Sydney & Shari Robinson | Keepsake

Interview with Sydney & Shari Robinson, Breeders of Keepsake Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers

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?

Sydney & Shari Robinson

1. My name is Sydney Robinson. My home is located in a little town called Osgoode, outside of Ottawa, Canada. We have had show dogs in our home my whole life. I started co-breeding our Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers with my Mother, Shari, approximately 12 years ago. I began showing early on in Junior Showmanship, and took on training, trimming, and showing as a pre-teen. Our kennel name is Keepsake, and we have bred SCWT since 1990.

2. My breed has had to step back as a whole for the last 10-15 years to put more focus on health, and as often is the case, type and soundness took a bit of a hit. We are now seeing a better-balanced dog, getting back to being a square shape, and all with better health.

There are a few trends, as is often the case. We are now seeing sloped toplines. Dogs, both standing and on the move, presenting with a higher at the withers topline, creating a slope where our Breed Standard is clear about the level topline. And, of course, this new development also affects the overall construction and movement, with a front that is often more upright creating the slope. Lower set on tails has also crept back in.

3. With regards to judging in my breed, I feel that the breed in the last dozen years has not been consistent enough to be easy to judge, but again, in the last few years we are starting to see consistent quality return, and I feel that judges with an eye for a quality dog will always be able to appreciate a good, typey, sound representative of the breed.

4. Montgomery County Kennel Club is a staple show for us, as it hosts our National Specialty every year. I have been travelling to this show since a very young age, and it is always a joy to showcase our dogs and catch up with other breeders. MCKC weekend is also a weekend I try to focus just on being a breeder/owner/handler. As a professional handler, I am required to show multiple breeds of dogs in my care, but I only show our Wheatens on this show weekend, and that is a special treat. This weekend gives us an opportunity to see our breed represented from across North America, which is also a huge benefit.

5. Ah, social media… good question. Social media has benefitted our sport in that it has brought the breed community together in a much easier fashion. You can look at a litter of puppies with several other breeders, all in different countries, to learn and share and compare. Online, you can meet people easier than a phone call or writing a letter used to be. So, there have definitely been benefits. That being said, there are also drawbacks. It used to be that our dogs were only judged at dog shows, when they were groomed and prepped and trained, and we were ready for that judgement. These days people forget that their dog is actually being judged with every single photo that is posted; ungroomed, standing like a donkey, hanging their tail… every photo is picked apart. We try to be diligent when posting photos with this in mind; if the picture isn’t a “good picture,” we just don’t post it. I wouldn’t say that social media has been harmful, but I do think you need to be aware and make smart choices.

6. I would have to say the biggest challenge facing the dog show community would be how we are perceived. People feel good to “rescue,” even if the rescue isn’t actually rescued but bred for “rescue.” That has become a very big, profitable business. Also, the designer dog “doodle” craze; people are being sold a bill of goods and believe they are getting superior dogs when, in fact, that isn’t often the case.

7. I think the positive changes are still in the works. As a community, we can be our harshest critics. But, when the chips are down and a member of our community needs our help, we always come through despite differences, and politics, and all the other crap of life.

I think our awareness of bullying, and shaming, is moving in a better direction. I was always taught that it doesn’t take anything to smile. It shouldn’t be hard to say good morning and congratulations, and be pleasant. I’m there to show my dog to the best of my ability, just like everyone else. The judge is the one who decides who is the winner. We should all try to be easier on each other and just be pleasant instead of bitter.