A Purina Pro Plan Publication Dedicated to the Needs of Canine Enthusiasts Issue 94

TODAY’S BREEDER

■ RETRIEVER WINTER WARM-UP ■ A DOG BREEDING ROUNDTABLE■ CHIC: A CANINE HEALTH DATABASE

T O P T E R R I E R B R E E D E R S

Cragsmoor Skye Terriers

2017 NATIONAL SPECIALTIES AT THE PURINA EVENT CENTER

P u r i n a Fa r m s

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Date Event

April 3-4 Bracco Italiano Society of America

April 3-7 Spinone Club of America

April 14-22 American Shetland Sheepdog Association

April 24-28 Poodle Club of America

May 2-6 Cairn Terrier Club of America

May 3-4 Japanese Chin Club of America

May 4-7 United States Kerry Blue Terrier Club

May 9-19 United States Australian Shepherd Association

May 20-26 Dalmatian Club of America

May 26-27 Alapaha Blue-Blood Bulldog Association

May 31-June 4 Australian Terrier Club of America

June 4 The American Cesky Terrier Fanciers Association

June 5-10 Weimaraner Club of America

June 13-17 Saluki Club of America

July 7-15 English Springer Spaniel Field Trial Association

July 19-24 American Spaniel Club

Sept. 3-10 Border Collie Society of America

Sept. 8-15 Basenji Club of America

Sept. 11-14 Afghan Hound Club of America

Sept. 12-15 Miniature American Shepherd Club of the USA

Sept. 12-16 Ibizan Hound Club of the United States

Sept. 12-16 National Miniature Dachshund Club

Sept. 16-17 Coton de Tulear Club of America

Sept. 23 Anatolian Shepherd Dog Club of America

Sept. 23-30 Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of America

Oct. 2-6 Bearded Collie Club of America

Oct. 7-13 German Shepherd Dog Club of America

Oct. 14-15 International Shiloh Shepherd Alliance

Oct. 15-20 Australian Ca�le Dog Club of America

Nov. 5-10 French Bulldog Club of America

Located about one hour from St. Louis at Purina Farms in Gray Summit, Missouri, the Purina Event Center is astate-of-the-art facility custom-made for all-breed and specialty dog shows. For information about schedulingan event, please contact Kaite Flamm, Purina Event Center Manager, at 888-688-PETS (888-688-7387) or byemail at kaite.flamm@purina.nestle.com.

Today’s Breeder Advisory Board

Gianna DeiSanti, Brand Director, Breeder-Enthusiast Marketing

Sherry Bresnahan, Senior MarketingManager, Breeder-Enthusiast Marketing

Christina Schneider,Marketing Manager, Breeder-Enthusiast Marketing

Scott Smith, Managing Director of Field Operations

Ann Viklund, Director of Conformation

Connie Wagner, Senior Area Manager(Southeast), Conformation

Carol Grossman, Western Area Manager, Conformation

Annie Balotti,Area Manager, Purina Event Center

Marci Sale, Plains Area Manager, Conformation

Corey Benedict, Northeast Area Manager, Conformation

Diana Allen, Field Representative, Conformation

Heidi Kellerman, Field Representative, Conformation

Karl Gunzer, Senior Manager, SportingGroup

Rod L. Carter, Area Manager, Sporting

Dean Reinke, Area Manager, Sporting

Greg L. Blair, Area Manager, Sporting

Mark Cascio, Area Manager, Sporting

Kaite Flamm, Manager, Purina EventCenter

Today’s Breeder is produced and pub-lished by Nestlé Purina Public Relations.

Keith Schopp, Vice President

Barbara Fawver, Editor, Today’s Breeder

Kayla Miller, Senior Writer, Today’s Breeder

Margarett Wolf, Senior Writer, Today’sBreeder

Today’s Breeder is sent as a courtesy tomembers of Purina Pro Club. Articlesmay be reprinted if the following creditis included: Used with permission fromToday’s Breeder, Nestlé Purina PetCareCompany.

Trademarks owned by Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Vevey, Switzerland.

© 2017 Nestlé Purina PetCare Company

Please note that the handlers or ownersof dogs featured in Today’s Breedermayhave received Purina Pro Plandog foodas a Purina ambassador.

TRAINING RETRIEVERS IN WINTER

Pro retriever trainers Patti Kiernanand Jim Gonia head south totake advantage of a warmer climate to train their retrieversfor field trials.

CHIC: A CENTRALIZED CANINE HEALTH DATABASE

Founded by the OrthopedicFoundation for Animals andthe American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation, theCanine Health InformationCenter has evolved into a richdatabase containing the healthrecords of more than 23,000dogs of 178 breeds.

ONLY A SKYE TERRIER A Skye Terrier named“Charlie” (GCH Cragsmoor

Good Time Charlie), bred andowned by Gene Zaphiris andMatthew Stander, made thebreed famous, but the effortsbehind Charlie began in 1994when they imported the sirefrom Finland.

A DOG BREEDINGROUNDTABLE

Four veterinary reproductionspecialists, the recipients ofgrants from the newly fundedTheriogenology Residency Program, share their insightsabout dog breeding.

DEPARTMENTS2 Purina Farms 20 Circle of Champions22 Purina Sporting Awards (All-Age Bird Dogs)

24 Breed Snapshot

ON THE COVERMulti-BIS/Multi-BISS GCHCragsmoor Good Time Charlie,the winningest Skye Terrier ofall time, bred and owned byGene Zaphiris and MatthewStander, and handled by LarryCornelius. See story on page 10.

THIS PAGESamantha (“Sam”), an 18-month-old female chocolate LabradorRetriever owned by BraxtonBurrell of Bonney Lake, Wash-ington, and co-owned by JerryWilson of Burbank, California,is among the retrievers in train-ing this winter with pro PattiKiernan. See story on page 4.

