Cherish Pearce
1. I live in Texas, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. I got my start handling as a Junior with my Grandparents’ dogs (some 20 years ago now) and have loved them for as long as I’ve been alive. My very first bred-by show dog, GCH Swisstar’s Wendy Darling, is turning six this month. Our kennel name is Swisstar, or “Swiss Star Saints” and was started by my Grandparents. I am proud to carry on this mantle.
2. The word that you’ll see the most in our Breed Standard is “powerful.” Broad, muscular, well-defined Saint Bernards should have a powerful presence from their heads (most important of all) to their feet. You want to look at a dog and think, “Yes, that is a dog that could WORK! It could rescue me if I were caught in an avalanche!”
3. I would say, yes, though the economy has slowed inquiries down a bit.
4. Knowledge is power! I health test my dogs and utilize databases such as the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) and the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) to know how to safely and responsibly breed.
5. I have. Without getting into the doodle craze, the “adopt don’t shop” crowd still exists. But in the last few years I have seen more people championing the idea that there is nothing wrong with shopping, as long as you do so responsibly.
6. I do think the fancy would benefit from a more proactive approach to fostering and encouraging new owners, handlers, and breeders. As always, it costs you nothing to be kind—and it is in the best interest of not just us humans but also for the dogs we love so much. The more people loving and working to preserve them, the better off the breed. Although it can be easy to get wrapped up in the competition, we should all strive to demonstrate good sportsmanship as much as we can right alongside showing our beloved dogs.
7. In my breed specifically, a greater emphasis on both health testing and in preserving saintly, sound temperaments. Both are priceless!
