September 2005

By Jane Eno

This month I’ll be keeping my comments short. I have a wonderful interview with Lynn Duckett that will follow the Brags section. Next Newsletter will contain my summary of all the fun at the agility and obedience competitions at Kimberton, PA. For now I have to clean the mud off my dog training equipment and get some rest. It was a fun and messy week for all of us at the National Specialty events.

BRAGS

From Susan Coliton:
I just finished two of three day obedience and rally trial at the Sacramento Dog Training Club. Eidenbock's Jamison Lee, CD, RA is now CD, RE!!!!. He'll get a break from competing while we clean up his performance before attempting his RAE's. My congratulations to the club for a trial well run and great prizes and awards. So far, the weather has co-operated and been beautiful. Rally judges Beatrice Moore and Cathy Dutra were wonderful. I would show under them any time.

From Tracey Fulmer:
I'm new to the USKBTC list and new to agility this year. My Kerry boy, Bailey (Lynmar My Bleu Heaven) recently received his AKC Novice Standard and Jumpers titles. We're now two legs into our Open Jumpers title.

From Lisa Frankland and Kerries Lav and Katie Rae (Ch. Casey's Rae of Sunshine CD, RN, OA, NAJ) In Albuquerque, NM:
Here in New Mexico, we're in the height of agility season--two sets of AKC trials in the last three weekends, and another one next month. To some of you hard-core agility people, this may not sound like a lot, but since my ability to travel to shows is somewhat limited, I grab what I can! Anyway, I've showed Katie Rae at the trials in mid-September, and again this past weekend, and am thrilled to announce that she picked up her last two legs to finish her Open Agility title, and earned her first Open Jumpers leg her first time out in that class! I was especially pleased with her runs this past weekend; she is getting much faster and "in tune" with me, did beautiful weaves, and successfully pulled off multiple rear crosses (the first time I've ever attempted this in competition). In the Open standard class that finished her title, only three dogs in the entire class (all height divisions, including preferred) qualified, and Katie was not only the only one to complete it with a clean run (perfect score), but finished the course 21 seconds under SCT to boot!

I also want to put in a plug for one of the judges who were at the Sandia Dog Obedience Club Agility Trials two weeks ago. Chris Dewey, from Florida, is scheduled to judge at Kimberton next year, and is one of the nicest judges I have ever met. Her courses, while not easy, were well designed and a lot of fun, especially if you have a dog like Katie who loves tunnels. But it was Chris' attitude that really made her stand out. She had a smile on her face the entire weekend, cheered for every qualifying dog, and had something encouraging/complimentary to say to everyone. I was especially impressed by how thrilled she was for a gal I train with, who’s Basset Hound earned her MX that weekend (we're all impressed!). Chris actually sent Jane a congratulatory card and note after the trial, with a "Q" charm enclosed to commemorate Dot's title! Anyway, if you can possibly make it to the Terrier Group agility trials at Kimberton next year, BE THERE! I'll guarantee that she'll make it even more fun than it already is.

Hope everyone who is going to Pennsylvania this year has a blast. I'll be eagerly scanning my e-mail for updates.

Interview with Lynn Duckett

Questions about Breeding and Raising the Performance Kerry

Over the years a few Performance Kerry Blue Terriers have stood out as being truly exceptional. One of these Kerries, Daisy has, in August of 2005, become the first multiple AKC Championship Kerry. Daisy is now known as CHMACH Kerigolf Flower Power. She is owned, loved, and handled by Bryan and Dana Kincaid. This interview is with the breeder of this wonderful Kerry, Lynn Duckett.

How long have you been involved in showing dogs and the Kerry Blue Terrier in particular?
I adopted my first Kerry in 1980 after fostering her for an all-breed rescue group. She lived for 12 more years and was the light of our lives. I've been sold on this breed ever since!

