® ® ® ® ATO Purina Pro PlanDAY Publication Dedicated’S to theBR Needs of CanineEE EnthusiastsDER Issue 104 A WINNING PARTNERSHIP The Whippets of Windborn & Starline I THE PORTUGUESE WATER DOG IN AMERICA I WESTMINSTER WINNER ‘WASABI’ I Q&A ON DOG BREEDING & NUTRITION Table of Contents WESTMINSTER WINNER 4 ‘WASABI’ The Pekingese “Wasabi” wins Best in Show at the 2021 Westminster Kennel Club, a historic year with a different date and location due to COVID-19. DUO MAKES WESTMINSTER 6 FINALS “Deuce” is the first Australian Shepherd to win the Herding Group at Westmin- ster, and her daughter, “Lili Ann,” wins her division in the 2020 Masters Agility Championship. Q&A ON DOG BREEDING & 8 NUTRITION Dog breeders ask experts questions related to breeding, pregnancy, puppy care, and nutrition. THE WHIPPETS OF WINDBORN 18 & STARLINE Windborn’s Lori Wilson-Paust and Starline’s Lori Lawrence believe that breeding Whippets is an art. Their many noteworthy winners are their pets first, fancy show dogs second. THE PWD STORY IN 28 AMERICA Nearly extinct when American fanciers brought the Portuguese Water Dog to the States, the breed thrives today thanks to efforts to advance breed health. REGULAR FEATURES 14 Purina Herding Award 17 National SPO Championship 26 Tips for Travel with Dogs 36 Circle of Champions Today’s Breeder Advisory Board Corey Benedict, Northeast Area Today’s Breeder is sent as a courtesy to 40 Purina Farms Manager, Conformation members of Purina Pro Club. Articles Gianna DeiSanti, Brand Director, may be reprinted if the following credit 42 Breed Snapshot Breeder-Enthusiast Marketing Diana Allen, Field Representative, is included: Used with permission Conformation from Today’s Breeder, Nestlé Purina ON THE COVER Sherry Bresnahan, Senior Brand PetCare Company. Manager, Breeder-Enthusiast Marketing Heidi Hartman, Field Representative, MBIS GCHP Windborn Starline Heiress Trademarks owned by Société des Conformation Produits Nestlé S.A., Vevey, Switzerland. BN RN SC BCAT TKN is a 7 ½-year-old Christina Schneider, Senior Brand fawn brindle female Whippet co-bred Manager, Breeder-Enthusiast Marketing Karl Gunzer, Director, Sporting Group © 2021 Nestlé Purina PetCare Company and co-owned by Lori Wilson-Paust of Please note that the handlers or owners Scott Smith, Managing Director of Greg L. Blair, Area Manager, Sporting Modesto, California, and Lori Lawrence of dogs featured in Today’s Breeder may Field Operations have received Purina Pro Plan dog food of Rancho Santa Fe, California, with Mark Cascio, Area Manager, Sporting as a Purina ambassador. Kellie Padon and Robert “Bobby” Paust. Ann Viklund, Director of Conformation “Anna” is handled by Lori Wilson-Paust. Ray Voigt, Area Manager, Sporting See story on page 18. Connie Wagner, Senior Area Manager (Southeast), Conformation Today’s Breeder is produced and pub- lished by Nestlé Purina Public Relations. THIS PAGE Annie Balotti, Area Manager, Purina Weighing puppies daily through 3 weeks Event Center Bill Etling, Vice President of age helps to ensure they are getting enough milk and growing normally. Marci Sale Crawford, Plains Area Barbara Fawver, Editor, Today’s Breeder Manager, Conformation See story on page 8. PURINAPROCLUB.COM | 3 ‘WASABI,’ A PEKINGESE, WINS BEST IN SHOW AT 2021 WESTMINSTER DOG SHOW The Pekingese “Wasabi” set the pace and of a career. It is surreal to have won this breeder-owner-handler David Fitzpatrick dream of a lifetime for the second time.” obligingly walked alongside. Their steady MBIS/MBISS GCHG Pequest Wasabi cadence around the Best in Show ring at won in a historic year. Due to the pan- the 145th Westminster Kennel Club Dog demic, the iconic dog show was held Show Presented by Purina Pro Plan was June 12-13, 2021, at Lyndhurst Estate in distinguished by grace and harmony. Tarrytown, New York, a departure from Recognizing their brilliant performance its usual February occurrence at Madison amid a stellar lineup of beautiful show dogs, Square Garden. Judging of 2,500 dogs — Best in Show judge Patricia Craige Trotter 209 breeds and varieties — took place on gave top honors to the dignified, bold toy a grand outdoor lawn with Groups and dog and his debonair handler. “Wasabi stood Best in Show held in a spacious indoor as though he was a lion, as though he was tent building that emulated the look 10 feet tall,” said the 11-time Westminster and feel of Westminster at the Garden. Hound Group breeder-owner-handler after Wasabi's co-owners are Sandra Middle- the show. “He has the perfect rectangular brooks of Fairhope, Alabama, the late Pekingese head and the proper pear shape Iris Love of New York City, and Peggy with a heavy front and light in the back.” Steinman