How many years have you been in the Breed?

I guess I could say 16 years, since that's how many years ago that I got my very first siberian husky.

Is your husband active in the breed, as well?

Yes, he is but not as much as he was when I was just showing our own dogs.

Who was your first Siberian and where did you get him or her from?

My first siberian was Keiko's Blue Eyed Sweetpea "Keiko". My husband Lloyd bought her for me as a Christmas present from a local pet shop chain. Of course at that time all I wanted was a pet and didn't have any thoughts on showing dogs. I still have Keiko today and she will be 16 years old on Oct 24th.

How did you get involved in Conformation?

  I had bought my second dog about a year later Kodo Nisha Baby Roo "Kodo" as a friend for my first Siberian and had decided to enroll in obedience classes. Kodo had done so very well for a Siberian in those obedience classes that the club members suggested that I try and get an obedience title on my dog. Well on my very first try Kodo received his first leg. I was then hooked and he finished his AKC & UKC obedience titles by the time he was 1 1/2 years old. So then I decided to look into getting into conformation while I was getting Kodo ready for open obedience competition. I called around to some breeders looking for a conformation dog most of which either didn't have anything or not what I thought I was looking for. Finally I was refered to Cheryl & Tim Scheall (Tasman Siberians) in North Royalton OH. So I gave them a call and it was by chance that she had a litter on the ground and was having an evaluation party for the litter that weekend. She invited Lloyd and I to come and see the puppies. Well needless to say the people that were there were people who had been in Siberians for several years and then here come Lloyd and I bright eyed, dumb but with a real thirst for knowledge and willing to learn. It didn't take long to realize that it wasn't just an evaluation party for the puppies but one for us as well. I guess we passed the test because by the end of the evening I had my first conformation dog snuggled in my arms and driving back home to Troy.  Her name was Tasman's Stuff Dreams Rmade Of "Kasia".  

My first champion was my obedience dog "Kodo".  My first conformation champion was Ch Tasman's Torch Town Boogie "Kargo" which I finished at a year and a half.  Kargo was a little heavier looking in the front, which was the style when he was being shown.  He had wonderful sidegate, very good front and rear with a very pretty face.  He really set the stage because he was so easy to show.  I had alot of success with him especially at Specialties.  I started doing alot of winning with Kargo and people started to take notice.
 
Did you handle your own dogs at that time?

I handled all my dogs to there championships.

That must have been very exciting.

Again, I purchased him from Cheryl. He is a gray and white dog, 23” tall, brown eyes. I went to Cheryl not expecting to get him. At the time there was another couple interested in him and I was looking at another litter and it was Kayak’s cousin, Kanoe. I really liked this gray dog but I didn’t think I was going to get him. Unbeknownst to me, my husband went in and talked to Cheryl privately and told her that he would buy two that day. He wanted both Kanoe and Kayak. It just ended up working out that day that I got Kayak. The other couple got a black and white brother. We started confirmation classes at 6 months old with both Kanoe and Kayak. Kayak always did what I asked for him to do. He was very smooth in the ring. Easy to show. He would walk into the ring like he was a winner. But I can honestly say, I did have problems with him in the beginning. He was 23” and some judges weren’t willing to look at a 23” dog. They were taught or mentored by people who preferred a smaller Siberian.  But I did finish Kayak at a year and a half old, which is pretty fast.  He’s got a presence. He always did. Once I decided to really campaign him hard. I made the decision to hire a handler, Mike Szabo because at the time I could not be out there every weekend. He ended up being #8 in the Breed. So that was quite exciting.

I can't say never, but right now I'd say no. I had to make a decision on whether to become a breeder or a handler and I felt that I personally couldn't do both and do justice to either one. So I decided to be a handler. It would be especially difficult for me. Being a handler, I am gone all the time. I do take in puppies for training which I have done for many people. They go to handling classes with me, they learn how to travel and they learn how to be shown and stacked so they are ready for the show ring. Right now, I can still have new personalities in my life but know that they are going to go home so I am not adding to my numbers. And also my husband asked me to make that decision because it wouldn’t be fair to him if I wasn’t going to be home and to leave him with all the responsibility. So this works for me at this time but again as I said before, I don’t want to say never. I may. Who knows how long I’ll be a handler. Today, I think I am going to be a handler forever. But bodies do where out. You just never know. Time will tell.

