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Susan Thibodeaux of Kallmee shares her insights on Manchester Terriers, show puppy selection, breed trends, and the dog show community.
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Susan Thibodeaux
1. I’m Susan Thibodeaux: I live in Florida on the Space Coast. I’ve been in dogs since 1978 and a breeder for most of those; however, the majority of those years I was in Vizslas and Cocker Spaniels. I’ve been in Toy Fox Terriers since 2013 and also have two Toy Manchester Terriers. Our kennel name is Kallmee. My husband is retired from the military—we’ve lived in a number of places, including Europe, and I’ve shown in a number of countries. I’m currently President of the ATFTC, on the Board of Brevard Kennel Club, and Secretary of the Florida Association of Kennel Clubs.
2. I watch the puppies from the time they can toddle and begin to form opinions about them, but I don’t make formal assessments till they are eight weeks old. I also invite a few friends whose eyes are really good at assessing puppies and I ask for their opinions as well.
Generally, my show dogs become my “performance” dogs as we like to do things with them after they retire from the show ring. The same things I look for in a show dog—structure, movement, soundness, temperament—are important for doing all the fun things they can do in other events. Puppies usually stay till they are 12 weeks old and I have always, over the years, kept two if I couldn’t decide and let them grow up and mature to see how they turn out. I do this for me, as keeping the right dog is more important to me then selling puppies.
3. I believe the Toy Fox Terrier as a whole is improving and my opinion is supported by comments many judges share when they complete their judging for the breed. While we are not a large number, our breeders who are active in the sport are working hard to breed dogs that, in addition to being wonderful pets, are also competitive in the show ring and versatile and sound to compete in other venues such as Agility. The biggest concern for many of us is the lack of Toy Foxes in the ring and the declining numbers of breeders as they retire or pass away. I honestly can’t figure out why Toy Fox Terriers aren’t wildly popular—they are pretty, loving, easy to groom, full of fun and a zest for living, portable, long-lived, and versatile. They are the best of terrier and toy—people really don’t know what they are missing when they overlook our breed.
4. I believe that unless our sport begins to work to counteract the outside influences against breeding and owning dogs, we will continue to see greater impediments to bringing in new people. Many people live with restrictions on dog ownership and breeding. Add that to the fact our sport is getting more expensive, not just entry fees as the clubs strive to cover their expenses of putting on the shows but also shows for many people are farther away and more days’ duration, increasing travel and lodging costs.
In their effort to control costs, most clubs have moved to clusters. The local weekend shows that used to attract spectators and provide them exposure to purebreds are becoming a thing of the past. I see quite a few shows are now offered on weekdays. To convince new folks who work weekdays and/or have children in school to try out dog shows is difficult. The higher costs, added to fewer shows on weekends, combined with the distance to get to the clusters is creating a sport that most folks will only experience through their television set.
How’s the judging? For the most part pretty decent, although it seems like we see the same judges over and over again. We still experience some judges trying to see our Toy Fox Terriers’ back molars even though the ATFTC sent out a letter through AKC a few years ago instructing judges that they only need to check the bite. Our exhibitors would very much appreciate it if judges would stop asking us to peal the lips back to the molars on our little dogs. I hear from other exhibitors that some judges get our DQs confused. Our breed education slides are on our website, and I hope any judge with questions regarding the Standard will review the material available to them.
5. Like anything, social media can be used for good and it can be used for bad. It’s shameful when people use it to bully, malign, or cause harm to other exhibitors and judges. However, I’ve seen it used for education, breed promotion, helping in disasters, and sharing our love of dogs across our community.
6. Anti-dog ownership and anti-breeding legislation and the animal rights groups are not just challenges but a threat to the long-term viability of our sport and purebred dogs. The AKC Government Relations department tracked thousands of pieces of legislation at federal, state, and local levels last year. We need to all work together to reframe the conversation and make well-bred, health-tested purebred dogs the standard again.
7. AKC has added so many fun things to get titles on with a dog—when I began in dogs it was Conformation, Field, Obedience, and Tracking. Now people can try a myriad of activities well beyond those four. The American Toy Fox Terrier Club has begun offering certificates for Toy Foxes that earn multiple titles in various events. Toy Fox Terriers are versatile and fun, and we want to recognize the owners and their dogs who earn multiple titles.
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