Dr.Roger P. Travis-Chagas of Cottage Lake shares her insights on Toy Manchester Terriers, show puppy selection, breed trends.
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Dr. Roger P. Travis-Chagas, Marcelo Chagas, in the middle, and Lydia Frey, all are co-breeders.
1. I started showing in 1979, bouncing back and forth between the horse and dog worlds, eventually concentrating on the dogs after completing my surgical residency. I breed under the kennel prefix Cottage Lake.
2. I tightly line-breed and in-breed, so I’m fortunate that even my biggest litter of seven Toy Manchester Terriers (TMT) were very uniform and cookie cutter; makes it easy to have lots of great puppies to choose from. I breed strictly for myself and not for others. My waiting list is mostly repeat pet owners. When selecting a show prospect, it’s extremely important that I see all the parts, even on a young four-week-old puppy. In my breed, I want to see true hallmarks of the breed; a nice depth of chest, an distinguishable arch of loin, a nice narrow front when viewed from the front, thumbprints and penciling are mandatory in my view. Even as very young puppies, nice length of upper arm and good front and rear angulation is imperative. Also, too, when watching puppies moving about, they should be free and elastic in their movement, even in 6-10-month-olds. I want to see as little restriction in gait as possible.
3. Manchesters, for the most part, are not in the best shape historically. We have had a few breeders over the decades who’ve managed to hold on to original breed type that is easily distinguished; however, that has been a rarity in recent years. The unfortunate changing of the Breed Standard with the shifting of winds has not done well for the breed. Twenty-five-plus years ago, we went from a square to a slightly longer than tall breed—pure rubbish in my mind. I still breed for square. Also, the topline of most of the animals we see in the ring has become generic and dumbed down by the most recent revision to the AKC Breed Standard. The Manchester’s arch of loin should be considered a hallmark; unfortunately, I see more arch of loin in other breeds that do not call for it than I do in most of today’s Manchesters.
4. We are seeing a tremendous shift in the sport. The basic knowledge of anatomy, structure, and physiology are all but lost. People think because they regurgitate back catch phrases such as “form and function” or quoting a particular person from the past somehow gives them knowledge and credibility. Overall, as the old saying goes, “the proof is in the pudding” is the best way to determine the value of a breeder’s knowledge and their ability to match mating pairs. As for judging, judges either have it or they don’t! I’ve mentored people who have been in the dog world as long as I have, and no matter how much time I spend with them, they just don’t get it. Then, we have the others who have been in the sport a fraction of the time, yet they excel in garnering an eye for type and soundness, and they can apply it in a practical manner. The number of shows these days is more about running stats and has nothing to do with the breeding of better dogs.
5. Social media is harmful to society in general.
6. Integrity! Until people can get back to being honest and doing what is best for the dogs in all regards, the sport will continue to spiral downward. Integrity in general has become rare due to so many social factors.
7. The support of Juniors has really been a positive thing for the show world.
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