How did you get involved in the hobby?
I adopted my first show dog in 1992 from Nancy and Lynn Westbrook. I wasn’t actually looking for a “show dog” but they really wanted that dog shown and offered to help me every step of the way. So, with lots of help from Nancy, we finished my first champion, Ch Everglory’s Free Spirit (a.k.a. “Rebel”), Daisy’s sire. Daisy’s dam, Ch Everglory’s Miss Virginia, was also bred by and adopted from Nancy and Lynn Westbrook.

Please tell us a little about the various dogs you have owned and raised for performance events.
I grew up with sporting dogs. My Dad raised and trained English Setters for fieldwork. It’s hard to remember a day in my life without a dog by my side. Perhaps because my Dad believed in training all dogs, I became interested early on in training dogs. All my childhood pets learned tricks.

I’ve bred and raised only four litters. I enjoy challenging the pups from an early age, to stimulate their growth and development. We play games with the pups, set up obstacle courses, etc. We construct mazes from cardboard boxes for the pups to play on, give them boards and tires to walk on and through, and always take every litter to puppy kindergarten, starting at nine weeks of age.

Did you know these puppies were going to be special when they were born, or did they surprise you?
I guess every breeder thinks his or her pups are special, and I’m no different! I will say that Daisy and Nellie, (the bitch I kept from that litter), always stood out in the litter. They were always the first ones to figure out every new puzzle we presented the litter with. Daisy was my first pick of that litter, based on conformation, movement and attitude.

How did you select your bitches for breeding?
Temperament is the first deciding factor. I look for steady, reliable and predictable personalities. Health is my second consideration; I want the mother of my litters to be stable, healthy and pass all health screenings with flying colors. The third consideration is conformation to the breed standard. If I can find a bitch with all three sets of characteristics, that’s the one I’ll choose for breeding.

What do you look for in a sire for your litters?
All of the things I mentioned for a brood bitch are also important for the sire. In addition, his strengths in conformation should complement the bitch. In other words, if some conformation characteristic isn’t present in the bitch, I’d want to see that exhibited in the sire. After that, I look for a line breeding, where the pedigrees match. Again, I want the lines to complement each other.

What are the most important characteristics for a kerry to have both a successful breed ring and a successful performance career?
First important characteristic is a sound and predictable temperament. Second, conformation to the breed standard is important, not only for the breed ring but also for the performance events. If correct structure isn’t there, a dog will not have the physical ability to run quickly without tiring, jump without trauma to joints and weave with good coordination.

Once the puppies are born, describe how you handle the first few weeks of their lives? How big an influence do these early experience have on their later development?
I think every moment of their early lives contributes to what sort of dog the adult will be. I take three months off work when I raise a litter, because I simply don't have time for anything other than the puppies! I believe in handling every pup several times a day. I introduce them to walking on different surfaces in the whelping box. I play audio tapes of loud noises from the time their eyes and ears are open to desensitize them to sounds. The tapes are first played softly, then louder each week. From the time they’re up on their feet at three to four weeks, I put them on the grooming table and practice stacking and physical examination.

At five to six weeks, I bring them out into the household, with the adult dogs and full household racket and stimulation. As soon as they have their first vaccines, I invite people in to meet them and play with them. And, as I said earlier, the pups start puppy kindergarten at nine weeks.

How do you select homes for your puppies? Do you use a temperament testing system?
It may sound corny, but I like to let the pups choose their owner. When potential puppy buyers visit, I let them play with all the puppies and watch how the pups interact with each one. Many times, potential owners and one puppy seem to “click.” I remember when Bryan and Dana came to visit that litter. They had no plans to actually buy a pup; they were coming to help socialize them. Yet, the first time they visited to play with pups, Daisy repeatedly went up to Bryan. She’d lay down in his lap and gaze up at him adoringly. When they called later to say they might want to adopt “yellow collar girl,” I was surprised at first, since she was the one I’d planned to keep. Yet, I remembered how Daisy had “taken” to Bryan. Daisy’s behavior during subsequent visits with Dana and Bryan remained the same . . .she was obviously trying to tell me she’d picked them!