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Ta b le o f Co n t e n t s

Visit Today’s Breeder on the PurinaPro Clubwebsite (purinaproclub.com)

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TRAININGRETRIEVERS

P H OTO S B Y D I A N E L E W I S

In the Imperial Valley of Niland, California, long,sunny days radiate warmth turning the desertinto a winter paradise for professional retrievertrainers Patti Kiernan and partner Bill Cox ofJustin Time Retrievers, and Jim and Jackie Goniaat their McKenna South. Both teams relish theserenity and versatility of the habitat, oftenswapping their own properties for training.

These trainers have homes here and have devel-oped their Southern California training groundswith multiple technical ponds and grassy fields to

teach their dogs the sophisticated tasks they willbe asked to perform in field trials. Their retrievers,ranging from seasoned pros to owners’ amateursand derbies just getting started, are athletes inprime condition. They lock in. They love to work.

The retriever trainers arrive in the fall about thetime snow and cold hit their homes in the PacificNorthwest. Patti and Bill come from Rainier, Wash-ington, and Jim and Jackie from McKenna, Wash-ington. They leave in the spring when the desertstarts heating up and the rattlesnakes start moving

around, heading to retriever fieldtrials on the West Coast circuit.

Every winter brings somethingdifferent, something unexpected.Whether it is the young retrieverthat masters an interrupted test,a challenging quad with a blind,or the veteran that outgrows acareer-nagging fault, it is herethat dreams are realized, andwinter becomes spring. Today’sBreeder visited Patti and Billand Jim and Jackie at their respective training grounds inJanuary. Here are photos oftheir retrievers working landand water marks on a comfort-able 70-degree training day. ■

Opposite page: Kiernan prepares tocast FC Firemark Rackem and StackemCasey, a 9-year-old male Golden Retriever owned by Marie Doherty ofScottsdale, Arizona.

I N W I N T E R

Dashing to make awater retrieve, Sailor, a 20-month-old maleLabrador Retrieverowned by Scott Elliottof Irrigon, Oregon, andtrained professionally byPatti Kiernan, is focusedand enthusiastic.

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Opposite page: Pro trainerJim Gonia prepares tosend FC Watsons RigemN Getem, a 4-year-oldmale Labrador owned byBrian Watson of Dallas,Oregon, on a retrieve. “Riggs,”who qualified for the 2016National Retriever Cham-pionship, made it throughseven of 10 series.

Right: FC Sweetie’s EasyRider (“Ford”), an 8-year-old male Labrador owned byPete Panarites of Northport,New York, and professionallytrained by Gonia, was thesecond High Point Opendog in 2015.

Below: Zaniri’s Fire BearQAA JH WC, a 3 ½-year-old male Golden Retrieverowned by Beverly andJoseph Tecklenborg ofLangley, British Columbia,and trained professionallyby Gonia, makes a stylishjump going for a water retrieve.

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Many of the insights, discoveries and knowledgeabout genetic diseases in dogs are due to the pioneering efforts of the Orthopedic Founda-tion for Animals (OFA). In 1966, when founderJohn M. Olin, a philanthropist, entrepreneurand avid sportsman whose family’s ammunitionbusiness included Winchester firearms, organizedOFA, his purpose was to learn more about the genetics of hip dysplasia,a painful, crippling disease that was affecting the performance of hisLabrador Retrievers.

Olin, whose King Buck won the National Retriever Championshipstakes in 1952 and 1953, understood the need to improve the genetichealth of breeding stock for the sake of the breed’s function andworking ability. With help from veterinarians and representatives of two national parent clubs, the Golden Retriever and GermanShepherd Dog Clubs of America, he designed OFA to improve thehealth and well-being of companion animals through a reduction in genetic diseases.

In 2001, the OFA, along with the American Kennel Club (AKC) CanineHealth Foundation, launched the Canine Health Information Center(CHIC) as a centralized database to store health test results about indi-vidual dogs. Initially partnering with nine pilot parent clubs thatdetermined the diseases that are most prevalent in their breeds and

thus important for health testing, CHIC has evolvedinto a rich database that today contains the recordsof more than 23,000 dogs of 178 breeds.

“CHIC is not about normalcy,” says Eddie Dziuk,OFA Chief Operating Officer. “It is about encourag-ing health screening in accordance with a parentclub’s testing protocol, sharing the test results in thepublic domain and increasing health awareness. The

idea is to improve the overall health of the breed and allow breedersto make informed breeding decisions.” ■

CHIC: A CENTRALIZED CANINE HEALTH DATABASE

CHIC IS FOUNDEDBasenjiBearded CollieBull TerrierGolden RetrieverLabrador RetrieverMastiffNewfoundlandRhodesian RidgebackRottweiler

178

NOVEMBER

2001

HEALTH TESTSMost clubs require 3 to 4 tests. A hand-ful require 2 tests, and a small numberrequire 6 or more tests.

The Boykin Spaniel Club, for example,requires health tests for eyes, patellas,and hips and DNA tests for exercise-induced collapse, degenerative myelopathy,and collie-eye anomaly.

BreedsToday

9PilotBreeds

A Snapshot of the

RANGE OF NUMBER OF

REQUIRED FOR INDIVIDUAL BREEDS

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CHIC DATABASE SUPPORTS CANINE HEALTH RESEARCH

70+HEALTH TESTSMORE THAN 50 AREDNA-BASED TESTS

Great Pyrenees offerselective testing in whichone of the following testsmust be performed: con-genital cardiac, advancedcardiac, thyroid, elbowdysplasia, hearing, shoulder,eye, multifocal retinopathy,or Glanzmann’s thrombas-thenia.

Parent clubs can adjusttheir health test require-ments over time. As a pilotbreed, the Labrador RetrieverClub (LRC) started with requirements for hips, elbowsand eyes. Over time, LRCadded DNA tests for exercise-induced collapse and D-locus,the color dilution mutation.

are stored in the CHICDNA Repository, alongwith an individual dog’spedigree & phenotypichealth history.

