder of Tarwathie Dandie Dinmont Terriers

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself. Where do you live? How many years in dogs? How many years as a breeder? What is your kennel name?
2. In your opinion, is your breed in good condition overall? Any trends that warrant concern?
3. As a Preservation Breeder, can you share your thoughts on the sport today? How’s the judging these days? What do you think about the number of shows?
4. What does “Montgomery” represent to you as a Preservation Breeder? As an Exhibitor?
5. In your opinion, is social media good for the sport? Is it harmful?
6. What are the biggest challenges facing the dog show community as a whole today and how can these be addressed?
7. What are some of the positive changes you’ve seen in the sport over the past decade?

Anita Kay Simpson

1. My involvement in purebred dogs began early in life. My Mother, Carol Siflinger, bred Collies under the “Jetstream” prefix, and I fell in love with the sport as a second-generation dog person from our home in Florida.

My career in AKC dog shows started early with my first Group win at the age of seven with our Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, CH. Cumberland Pool Of Jetstream. This bitch’s son became my first bred-by Toller champion, CH. Jetstream’s Sit Up & Take Notice, who went on to No. 2 Toller in 2008, taking an Award of Merit and Best Bred-By Exhibitor awards at the 2008 Eukanuba Dog Show.

In 2010, I was lucky enough to acquire my first Smooth Fox Terrier, CH Waybroke Broxden Dress Envy, through the generosity of breeder Amy Rodrigues, and began my love of Smooths. Since then, I was fortunate to start a wonderful relationship with Andrea Curran of Decorum, and have bred, owned, and handled Smooths with Andrea under the “Decorum” prefix. Together we have had top winners at Montgomery County K.C., multiple Best in Specialty Show winners, and an all-breed Best in Show Winner, BIS/BISS CH. Decorum Spot On, “London.”

I am currently located in Wisconsin and work as Web Design Manager for the Better Breeder Institute, as well as specializing in photography and handling with Jennifer Hoffmann at Forever Golden Retrievers.

2. I feel Smooths are in a concerning decline. It is worrying to me how much our entries in Fox Terriers have dropped since I was first introduced to the breed in 2010. We are fortunate to have multiple wonderful breeders and enthusiasts, and I am very excited to see more young people gaining interest in our breed, so I am hopeful this can change in coming years.

Something I feel that needs to be kept in the forefront of our breed is TYPE. When we lose type we lose the Fox Terrier. Smooths should not be a generic show dog; you should know a smooth at first glance without a doubt. In regards to a trend I have seen as a whole in our breed, I think we really need to be keeping in mind the very specific front angulations we require. We have a concerning amount of shoulders up in necks, too far forward on the dog. We should still have a well laid back shoulder, as stated; “Shoulders should be long and sloping, well laid back, fine at the points, and clearly cut at the withers.”

3. While I feel it is nice to have many options on any given weekend on where we choose to exhibit, I do feel it dilutes the overall entries at many shows. It is more difficult to find a significant entry with majors, specifically in small entry breeds, and recently even in our larger entry breeds.

I also find the lack of new or upcoming judges to be a concern, as we sadly have lost many of our older and wonderful judges in the past years. While we still have many great judges who keep in the forefront of their mind each breed’s specific traits and breed type, I again want to emphasize how important it is to keep type at a forefront. In my opinion, we should never have to question what breed we are looking at due to lack of type, rewarding the “generic show dog.”

4. Montgomery, in my opinion, will always be the most important and exciting show of the year! This is where terrier experts proudly bring out their best dogs, many times waiting to debut them here. I always become excited when October is around the corner. I love having the chance to watch many terrier breeds in which you do not often get to see large, quality entries, and walking the tents on Montgomery day… the energy is electric. This is a special week.

5. I feel social media is an excellent platform for breed discussions and sharing your exciting dogs with the fancy. There are many good places to gain information from fellow breeders. This is, however, a place a lot tend to take for granted and not always use in the most beneficial of manners in regards to shows, judges, and fellow breeders. So, it is something to take with a grain of salt.

6. We do not breed for quantity, we breed for our future show dogs and breeding program. With that being said, you undoubtedly have a majority of your dogs go to loving pet homes. These homes, I feel, are becoming more difficult to find for some breeds like Fox Terriers. Good communication, social media presence, and for lack of a better term, “marketing” of our preservation-bred dogs is something that could hopefully help breeders reach back out to puppy buyers. Rising costs of dog shows, travel, and veterinary and reproductive care, I feel, has become a difficulty across the board for many breeders.

7. The number of Junior Handlers and younger individuals in the sport is on the incline, and that is so important for our sport. It is great to see many talented individuals upcoming in the sport who are excited to learn. I hope both they and their mentors, handlers, and breeders take advantage of all learning and teaching opportunities afforded to them. They are the bright future we need for our sport right now. Let’s ensure we show them the best side of dog shows.