Interview with Lynny Benzinger, Breeder of Big Benz Akitas
- 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?
- What is your “process” for selecting show puppies? Performance puppies?
- In your opinion, is your breed in good condition overall? Any trends that warrant concern?
- 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?
- In your opinion, is social media good for the sport? Is it harmful?
- What are the biggest challenges facing the dog show community as a whole today and how can these be addressed?
- What are some of the positive changes you’ve seen in the sport over the past decade?
1. We live about 30 minutes south of Buffalo, New York, in the peaceful, rural hills of Lawtons. We are a family dedicated to the preservation of the Akita, which epitomizes strength, dignity, and loyalty. Our kennel name was selected as a melding of our last name and a play on “Big Gentle Ben” the Bear! We believe strongly in making the breed better, which started with rescuing our first Akita in 1979 from a research facility. That dog captivated my heart, sold me on the breed, and we have worked diligently to protect and improve the breed since then. We purchased our foundation bitch in 1983 and she obtained her ROM status!
I grew up with a farm background, showing and raising Charolais beef cattle. Since I was in charge of the breeding program, I learned about genetics and producing a balanced animal. My husband, Dave, grew up with Sporting dogs that his family used for hunting pheasants. Our daughters, Amanda and Jolene, grew up with our dogs and both competed in Junior Showmanship. Once they aged out, Jolene continued to show Akitas along with other breeds. Jolene has followed in our footsteps, and we never could have achieved all of our accomplishments without us working together as a family.
2. We have found over the years that you can tell so much by studying and watching newborn pups—how they nurse, how they hold themselves, their temperament. Our pups are born and raised right in our house and we are with them 24/7 for the first four weeks. We sleep next to the whelping box, consistently holding and evaluating the pups. These first few weeks really show you structure and personality, and which is most outgoing. By the time they are walking, we usually have narrowed down our top picks. Final selection is done at eight weeks by the family after lengthy discussions because we all have our favorites! When selecting our show pups, we always look for that exuberant puppy that self-stacks and says, “Look at me!”
3. The breed is, overall, doing well. Since our start in the ‘80s, our goal was to improve temperament without losing those overall traits that make an Akita an Akita and NOT a fluff dog for every home. Temperaments have greatly improved and many of our dogs have taken top performance titles and were certified as Therapy Dogs.
We have always strived to keep a strong bitch line as that leads to overall breed type. We do feel the breed today is lacking in length of leg and size, along with narrow fronts. The Akita was bred to hunt bears—holding the bear at bay until the hunter arrived. When you look at the dog, you should be able to see that dog doing that job. Just like the type of the Akita’s head—you want small, triangular ears and eyes. You want that head to scream, “Akita!” So, overall, we feel fronts need to be improved and overall soundness. Lately, many pigeon-fronted dogs have emerged and we need the breed type to be more closely bred for.
4. The sport has definitely declined. It is hard to find a major with the number of dogs being shown. Judging is fair, overall, and we are happy to see more breeder/owner-handlers being recognized. Shows have definitely declined, which is sad to say but understandable in this economy.
5. There are pros and cons with social media. It is great to see and watch pups develop, but it’s also discouraging when people post pictures of dogs lacking in merit with posted comments that encourage them along. Also, it is very sad to see photo alterations being done that misrepresent the true dog type. People often don’t research and buy a puppy just based on pictures without looking over pedigrees and meeting the parents. Every line has improvement areas and people need to be honest and aware of what an issue may be and how best to improve that. For example, you don’t want to breed two weak fronts or a dog with eye issues or two small dogs with weak toplines. Always, a breeding should be to improve the breed! Social media does not always facilitate that happening.
6. Hopefully the economy improves, so more people can afford to participate in shows and continually strive to make it a family sport. As with many activities, younger people need to feel welcomed and encouraged, as those same Juniors are who will improve the sport and carry it forward.
The other challenge is rescue. I was President of the Akita Rescue of Western NY (ARWNY) and Save Our Seniors (SOS). The dog sport must encompass all aspects—good and bad—and be there for the breed from birth to death. Sadly, more and more are ending up in rescue, which goes back to knowing your lines, only breeding for improvement of the breed, and researching to make sure the Akita is right for you. Akitas are not for all and it’s better to know before breaking the dog’s heart or your own, or causing the dog to lose its home or worse.
7. It is great to see judges recognizing and putting up bitches for Best of Breed. Our kennel has always strived to follow the words of the well-known Akita breeder/author BJ Andrews: “The strength of the sire is the power of the dam.”
Enjoy our majestic Akita breed!