CHIC HELPS PUPPY BUYERSFIND HEALTHY DOGSHealth Screening InformationAllows Puppy Buyers to MakeInformed Buying DecisionsLike breeders who use CHICdata as a toolset, puppy buyerswho become educated aboutthe right breed for their lifestyleand find a responsible breederwho uses health screening infor-mation in their selection criteriaare improving their chances ofadding a happy, healthy, long-lived member to their family.

More than 23,000 DNA Samples

have been distributed to nearly20 research institutions, such asThe Broad Institute of MIT/Harvard, Michigan State Uni-versity, North Carolina StateUniversity, University of Cali-fornia at Davis, and the Univer-sity of Helsinki in Finland.

More than

3,500 DNA Samples

The most common health test requirements across allparticipating breeds are hips, eyes, patellar luxation, andcardiac exams.

Canine Health Information Center (CHIC)

CHIC IS A VALUABLE RESOURCE FOR DOG BREEDERSHealth Screening Information Allows Breeders to Make InformedBreeding DecisionsWhen breeders include health datafrom a sire and dam in their selectioncriteria, they are making a more in-formed breeding decision, hopefullyapplying selective pressure to decreasethe number of deleterious diseaseliability genes and improve theprobability of healthy genes.

Tests Can Be: • Required, meaning dogs

must have them to qualifyfor a CHIC number

• Optional/Recommended,meaning they are notrequired for a dog toearn a CHIC number, butparent clubs encouragethe additional testing dueto the importance of thecondition in the breed

• Elective, meaning a dogshould have one testfrom a list of electivehealth tests

Some tests are breedspecific. For example,Leonberger is the onlybreed to require testing forLeonberger polyneuropa-thy 1 (LPN1) & 2 (LPN2).

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SKYE TERRIERONLY A

Pacing ringside, Matthew Stander looks like aman whose nerves are about to come unhinged.His partner, Gene Zaphiris, takes a differentapproach, leaving the building or watchingfrom so many rings away, one would never associate him with the Skye Terriers beingshown in the ring Matthew is watching. A life-time of breeding and showing dogs cannottake away the heartfelt anxiety that creeps inwhen one of their Cragsmoor Skye Terriers isin the ring.

Until he retired after the 2016 WestminsterKennel Club Dog Show, “Charlie” (GCH CragsmoorGood Time Charlie), a 5 ½-year-old silver-platinummale, was the one charming it up with handlerLarry Cornelius. The winningest Skye Terrier inbreed history, Charlie is a throwback to his sire,CH Finnsky Oliver (“Willie”), a black Finnish maleGene and Matthew imported in 1994.

“Willie was the greatest Skye I ever saw,” saysGene, his voice choked with emotion, remem-bering the top-producing sire who gave them

B Y B A R B A R A FAW V E R

Left: “Buddy” (GCH Cragsmoor Buddy Goodman), 10 ½ years old, pictured in the backyard at Gene and Matthew’shouse, broke a 50-year record in 2011 to become the top-winning Skye Terrier in history. Above: Pro handler LarryCornelius takes “Charlie” (GCH Cragsmoor Good Time Charlie) around the ring during the Terrier Group judging atthe 2015 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Charlie, who became the top-winning Skye in 2015, is the nephewof Buddy. CH Finnsky Oliver, whom Cragsmoor imported in 1994 from Finland, is Charlie’s sire and Buddy’s grandsire.

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Charlie as well as other multiple-Best in Showwinners. “I promise you, my heart stopped whenI saw Willie. To this day, he is still the best one,everything I think the breed should be.”

Named the American Kennel Club TerrierBreeders of the Year in 2014, recognizing theirsuccess in breeding Skye Terriers, Gene andMatthew reflect humbly on the 136 Bests inShow and more than 550 Terrier Group Firststhey have accumulated since their start in thebreed in 1972. It all began with a puppy bitchwhose dam, CH Glamoor Good News, won Bestin Show at Westminster in 1969.

Native New Yorkers, their friendship withthe late Walter Goodman, who bred and owned

“Susie” with his mother, Adele, led to their getting“Gaga” (CH Glamoor Too Good To Be True), asGene had become smitten with the short-legged,drop-coated breed from frequent visits toGoodman’s home on Oyster Bay, Long Island.

“I love dogs that have a lot of coat because I likeworking with their hair,” Gene says. “These Skyeswere really cute. All our Skyes have ‘Good’ in theirregistered name as a tribute to Walter Goodman.”

They bred Gaga to a prominent male, CHGleanntan Coming At You, who gave them“Sylvia” (CH Cragsmoor Good N Plenty). Sylviaproduced a Westminster Best of Breed winnerand two Skye Terrier Club of America (SCTA)National Specialty Best of Breed winners.

Well-known to the dog fancy, Gene andMatthew are the publishers of DN Dog News

Magazine, renamed last year after the formerpublisher folded Dog News. Traveling the circuitthousands a miles a year with their jobs has notallowed ample time for breeding or showing,yet their achievements in Skyes, plus severalother breeds, are impressive.

“We’ve been blessed with our success in theshow ring and the recognition our dogs havereceived,” says Gene. “We’ve also been fortunateto have some great partners and handlers onour dogs.”

THE BEGINNING OF CRAGSMOORIn April 2016, when he learned that Dog News

was ending after 32 years of publication, Gene

was lying in a hospital bed recovering fromdouble-knee replacement surgery. “My initialreaction was to let it go,” he says. “But then, I thought long and hard and realized, we lovedoing this magazine.”

Re-establishing the publication, includinggetting legal rights to its trademark, meant relocating from its office on Broadway at 25thStreet in Manhattan across from Madison SquarePark and the American Kennel Club to a comfy,spacious converted barn on Matthew and Gene’sOyster Bay Cove property. Their daily commuteturned into a golf cart ride up the hill.

So far, so good, they agree.When they began Dog News in 1984, after a

12-year stint publishing Show Dogs Magazine,they wanted to publish a weekly newspaper.

“Winnie,” 3 ½ years old, depictsthe energy and enthusiasm ofthe Skye Terrier.

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Over the next 10 years, it morphed into a four-color weekly magazine to support the beautifuldog advertising throughout the publication.

