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| Breeder Interview Top Notch Toys Magazine Cher Hildebrand www.GoldenrayYorkies.com |
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1. When & where did you first become interested in your breed?
A. I've had dogs all my life, growing up with Toy Poodles. I personally had a desire for Yorkies and over 30 years ago when I decided it was time to have a dog of my own, I started my search for a Yorkie. Doing research at that time, I bought books about the breed and developed an interest in showing. I attended some dog shows and decided this was the sport I wanted to be involved in. The love for the breed and for showing has never ended.
2. What attracted you to this breed?
A. The first thing to attract me was how beautiful the Yorkie is with the variance in coat color. I also liked that they were non shedding since I have so many allergies. My love for the breed has remained because of the personalities of them and because it's such a challenge to create a great dog. It's easy to breed dogs, what's not easy is producing a great dog you are proud of.
3. What bloodlines do you work with?
A. Many years ago my desire was to work with certain Wildweir lines. I incorporated Finstal in to a small degree to create the Goldenray look. In recent years I imported Majodian which has worked well within my own lines. I've locked in to some great qualities within the line, without losing my type, structure and temperament.
4. Do you inbreed, linebreed or outcross?
A. I have done all three. I mostly linebreed, but inbreed also. I have occasionally outcrossed as I was getting a little tight here, which sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. Inbreeding can be a great tool, but is not to be taken lightly. You really need to know your lines, but technically that can be said for linebreeding also. You are doubling up on the good, but also the bad, so if there are health issues back there, than the person needs to be very careful. I don't understand how some know they are doubling up on the good but don't seem to understand they are doubling up on the bad.
5. How do you keep your dogs (together, separate, runs or pens)?
A. My dogs are all part of my home. They are confined to 2x4 or 3x3 crates some, but are also outside pottied, going out atleast 5 times per day and playing within my house during the day. In fact the biggest problem I am having is overly spoiling them. This has caused some minor problems in the ring on occasion. I try to be more careful but when I look in their sparkling eyes, I'm a gonner and they take advantage of me.
6. What do you feed your dogs?
A. My dogs are fed Iam's dog foods. I am a firm believer in this food. My dogs are very well bodied and although they have to have the genetics for good bodies, they also have to be fed a proper food. It's real important to me to have good bodies, muscle and bone on my dogs. Genetically I breed for all 3, but they need good food to keep those bodies and plenty of exercise to keep up muscle tone.
7. Do you feed supplements?
A. No I do not feed supplements, other than to pregnant girls.
8. Where do you whelp your bitches?
A. My girls are whelped by me in the bedroom. I want my girls close as it's too easy for something to go wrong during delivery.
9. How and when do you determine a show quality puppy?
A. I start looking at puppies early. My first real look is at 8 weeks, although I know what I don't like by then, I start seriously evaluating structure at 8 weeks for the ones that I like the looks and balance of. I find that structurally anything that is there will come back when an adult, no matter what changes they go through in the meantime. I learned this from my 1st vet and it has held true as a rule. Toplines, tailsets and movement are very important to me. At 6-7 months is when I decide for sure, what is seriously show quality. How I determine that is they HAVE to be structurally sound, balanced, blue silk, and have show attitude. I love a pretty head and although I have it, that is the last thing I keep a dog for.
10. At what age do you begin training? Please share tips for training.
A.Training for me in the beginning is socializing. I will play around on the lead with them around 4 months of age.
11. Do you think our current standard is adequate? What changes do you feel are necessary?
A. The standard could use some small changes to it. I do like the emphasis on coat and color. Not sure why so many judges don't seem to know what a silk coat is but they know what it is on Silkies. I would like to have more emphasis on the structure. Anytime I have conducted a judges education program, that's what all the prospective judges complain about is that there is not enough about structure in our standard. We need to emphasize LEVEL topline and we definitely need to correct the part about tailset. That tailset is for a dog in repose, not a dog moving around the ring. You can not have a Yorkie with a 11:00 tailset and ask for a terrier attitude. With the attitude it is going to have atleast a 12:00 or 1:00 tailset. I personally don't have a problem with all 3 carriages of 11, 12 or 1, as long as the set is high, but it needs to be clarified. I'd also like to see movement discussed more.
