Letters ToThe Editor
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT December 2012 -- The True Essence of AKC Breeders -Eleven years ago, Ron Menaker, Dennis Sprung, and the good folks at Eukanuba created the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship and made celebrating our breeders an integral part of the event. In 2003, they added the Best Bred-By-Exhibitor competition and every year since then, many of our sport’s top breeders compete in the Bred-ByExhibitor competition. In fact, 30% of the more than 4000 dogs entered in conformation this weekend are entered in the Bred-By-Exhibitor competition. And they aren’t here just to compete; they take the time to educate the public about their breed at the AKC Meet the Breeds® over the course of the weekend. In addition, the Breeder of the Year Award recognizes one prominent AKC breeder from each Group who has made a great impact on a specific breed. At the end of the presentation Sunday night honoring these seven breeders, one will be chosen as 2012 AKC Breeder of the Year. Certainly, this emphasis on the role of breeders is a clear statement: There is no doubt that the American Kennel Club respects and supports our breeders. And that commitment will grow even stronger next year. I have been working with Dennis, AKC Staff, and the Parent Club and the Health Delegate Committees, and I am pleased to announce the initiation of our first Breeders Workshop at next year’s AKC/Eukanuba Championship show. This free workshop will be by breeders and for breeders, and will feature what I call “news you can use.” There is also no doubt that the public loves what our breeders bring into the world – puppies, bred for type and to be sound in body, mind, and spirit. Look at any social sharing site and puppies are always a big part of the conversation. On You Tube alone, there are over 729,000 videos garnering billions of views. There are many reasons to look forward to the Holiday Season, but anyone who has bred a litter knows there is something extra-special that arrives each year – the Holiday cards and notes updating you on the puppies you bred that are now part of other families. Both the photos and messages are heartfelt expressions of how lives were made better by the addition of that dog. The arrival of those cards serves as a powerful reminder of the important role responsible AKC breeders play in bringing the joy of a dog into people’s lives. There is also no doubt that, while the public loves puppies, not all of the public loves breeders. Unfortunately, many see our responsible breeders in a very different light than reality – a misconception that is as incorrect as it is offensive. A misconception promoted by a few and accepted by too many. And because of this extraordinary disconnect between perception and reality, there is a continuous onslaught of restrictive laws with the sole purpose of eliminating all breeders – including our responsible breeders. All of us will continue to fight anti-breeder legislation, but we must do more. There is also no doubt that we must change the conversation about our responsible breeders. From unabashed lies to the truth. From a cloud of doubt to clarity of trust. From rumors and innuendo to factual reality. From expediency in law-making to right judgment. To accomplish this, we must have unity and dedication of purpose. In addition to all that AKC does now to add to the conversation, we will do more – especially by engaging the general public. We have powerful communication resources with our newly re-imagined website, our database of millions of people, our robust Facebook and Twitter following, and our professional and passionate public relations team led by Lisa Peterson, a proud AKC Breeder of Merit. We will utilize those resources to reach out to the public consistently, frequently, and convincingly about the true essence of our responsible and dedicated breeders. But that is only part of the job. We need your support to take the message into your communities, where the voters are who can impact our future. You are the force that brings together, and then unleashes, the true power of the American Kennel Club. Our breeders represent everything we are today and everything we will be tomorrow. This weekend we will celebrate them and know that our destiny is in good hands. As always, your comments are welcome – atk@akc.org. Sincerely, Alan Kalter Chairman