The flooding of their Tuxedo Park, New York,home in Orange County forced them to shutdown Show Dogs Magazine. “When we were atWestminster, we lost the house. The pipes inthe house froze, and as a result, there was majorwater damage. I walked out of there with thedining room table and a plant,” Gene says.

After a couple of years living in a New Yorktownhouse at East 92nd Street and Park Avenue,they moved to a house on the North Shore ofLong Island, Oyster Bay Cove. Four years later,they bought the 5-acre property where theylive now. The former sea captain’s home witheight bedrooms and six fireplaces, dating to1880, has been remodeled many times.

Life is never boring. Six house dogs includefour Skye Terriers, a Brussels Griffon and anEnglish Toy Spaniel. There’s also a black-and-white longhaired cat named Eartha Kittenafter the famous singer.

The Skyes are GCH Cragsmoor Buddy Good-man (“Buddy”), the second top-winning SkyeTerrier in breed history and Charlie’s uncle;GCH Cragsmoor Good Times At Bannerdown(“Winnie”), Buddy’s daughter; GCH CragsmoorAdele Goodwoman (“Adele”), Charlie’s dam; andGCH Cragsmoor Good Girls Don’t (“Lindsey”),Charlie’s litter sister. The Brussels Griffon, CHTalk Dirty to Me (“Howie”), who was bred andleased from a breeder in the U.K., became theirpet after Gene fell in love with him on a trip toCalifornia, and the English Toy was the pet oftheir housekeeper, the late Celia Lopes.

Their prefix, Cragsmoor, comes from a kennelMatthew owned in upstate New York in Cragsmoorfrom the mid-1960s to mid-1970s. When his loveof hounds outgrew his top-floor apartment atEast 92nd Street and Lexington Avenue, Matthewstarted the kennel in rural New York and hireda manager to run it.

“I really wanted a Black and Tan Coonhound,”Matthew says. “I knew one that lived on FifthAvenue. I would see people walking this coon-hound, and I liked his sloppiness.”

He contacted his aunt, Dorothy “Dottie”Goldberg, who co-owned a pet shop with SunnyShay, the breeder, owner and handler of the1957 Westminster Best in Show winner, CHShirkhan of Grandeur, an Afghan Hound, to

help him find a breeder. When a coonhoundcouldn’t be found, Matthew ended up with aBloodhound, The Ring Zorro (“Huck”). Owninga Bloodhound in New York City meant gettingup for exercise walks in Central Park at 4 and 5a.m. and hiring the first professional dogwalker, the late Jim Buck, for twice daily rompswhen Matthew worked.

Curious to see the Bloodhounds at New York’sfamous dog show, Matthew went to his firstWestminster in 1963, where he met a profes-sional handler, the late Harry Manning, whohad won the breed with The Ring Ubiquitous,who was Huck’s sire. Sadly, the sire died thatnight when his stomach bloated, years beforegastropexy preventive surgery to tack thestomach became common.

“I had never heard of a professional handler,”says Matthew. “Huck was from his sire’s onlylitter, and needless to say, Harry and I becamefast friends.”

An attorney, Matthew was working as Directorof Development for the former Kenton Corp.,which owned discount retail stores and high-endbrands such as Valentino Couture and Cartier.He made frequent trips to Milan and Romeand was instrumental in bringing the firstValentino store to Madison Avenue.

The Cragsmoor Kennel started with Blood-hounds, and then Matthew added Whippets.

Cragsmoor Skye Terrierbreeders Matthew Stander,left, and Gene Zaphiris areshown with house dogs,from left, Buddy and Winnie,silver-platinum Skye Terriers;“Sophia,” an English ToySpaniel; “Howie,” a BrusselsGriffon; and “Lindsey” and“Adele,” black Skyes.

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“At one time I had 14 Whippets,” he says. “I lovedthem incredibly. They had such a cuddly disposi-tion. The whole property was fenced, and theseWhippets would run back and forth and exercisethe Bloodhounds.”

As Matthew met more people in the dog fancy,he added other breeds. Dachshunds, Beaglesand the first Rhodesian Ridgeback imported tothe U.S. were part of Cragsmoor. Among thechampions were two No. 1 Bloodhounds, CHCragsmoor’s Bacchus of Mareve and CH Cass-cade’s Columbo of Dakota, the first independentNational Specialty Best of Breed winner.

Gene, who was friends with Goodman, alsoknew Shay, the woman who co-owned theAfghan Hound Westminster winner. “I wouldgo to Sunny’s house every day. That’s how Ilearned about dogs and showing,” Gene says.

In 1971, Shay introduced him to Matthew.That was 46 years ago.

After they became partners, Matthew andGene sold the Cragsmoor kennel, though a few of the dogs moved with them to theirhome at Tuxedo Park. One was a Bloodhound,CH Cragsmoor Dionysus, who won the breedat the 1978 Westminster show.

A TURNING POINTIn 1972, the same year Gene and Matthew

got Gaga, their first Skye Terrier, from Good-man, they got their first Airedale Terrier, CHQuerencia’s Gaby of Cragsmoor (“Gaby”), whichled to a partnership with Maripi Wooldridge

and Jennifer Stevens of Terrydale Airedales inMebane, North Carolina.

“I love the Airedales,” Matthew says. “Theyare like clowns.”

In December, they lost their Australian-bredAiredale, a 14-year-old bitch named “Margaret”(CH Old Iron Margaret River), who was the lastterrier professional handler Peter Green cam-paigned before retiring. After becoming thetop-winning Airedale bitch in history, she wentto Matthew and Gene’s, the minority terrieramong the Skyes.

Another prominent Airedale they co-ownedwas “Felix” (CH Terrydale’s Int’l Affair), a male whowon the breed at the Garden in 1999 at age 10and was the top-producing sire in the historyof the breed. Many other Airedales they haveco-owned, such as CH Terrydale’s MystifyingME (“Mary”) and CH Terrydale HK MoraineSpin (“Blair”), have been Best in Show winnersand National Specialty Best of Breed winners.

