Dogs In Review Magazine Novemeber Issue | Page 115

but sadly I do not think that most breeders are facing their responsibility for the future welfare of the breed. ing. We have, over the years, depended on other breeders to breed males that we have used in building up our strain, and conversely our dogs have been available to others and still are. Almost all standard Greyhounds in the world now trace back to our dogs, so at least we did make some difference to the breed. AS: I notice you refer to “standard” Greyhounds instead of “show” Greyhounds? Why is that? EE: Like many other breeds, my breed has been split for decades. It is common to talk about racing Greyhounds AS: So are there any kennels that based their foundaon one hand and show Greyhounds on the other. Well, the tion on Jet’s Greyhounds? Greyhounds that I breed are much more than just “show EE: Yes, there are several kennels that have bred on from dogs.” Our breed standard was written to describe a dog our stock, notably Eikica in Denmark, that is able to do a day’s work hunting dell Attimo Fuggente in Italy, Salgreys down game out in the field. I would in Russia, Gerico in the US, Taikatassun like to retain those working abilities What makes and Rantalaukan in Finland, Moyen and in my dogs, and I have therefore also Schotborg here in Norway, Nicesteps in done a lot of lure coursing with them. breeding enjoyable Latvia and Quom in Australia, to menMy focus is to breed functional dogs is the creativeness tion some of the most important ones. according to the standard and not simof it all, using so Many others have made use of stud ply to win in the show ring. I refuse dogs bred by Jet’s. to have them reduced to just “show” much of yourself Greyhounds, but think of them and in the process. AS: What makes breeding so enjoycall them “standard” Greyhounds for able for you? What does the future these reasons. hold for Jet’s? EE: What makes breeding enjoyable is the creativeness of AS: How do you think the breed has benefited from it all, using so much of yourself in the process, combining what you have instilled in the gene pool? your artistic sense with your intellect and knowledge, your EE: For what it may be worth, at least I have bred a true strain heart and your brain. The sheer difficulty involved with within my breed. Generations after generations of dogs bred slowly, slowly building a giant puzzle consisting of many, with the same ideal and priorities have after all these years many pieces that have to fit together to make outstanding resulted in a family of dogs with (mostly) a certain set of qualdogs is most intriguing. Every time a new litter is born is defiities or traits. You may like them, or you may not. If you do nitely a highlight. Will there be some important pieces in there not like them, I probably did not breed them for you anyway. to improve on the big puzzle? I have no plans to slow down If you do like them, and you are already, or aim to become, a on the breeding. Quite to the contrary, several new litters are serious breeder and you feel you can benefit from my dogs, planned for the future. they are available for you to breed to. Neither my mother nor I have ever been exclusive or elitists when it comes to breedAS: Are there any breeders (all breeds) you look up to? EE: For sure, there are many breeders whom I have looked up to and who have inspired me over the years. To name just a few, the master breeders in my own breed such as Barbara 38 Greyhound litters 96 FCI international champions Wilton Clark (Shalfleet, UK), Frank Brown (Shaunvalley, UK), Ann Gustafson (Gulds, Sweden) and Judith Donaldson (King10 generations from 1975-2015 44 individual all-breed Best in Show winners smark, US). As a youngster, I corresponded with Raymond 9 consecutive generations of Oppenheimer of the Ormandy Bull Terriers and marveled over BIS-winning international 37 National/Parent Club champion bitches, including specialty BOBs his books, and I still do. I much admired the pedigrees of the the foundation bitch Ozmillion Yorkies of Osman Sameja and the Hillsdown Whip41 times top Greyhound 202 champions of the Year pets of Philip Moran Healy. Among the current master breeders whom I look up to 10 British champions (the record 3 times Top Dog All Breeds among overseas breeders) in Norway are Terry Miller of the Deja Vu Briards and Patricia Trotter of the Vin Melca Elkhounds, both in the US. And, of course my 737 champion titles in Note: All records apply for 62 different countries homebred dogs only. benefactor in Griffons, master breeder David Guy of Donzeata (UK) has been a great mentor and source of inspiration. DIR Jet’s Kennel Highlights 112 DOGSinREVIEW.com