Yes, I do temperament testing at 49 days. I am lucky enough to have an obedience and agility instructor who does temperament evaluations for me. While I usually have a pretty good idea what each pup’s temperament is after watching them for seven weeks, it’s good to hear an objective opinion. I believe the temperament tests results help new owners understand their pup better and help guide us on training techniques.

What characteristics do you look for in a conformation dog?
I look for conformation to the AKC standard, beauty, good structure and that “look at me” attitude.

Obedience dog?
I look for good structure, attitude and intelligence, confidence in itself and its owner, plus an owner who’s smarter than the dog and willing and able to make the commitment to train and exhibit the dog! While I believe early experiences and training contribute to a good performance dog, without the right match of owner and dog, all that is lost.

Agility dog?
Good structure ( to allow the dog to run, take jumps and weave poles with out injuring joints and muscles), confidence, both in itself and the owner, intelligence, drive, ability to think independently, yet take directions from owner, and again. . .an owner who is smarter than the dog, willing and able to make the physical and mental commitment to train the dog and run courses with it!

Pet dog?
Stable temperament, good health and an owner who will complete a minimum of at least a basic obedience/socialization class and provide a loving and secure home for the pup.

How does an owner go about juggling for a performance and a conformation career for their Kerry?
That’s a question that Bryan and Dana could answer better than I. I know Daisy has done well with both and has enjoyed both, yet I’m sure there were many challenges along the way for all three of them!

Is it typical for a Kerry like Daisy to excel in both Conformation and Performance, or was she an unusual Kerry?
I don’t know that I’d ever call Daisy “typical” . . .while her conformation, intelligence, attitude and drive surely helped, her biggest plus was that she had owners who were committed to helping her be the champion she had the ability to become! I always believed that one of the males in that same litter had as much potential as Daisy had, yet his owners chose to not show him. He’s a beloved pet and I’m thankful for that. Yet, I will always wonder how well he could’ve done if he’d had owners with different priorities.

What age do you place your Kerries in their future homes?
Twelve weeks and up, depending on when the puppy and owners are ready.

Do you do any early training or socialization with the puppies?
As stated earlier in this interview, socialization and training begin at birth and continue until the pups leave us for their new home. I cannot emphasize enough that the new owners must be willing to take over where the breeder stops! One thing I didn’t mention earlier is that from the age of six weeks, I take one puppy with me every day, separating it from its littermates. That pup goes with me on errands in the car, follows me about in the house as I clean, etc. I think this encourages independence.

Do your Kerries live in your house or a kennel? Why?
Our dogs live in our home, sleep on our bed and go with us on vacation. Our kennel building gets used for grooming and storage. I think dogs of any breed do better when they’re part of the family. Kerries seem to be especially needy when it comes to human interaction.

I know you are deeply involved in Kerry Blue Terrier Rescue. How does that fit into your other activities with dogs?
At times, rescue work sort of takes over my life! But, it’s good for my own dogs to learn to accept strange dogs into the home. The biggest thing I’ve learned from rescued dogs is different ways to train Kerries. Working with dogs from different lines has helped me understand the breed in general better.

Finally, what other things that I haven’t mentioned, do you feel goes into making a future performance dog?
I think one of the most important things is for the breeder to match puppy to owner. Just as some humans have personality clashes, some buyers and puppies should never be living together! A winning team is just that . . . a good match of owner and dog. If the breeder is lucky enough to find that sort of match for their pup, that’s a joy to watch! I still get tears in my eyes when I watch Bryan and Daisy “working” in the agility ring together. The bond between those two is almost palpable!

Any other comments of information you can provide?
I think it’s important for every breeder to follow up with every puppy closely for that critical first year. After that, you can slack off some, but still should maintain contact with every owner for the life of the dog.

There is one last piece of information that I feel is very important for everyone to hear. In greater than twenty years of doing rescue work, I’ve never had an obedience or agility trained dog in rescue. I’ve seen conformation champions surrendered by owners, but when someone takes the time to understand a dog well enough to train it, they usually keep it for life! For that reason, I require every new owner to complete a minimum of a basic obedience class within the first three months after they adopt the puppy.

Last Updated: 10/12/2005, 12:14 pm