What does it take to win at a sport that is so competitive?

Good dogs, good skills and a competitive nature.

What is the single most important thing that an exhibitor can do to make their dog look better in the ring?
Conditioning

You are known for showing Siberians. Do you show other breeds?

Yes. I don’t show Toys. I don’t have a lot of experience with them. I have shown Mastiffs, Bull Mastiffs, Great Danes, Akitas, Rotties, Golden Retreivers, Basjeni and more. I am comfortable with most breeds.

Today you are currently campaigning CH Karnovanda's Rupert Bear for Ms. Russell and doing very well with him. How did that come about?
 
I had previously campaigned a dog for Judy by the name of CH Karnovanda's Niklas Wolf and once he retired here in the US the next dog in line was Rupert.

I know you are currently campaigning CH Karnovanda’s Rupert Bear. Tell me about him and will you be campaigning him next year.

Right now, tonight, I will be campaigning Rupert next year. (laughter) Rupert has always been a challenge for me. He’s not my easy dog. Niklas was an easy dog. Niklas spoiled me from start to finish. With Rupbert, when I got him he finished within 9 to 10 shows as a puppy. Then he went and grew up. So when I got him to become that special. He was basically untrained. He didn’t get trained because he finished so quickly and so young. When I got him, he was a challenge. He makes me work. It’s not a piece a cake. I can’t glide through this. I do really have to apply myself. He’s a fun dog. We’ve come a long way from the day I first started him as a special and I think he is getting better. He has wonderful side gait. He has solid front and solid rear. He walks in the ring wanting to do the job today. He’s got the drive, modivation and everything that is needed for the specials ring. That’s why I am pretty sure that we will have him out next year. He’s like a fine wine. He’s getting better.

If I wanted to hire you today to handle my Siberian, could you? Or are you exclusive to Ms. Russell?

Yes, I could show other peoples class dogs. However I am currently exclusive to Judy Russell when it comes to specials.

How did you feel when you won your first Best In Show?

It was under Keke Kahn with CH Karnovanda’s Niklas Wolf. It was a thrill of a lifetime. While I was considered a handler because I was being paid to show others peoples dogs. I still felt that I was very new to the game which I am. But I had this dog, Niklas which I thought was the complete package. A phenominal dog. I felt he was very deserving of a BIS.  I would hear about this or that Siberian going BIS somewhere and I just couldn't understand why not Niklas.  Every weekend I would go in there and I would see this dog win and hear about that dog winning. I took that very hard because I felt confident in this dog’s abilities. I could not understand why this dog was not being considered for Best in Show when I made it that far.   I took it very hard. I had a lot of problems with that. I started second guessing myself, “Should I be showing this dog? Would this dog already have had multiple Best in Shows if it weren’t for me?” Being new, being a person the Judges didn’t know and didn’t recognize me. But I decided that, “I can do this”. Hopefully, I am not holding this dog back. When I got the first Best in Show on him, it was “WOW”! I cried. I was excited. I was in awe. I couldn’t believe later that “I” had gotten this dog a Best In Show. He’s a phonominal dog. If I could have trained him to go around the ring on his own. He would have done it on his own. I just happened to be at the end of the lead (lots of laughter).  

When you campaign a dog as you did with Niklas how hard is it to let go when the campaign is over?

It’s very hard. I only had Niklas out for a year in a half. I felt he should have had more time here in the United States. However, Judy had other plans for me. In my case, my specials live with me. They never go home. They are with me all the time. They are a part of my dogs life here and they are a part of me. We spend so much time intense time together you feel as if they are one of yours.  When Niklas left me, it was very hard for me. It was like cutting off my right arm and it wouldn‘t have hurt any worse than it was by letting that dog go. To this day, I still think about that dog. I still love that dog and I always will. I understand part of it was that he was such a good dog and I had the privildge to have that dog. He took me places that I never thought I would never go. Like the Best In Shows, the Specialties, Westminster and so much more. I let that dog go. But I let him go to bigger and better things. So that makes me feel good. But I still miss him to this day.

Today, there are three Karnavonda dogs in the Top 10. Are you competitive with them?

And last but not least, what's up next for you?

Well, I don't really know. I'll just have to let you know when I get there.