Michele Shute
1. My name is Michele Shute, and I have shown and bred Yorkshire Terriers for 13 years under the kennel name Magnifique. I am originally from Texas but relocated to Washington state one year ago. I have shown and finished 22 champions, am the breeder of 11 champions, and have shown multiple top-ranked Yorkshire Terriers, Group placers, and Best in Specialty Show winners.
2. From the time my puppies are 3-8 weeks old, I watch to see who stands out among the litter. Who has the most attitude? Who seems to have that special spark and draws my eye? I sit on the floor and watch how they naturally stand and move. I want to see strong toplines, good tail sets, and high head carriage when moving. At 8 weeks old I do my first formal evaluation. I usually already have a good idea of which puppies I like, but at 8 weeks I like to take stacked photos and go over each puppy. I then continue to watch and evaluate those that I think have show potential.
3. Currently, there are truly several beautiful representations of the breed being shown. I am seeing some beautiful coats, great toplines and outlines, good movement, and nice proportions. A couple things have concerned me lately, though. I love a pretty head on a Yorkshire Terrier, but I think there has been a recent trend to have an overly cutesy head which starts to lose that correct terrier appearance. We should strive for a pretty head without getting too extreme. One other concern I have is seeing Yorkies in the ring that are very long in back and have a more rectangular appearance, like a Silky Terrier, instead of the short-backed, square appearance that a Yorkshire Terrier should have. If you get too far away from the correct silhouette, you lose important breed type.
4. I think we are struggling with entries because of the cost of everything now: dog food, vet costs, entry fees, gas prices, hotel prices… everything costs so much more than it did when I started 13 years ago. It has become harder for people to afford to own multiple dogs and to travel to shows. Otherwise, I think the sport is in good shape overall. Most judges I show to enjoy what they are doing, and I feel like most are trying to choose the dogs they think are most correct or are being presented to look the most correct.
5. Social media is good and bad. What I love about it is being able to easily stay in touch with and network with so many people who share my love for dogs and showing. I really enjoy getting to see show news and win photos being posted and also posting about my dogs’ wins. It’s also useful for accessing help and information that you need. The negative side is that sometimes people find it very easy to criticize and be negative behind a screen, and sometimes there is unnecessary drama.
6. I think the public having anti-breeder attitudes or thinking show dogs are mistreated is a challenge for our sport. I think we just have to continue to try to educate the public by hosting events like “meet the breed” and advertising shows to the public to bring spectators in so that they can see what we are all about.
7. There are now a lot more opportunities to keep exhibitors engaged. The different levels of grand championships are keeping more champions in the show ring longer. The National Owner-Handled Series has become tough competition. The 4-6 Month Beginner Puppy competition gives us a way to practice with our puppies before they turn six months. And in Junior Showmanship, dropping the requirement that the Junior must own the dog now allows them to borrow dogs to be able to compete in Breed and Group Specialties that they might not have been able to compete in before. This gives them the opportunity to work with new dogs and new breeds.