of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. “Westminster is such a magnificent event,” The 3-year-old black-masked red male David of East Berlin, Pennsylvania, told Breeder-owner-handler David Fitzpatrick reacts captured his 50th Best in Show at West- joyously to winning Best in Show. “Wasabi” is reporters, as Wasabi looked up with friendly, the 14th of the past 15 Westminster Best in Show minster. In December 2019 at 20 months large wide-set eyes. “To win here is the pinnacle winners fed Purina Pro Plan dog food. of age, Wasabi was the youngest dog 4 | ISSUE 104 and first Toy Group winner to take Best in Show at the AKC National Championship. Shown sparingly, he had earned his first Best in Show the previous weekend. The No. 1 all-breed dog in the country in 2020, Wasabi returned to the AKC National Championship in 2020 to win Best Bred-By Exhibitor. David’s first Westminster Best in Show win in 2012 was with MBIS/MBISS GCHS Palacegarden Malachy, a 4-year-old silver- brindle male, who is Wasabi’s paternal grandsire and maternal great-grandsire. “Malachy,” the No. 1 Toy dog in the country in 2010 and 2011, won his 115th Best in Show at the Garden. Wasabi’s sire, “Chuckie” (MBIS/MBISS GCHG Pequest Pickwick), won Toy Group First at Westminster in 2017. Altogether David has showed Pekingese breed winners in the Toy Group at Westminster 24 times and won eight times. His first Westminster Toy Group winner in 1987 was CH Briarcourt’s Coral Gable, a solid, sound and charismatic dog. Coral Gable’s son, CH Briarcourt’s Damien Gable, won in 1993 and 1994. A black-masked red dog leased from Bert Easdon and Philip Martin of Yakee Pekes in Glasgow, Scotland, was the 2005 Toy Group winner. “Jeffrey” (CH Yakee If Only) went on to be the No. 1 all-breed dog that year and the winningest Peke and Toy Group dog in history with 129 Bests in Show, topping the long- standing record of 126 wins by CH Chik T’Sun of Caversham. The record stands today. A perfectionist, David’s genteel presentation of Wasabi comes from 50-plus years in the breed. His deep understanding of Best in Show judge Patricia Craige Trotter examines Wasabi, the fifth Pekingese to win at Westminster. David is the owner-handler of the correct breed type, how to condition and groom the coat, and 2012 winner, “Malachy,” who is Wasabi’s sire. the essential magnetic spark a Peke needs to win underlie his success. His Pequest breeding program includes a dynamic blend have,” he says. “They were solid, one-piece dogs with beautiful, of his original Coral Gable dogs and Yakee and Palacegarden high tail sets, broad chests, short, thick necks, and large heads. lines. The American Kennel Club named David the Toy Group They had shorter coats on their hips and flanks that enhanced Breeder of the Year in 2009. the classic pear shape.” A turning point in his breeding program came in 2001 when Wasabi’s link to the Coral Gable, Yakee and Palacegarden Yakee breeder Easdon gave David a bitch in whelp bred to their bloodlines reflects the success of the Pequest breeding pro- famous male who won Crufts in 2003, “Danny” (Yakee A Danger- gram. “Wasabi’s pedigree is like a history lesson in Pekingese,” ous Liaison). “This is when I started getting consistency,” David David says. “These original lines crossed with the Pekes from says. “The Yakee dogs were great producers. I began getting four Scotland and the U.K. have produced very prolific, fantastic or five puppies in litters, while before there were one or two dogs in terms of quality and type.” puppies. More puppies mean a greater chance for getting quality The Pequest stamp adds its own value. “I breed more for show dogs.” temperament, as a good dog without temperament doesn’t go A couple of years later, “Bert offered me Jeffrey, a young dog, far,” David says. “I want a happy dog that likes to be with me who aesthetically was one of the most beautiful animals I had and follow me. This is important also for dogs that become ever seen,” recalls David. “I took him home, conditioned him pets. I am looking not only for good type but also a charis- and took him to shows with me as a spectator. It took a while matic dog that has showmanship.” for him to get his head around showing, but eventually it all Importantly, David believes in keeping dogs and himself clicked into place. In 2004, I took him to some shows in January, relaxed and calm at dog shows. Shown only four weekends in and he won three groups and a Best in Show.” 2021 prior to Westminster, Wasabi’s leisurely stroll around the In 2008, David judged a championship show in the U.K., where Best in Show ring showed a fresh and invigorated Pekingese he was introduced to the Palacegarden Pekingese of Jim and happy to be out with his owner.