Breeder Susan LaCroix Hamil shares insights on Bloodhounds, conformation trends, challenges, and the future of purebred dogs.
The Weekly Brief
The best of SHOWSIGHT editorials, weekly wins, and breeder commentary — delivered to your inbox every Sunday morning.
Susan LaCroix Hamil
1. I am Susan LaCroix Hamil, and I live in Laguna Beach, California. I purchased my first Bloodhound in 1966. I began showing in Conformation events in 1970 and finished my first Bloodhound Conformation Champion in 1972. I have been showing and breeding continuously since then. I received my judge’s license for Bloodhounds in 1995.
To date, I have finished over 100 Conformation Champions, including a Westminster Hound Group winner. I have bred multiple Best in Show and National Specialty winners. Currently, I am a Breeder of Merit and have bred both a dog and a bitch who have achieved Grand Champion Platinum status.
2. The Bloodhound has substance, a distinctive long head, ears long and low set, furnishings superabundant, expression, and depth of body. They should show tenacity on the trail and be agreeable with companions, both human and canine.
3. Overall registrations of purebred dogs, particularly large breeds, are down worldwide. The public opened their hearts and their homes to dogs, both rescue mixes, purebred rescues, and purebred puppies, during the pandemic. There were not enough puppies during the COVID lockdown to meet demand. Now, those households have adult dogs and are not looking to add more dogs at present, and probably not in the foreseeable future. The puppy market will need time to readjust.
A litter of eight puppies would be adequate to meet breeder selection criteria, but a litter of 10-12, as Bloodhounds can produce, will probably be more difficult to find homes for at this time.
4. I have not implemented any technology. Most of my puppy sales are repeat buyers or people with personal referrals. I am a total Luddite in the area of social media. But going forward, embracing all areas of social media will be essential in finding the right home for each puppy. In the area of science, health and genetics are evolving. I have always complied with the recommendations from the American Bloodhound Club (ABC) to complete CHIC (Canine Health Information Center) requirements for all breeding stock.
5. In California, there is a tremendous bias against purebreds, and particularly, breeders. In fact, “breeder” has become a dirty word. While there remains a demand for purebreds, prospective buyers are almost ashamed to admit they sought out a breeder and paid money for a puppy. In California, adverse local and state legislation has hit the breeder community pretty hard.
6. The trend in Conformation is fewer unique dogs competing and a persistent slide in total number of Conformation entries. Many clubs have suspended Conformation shows altogether. Some clubs have disbanded. I have no doubt this will continue unless we, as the organized Conformation participants, can create a more interesting show experience. Conformation participants, judges, and clubs must develop a more welcoming, encouraging, and felicitous attitude toward newcomers.
7. Positive changes include the Pee Wee Special Attraction program and continued emphasis on Junior Showmanship. The NOHS (National Owner-Handled Series) has become very popular, creating excellence among those who can exhibit their own dogs. This year, the ABC Top 20 will include the Top 10 Owner-Handled Dogs, along with the Top 10 qualifiers in Breed as well as All-Breed points. This is a more inclusive format, which I hope will foster greater participation in Conformation events.
Meet the Breeders
Breeder Adam Levy discusses Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, dual-purpose breeding, mentorship, and preserving the breed's working ability.
