How long you have been involved in Schipperkes:

We got our first Schipperke in 1958 , a bitch whose parents were Kelso bred. I was only a child at this time, of course! I lived with them for the next 8 years at that time. In 1974 moved to England to take up a teaching post here, and after attending Crufts in 1976, made a booking for my first Schip bitch, who was born in 1977.

How long have you been judging, and what breeds:

I started judging the breed in the early 1980s and was approved to award CCs in the breed in 1986. Since then I have continued to maintain an involvement in the breed, even though my judging of a number of other breeds means that I don't get to exhibit as often as I may want.

I had the honour of judging Schipperkes at Crufts in 1990, as well as judging the Schipperke club's Championship show in 1996,the Sweepstakes classes at the SCA National in 1999, and awarding CACIBs in Finland in 2002.Later this year I will be judging the breed in Northern Ireland, under Irish Kennel Club licencing.

 

I currently am approved to judge the Utility Group at Championship show level, as well as awarding CCS in other breeds such as: German Spitz Klein, German Spitz Mittel, Japanese Spitz, Keeshonds, French Bulldogs, and Finnish Spitz(which is in the Hound group here).

 

In 1984 I started writing the Schipperke breed note column for "Dog World", a leading UK weekly canine newspaper and continue to do so. About that same time I was elected onto the committee of the Schipperke Club and served for a total of 11 years on the committee. In between times I have also served as the Schipperke club representative for the British Utility Breeds Association Council- the Schipperke is in the Utility group here. Additionally, I was elected as the club's representative to the Kennel Club Breeds Liason Council.

Other activities I have been involved with include the Kennel Club's judges training scheme for rules and regulations and also for conformation and movement. When I found that I had no time for myself or my dogs, I stepped down from those activities a few years ago!

There have never been many dogs in my household at any one time, due to the work I do, but I have had a few that some may know about:

My first homebred Champion, GB. Ch. Aradet Cannon Ball Express, has been featured in the newer edition of the SCA's book on the breed, as an example of the type of dogs found in Great Britian. He was extremely coveted by some of the top French and Belgian judges who used to come over to Crufts each year, and was highly regarded by both breeder judges and all rounders, winning a number of CCs, and BISS over the years.

My next top winning dog didn't arrive until the mid 1990s, having been bred by someone else. GB Ch. Franhowil Black Minstrel for Aradet is to date the only Schipperke to have ever been placed (Group 2) in the Utility group at Crufts.

In the spring of 2000 the three American imports that I brought over from the USA and put through quarantine, made their debut in the show ring here. I was very pleased to have all three obtain their titles easily, and Ch/Am. Ch. Chatelet Get Offa My Cloud for Aradet CD (imp) ended up as top Schipperke that year. She became the first ever Am. Ch. in the breed to obtain our GB title as well. GB/Am Ch. Schip-By-Me Ticonderoga for Aradet (imp)followed within a show or two as well, with his litter sister, GB Ch. Schip-By Me Kentra for Aradet (imp) gaining her title in 2002, having taken time off for maternity duties.

 

Over the years I have also kept and bred champions in French Bulldogs, owned both German Spitz Klein and Mittels as well as being a founder member of the German Spitz club here in theUK and its secretary for two years. I continue to maintain, however, a keen interest in my first and only love, the Schipperke. I couldn't imagine life without at least one little black naughty devil in the household!

-Mary Deats