The English Toy Spaniel is another breedMatthew and Gene have bred sporadically.Their interest in the breed piqued watchingbreed judging at several dog shows in England.Their male, CH Cragsmoor Murray, is the mosttitled English Toy Spaniel worldwide.

Without a doubt, it is Gene and Matthew’sachievements with the rare Skye Terrier breedfor which they are best known. A courageous,working terrier from the northwestern islandsof Scotland, the Skye Terrier is twice as long ashigh. The breed is agile and strong, yet elegantand dignified. Most agree, the Skye has a tena-cious grip on the affections of those who get toknow the breed.

“Now and again, when Larry would call us toreport losing the Group to a better known terrierbreed, we would laugh and tell him, ‘Oh, well,it’s only a Skye Terrier,’” Gene says.

Winning more than 200 Terrier Group Firstsduring his career, Charlie won 79 Bests in Show,nearly double the 41 Buddy earned, to becomethe top-winning Skye of all time. The No. 1 Terrierin 2014 and 2015, Charlie took Best in Show atthe AKC National Championship in 2014 and atthe National Dog Show in 2015. At Westminster,he won Reserve Best in Show in 2015 and repeatedTerrier Group First in 2016.

“Charlie and Willie are the only father-sonduo to win the Terrier Group at the Garden,”says Gene. “Without a doubt, getting Willie was

Adele, left, and Buddy enjoya meal of Purina Pro PlanNATURAL Turkey & BarleyFormula.

Gene walks Buddy. An inquisitive, bright breed,Skye Terriers are affection-ate with their families andcautious with strangers.

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a turning point for us. Wehad early success with fe-males, but Willie gave ussome very good males.”

Handled by Gene,Willie, at 6 ½ years old,won the Terrier Group atthe Garden in 1996. Hav-ing won the Terrier Groupat the World Dog Show in

Berne, Switzerland, in 1994, Willie was the firstterrier to win the Group at these prestigiousshows. Gene also handled Willie to two Bestsof Breed at the STCA National Specialty.

Gene fell in love with Willie when he sawhim at a show in Finland en route back to theStates with Matthew after judging a dog showin St. Petersburg, Russia. “We tried to buy him,but his owner, Kirsi Sainio, wouldn’t sell him,”Gene says. “We convinced her to lease the dogto us.”

After Willie was returned to Sainio, she changedher mind and sent Willie back to Gene and Matthew.They became good friends with Sainio. Today,they often partner on dogs and breedings.

Charlie, who is Willie’s most famous son, camefrom a dual-sire frozen semen breeding to Adele.Willie’s son, “Walter” (CH Finnsky Excalibur), a

four-time Best of Breed winner at the STCANational, the last time at age 10 from the Veter-ans class, was the other contributor. “I wanteda litter, and I was afraid Willie’s semen was tooold, which is why we used two sires,” says Gene.

Adele went to Woodridge’s home to awaitthe breeding that would be performed by Dr.Katherine Settle of Sanford, North Carolina.Progesterone testing was done every six to 12hours. “Dr. Settle called me and wanted to knowwhich sire I wanted most,” Gene says. “I told her,‘In my heart of hearts, it is the father.’”

Dr. Settle implanted Willie’s semen first, followedby Walter’s. Six puppies — four males and twofemales — were born. All were Willie’s except forone male. Gene and Matthew kept the Willie boys,all which became finished champions, and onefemale, and they sent the other female to Sainioin Finland. The Walter boy went to a home inTexas, where he does obedience work.

Although they don’t currently have a Specialon the circuit, their lives are busy traveling todog shows every weekend for DN Dog NewsMagazine. It never grows old, you can tell bythe glimmer in their eyes.

What’s next? “We just want to keep on doing what we’re

doing,” says Gene. “It’s been a very good life.” ■

The DN Dog News Magazineoffice relocated to Matthewand Gene’s Oyster Bay, LongIsland, property when theyassumed ownership in 2016.“Our commute is now a shortride up the hill on a golf cart,”Gene says.

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A DOG BREEDINGROUNDTABLE with Veterinary Theriogenology ResidentsBreeding dogs can be complicated. To help increasethe number of theriogenologists, veterinaryspecialists trained to help breeders with the reproductive health of their dogs, provide adviceon breeding decisions and care for new littersof puppies, a newly funded TheriogenologyResidency Program was introduced last fall.

The program, a collaboration among theTheriogenology Foundation, American KennelClub and AKC Canine Health Foundation, pro-

vides funding of $100,000 for each theriogenologyresidency. The recipients are: Karen Von Dollen,DVM, of North Carolina State University; CarlaBarstow, DVM, of Auburn University; Victor Stora,DVM, of the University of Pennsylvania; and TessaFiamengo, DVM, of The Ohio State University.

Today’s Breeder is pleased to share this round-table Q&A with these promising veterinarytheriogenologists who will help shape the future of canine health and reproduction.

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Q: How much of your work involves helpingbreeders understand breeding coefficientsand pedigree analysis?Dr. Barstow: We do a lot of genetic counselingwith our clients, which involves the use of breed-ing coefficients and understanding pedigrees.

Breeding coefficients look at thepercentage of inbreeding. Whilelinebreeding can be desirable todouble up on good traits, it alsocan double up on bad traits. Thehigher the inbreeding coefficient,the higher the chance the dam andsire may pass on a genetic defectand the higher the possibility ofreduced fertility.

We look at the results of genetictests and then use those results tochoose the best combination ofparents to minimize the chances

that future offspring will have or carry thesediseases. Sometimes we knowingly breed a carrier animal because he or she is a desirablebreeding prospect for other reasons, but weanalyze the pedigree of potential mates to ensurethey are genetically clear to prevent the diseaseor defect from spreading further in the popu-lation. This allows us to use great dogs from aparticular breed for future matings and not tolimit the available gene pool.

