Dan Sayers Named Showsight’s New Editor-in-Chief

Photo above: Buddies, Dan Sayers with his 11 years young Irish Water Spaniel, Mocha. By Eileen Eisenhower.

Dan Sayers Named Showsight’s New Editor-in-Chief

Dan Sayers, the new Editor-in-Chief of SHOWSIGHT, became enamored with purebred dogs through his neighbors’ pets in his hometown of Philadelphia. His introduction to the sport of dogs, however, came about through an invitation by the breeder of his family’s English Springer Spaniel to attend the Kennel Club of Philadelphia’s 1979 dog show. That visit, 45 years ago, expanded his interest in dogs and in the people who breed and show them.

Dan attended subsequent dog shows while studying interior architectural design at Drexel University. Eventually, Ludwig’s Corner and Ambler, Pennsylvania, became the places where he pursued his education in the sport. The years spent watching from ringside helped to develop Dan’s “eye for a dog” and introduced him to the breeders and exhibitors who competed locally. He always stayed for Best in Show where he discovered who the serious contenders were for the Quaker Oats Awards. The white Standard Poodle CH Lou-Gin’s Kiss Me Kate was the “It Girl” of the day.

The years spent watching from ringside helped to develop Dan’s “eye for a dog” and introduced him to the breeders and exhibitors who competed locally. He always stayed for Best in Show where he discovered who the serious contenders were for the Quaker Oats Awards.

Despite the obvious charms of a girl like “Kate,” Dan was ultimately taken with a different curly-haired, water-loving breed. While joining a classmate on a trip home for the weekend in New Jersey, he went to a nearby dog show (of course!) where he saw an Irish Water Spaniel (IWS) being prepared for the ring. It was the first time Dan saw a rat-tailed spaniel in the flesh, though he’d admired the breed ever since photos of CH Oaktree’s Irishtocrat appeared in the New York Times following that dog’s Westminster win at The Garden.

Upon graduation, Dan rewarded himself with an IWS puppy that arrived at Newark International Airport from Seattle. The year before, he’d attended the IWSCA National Specialty in Massachusetts where he met a couple from the Pacific Northwest whose dogs appealed to him. The arrival of Mirkwood’s Cameo Appearance allowed Dan to finally enter his own dog in the shows he’d only been able to experience as a spectator. “Teala” proved an ideal partner for a beginner, bringing her calm confidence into the ring alongside her nervous handler. She eventually finished her championship in fine form, earning both majors in one weekend under all-rounder Langdon Skarda and breeder-judge Arlene Thompson-Brown.

Teala eventually earned her CD and produced eight champions, including a pair of Group winners. Dan’s first bred-by dog earned his championship by going Best of Winners at Westchester KC under Roy Holloway. The win was particularly meaningful to Dan as he found himself standing in the winner’s circle with two of the professionals he’d been admiring for years. That day, Peter Green and Bill Trainor handled the Breed and Best of Opposite winners respectively. Interestingly, it was Roy Holloway who handled a Bouvier des Flandres (CH Beaucrest Ruffian) to Best in Show at that all-breed event in New Jersey years earlier.

As his confidence grew, Dan would occasionally show dogs for some of the people he met at handling class. Of the breeds he exhibited from time to time, the Sussex Spaniel and Rhodesian Ridgeback became two of his favorites. He eventually co-bred the latter, with one Ridgeback producing a National Specialty Best of Winners under all-rounder Michele Billings and a National Specialty Best of Opposite winner under breeder-judge Barbara Sawyer-Brown.

As Dan was learning how to show dogs and breed them, he was also expanding his planning, problem-solving, and management skills in his professional life. As a designer and project manager with several leading architectural firms, Dan honed his instincts for recognizing (and producing) balance, proportion, form, and function. These skills translated well to the dog world, allowing him to discern these qualities in the whelping box, on the grooming table, and in the ring.

Membership in several dog clubs offered additional opportunities for Dan to share his experiences and express his particular point of view. His articles in the IWSCA parent club’s newsletter became regular features and his Breed Column in the AKC Gazette introduced his work to a broader audience. Dan’s writing was ultimately recognized by a few literary figures in the dog world and his efforts began to appear in essential publications like Dog Fancy and Dogs in Review. This eventually led to his role as Editor-in-Chief of Best in Show Daily, the nation’s first digital-only dog show publication.

Dan’s editorial résumé also includes photo journals of the dog shows he’s covered. His reports have often been accompanied by candid images of the beautiful dogs and colorful characters that bring each event to life. From the Éire Isle to Erie, Pennsylvania, Dan has captured many of the moments to which every breeder, exhibitor, and judge aspires. He even earned a Graphic Design Certificate from the University of the Arts so that his images could appear in the ads he created for owners of many of the nation’s top-winning show dogs.

Other areas of interest for Dan have included fine art and illustration, and he’s expressed his love of dogs in a variety of media that has included oil on canvas and pen & ink. Through the years, commissioned work has been represented by everything from logo design for breeders and clubs to the development of woven tapestries as fundraisers. Dan’s breed and pet portraits are included in many private collections, and hundreds of his breed depictions appear in Ed and Pat Gilbert’s award-winning compendium, the Encyclopedia of K-9 Terminology.

Dan is a member of the Morris and Essex Kennel Club and is the Archivist and AKC Delegate for the Irish Water Spaniel Club of America. His “Breed History” and “Evolution of a Standard” presentations are favorites at the parent club’s National Specialties, and his Judges Education presentations in Louisville, Houston, and Orlando have been highly regarded by the attendees who’ve developed an appreciation for Dan’s favorite breed.

In 2017, Dan became a regular contributor with SHOWSIGHT. His first article, titled “In Preservation We Trust,” was followed by monthly features that have included everything from show reports and interviews to a series exploring America’s changing relationship with the purebred dog. Dan’s association with the magazine has reconnected him with Allan Reznik, former Editor-in-Chief of Dogs in Review, and introduced him to Lee Whittier, The Dog Show Mentor. Dan and Lee collaborated on Ring-Ready as a forum for spotlighting the interests of today’s owner handlers, and their weekly Facebook Live! program was a hit with exhibitors in the US and around the world. New features are also in development for the publication, including The Pro Shop, which aims to celebrate the sport’s dedicated professional handlers. This will join recent additions such as Show Chairs Never Sit and A Junior’s Journal, which shines a spotlight on today’s youngsters and tomorrow’s leaders.

Dan is excited about the possibilities for promoting the sport of purebred dogs in a world that changes with each new day. As technology continues to evolve and impact everything we do, Dan is looking forward to introducing purebred dogs to a broader audience online—while honoring the traditions and the participants who have preserved our breeds and promoted the sport for so long. To that end, the SHOWSIGHT website has been relaunched as the place Where Champions Are Celebrated! Increasingly, it will also become a place where everyone with an interest in dogs can explore each recognized breed and every sensational dog sport.

Dan believes one thing is certain, and that is the unwavering connection people will always have with their dogs—with all dogs. As Editor-in-Chief of SHOWSIGHT, he hopes to explore these connections while promoting the best interests of those who breed dogs responsibly and compete for fun as well as for accolades. At the end of the day, Dan says that he remains a dog-obsessed spectator with an unwavering interest in learning more about dogs and dog people. What better place for him to continue his life-long obsession than in his new role?

Dan believes one thing is certain, and that is the unwavering connection people will always have with their dogs—with all dogs. As Editor-in-Chief of SHOWSIGHT, he hopes to explore these connections while promoting the best interests of those who breed dogs responsibly and compete for fun as well as for accolades.