Q: When did you first become interested in showing and breeding dogs?
The precise motivation for which I have decided to breed Am Staf was the consequence of the study of more then ten years and my attendance in the late 80s in the USA. Attending the exhibition of AKC and in particular seeing some Am Stafs presented by John McCartney at that time, ignited something inside me, something important and ambitious which brought me, after 10 years, to breed my first litter alone. Only after having evaluated my breeding program, guided by the mentors like my dear friend John. So I decided to take care of the modern American Staffordshire Terrier.
Q: What is the aim of the work with Am Staf breeding? Are you pleased so far with your work with this?
TEMPERAMENT! TEMPERAMENT ALWAYS COMES FIRST – because the most beautiful dog - the world winner and the more prized one is worthless if its temperament is bad! In other words, I think that the most important thing is to maintain gameness and as some of us know that this trait has nothing to do with conformation and everything to do with temperament! The backbone of gameness includes extreme confidence. It also includes a desire to please the human master. Our breed is like no other. It is the most versatile of them all. No other comes close. We have a challenge, it is to carry on and maintain in our Am Stafs the confidence, stability, reliability, and above all, reluctance to bite or threaten people without a damn „good reason” - MUST BE MAINTAINED. Frankly, after long time I am deeply satisfied by my work in this regard.
Q: What is the ideal size and the ideal type according to you?
The ideal size and ideal type are both written in the Official A.K.C. Breed Standard which is the ”bible” for breeders to follow. The size was outlined to enable our breed to be picked up and carried by the handler and to maintain a degree of stamina and athleticism. This breed is the ultimate blend of strength, power, drive and athleticism. A gladiator blending the strength of the bull to the nimble quickness and tenacity of the terrier. It is an art to produce a correct blend of balance between these two values. My way is the "like begets like...”. It was one of the oldest forms of selective breeding that created most of the dog breeds. The method was essential, it consisted in establishing the kind of dog that the breeder had decidedto represent as his ideal type in few generations, mating it with others of similar type, eliminating all that closely don't resemble its parents. This technique is still one of the most important basic principles of the selection.
...to be continued!