12. What is the greatest health concern to breeders today?
A. The health concerns are numerous in this breed now, which saddens me. People are getting shunts, collapsed trachea's, PLE, heart issues, perthes, kidney problems and other things. People need to take a look at what they are breeding and realize that the buck stops there. You may not have created the problem but you can help in irradicating it.
13.Do you feel the size being shown today ever exceeds the standard?
A. There is a lot of situations of size going over the standard in the showring. This is a toy dog and should look like one. We have lots of room to play in our standard, clear up to 7 lbs, I'm not seeing any reason that someone needs to show an even bigger one. I had someone say recently that my girl was small and I'm known to keep medium size and I proceeded to tell them she weighed 5 3/4 lbs. Nice medium size girl, just not walking around on a set of stilts.
14. Is dental care important? Explain.
A. Dental care is very important. Without proper care, the bacteria can cause other health issues. Either cleanings by the vet or home care is necessary. I brush and sometimes scrape teeth on my dogs with every bath and when necessary have my vet do a thorough cleaning. I can keep teeth looking decent but the girls having puppies can be a mess sometimes and if they need more than I can do easily, I will take them to the vet for a professional cleaing. They should not be bred with nasty teeth, not only is it unhealthy for mom but she should not be using that nasty mouth on the babies.
15. What do you enjoy most about owning this breed?
A. I love their independent natures and silliness. I love their devotion to their owners, even though they think they are tough, they still love their owners.
16. What grooming hints or tips do you feel works best for keeping a dog in great show condition?
A.Clean, clean, clean. Did I mention to keep the dog clean? You have to pick your days for bathing and no matter what you don't go over 7 days for bathing a show coat. Not 8 or 9, never over 7 days. A dog in wraps needs to be rewrapped between baths or you are going to lose coat.
17. What makes this breed a great show dog as well as a great companion dog?
A.When a Yorkie has great coat and structure and shows well, they are breathtaking to watch in the ring and a joy to show. As for companions, since this breed is so intelligent, I think people appreciate having an animal that understands so much but yet is so devoted to their people. My son was 3 years old when I started in dogs and they adored him and his friends. I have had people ask what is the downfall of a Yorkie. Everyone assumes it's the coat care. No that is not a problem on a properly silk coated dog. What is the biggest problem is sometimes they are too smart for their own good. Yet they are just like little kids. Their attitude is "let's do some bad things and see what all we are allowed to get away with." I just love that attitude. I can sit there and watch them think. Unfortunately I get such a charge out of watching them think and putting their thoughts to no good, that I usually laugh off their antics.
18. What tips or advice can you share with a newcomer?
A.Do your homework. Be patient. You need to pick your breeder, one that you love their dogs and hopefully you respect as a reputable person and develop a relationship with them before they will place a dog with you. Breeder's with years of developing a great line are not going to just hand it over to someone they don't know. Things are so different than even 15 years ago and caution is the practice by ethical breeders.
19. Do you use the bred by class to exhibit your dogs? If so, explain why.
A.Yes I finish my dogs as a rule out of the BredBy class. Why? Because I am so proud of what I have produced. In Yorkies especially, the best dogs are in the BredBy class most of the time. If judges aren't looking there they should be. This is no longer a filler class, this is the SERIOUS class, atleast in Yorkies.
20. How do you determine the stud dog you will select to breed to your bitch?
A. When looking at any Yorkie, I look at color and texture, structure, temperament, and most of all pedigrees for any health issues. If I like the dogs looks than I have to like the dogs pedigree. I won't go breed to a dog just for looks. I don't follow fads for top dog. I have always been impressed most by those breeder's that feel the most important thing is the great dog they produce, not the amount of winning it has done.
21. If you were starting a kennel, what would you buy first, a bitch or a dog?
A. I would buy the best of what I am offered, no matter the sex. Most important would be the caliber of the breeder offering me that dog and how nice the dog really is. There is show quality and then there is SHOW QUALITY.
Article printed in TNT Magazine
© January 2006 by Cher Hildebrand
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