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Breeder Samantha Hughes shares her journey with Monarch Australian Shepherds, focusing on soundness, versatility, and mentorship.
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Samantha Hughes
1. I’m Samantha Hughes, and I started breeding Australian Shepherds with my mom, Trudy Gagas, eight years ago. Our kennel name is Monarch Australian Shepherds, and we are located in Crosby, Texas, just outside of Houston, with a secondary location in Penrose, Colorado. I got my first purebred Australian Shepherd, named Dakota, during middle school, though I was focused on competing with my horses at the time and only occasionally participated in 4-H dog events. Dakota was a great dog to have on the ranch; intelligent, beautiful, and loyal. She passed away during my junior year of college, though she left a forever mark on my heart for the breed.
After finishing college, I wanted to explore not only getting an Aussie but competing with dogs as an alternative to horses. I found an excellent, reputable breeder who placed me with my first show puppy and an adult female that became the foundation of my program today. I was very fortunate to have found such established breeders who were willing to work with a newcomer and give me a chance with quality dogs. I attribute much of my success to the foundation of my program and will be forever grateful to those who took a chance on the new girl.
Coming from horses, many skills were transferable to dog breeding and sports. Since starting in dog sports eight years ago, I have bred or handled client dogs to more than 70 Conformation Championship titles. My own bred-by dogs have achieved titles in multiple venues, including Herding, Conformation, Agility, Rally, Obedience, Dock Diving, and Lure Coursing, and continue growing in their representation of the breed’s versatility. Whenever I pursue something, I am wholly committed and often pursue lofty goals. One of my biggest outstanding goals is to achieve Hall of Fame Kennel status with our parent club by ten years of involvement in dogs.
2. The Australian Shepherd is an attentive, eager-to-please dog that is very intelligent and keen. Coupled with sound movement and balance, I find this to be critical to the breed’s capability to be a versatile dog that can truly go do-it-all.
In many rings, I see soundness and balance wavering in the breed. “Long and low” is a term that I hear referenced often and have seen more frequently in the ring. The Australian Shepherd should only be slightly longer than tall. Depending on the dog, length of leg or length of loin are out of proportion on the dog relative to the Breed Standard. This usually results in some inefficiency with movement, whether a less stable topline, as the loin is not as strong, or an unbalanced stride relative to the dog. Additionally, the Australian Shepherd should have a free and easy gait that is balanced on the side. Flashy, big side gait is often rewarded in the ring, yet when observed closely or in slow-motion often has components of over-reaching or over-driving. The coming and going should converge towards a centerline as speed increases. I see a wide range of faults in down and backs competing regularly, many that would impair a dog’s ability to work without undue stress on their bodies.
To me, versatility is the hallmark of the breed, and I can’t have a high level versatility prospect that can withstand the rigor and athleticism required of a high intensity performance and stock work without soundness and intelligence. Even in just those brief moments in a Conformation ring, I still want to observe that sparkle and loyalty of the dog working for the handler, and I want to observe clean, correct movement on the side and the down and back. For me, that sparkle and that effortless, floating gait are what make an Australian Shepherd stand out as a captivating breed to watch in the ring.
3. Yes, I believe there are enough homes to support breeding a litter this year, though I know some people have struggled with placements. The Australian Shepherd is a popular breed and in demand for many families. You can find puppies for sale in a wide price range, but it is ultimately up to the reputation and quality of your program to generate the demand for your litters at your price point.
4. We try to keep up with the times for reaching more people as a breeder and communicating. Admittedly, the day to day of the dogs and attending dog shows can cause us to get a little behind on the marketing/technology front. However, we have many new, exciting things launching in the coming year for our followers, including an online membership community and, if I’m truly ambitious and brave, a podcast!
5. Unfortunately, I have noticed that people seem to care less and less about “purebred” dogs. With the rise of designer breeds, from all the doodles to micro breeds, to cross-bred bullies, the pet buyer seems to be captivated by marketing techniques and not title achievements, quality, or health.
As purebred enthusiasts, I think we fall short on marketing to the pet buyers, which the majority of our dogs go to. We spend our time focused on showing our dogs, training, traveling, etc., but we forget that there is an entire audience of people interested in dogs but completely separated from the competitive world. To capture the attention of those audiences, we need to more proactively engage with the pet market, with high-quality content that is not just educational but also entertaining. The pet person looks at that win photo and keeps on scrolling to never find you again, but they absolutely adore the goofy wiggle butt clip of an Aussie to the catchy tune. As purebred enthusiasts, we need to capture the audience first and then mix in the educational content. Eventually, we can make an impact.
6. I am not sure I would call this a trend or even anything new; however, I do notice a lot of gatekeeping in dogs. Overall, I would say it takes thick skin and a lot of grit to break into the world of dogs because people tend to be unwelcoming at events, or breeders don’t offer quality prospects to newcomers. Like I mentioned before, I was blessed with starting with a strong foundation. However, many people are not so lucky.
I’d like to see more positive engagement with people interested in the sport. At the end of the day, we need new people to keep the sport alive, and it is up to those already involved to not drive them away.
With my own program, I’m bringing more educational content to my puppy buyers to help them get started in dog sports of all kinds in a more accessible way. So much is overwhelming when getting started, and I think people shy away from that challenge, especially when they attend an event and nobody is nice to them!
Mentorship is also key, but it is a two-way street. I will engage with you as much as you engage with me. If you are new, don’t expect people to just reach out and hand-feed you information. Find the people you vibe with or admire and talk with them! I’m always surprised at how much people will actually share and enjoy teaching once you break the ice and engage with them.
7. In recent years, I’ve seen a rise in people participating in the more fun events like Fast CAT, Barn Hunt, or even getting a TKN Trick Dog or CGC (Canine Good Citizen) title. Oftentimes, us hardcore show people discount these titles, but I will say they are a gateway to doing more with your dog. I have several puppy people who started with these events and gained enough confidence and interest in other dog sports that they are now doing more Performance events like Agility or Rally.
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