Natalya Ignatyeva | Diamond Stars Maltese

Interview with Natalya Ignatyeva, Breeder of Diamond Stars Maltese

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?

Natalya Ignatyeva

1. My name is Natalya Ignatyeva. I live in Brooklyn, New York, and my kennel is Diamond Stars Maltese. I got my first taste of showing and breeding purebred dogs when I was a teenager in Belarus. My uncle had a champion German Shepherd Dog, and when I was 16 I got my first GSD. Years later, when my family moved to the United States, I fell in love with Maltese. I acquired my first Maltese 23 years ago and bred my first Diamond Stars litter 10 years ago.

2. Some people say that show temperaments are very rare, but that has not been my experience. The Maltese Breed Standard calls for a temperament that is trusting, affectionate, lively, playful, and without fear. I am proud that the majority of my puppies have temperaments that match that description. Conveniently, those traits also make for a good show dog, so many of my puppies have temperaments that would excel both in the show ring and in the average
family home.

When I raise my puppies, I constantly observe them at play and doing various other daily activities. I make notes on their physical, cognitive, and structural development. I think a stable temperament is a must, both in the ring and in the home. That said, sometimes a puppy comes around with a personality that just screams “SHOW DOG!” If you pay attention, these are the puppies that self-stack without training, prance around with their heads and tails up, and are always looking to be in the middle of the action. When you get a puppy with a personality like that, then you just hope that the structure and coat turn out to be just as exceptional.

3. I believe that, on the whole, the Maltese breed is in good condition. Of course, no breed is perfect. I think the Maltese does struggle with a very small gene pool. Importing new bloodlines is crucial to further development and improvement of our breed. Unfortunately, bringing puppies to the US has been made more challenging by the current international political climate and increasingly stringent regulations on importations.

4. I have always enjoyed showing. I love spending time with my dog show friends. I love that I get to escape to a place where everyone shares my passion for beautiful, well-bred dogs. I love learning from judges who have spent decades in the sport. I might not always agree with an individual judge’s decision, but I think it’s important to respect and acknowledge that judges have the toughest job in the room.

Their choices can influence the direction of any breed. That’s a lot of pressure. Just as my mission as a preservation breeder is to constantly self-examine and strive for improvement in my breed, so too should every judge feel a responsibility to really know the breeds they are judging and keep us breeders honest about the dogs we are presenting. We have never had a lot of shows in our area, but I have found recent schedules to be difficult to work around. The last few clusters fell during the work week and many people I know couldn’t attend.

5. Social media is a great tool. It helps to connect people in the purebred dog community from all across the world. It can be used to promote all breeds and dog sports, provide educational support, enable socialization among newcomers and mentors, advertise events, and highlight breeder and handler achievements. What the sport needs is an even stronger social media presence to make the public more aware of the great advantages of going to a preservation purebred dog breeder. Our sport and our breeds need more PR to combat the doodle/designer mutt industry.

6. In addition to the dire need for the AKC and the purebred dog community to launch a full-on publicity campaign to educate the average American family on the many purebred options there are and why they are better choices than BYB doodles, I think we need more mentors and more young people who are truly in love with the sport. If we can’t bring in new enthusiasts, our sport will not be able to sustain itself. Those of us who have been doing this for a while need to be generous and supportive of each other and set a good example. Respect and sportsmanship have to be the priority.

7. The introduction of the National Owner-Handled Series was a great introduction to the sport. I know I take tremendous pride in my achievements in NOHS. Another great change made last year was that championship points can now be earned from regular Group placements, enabling low entry breeds like my own to earn majors. I hope to see changes made to grand championship points in the future.