Iris Andre | Pizzazz Curly-Coated Retrievers

Interview with Iris Andre, Breeder of Pizzazz Curly-Coated Retrievers

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. What is your “process” for selecting show puppies? Performance puppies?
3. In your opinion, is your breed in good condition overall? Any trends that warrant concern?
4. 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?
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?

1. My name is Iris Andre and my kennel name is Pizzazz Curly-Coated Retrievers. I live in Northern California near Sacramento and have been breeding Curlies for 35 years. My focus has always been making sure that this breed remains dual-purpose and we do not lose the hunting skills in the breed.

2. I find when you focus on preserving good temperaments, and dogs that desire to work for their owners, you get a better selection of puppies for both show and performance homes.

3. We have a very active group of Curly owners who help foster the hunting skills with their dogs and support new Curly owners in the same. At times, new owners will assume that a Curly will train like a Labrador, but our breed is slower in its maturity and does not typically have the same style as a field-bred Labrador. Curlies have a great nose, perseverance, and a natural prey drive.

4. We have been seeing more Curlies at dog shows, but it is typically when owners coordinate their timing to get together and support an event. Most recently, we have seen a number of new people in our breed exploring all types of events with their Curlies. Conformation, Nose Work, Dock Diving, Hunting, Agility, Fast CAT, Obedience, Barn Hunt, and Service Dogs are jobs that Curlies easily take to with leadership from their owner.

5. Many Curly owners use social media sites to connect and seek advice. Generally, the owners have been good with sharing and being great mentors to our future.

6. Our biggest challenges are being a good sport, mentoring positively, and sharing health information more widely. We are a small breed and we cannot back ourselves into a corner with health issues, or losing the dual purpose of this wonderful breed.

We have a very active group of Curly owners who help foster the hunting skills with their dogs and support new Curly owners in the same. At times, new owners will assume that a Curly will train like a Labrador, but our breed is slower in its maturity and does not typically have the same style as a field-bred Labrador. Curlies have a great nose, perseverance, and a natural prey drive.