Debarah Billings | Windsong Biewer Terriers

Interview with Debarah Billings, Breeder of Windsong Biewer 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. What is your “process” for selecting show puppies? Performance puppies?
3. In your opinion, is your breed in good condition overall? Any trends that warrant concern?
4. 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?
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?

Debarah Billings

1. My name is Debarah Billings from Blountville, Tennessee. I have owned dogs all of my adult life, but once I caught a glimpse of a Biewer Terrier my heart skipped a beat. There was a waitlist to obtain a quality foundation bitch, but I began my journey in 2008 leading to showing and breeding in 2009. My family had shown horses but had never been to a dog show. With obtaining a great mentor, I jumped in with both feet and hoped to contribute to promoting this lovely new rare breed. This was the beginning of Windsong Biewer Terriers!

2. With having up to six and seven generations of my breedings, I know what to expect in the litters as far as conformation. I breed for health, temperament, and structure first and foremost without regard for a specific color pattern; however, the Biewer Terrier Breed Standard does include color disqualifications. While our Standard may seem strict on color to newer breeders, it’s important to understand that our breed is sometimes confused with another breed. When selecting a show prospect, I check for any DQs before evaluating the structure and temperament. We can occasionally produce a stunning show prospect that has a slight color DQ, but the structure is so nice we add this to our breeding program.

3. While the Biewer Terrier is admired for being beautiful, we must also be dedicated to breeding sound dogs. We are seeing dogs in the ring with poor toplines (back lines) as well as incorrect movement. A poor front assembly is very hard to correct. Even though our Toy dogs are companions, proper structure should be one of our priorities.

I’m often asked why the dogs look so different in the ring. We see differences in overall height and weight along with ear shapes and sizes, length of muzzle, and different coat types. These traits will need to be considered by breeders if we are to see more consistency within our young breed. Breeders will choose to promote their own style but should be breeding to the Biewer Terrier Standard. While the current Breed Standard allows for a wide size variation, I personally breed for the middle of our size description.

Should a Standard be changed in order to allow more dogs to be shown? As President for our Parent Club, I have asked several experts who are AKC Judges this question. I have received many different suggestions and have presented those to the Standard Committee. While most think it’s a simple task to change a Breed Standard, we must remain cautious to not change the breed itself. It is our duty to protect the Biewer Terrier.

4. Our number of entries at Conformation shows are increasing annually; however, the number of Specials can sometimes exceed the class entries, making it difficult for our exhibitors to find majors. There are plenty of shows available, but it seems we need more judges since we see the same judging panels used frequently.

5. Social media can be a good tool to promote events for the clubs that hold Specialties or special events, but there can be the downside of negativity. I see many posts on groups that criticize judges, venues, ring stewards, or other exhibitors. My goal in showing my dogs has always been to present them to the judges and the public in the best condition possible. My advice is to never get mad if you don’t win. You’ve presented your dog with honesty, integrity, and good sportsmanship! It’s only one day at a dog show and there’s always tomorrow with a new opportunity! Have fun with your dog and fellow exhibitors.

6. The COVID pandemic brought many challenges to the fancy as a whole. Then we had outbreaks of unusual viruses for our dogs, which caused exhibitors to not enter as many shows. The health and well-being of our dogs and our families are a big part of deciding how many shows to attend.

The rising costs of travel and food are having an impact on the number of entries as well. Entry fees can also limit the number of dogs an exhibitor may consider for each set of shows. Many exhibitors are retired and simply cannot afford to travel long distances to show their dogs. The clusters that offer several days seem to draw bigger entries for these reasons. The other obstacle is finding majors for class dogs as well as a different
judging panel.

7. The opportunity for Group placements to earn points for class dogs as well as allowing a major for Reserve Winners when applicable has been well received.