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Leighanne Dauro is the breeder behind Vali Icelandics Icelandic Sheepdog. Read about the kennel’s beginnings, puppies, and much more!
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Leighanne Dauro
1. My name is Leighanne Dauro (the last name rhymes with “tomorrow”), and I live in North Alabama near the city of Huntsville with my husband of 42 years and my Icelandic Sheepdogs. I have two grown children and three young grandchildren.
I have been showing, training, or breeding dogs for well over 30 years, and my dogs are my passion and my avocation. I have been exclusively engaged with the Icelandic Sheepdog since 2014. I had my epiphany, like many others, the moment I got my first Icelandic Sheepdog, and have been unreservedly “all-in” from that moment on!
I participate actively in Conformation with my Icies, but I have and do branch out to other dog-related activities and competition areas. I belong to two national breed clubs and one all-breed club, and have worn MANY hats over the years, as an Officer, Board Member, or Committee Chair. At the moment, I am serving as the 2025 ISAA National Specialty Chair.
I have an undergraduate and post-graduate background in both Education and English, and I am an active teacher, announcer, writer, and public speaker. My kennel name is Vali Icelandics.
2. The Icelandic Sheepdog entered the American Kennel Club in 2010, and since then we have continued to be what I would consider a singular and uncommon breed. “What breed is that?” is a common inquiry, even at AKC events. My primary concern with the breed at present is that there are very few Icies at AKC events, which creates a pressing need for additional opportunities for education and hands-on experiences.
A trend that warrants concern for me is the mad “rush” to SHOWSHOWSHOW… BREEDBREEDBREED… GOGOGO… that the new or inexperienced owners seem to adopt. New exhibitors seem to want their puppies to do it all, RIGHT NOW, without allowing for the natural maturation that adult dogs require. Each dog is different, but Icelandics are slower to mature than some “puppy flier” breeds, so that “prime time” for a lovely adult Icelandic Sheepdog may not be until the age of 4, 5, or even 6. Giving your dog the time he or she needs to mature slowly and naturally will show you the REAL picture of what your dog has to offer to the breed.
3. A critically important part of taking the time to educate yourself in the nuances of the breed is to DEVELOP YOUR EYE. Many new exhibitors cannot “see” what it is that the judge is looking for, and when a large entry is present, at times, have a difficult time differentiating between dogs. Taking the time to DEVELOP YOUR EYE (and this usually takes YEARS) benefits the potential Breed exhibitor immensely.
The same can be said for breeding. Why the RUSH? When I began my journey as a prospective breeder-exhibitor back in the 1980s and ‘90s, it was a sort of unwritten “rule of thumb” that you needed at least five years in your breed before contemplating breeding a dog. That time spent, it was assumed, was to educate yourself in the history, background, and nuances of the breed, to expand your knowledge, to increase the depth of your experience, and to undertake breeding with a more complete understanding of what constitutes a responsible, reputable breeder-source. To this day, I still believe this is good advice, and have never regretted following it.
4. Conformation or Performance? The Icelandic Sheepdog is the quintessential “teamwork-oriented” breed, so any way we can interact with our wonderful dogs to complete tasks of any kind is a positive experience for both teammates. I think that it really doesn’t matter what challenge we want to tackle with our Icies… knitting, making omelets, yodeling? I have yet to find anything they can’t learn, so I am sure they would give anything a try!
5. As far as social media is concerned, I am an unrepentant technophobe. I certainly acknowledge that benefits exist with the instant connections provided by the Internet, and that the networking formed through social media can be both professionally rewarding and personally valuable. My hesitancy concerning social media rests in accountability. Claims of competence, credentials, education, ability, results, etc., within the social media world often rest entirely in the “take my word for it” attitude. Any person can present any information as fact. Any person with any computer competency can download, retouch, alter, or appropriate photos.
Any person may present opinions WITH EQUAL WEIGHT as any other person, regardless of experience, knowledge, or training. I repeat the phrase: WITH EQUAL WEIGHT. This is critical because input from a source with a wealth of experience, knowledge, and training has vastly more merit than input from an unqualified or inexperienced source. Social media can be an excellent, beneficial tool to both breeders and exhibitors, as long as we examine the online information presented in light of its SOURCE, with a careful and discerning eye.
6. Sadly, dog shows and purebred dogs are often deemed irrelevant at best, and damaging at worst. The opinion of the general public is based on ignorance or propaganda.
7. I applaud the AKC in its continuing challenge to bring more, new, and better content to dogs and owners across the country. The desire to expand opportunities within each discipline gives exhibitors new directions to advance and new challenges to meet. The continuing bars for Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum Grand Champion titles continue to both challenge and reward exhibitors. The ability to award major points for Group Placements, as well as for Reserves at a apecialty show, are exciting additions that open new paths to titles, particularly for those of us with a rarer breed like the Icelandic Sheepdog.
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