ANNE DOVE
3
CAIRN TERRIERS EARTHDOG
Anne Dove competed in Earthdog with their Cairn Terriers before venturing into conformation . At a local Scottish festival , she saw a demonstration of working terriers . “ I was completely fascinated watching the drive of these terriers and seeing them ‘ turn on ’ to what they were bred to do . It left an enormous impression on me .” After she had terriers , she went to a breeder to learn how to hand strip her dog ’ s coat and learned about conformation and breeding . Her first show dog was from this breeder .
Anne continues to owner-handle her Cairns and compete in a variety of sports . She finds dog sports are a lot like the team sports she grew up playing . She likes the teamwork , competition and sportsmanship . “ A big part of my enjoyment … [ is ] observing other dogs and their handlers train and compete . It ’ s a constant educational experience , and I particularly love seeing the differences in how different breeds respond .”
RICHARD REYNOLDS
2
TERRIERS AND DACHSHUNDS EARTHDOG
A hunter all his life , Richard Reynolds was an AKC licensed professional handler and is a conformation and Earthdog judge . He believes in “ preserving breed type through concentration on performance ability .” He has worked in the AKC Earthdog program , the American Working Terrier Association and with hunting English Foxhounds . He is well-known for helping clear New York City of rats with his vermin-catching terriers and Dachshunds . He describes how performance affects conformation judging :
“ Conformation judging … is subjective . Assuming that there has never been a perfect dog , the judge is left to determine his or her own structural priorities . This is where the performance comes in . Little , tiny words and phrases in the standard play a big part in the function and safety of the dog in the field . You judge differently after you have worked or hunted a dog .”
Richard describes the partnership with his Norfolk Terrier : “ The happiest day of her life , and mine too , was when she discovered that she could call me instead of the other way around .”
MARCH 2017 DOGS IN REVIEW 105