AKC "Advice From The Breeder" Article 2015 – Click here
Regency Miniature Schnauzers are mentioned in several books on the Miniature Schnauzer Breed.
Some of those books are:
THE BOOK OF THE MINIATURE SCHNAUZER – by Anna Katherine Nicholas published by T.F.H. Publications This is a large coffee table type book with hundreds of color pictures.
THE NEW MINIATURE SCHNAUZER – FIRST EDITION by Dan Kiedrowski, published by Howell Book House
THE NEW MINIATURE SCHNAUZER – SECOND EDITION by Dan Kiedrowski
FROM RUFFY TO REP – by Dankiedrowski
These last two books have lots of pictures and good general knowledge as to care and grooming, but also goes back to the breeds' beginnings and traces the major show lines up to the present. It is an in depth look at the breed. This same author publishes our breed magazine, "SCHNAUZER SHORTS" which comes out monthly. The books or magazine can be ordered directly from Dan Kiedrowski at (415) 747-0549
AND FOR OUR INTERNATIONAL FRIENDS :
THE MODERN MINIATURE SCHNAUZER – by Peter Newman, England
THE MINIATURE SCHNAUZER – by Sumiko Ikeda, Japan
This is an article Bev wrote for the AKC Breeders Newsletter in 2011
THE JOY OF LEFTOVERS
As a Breeder, Owner Handler of Miniature Schnauzers for the last 37 years, I have been been blessed to have been able to produce a dog with a very specific look that speaks to most as “Regency”. In the show ring these dogs have done well, some of them have been #1 dogs in my breed and one is the Top Winning dog in Miniature Schnauzer history. Of those dogs, I am very proud and feel I am accomplishing what we all set out to do. But I wish to speak now of those ‘other’ dogs-the ‘leftovers’.
When a bunch of Breeders get together, the talk is all about who bred to who, how many champions so and so produced and the latest ‘Big
Winner”, we talk genetics and health and we all brag a bit about our latest “Great One”. Thats all well and good, but I don’t think I have ever heard much talk about the other 70% of the dogs we breed, the ‘leftovers”.
I’d like to begin by defining my idea of a Breeder. As a very well known judge told me once, they are ‘Producers’ and then there are ‘Breeders‘. Breeders do not breed just because a bitch is in season, or because they need puppies to sale. A Breeder does not promise or take deposits on their entire litter before they are even born. A Breeder does not keep the best puppy in a litter to show if it is not truly ‘show quality’, sometimes there is no puppy in a litter good enough to go on with, a fact we all must recognize. Each time a breeder produces a litter it should be in an attempt to produce a dog/dogs who will:
- in the case of a beginner, establish a unique type/line
- improve on the line both in looks and in health
- maintain a very good line
If you are lucky, you will produce one or maybe more of these dogs in the litter, the rest will be pets, ‘leftovers’. Well established Breeders have probably produced five times the number of Pet puppies as they have show dogs. It is these dogs that I want to speak about.
In my office I have file cabinets and book shelves filled with all things dog. Scrap books of Top Winning dogs, magazine ads for my show dogs, thousands of show photos, pedigrees and show entries. But in one special cabinet I keep letters and Christmas cards and family photos sent to me from the people who live with and love my Pet Puppies. Each one thanks me for raising such wonderful dogs and each one tells a story; “Since the loss of my husband, my son Justin has been so aloof, that is until Maddox came into our life, this dog has helped heal our hearts and bring us closer together” or “ During my hospital stay my husband Joe would sneak the puppy up to me, those visits made the chemo go faster and not seem so bad” and “Gracie is a blessing from God, she gives my family joy every single day”. Occasionally I go to that cabinet and re-read some of those letters, it makes me feel so good to be able to do something that makes so many people so happy, its kind of like the feeling you get at Christmas, the joy of giving. It gives me a different kind of satisfaction and pride in what I do.
We treat every litter born here as if they will all be show dogs, they are handled every day, they are groomed and stacked kissed and hugged on a regular basis. Our process of elimination begins at 8 weeks of age, then again at 12 weeks, 4 months and 6 months. Only the very best pups will be here past 6 months of age, and even then, some small thing could change and that puppy too will become available to a Pet home. I tell people that ‘Show’ people want all the same things in a dog that they do-we want them to be healthy, beautiful, playful,full of confidence and possess a willingness to please. So in that respect, good show dogs make good pets.
Finding homes for older puppies is never hard, because the longer they have been here, the better they are, most all are crate trained and some have already been lead-trained.
Screening people for your pet puppies is a must. The best case scenario is a family that has already owned a Miniature Schnauzer who died of old age. That family knows about the breed, all of its‘ pros and cons and they are anxious to add another to their home. Except in the case of someone who just isn’t ready yet. After losing a dog some people can only think of replacing “Joey” with another “Joey”. To those people I advise waiting awhile, till they can understand that while this new dog may have many of the characteristics Joey had, those are the characteristics that hold true in the breed, that speak ‘Miniature Schnauzer”, he will not be nor should he even be compared to ‘Joey”.
I know of many Breeders who will not sell to families with young children. I think this can be a mistake. I raised two kids with dogs. My children were taught a healthy respect for all living things and I think that families today are capable of doing the same thing with their children. All it takes is one visit to see whether or not good parents have taught their children how to interact with animals. What is more wonderful than growing up with a dog? And what can make a dog happier than a child who adores him?
Twister makes the Local News paper!
