Carma Ewer
1. My husband, Galen, and I live in Sandy, Utah, a southern suburb of Salt Lake City. We have been married for 50 years and have had a Miniature Schnauzer in our home since the first few months of our marriage. Little did my husband realize the path we would take after he gave me a Miniature Schnauzer puppy for Valentine’s Day shortly after our marriage. We started in Obedience and moved to Conformation. We purchased our first show-quality Miniature Schnauzer around 1976 and have been breeding and showing ever since. Our kennel name is Carmel.
2. I believe the quality of Miniature Schnauzers as a breed is in good condition. Our national club is active in health concerns, and the breed as a whole is well represented in the show ring, and other dog activities. They make wonderful pets and companions.
The quantity of Miniature Schnauzers being shown is falling dramatically. The Minis are difficult dogs to groom due to the stripped coats and highly stylized grooming. Many of the people getting their first show dogs do not want to take the time or do not have the time to spend hours the week before a show preparing the coat and furnishings. Today’s attitude has the expectation of immediate success, which does not happen when the learning curve is as steep as it is with this breed.
The loss of committed exhibitors is demonstrated by the lower numbers in the AKC point system as well as in the breed clubs that no longer exist. The Atlanta, Kansas City, and Southern California clubs have all quit and others have been barely hanging on. Some of the clubs that have held Specialties have only had a few entries, short of even a 3-point major.
3. I believe the sport of dogs is in good shape today. It has certainly changed a bit from when we started. Back in the beginning for us, dog shows were only two days; on Saturday and Sunday. We would pack our car on Thursday evening, go to work on Friday, and leave for the dog show as soon as we could after work, then return late Sunday evening to go to work on Monday. Our children went with us, and it was a family outing. We didn’t go every weekend, but often enough to finish our dogs. Our grooming was different also. In the late 1970s and ‘80s, very few Miniature Schnauzers were shown with rolled coats. Most were stripped down. Then we would wait 10-12 weeks for the coats to grow back in, and we would have 6-8 weeks of coat for showing before having to strip them down again. There were more circuits for shows, in spring and fall, with bigger breaks in between.
I believe most dog show judges are doing a good job, and try really hard to pick the dogs that they believe are best. I am the Show Chair for a small show in Utah, and I have been mostly impressed with the judges that we have used for our shows over the years. They are happy to be judging and want the exhibitors to have a positive experience.
As far as the number of shows, I wish that AKC would pay more attention to the regions that have shows before allowing a club to move their dates. Living in Utah we have only a few shows within a four-hour drive. So, most exhibitors in the Mountain West drive long distances to shows. A local show for us can be in Colorado, Montana, Idaho, and Nevada. With fewer exhibitors and longer distances between shows, it makes kennel clubs compete for the same exhibitors. Our local show has four shows in surrounding states on our date. That makes for a lot of competition for the same exhibitors. And there is a negative impact for everyone. When we lived in the Midwest, there were many more shows but also many more exhibitors. There, the competition between shows is less and exhibitors have more choices. Plus, it is not as easy to create new interest in the public to help grow our sport.
4. I love Montgomery. It is rich with history and tradition, but it is a very hard show to exhibit in. The outdoor venue on a lovely fall day is fabulous; however, many days the weather is not so lovely. Another drawback is flying across the country with multiple dogs, which leaves those exhibitors from the West having to decide, “Do we take our best puppy to show off or our Special who we would like the fancy to see?” Luckily, we are retired and have the time to drive across the country for multiple weeks. But, not every exhibitor/breeder has that luxury. And I think that we are missing out on the participation of some of our younger, newer exhibitors who are working and not able to travel for an extended weekend across the country.
5. This is a tricky question. I believe social media is a great way for breeders and exhibitors to share their successes and disappointments. Plus, it’s a good way to stay in touch with friends across the country. When it deteriorates into spiteful, unkind complaints about shows, exhibitors, and judges, then we see the negative side.
6. We need to revive our kennel clubs with new exhibitors and members. It takes a lot of people to put on an AKC dog show, and lots of energy and stamina. Maybe a new approach would be to franchise the shows out to the Superintendents, or have AKC manage and staff shows with input from local community members. The local clubs could still retain some control and input, but this would also give members more time for community outreach, fun matches, and handling and training classes for the general public.
7. The NOHS and Grand Championships have really helped retain exhibitors and give more people a chance for success with their dogs. The AKC Canine Health Foundation and the AKC National Championship in Orlando have also had an impact, although I wish they would rotate that event throughout the US to give more exhibitors a change to participate.
