Patrea Pabst | Thunderpas

Interview with Patrea Pabst, Breeder of Thunderpas

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. In your opinion, is your breed in good condition overall? Any trends that warrant concern?
3. As a Preservation Breeder, can you share your thoughts on the sport today? How’s the judging these days?
4. What are some of the challenges encountered along the road to full AKC recognition? What are some of the challenges as a preservation breeder? As an Exhibitor?
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?

Patrea Pabst

1. My name is Patrea Pabst. I live in Northeast Georgia on a 454-acre farm. I am an attorney in my other life. I have been showing, training, and breeding dogs since 1976, with American Eskimo Dogs as my primary breed until a few years ago when I became involved with the German Spitz. My kennel name is Thunderpas German Spitz and American Eskimos.

2. After 45 years in Standard American Eskimos, multiple Register of Merit bitches, and four champions shy of Gold Breeder of Merit, due to the high incidence of immune disorders and very high coefficients of inbreeding with no options to change, I went to Europe and met with breeders of German Spitz. I loved the very low coefficient of inbreeding and extensive health testing, and started importing dogs and semen. I am President of the German Spitz Club of America, Inc. (GSCA) and very proud of all the wonderful things the club is doing, and the fabulous new exhibitors and breeders we have. The breed moved to Miscellaneous this past June and we hope to be able to apply for full status in another year.

3. I think the judging and number of AKC shows is about the same as when I started with my Eskies in the 1990s. It is daunting for beginners, but I love the FSS Open Shows. We do not typically show in Miscellaneous Classes, which I find unfriendly and disparaging.

4. The challenges for a breed going for full recognition is that you must be organized, constantly recruiting new members/exhibitors/breeders, try to avoid negative drama, and stay focused. There is a checklist that we have followed, and we have taken advantage of people with a lot of experience. This has enabled the GSCA to move extremely quickly from our initial meeting in December 2021, to AKC recognition of the parent club in August 2022, to moving to Miscellaneous in June 2024, and now building membership, titles, and litters to meet the final requirements. We are proud of being able to host multiple FSS Open Shows, including our Annual Show. And our Agility group is amazing, hosting multiple trials each year, which has significantly enhanced our finances.

5. Social media is good; we monitor aggressively and shut down problems as soon as we become aware of them.

6. It is critical to get younger people showing. It is a major focus of the GSCA.

7. Positive changes in the sport include the AKC Purebred Preservation Bank andbreeder seminars.