For example, exercise-induced collapse (EIC)that occurs in Labrador Retrievers and some other

breeds is a re-cessive disease,meaning thatan affected dogneeds twocopies of thebad gene inorder to displaysigns of this dis-ease. Becausethere is a DNAtest for EIC, we

can test both the sire and dam. If they are bothcarriers of EIC, then it would be advisable not tobreed that pair as 25 percent of the puppies willlikely be affected by the disease. However, ifthe dam is an EIC carrier and the potential sire isEIC clear, then we can safely breed that pair,knowing that 50 percent of the puppies will becarriers for EIC, but none will be affected with the

disease. A female puppy that is EIC clear canthen be selected from that litter to replace herdam and carry the genetics of her motherwithout carrying on the disease.

When examining hip dysplasia, there is nota great genetic test available that determineswhether dogs will get this disease or pass it onto their future offspring. This is because thereare many different genes responsible for hipdysplasia rather than a single gene that caneasily be tested. This is where pedigree analysisis very important. It is not just the depth ofpedigree with the parents and grandparents thatmatters, but also the breadth of the pedigree withlittermates. It is possible that the male you arewanting to breed is “OFA (Orthopedic Foundationfor Animals) Excellent” and his parents are “OFAGood.” What might not be known without pedi-gree analysis is that this male’s litter-mate was severely dysplastic by 6 months of age. Although yourdesired male is OFA Excellent, thissire is not a good choice for breed-ing if you want to minimize hipdysplasia in your breed.

Dr. Von Dollen: When I am discuss -ing breeding plans and potentialgenetic pairings, I strive not to interfere with the carefully laidplans of a dedicated breeder. Mygoal is to balance respect for theconsiderable effort that goes into generatingand developing a breeding kennel for the over-all health of a breed. If an animal with an iden-tifiable problem that would compromise thehealth of the offspring is presented for breedingmanagement, I advocate for the breeder to con-sider the health, comfort and quality of life forall dogs involved in the breeding.

Q: What are the pros and cons of breedingolder bitches and older stud dogs?Dr. Fiamengo: Many times owners hope to breedolder animals. This may be because they wereactively campaigning the dog when it was younger,or they want to continue to breed a dog that isproducing high-quality offspring. Unfortunately,using older breeding animals of either gender canpose difficulties secondary to a reduction in fertility.

In aging bitches, for example, we see increasedinterestrous intervals, the length of time between

Dr. Carla Barstow

Dr. Karen Von Dollen

We look at the results of genetictests and then use those results to choose the best combination ofparents to minimize the chances that future offspring will have orcarry these diseases. Dr. Carla Barstow

18 | ISSUE 94

heat cycles, decreased conception rates and decreased litter size. For males, some studieshave shown a significant decrease in spermquality as early as 6 years of age. This reducedfertility does not mean that these animals canno longer be used for breeding, but it often meansthat it will be more challenging. With males, some

of these problems can be alleviatedby collecting and freezing semenbetween the ages of 2 and 5 yearsold, when semen quality is higherand freezing success rate is greater,for use at a later point.

Dr. Stora: The pros for using olderbitches and older stud dogs is thatit helps to keep these individualsin the genetic pool and thus helpswith genetic diversity. The cons arethey are subject to more illnesses,especially infertility, because of

their age. The ability to reproduce an older dogis sometimes a luxury. In a world where somedog breeds are essentially endangered speciesdue to their limited genetic diversity, keeping themost genetic diversity is key. Eliminating olderreproducing animals eliminates those genetics.Keeping them allows for more genes to flow inan already limited population.

The con to using these older animals is thatthere is a greater chance of disease. One caveatto consider is that having an otherwise healthy

older bitch pregnant is better than allowing herto cycle without an intention to breed her. As thebitch cycles, the effects of a nonpregnant uterusare additive. They form cysts, and this predisposesthem to pyometra, a life-threatening uterineinfection. The pregnant uterus is much healthier.Lastly, spaying a bitch after her breeding careeris a healthy solution to this problem.

Q: What are some examples of puppyemergencies, and how do you advisebreeders to handle them? Dr. Von Dollen: When puppies are born notbreathing or otherwise compromised, I advisebreeders to keep them calm, keep rubbing themand keep them warm. The neonate is astound-ingly resilient to the insults of oxygen deprivation.It is remarkable to see what warmth and tactilestimulation from vigorous rubbing can achieve.

Early identification of a jeopardized puppyis crucial for minimizing emergency and life-threatening situations. Breeders should use alltheir senses — except taste — in monitoring a litter. They should listen for distressed whim-pers or suspicious quiet, smell for the productsof gastrointestinal upset or unsanitary housing,feel for appropriate temperatures of puppies andenvironment, and observe interactions amonglittermates and the dam. Breeders shouldweigh puppies at least once daily to provide an objective result to alert whether a puppymay need intervention.

Dr. Victor Stora

PURINAPROCLUB.COM | 19

Dr. Barstow: If a puppy is not breathing afterbeing born, it is no longer recommended to“swing” puppies to help clear fluid from the air-way as that could lead to possible brain damageor the puppy being dropped, which could causefurther injury. Instead, a puppy should be heldwith its head down at a 45-degree angle whilerubbing along its back. The puppy should berubbed very vigorously, starting from the tailand working toward the head. This helps thefluid drain without having to swing the puppy.A bulb syringe can be used to gently suck fluidfrom the mouth and nose. You also can gentlyblow a couple of breaths into a puppy’s noseand mouth to help expand the lungs.

If a puppy is not gaining weight, it could bedue to some puppies being weaker than theirlittermates and needing supplementation for

the first couple of days.This puppy will need tobe either tube- or bottle-fed every couple of hoursaround the clock. Eyedroppers and spongeshave been used but arenot recommended asthey have a higher riskof causing pneumoniafrom the milk being accidentally inhaled.

Puppies do not have the extra fat stores thatadults have so it is very important that puppieseat often and that they are gaining weight. Weightgain during the first few days is the single mostimportant factor of puppy well-being. If theyare not gaining weight, then they should besupplemented with a high-quality puppy milkreplacer. Many people prefer to use goat or cowmilk; however, cow milk doesn’t have enough fator protein, and goat milk doesn’t have enoughcarbohydrates or milk solids, which containlactose and minerals.

