Wednesday Wisdom: Not a Gene Pool.. a Gene Puddle: Dandie Dinmont Terriers with Betty-Anne Stenmark
Mrs. Betty-Anne Stenmark: AKC Judge, Author, Activist, and True Contributor to our Sport
Mrs. Betty-Anne Stenmark wrote the book on Dandie Dinmont Terriers…literally. Under the King’s Mtn. kennel name, a long line of champions have been bred and an endangered breed preserved to this day. We don’t have a gene pool, we have a gene puddle.
Dandie Dinmont Terriers are a low-entry breed. A situation that many of our breeds face today. In Episode #31 of PureDogTalk.com, Mrs. Stenmark shares her wisdom and generous humor on the “Dandies”.
Betty-Anne Stenmark is one of the Holy Grail of Judges…nice to people and dogs, the real thing. –Laura Reeves
History
Born in North Vancouver, BC, Betty-Anne Stenmark’s first show breed was St Bernards.
Met Roy Stenmark when he judged at the 1974 St. Bernard National Specialty. Marriage to Roy included 16 Lhasa Apsos.
Together, in 1976, they started breeding Dandie Dinmont Terriers, and King’s Mtn. champions continue to this day.
AKC Judge of Sporting, Hound, and Terrier groups, both Corgis, Best in Show, and Junior Showmanship.
Contributions to our Sport
When animal rights anti-breeding legislation in 1990 endangered her local area, Mrs. Stenmark took bold action and founded the Responsible Dog Breeders Club of San Mateo County. She rallied breeders and purebred supporters and fought the legislation with the education and strength of an activist.
She has served both the Del Valle Dog Club of Livermore as show chair for many years, as well as the Dandie Dinmont Terrier Club of America as president, national show chair, judge’s education, and other committees. She is now retired from the City of Palo Alto’s Animal Shelter from her time as a volunteer coordinator.
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Interested in a Dandie? Find out more through the AKC Parent Club – Dandie Dinmont Terrier Club of America
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This lady is a wonderful person. In addition to the work that she has done In the dog world, she is just a genuinely nice person. I am lucky to own one of her dogs and she encouraged and helped me along the way. I’m older and have had many dogs in my life, but never one with the personality of my Dandie. He’s just a great guy and her help along the way has made him the great guy that he is.
Thank you for sharing John! I agree with you whole-heartedly. One of the great people in our sport.
And BA is delighted you have become part of the DDT family. The companion homes for the pups are as, if not more important, than the show homes, John.
I joined the ranks of preservation breeders of Dandie Dinmont Terriers 12 years ago. Betty-Anne encouraged me by selling me the best King’s Mtn. had and I joined the team.
I had shown under Betty-Anne and Roy during my years of loving, breeding and showing Giant Schnauzers, Bullmastiffs, Standard Poodles and Miniature Wire-haired Dachshunds. I had been in the sport of showing purebred dogs since 1968.
With her ongoing mentoring, without any coddling but sharing her wealth of knowledge, I have continued learning from Betty-Anne. She has THE eye and hands that only a very few judges ever acquire. She will handle a puppy with the utmost of respect and care, and can always be depended on to run her ring with grace and control and attention. She will reward breed type, movement and correct preparation for the ring, all the while making the exhibitor’s and dogs’ experience worthwhile.
One of the truly gracious and professional judges. We look forward to watching her judge Best in Show at Westminster 2018.
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