OUR STARS
Before recognizing certain dogs, I must first place disclaimers on this page. First and foremost, from our perspective every Finnish Spitz that leaves here is a "star" in their own right. They each bring joy and love to their families, which is the most important thing they will do in their lifetime.
Second, as a breeder I place very little faith in the judges' decisions in the show ring. Most judges see--if they're lucky--one or two Finnish Spitz every couple of years. As a result, they are not particularly knowledgeable about the breed or its conformation. And when they do get the opportunity to judge them, it is often only one or two from the same or similar lines. Accordingly, I do not breed with an eye towards what wins in the ring but for the standard and my study of various dogs over the years, and what I believe SHOULD win in the ring. The breeders should be far more knowledgeable than the judges about what exactly constitutes a "good" Finnish Spitz under the AKC standard for the breed.
Finally, it can be expensive to show, particularly if you spend thousand of dollars a year advertising your dog and use a professional handler. Obviously, it is believed that the advertising and professional handling influences judges, rather than the quality of the dog, or people would not spend the money on these items! In addition, because of the expense there are many wonderful examples of the breed in various backyards rather than in the show ring. In fact, some would say some of the best dogs are in backyards!
That said, there is no doubt that it is a pleasure to see a judge validate decisions made by the breeder, particularly if a show dog was placed as a very young pup. We have been fortunate to have numerous dogs bred here recognized at FSCA national specialty weekends and/or FSCA supported entry weekends where they face the toughest competition each year. In addition, several others have received their AKC championship titles. We thank their families for the efforts they have put into their babies in preparing them for the show ring and for showing them. We plead your indulgence for a little bit of bragging below!