If a puppy is cold and not gaining weight orthriving, breeders should check the temperatureof the whelping box. Cold puppies don’t nurse andthen they lose weight, and it becomes a viciouscycle. It is important to ensure that a puppy iswarm before it is fed. Otherwise, the milk willcurdle in the stomach, as puppies’ digestivesystems do not work appropriately when theyare cold. The temperature of the room should beabout 75 degrees Fahrenheit. A warming lamp

or heating pad set on low can be placed in onecorner of the box. Puppies need to be able tocrawl away from it in case they get too warm.Determine how puppies are gathered when rest-ing to gauge how they are doing. Puppies piledon top of one another are likely cold, and thosespread all over the box are probably comfortable.

Q: What are the most common problemsdog breeders face and for which theyseek specialists?Dr. Stora: I would have to say ovulation timing.There are a lot of myths about when the mostfertile period is in the female. Commonly, femaledogs are labeled infertile when, in fact, they arenot. They are just improperly timed. Female dogscan have cycles that differ from one another,with some being longer than others. Going bythe old paradigm of “breeding after 13 days ofspotting or vaginal bleeding” will commonly getit right if the female is average, but this will alwaysmiss the outliers that have a different cycle.

For example, suppose a dog is in proestrus,the period of time before ovulation or the firstnine days of bleeding. Estrus is the period ofovulation and the fertile period, with the middlebeing the most fertile. Estrus is nine days onaverage, therefore 13 days after bleeding wouldbe excellent timing to breed the average female.If a female is slightly different and in proestrusfor a longer period, the fertile periodwould not be just 13 days after bleed-ing. Ovulation timing and the abil-ity to time the female’s heat cyclemore accurately in order to catchfemale dogs that are different thanthe norm are the most commonproblems breeders face.

Dr. Fiamengo: One of the most com-mon concerns we address outsideof routine breeding managementor semen collection appointmentsis breeding soundness on animalsthat are experiencing subfertility issues.Breeders also often call us for consults on concerns about a pregnancy, whelping and theweaning process and options for mismatings,or accidental breedings, which may include allowing the bitch to carry the litter to term or terminating the pregnancy. ■

In a world where some dogbreeds are essentially endangered species due to their limited genetic diversity, keeping the mostgenetic diversity is key. Dr. Victor Stora

Dr. Tessa Fiamengo

20 | ISSUE 94

SUSSEX SPANIEL ‘BEAN’ THRIVES ON ATTENTIONWith clownish energy, Multi-BIS GCH Kamand Full OfBeans @ Erinhill has become the No. 1 Sussex Spanielin all-breed competition. The 6 ½-year-old male, called“Bean,” earned five Bests in Show his first year on thecircuit. Bred from the first Sussex Spaniel litter formother-daughter owners Karen and Amanda Tonerof Hampden, Massachusetts, Bean was purposelyheld back from showing until his littermate brother,“Barney,” retired. Pro handler Per Ingar Rismyhr ofEast Granby, Connecticut, guided the longtime CockerSpaniel breeders to getting a Sussex bitch, Bean’s dam,from the renown Clussexx Spaniel kennel of DougJohnson. Bean’s famous maternal grandsire, “Stump,”is the winningest Sussex of all time, with 51 Bests inShow, setting a record as the oldest dog to win West-minster when he took Best in Show in 2009 at age 10,and his paternal grandsire, “Stoney,” is the second top-winning Sussex, with 17 Bests in Show. Bean is fed Purina Pro Plan SPORT Performance 30/20 Chicken & Rice Formula.

LABRADOR RETRIEVER ‘MICKEY’ IS 2016NATIONAL RETRIEVER CHAMPIONA hard-charging 8-year-old male black LabradorRetriever called “Mickey” propelled through 10challenging land and water series to win the 2016National Retriever Championship this past Novemberin Bonham, Texas. NFC-AFC Windy City’s MightyMouse, a four-time National Finalist, topped 97 retrievers to give owner-handler Charlie Hines ofHinsdale, Illinois, a 27-year veteran of the sport, hisfirst National win after having handled 13 NationalFinalists. “Mickey has a positive attitude,” Hinessays. “He is a consistent performer who would runsuccessfully for anyone bringing him to the line.”Mickey is fueled by Purina Pro Plan SPORT Perform-ance 30/20 Salmon & Rice Formula.

“Mickey,” a four-time National Finalist, won the NationalRetriever Championship.

The No. 1 Sussex Spaniel, “Bean,” known for his outgoing per-sonality, often sits up on his hind legs in the ring to give a high-five to his handler.

PURINAPROCLUB.COM | 21

Please visit the Circle of Champions on the Purina Pro Club website at purinaproclub.comto read about top-performing show and sporting dogs powered by Purina Pro Plan.

A talented, young Bluetick Coonhound called “Allie”hunted with independence and treed with accuracy towin to win the 2017 United Kennel Club Grand AmericanNite Hunt in January in Orangeburg, South Carolina.Outperforming more than 600 hounds, the 1 ½-year-oldfemale, ‘PR’ Payt’s Sassy Allie Girl, clinched the champi-onship after three rounds, an impressive feat especiallysince it was only her second competitive hunt. “Allie isa natural in the woods with the drive, speed and intel-ligence needed to be competitive,” says owner-handlerRonnie Mills of Gray, Kentucky, a newcomer to the sportafter pleasure hunting with his hounds for 12 years.“Once she’s cut from the lead, she doesn’t waste timegetting to work.” Allie is powered by Purina Pro PlanSPORT Performance 30/20 Chicken & Rice Formula.

