Meet Dawne Deeley – Breeder of Tsarshadow Kennels

Dawne Deeley – Breeder Interview by Allan Reznik

Where did you grow up?

Dawne Deeley: I was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Other than a few years in Quebec, I’ve spent most of my life in the Vancouver area.

Do you come from a doggie family? And, if not, how did the interest in breeding and showing purebred dogs begin?

Dawne Deeley: While there were purebred dogs in my background—my mother owned Scottish Terriers and a great uncle was an English Pointer devotee—I can’t in all honesty say I came from a “doggie” family. That changed in my early 20s. My then boyfriend purchased a Bull Terrier bitch out of Halina Molyneaux’s lines, and that ignited my love for all things “bully.” However, showing didn’t appear on my radar for another decade; another boyfriend, another breed, this time from the spitz family. Unfortunately, the first Karelian Bear Dog I “thought” I’d purchased turned out to be a Russo-European Laika. At that point I’d considered dabbling in the show world, which by necessity led me down a series of “rabbit holes” until I was able to secure a purebred KBD from breeder John Sorensen, in Denmark. Remember, back then computers were in their infancy, and pretty much everything was done by snail mail or phone call. I consider it no less than the luckiest of coincidences that going forward I was able to connect with the top Finnish KBD breeders of the day, and they were responsible for much of my future successes.

Who were your mentors in the sport? Please elaborate on their significance.

Dawne Deeley: I am blessed to have had several mentors, many of whom would be unknown on these shores. Dr. Tiina Laukkanen and her father Pentti were my first contacts in Finland—the home of the Karelian—and literally made me a part of their family from our first meeting. They introduced me to Matti Joenpolvi who, for years, ran the flagship magazine for Suomenpystykorva jarjesto (Finnish Spitz Club), a multi-breed organization for Finland’s native spitz varieties. A survivor of the Russian invasion of Karelia in World War II, Matti saw the breed emerge from being just another spitz into the purist hunter it was to eventually become. Matti spent the better part of 1995, with and without me, scouring kennels, looking for the perfect foundation bitch. He was always there, questioning me constantly on what I did and didn’t know, always teaching both the past history and current state of the breed. His final choice for me, Fin. BISS Tihun Kati, would be chosen sight unseen, bred to Fin. K&MVA Vote, and sent to Canada on December 20, 1995, to become the foundation bitch for TsarShadow Kennels.

Also from Finland was the great Hans “Hasse” Lehtinen. Hasse first judged me in 1999 at “Voittaja,” Finland’s year-end show finale. Back then it was pretty much unheard of for North Americans to venture to Nordic shows, let alone with a native breed, so his initial shock was justified! From that day forward, Hasse not only kept tabs on my progress, but over the following decades would grill me mercilessly on the dogs I showed. He never pulled a punch, he never held back on a suggestion or opinion—which, at times, could be harsh—but he never failed to give credit if it was due.

Richard Beauchamp I met by default. In 2002, Dogs in Canada magazine [Allan Reznik was then its Editor-in-Chief] approached me to review Doral Publishing’s release of Rick’s book, Solving the Mysteries of Breed Type. Unbeknownst to me, Rick had used a photo of a TsarShadow dog, and signed the book. On writing to thank him, he questioned the origin of my kennel name, and remarked on the coincidence that his friends referred to him as “Tsar Rick.” Our friendship was immediate, and lasted until his death. We spent untold hours on the phone and computer, debating and discussing “all things Dog,” and many a trip was taken to visit Rick on assignment where he would share everything he knew about any topic I wanted to cover. We traded experiences, time, and resources, and hopefully I can live up to being half the dog person he was.

Virginia Lyne is last but far from least. I joined her Vancouver Island judges’ study group years before I obtained my first permit, and since then have benefited from her years of experience in judging and travel. Whenever I have a question on policies, procedures or “what if’s,” it’s Ginny I call. We have travelled abroad together on several occasions, and I like to think these forays have benefited us both—and to this day, every trip I take is followed by a de-brief!

This list would not be complete without the mention of three more individuals who have been friends, teachers, and advisors over the years of my purebred involvement: The late Dr. Pekka Jäppinen, William Secord (Secord Galleries), and my co-breeder/handler and best friend, Doug Belter.

The TsarShadow dogs are widely known, highly successful and well respected. What breeding philosophies do you adhere to?

