Sarah & Ariel Cukier | Hi-Kel Terrydale/Terrydale HK Lakeland & Airedale Terriers and Woodnote Standard Schnauzers

Interview with Sarah & Ariel Cukier, Breeders of Hi-Kel Terrydale/Terrydale HK Lakeland & Airedale Terriers and Woodnote Standard Schnauzers

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? What do you think about the number of shows?
4. What does “Montgomery” represent to you 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?

Sarah & Ariel Cukier

1. We are Sarah and Ariel Cukier, we live in Mebane, North Carolina. We have been involved in purebred dogs for 25 years. Sarah started out in performance events with her Newfoundlands and Ariel started with Cocker Spaniels and Shetland Sheepdogs in Costa Rica in Junior Showmanship and all-breed shows; he then moved to the United States to apprentice under different handlers and became a successful handler, winning Best in Show at Montgomery and the Group at Westminster, and having the No. 1 Terrier in the country. We were professional handlers up until 2024, when we retired to be owner-breeders of our Lakeland & Airedale Terriers. We breed under the prefix Hi-Kel Terrydale/Terrydale HK with Maripi Wooldridge. We breed Standard Schnauzers as well under the Woodnote prefix.

2. Lakeland Terriers are, overall, not in bad shape, but type is a declining feature lost among Lakeland Terriers and many terrier breeds. You should be able to paint the silhouette black and identify the terrier just from the outline. There should be no mistaking a Lakeland from a Wire Fox or Welsh Terrier. There are too many generic-looking terriers that have no type or defining features.

3. The sport does suffer from some over-saturation of too many shows per week, but this does allow for people who can’t travel far distances to be able to attend some shows they normally couldn’t, by having many events available. I would like to see more breeders and handlers be able to judge easily without so many barriers to do so. We have a large wealth of knowledge in these people, but it’s untapped and unavailable. We lose the best years of these individuals who can only judge once retired or have the money/time to do all the necessary steps.

4. Montgomery represents the highest level of competition for terriers. It’s a very special day. We dedicate all year to planning which dog will enter and start preparing months in advance just for one day. Not many AKC Groups have events that bring the intense level of competition and quality. It’s what we strive for all year long.

5. Social media can be beneficial on some levels for awareness and to enjoy sharing your lifestyle, but not everyone’s opinion needs a pedestal for everyone to hear. There is a bit too much online bullying and nasty commenting that no one would do in person.

6. The biggest challenge to dog shows would be accessibility to the sport. Dog shows have many different avenues that lead to involvement, but there isn’t a direct way to know the ins and outs of how to start and get involved. This can be very overwhelming to someone in the beginning if they don’t have a mentor or friend to guide them.

7. I see a lot of positive changes in encouraging Owner Handlers, with the Owner-Handled events and Regionals. The same for Junior Showmanship with special events and scholarships. We especially find the rule change of Juniors no longer needing to own the dog they are showing very positive. This allows maximum accessibility to showing. Many may not be able to afford a purebred dog or have the right home situation to purchase and keep a showing animal.

This now allows Juniors to experience many breeds and they can show dogs from individuals they have a relationship with. I think many people in dog shows forget that not everyone has the same resources to get into dogs, and kids need every advantage they can get. Encouraging both Owner Handlers and Juniors creates longer and deeper involvement to develop into breeders, handlers, etc.