BLUETICK COONHOUND ‘ALLIE’ IS 2017GRAND AMERICAN NITE HUNT CHAMPION

A spunky, full-of-himself attitude has given Multi-BISLotrando Sunshine Celebration a winning edge, saysowner-handler Vanessa Skou of Mooresville, NorthCarolina. The No. 1 West Highland White Terrier allsystems and No. 3 Terrier sent Skou halfway aroundthe world to Slovakia to pick him up as a 9-month-oldpuppy. “I was fascinated by his sire, Un Pour Moi DuMoulin De Mac Gregor,” she says. “When I saw therewas a litter by ‘Bastien,’ I inquired and got lucky.” In2015, at almost 2 years of age, “Rondo” won the breedfrom the classes at two all-breed shows held duringthe prestigious all-terrier Montgomery County KennelClub show weekend. He went on to take a Group Threeat the esteemed Morris & Essex Kennel Club show, anda Group Two the following day at the Hatboro Dog Clubshow. Living in Hawaii at the time, Skou came out ofretirement as a pro handler and moved to the mainlandso she could campaign her dream Westie. Today, the 3-year-old male, co-owned with Zane Smith of Boerne,Texas, has won 22 Bests in Show. Rondo is fed PurinaPro Plan FOCUS Sensitive Skin & Stomach Formula.

“Rondo,” the No. 1 West Highland White Terrier all systems, standsout with his excellent conformation and animated personality.

WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIER ‘RONDO’FULFILLS OWNER’S DREAMS

In her second competitive nite hunt, “Allie” outperformedmore than 600 coonhounds to win the UKC Grand American.

22 | ISSUE 94

P u r i n a Aw a r d s

Front-running, stylishand determined, thesehigh-achieving bird dogscommanded the all-agecircuit with stellar fieldperformances during the2015-2016 season to becomePurina Award winners.Enthusiasts gathered inReno, Nevada, this pastJune to honor the win-ners and celebrate theirachievements.

A 3-year-old white-and-liver Pointer called “Patch,”whose season included animpressive win at the 2016National Champ ionship forField Trialing Bird Dogs,became the 53rd annualPurina Top Field Trial BirdDog. CH WhippoorwillJustified is owned by RonnieSpears of Jacksonville,Arkansas, and handled bypro Larry Huffman of

Michigan City, Missis-sippi, both first-timePurina Award winners.“Patch is a natural whoruns to the front andpoints well. He doesn’tneed much help fromme,” Huffman says.

Not your average “Joe,”a 3-year-old Pointer washospitalized a few nightshalfway through theseason due to swellingin his throat caused bya virus but overcamethe odds to win the ninthannual Purina Amateur Top Field Trial Bird Dog Award. Owner-trainer Larry Smith of Pleasant Hill, Iowa, who handles CH S FBandwagon, says, “Joe is a steady, consistent competitor. I’mthrilled he’s joining the revered ranks of amateur all-age greats.”

A small dog with a big heart, “Pat” more than sized up tothe competition by placing in every derby all-age horsebackstake he was entered to capture the fourth annual Purina DerbyTop Field Trial Bird Dog Award. The 2-year-old white-and-orangePointer, named Shadow’s NextExit, is owned by Butch Houstonof Nashville, Georgia. “Pat is agreat ground-working andfront-running dog. He’s a littledynamite with a tremendousability to find birds,” says proRobin Gates of Leesburg, Geor-gia, who handled Pat with proLuke Eisenhart of Albany,Georgia, winner of the 28thannual Purina Top All-AgeHandler Award.

“One man doesn’t win thePurina Award on his own,”says Eisenhart, who has wonfour Purina Handler Awardsin the past five seasons. “Ittakes a team of good owners,scouts and dogs.” ■

PURINA RECOGNIZES

ALL-AGE BIRD DOG AWARD WINNERS

CH Whippoorwill Justified, the PurinaTop Field Trial Bird Dog

CH S F Bandwagon, the Purina Amateur Top Field Trial Bird Dog

Shadow’s Next Exit, the Purina DerbyTop Field Trial Bird Dog

Luke Eisenhart, the Purina TopAll-Age Handler

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*AKC Top DogsSM All Breed Competition through December 31, 2016.The handler or owner of these champions may have received Pro Plan dog food as Purina ambassadors.

Purina trademarks are owned by Société des Produits Nestlé S.A. Any other marks are property of their respective owners. Printed in USA.

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B r e e d S n a p s h o t

PUMI: A HUNGARIANHERDING BREEDDeveloped over centuries by Hungarian shepherds, the Pumiwas an intelligent herding dog used to drive livestock fromthe village to pastures on the outskirts of town, keeping themout of nearby gardens and fields. During the day, the Pumitended the livestock under the direction of the shepherd, andthen drove them back to the village in the evening. Endearedtoday for his whimsical expression and spirited nature, thePumi became the 190th breed to be recognized by theAmerican Kennel Club in 2016.

The Pumi is one of the three Hungarian herding breedsto have originated from Tibetan herding-guarding dogs thatmigrated with the Magyars, or Hungarians, and their livestockto the Carpathian Basin of central Europe around A.D. 800.In the early 20th century, the Hungarians separated the Pumi,Puli and Mudi into distinct breeds. The names Pumi and Puliwere used interchangeably for many years as the Pumi, foundin the hills of western Hungary, was considered a regionalvariation of the Puli, from the eastern Hungarian plains.

True to his working roots, the Pumi today is a quick learnerthat excels in virtually all sports, including agility, obedience,herding, flyball, tracking, coursing, nose work, and confor-mation. The Pumi is a suitable breed for homes with lots ofactivity and owners who are willing to spend time trainingwith physical and mental exercises. This medium-sized dogis distinguished by his semi-erect ears, long head, squareshape, and wavy-curly coat, which is black, white, any shadeof gray, or fawn. A thinking dog that assesses each new situa-tion and tends to be reserved with strangers, the Pumi is eagerto please and bonds closely to his family. Males are 16 to 18 ½inches tall at the withers and weigh 27 to 29 pounds, andfemales are 15 to 17 ½ inches tall, weighing 22 to 24 pounds.

Sources: The Complete Dog Book, Official Publication of the American KennelClub, i-5 Publishing, Irvine, CA. 2015. The Hungarian Pumi Club of America(http://pumiclub.org).