Dawne Deeley: Breed the best to the best and hope for the best! That’s a little simplistic, but if the quality is in front of me, it’s a place to start. It certainly proved prophetic in my Norwegian Buhund breeding program, when the mating of MBIS Can. Ch./Am. Ch./UK Ch. Kyon’s Bold Norseman to Multi Int’l Ch./BIS/RBIS Can. Ch. Kimura’s Karmen produced BIS/RBIS Am. Ch. G TsarShadow’s Ragnar Lodbrok. “Ragnar” is not only an amazing breed specimen but has proved himself a prolific and successful stud dog (isn’t that what we ultimately want?). However, something I was trained to do early on by my Finnish mentors was to read a pedigree from right to left, not the other way around, as is often the wont. In this way you get a far greater sense of what dogs have produced, not just in one litter, but in several. Sure, it’s a bit tedious, but you should be able to get a “mind’s eye” picture of consistency, type, health, etc. Or not. This is another way to avoid having a “flyer” in your breeding plans, that “one-off” that may or may not produce anything worthwhile. So, with this in mind, yes, I’ll absolutely take a chance on a “Plain Jane” with an excellent pedigree, as opposed to the runway star whose paperwork reveals a scattered lineage with nothing else to show.

How many dogs do you typically house? Tell us about your facilities and how the dogs are maintained.

Dawne Deeley: My Buhunds and Yakutian Laika are kept in the house; both breeds are easygoing and dog-friendly, so they just move over and make room on the couch. The Bear Dogs are kenneled; the runs are 40’ x 10’ with gravel surfaces, and the inside housings are 10’ x 10’. The Breed Standard here in Canada calls for “great fighting spirit,” and while they must definitely be tractable in the show ring, they can be difficult with each other. The Bear Dog is, and always will be, for me, a niche breed, and as such should be bred, raised, and represented accordingly; they thrive on outside kenneling/trolley tieouts with shelter, but given that’s illegal where I live, the dogs have access to large, fenced acreage paddocks where they can run, hunt, and be exposed to the outdoors. Last winter I moved to a new location, and am in the process of building housing for the dogs that I am very excited about. Currently I have a total of nine Karelians, six Norwegian Buhunds, two Japanese Akitas (another story), and my Yakutians. My co-breeder/handler Doug Belter has several Bear Dogs of his own, as well as three Buhunds. We have worked together since 2003, often speaking daily, and this has enabled both of us to maintain solid programs with a number of breeds.

How did your passion for the Scandinavian spitz breeds begin?

Dawne Deeley: Good question! I’ve always been a “bully breed” person, having had Bull Terrier varieties since my late teens. Nordic dogs were never on my personal radar until I began dating someone in the late 1980s who didn’t care for AmStaffs and American Pit Bulls; his request for a pet was something with hair. For some forgotten reason (and with the help of the Dogs in Canada Annual), we settled on the Karelian. The search led us to a kennel of Russo-European Laiki, but at that time we didn’t know, nor did we care, about the differences. The boyfriend eventually left; I kept the dogs, was bitten by the show bug, and it all snowballed from there.

You achieved phenomenal success, in Canada and internationally, showing a rare breed, the Karelian Bear Dog. Tell us about that journey, and what advice you can give exhibitors of rare breeds hoping for greater visibility.

That journey would have ended before it started if I’d listened to the background noise from established fanciers of well-known and recognized breeds. At the risk of sounding like the old fart who walked 10 miles uphill both ways to school as a child, rare breeds today have a much “softer” audience, and a wider scope of interest at ground level. When I showed up with my first entries, I could count on having to prove my eligibility; more than once I was forcibly escorted from a show ground for having a “crossbred” because nobody had heard of, let alone laid eyes on, a Karelian. My dogs were referred to as “skunks”; one pro handler suggested I switch to a breed “with a little class,” and yet another handler/judge informed me I would never, ever win a BIS. “Rare” in the ‘90s translated to uninteresting at best, impure or “designer” at worst. Thankfully there were judges who were willing to step outside the box; I won my first BIS in 1995 under Donna Cole and never looked back from there.

If I have one piece of advice for those looking to step into the rare-breed ring, it is STAY TRUE TO YOUR BREED. One of my longstanding beliefs is you must love the breed above the individuals, for without the former you won’t have the latter. Never, ever depart from what your breed founders created, just for the sake of having a ribbon on your wall. Fads and fashions come and go, but breed type and integrity should always remain first and foremost on your journey. It is a slippery and dangerous slope to go from a little “tidying up” to full-on trimming, dyeing, and sculpting; it is far too easy to overlook that extra inch or so in height, or dummy down a temperament. It might take a little longer but IF you have a good dog, you WILL succeed. Just never pass off a sow’s ear as a silk purse, no matter how much it wins, because going forward one day you may have a true world beater, and you’ll have one heck of a time convincing judges you misled them.