James W. Smith Named 2012 AKC Breeder of the Year – Award Presented at AKC/Eukanuba National Championship – James W. Smith of North Collins, NY was honored with the 2012 AKC Breeder of the Year Award for his Absolutely Smooth Fox Terriers at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship on Sunday, December 16, 2012. The annual award honors those breeders who have dedicated their lives to improving the health, temperament and quality of purebred dogs. “Congratulations to Jim,” said Michael Canalizo, AKC’s Director of Event Management. “The American Kennel Club knows that the breeders of purebred dogs are the backbone of our sport, so we’re proud to honor them each year at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship. Being recognized as Breeder of the Year is one of the highest honors achievable.” Each year, one honoree is chosen from each of the seven groups: Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting, and Herding. From those seven, one Group winner is selected as “AKC Breeder of the Year” during the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship, which was held this year in Orlando, Florida on December 15 and 16. The Breeder of the Year ceremony will be included in the show’s telecast on ABC Network Television on Saturday, February 2, 2013. Check local listings for air times. As the 2012 AKC Breeder of the Year recipient, Jim will be honored with a commission from a canine portraitist to memorialize a prominent dog from his kennel and his name will be inscribed on a perpetual trophy. They will remain on permanent display at the AKC headquarters in New York City. About Absolutely Smooth Fox Terriers Jim attended his first dog show with a Dalmatian in 1956 and has been involved in the sport ever since. He quickly gravitated to the terrier rings and acquired a Wire Fox Terrier in 1957. His first Smooth came in 1962. A Delegate for the Dalmatian Club of America for 26 years, Jim currently represents the Washington State Obedience Training Club. He is in his third separate term as president of the American Fox Terrier Club, having previously served as vice president, delegate, and secretary. Jim was not active breeding and showing for a large part of the 1990s during his tenure as a member of the AKC board. He has also served on AKC ad hoc committees, most recently the one which revised the judges’ approval process. In 1999, he acquired a Smooth from Eddie Boyes, and Jim’s interest and involvement has proceeded full speed ever since. Absolutely has produced over 50 bred, owned, and campaigned champions, Best in Show dogs, national and regional specialty winners, and numerous group winners. Preservation and maintenance of the breed are paramount, while adherence to the standard is constantly reviewed. Jim’s greatest pleasure is sitting and watching puppies play and develop. All seven Group honorees were presented with medallions during the show on December 16, 2012. Group winners included: * Sporting Group: Dr. Dana Massey - Win’Weim Weimaraners, Valley Mills, Texas * Hound Group: Alicia Hanna - Kimani Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Chester, New Jersey • Working Group: Lynn Brady and Connie Townsend - Szumeria Kuvasz, Farmington, Minnesota • Terrier Group: James W. Smith - Absolutely Smooth Fox Terriers, North Collins, New York • Toy Group: Tammy and John Simon - Ta-Jon Maltese, Collinsville, Texas • Non-Sporting Group: Krista Nuovo - Delamer Schipperkes, Middletown, New York • Herding Group: J. Frank Baylis and Chris Oldt - Bayshore Border Collies, Woodstock, Virginia For more information on all of the AKC Breeder of the Year Group honorees visit www.akc.org. Lisa Petersen New York, NY Judges’ Choice: Doberman Pinschers I opened Dog News and happened to see there was an article on my breed the Doberman Pinscher. I eagerly went to the article to read it. The article was about great Dobes and judges opinions of their favorites now and in the past. I have to admit I was shocked and dismayed to see it was about foreign Doberman’s, foreign judges and the FCI standard and not our American standard. In my opinion Dog News is the pre-eminent dog show magazine in the UNITED STATES so why on earth would it publish an article that never mentions one of our great American Dobermans nor one American judge and his or her opinions on the breed? The Doberman Pinscher is a CROPPED and DOCKED breed and nowhere in our standard does it give credence to UNDOCKED or UNCROPPED and in my view Dog News by not mentioning that fact is doing a disservice to our breed. Why is their nothing from OUR judges for instance Faye Strauss the head of Judges Education at the DPCA nowadays or Bob Vandiver a past head of DPCA Judges Education or the head of the DPCA mentoring program Pat Hastings all wonderful Doberman judges. Why is there no mention of some of the great American Dobermans of the past Brown’s B-Brian, Brunswig’s Cryptonite winner of one hundred twenty four Best in Shows, Electra’s the Windwalker, or more recently Linda Krukar’s wonderful Dabney’s Phenomenon. How about the outstanding Royal Tudor›s Wild as the Wind (Indie) back to back BIS at Westminster, Toledobe’s Serengeti (Sera) the winner of Ninety-Nine Best in Shows bred by the late and great Mrs. Judy Doniere, or how about one Continued on page 178
174 Dog News