You’ve always thought globally about dogs and the dog show sport. Do you feel this international vision is lacking in too many North American dog people?

Dawne Deeley: That international vision was pretty thin when I began, and while it’s gathered some momentum over the last 30 years, my belief is it still has a long way to go. There were notable exceptions, various dogs that travelled abroad and made their mark, both in the rings and in breeding programs, but they’ve been few and far between. It works both ways, of course; my personal opinion is the disconnect in many Standards creates an “Us vs Them” environment. It saddens me to read and hear comments from North American dog people who turn their noses up at dogs in their countries of origin for not looking and behaving like the ones we see at home, or the manner in which international shows are conducted, simply because the procedure or system is one they don’t understand.

How did you know the time was right to pursue judging?

Dawne Deeley: It just happened. I love dogs of all varieties, and I truly believe that EVERY dog you put your hands on can teach you something, even if it’s to recognize a breed-specific fault or shortcoming. Judging brings me a great amount of joy. I learn something every time I step in the ring, and I hope I’ve been able to guide a few exhibitors along the way as well.

Our sport has changed greatly since you first began as a breeder-exhibitor. What are your thoughts on the state of the fancy, and the declining number of breeders? How do we encourage newcomers to join us and remain in the sport?

Dawne Deeley: I’m not sure my answer is fit to print, but since you asked…

The fancy is in trouble. Period. The causes are many, and I’m not sure there even is a long-term solution, let alone an easy fix. First and foremost is the worldwide AR agenda, and the ripple effect that has had on breeders of purebreds. “Adopt, Don’t Shop” has become the battle cry of animal activists everywhere, and few on that side are willing to see the hypocrisy of retail rescue. The circle widens when you consider that very few reputable breeders will have a constant supply of puppies on hand. Not being able to meet supply on demand will drive many consumers looking for instant gratification to buy from the first puppy mill that catches their fancy, thus perpetuating a vicious circle.

And let’s face it: we don’t always do ourselves any favors with complicated contracts, stipulations, restrictions, and demands. Of course, there need to be safety nets in place for both sides, but some of the “must do’s” I hear from frustrated individuals searching for a companion would be laughable if they were not so tragic. Education and a willingness to mentor are the obvious answers, but that takes patience from the teacher and effort from the student.

As for the sport of dog shows? For what my opinion is worth, the birth of social media and subsequent appearance of the “keyboard warrior” has seriously hurt the fancy. Competitors seem willing to attack and slander judges and professional handlers on any whim. If a faceless person in an Internet conversation can convince a newcomer they’ll lose before they even start, who in their right mind would tackle the challenge? Not every dog is a Best in Show winner; in nearly 40 years, 30 of which have been spent competing all over the world, I can count on one hand the number of dogs I would consider “perfect.” Of course, judges are not perfect, but our view from the center of the ring can be a very different one from what the railbird sees. And yes, we ARE fallible, but I don’t see very many exhibitors promoting change by trading a lead for a judging license (and yes, the two ARE compatible!).

Where do you see yourself in the next decade or two?

Dawne Deeley: Still exhibiting, judging, and studying, especially breed histories and the stories of hallmark individuals. I truly love judging and learning about ALL dogs. My biggest goal/wish right now is to judge my breeds in their countries of origin. While I dream about that I’ll still be working on my breeding programs, and together with Doug Belter we will continue to bring quality dogs out under the TsarShadow mantra of “Breeding the Best is a Matter of Honor—Showing the Best is a Matter of Pride.”

Finally, tell us a little about Dawne outside of dogs… your occupation, your hobbies.

Dawne Deeley: I retired from the business world in 1995. My family has been involved with the Harley Davidson Motor Company since 1917, and while we withdrew from wholesale involvement in 2017, there is still a flagship dealership in Vancouver, B.C., that bears my father’s name. Since my “official” retirement I have stayed busy by working as a writer/photographer for various dog magazines such as Dogs in Review, Dog World, Dog Fancy, Dogs in Canada, and Canine Review. From 2010-2012, I was the owner/publisher of Sighthound, which incorporated Bo Bengtson’s publication, Sighthound Review. I have won awards from both the DWAA and PAW, and hope to start up again with a new column in Showsight. And outside of dogs? I’ve spent a large part of my life collecting rare and old dog books and art, and am a nationally ranked sport shooter. Hunting, cooking, gardening, and travel take up what little time I have left. I won’t stop until I’m tired, and I have a long way to go yet!