People in Poms
Geneva Coats
I’m honored
that the staff of the Pom Reader has invited me to write about some of my Pomeranian experiences. Ours is primarily
a pet household, with very limited exhibiting and breeding activities.
Our dogs are cherished and very loved.
They provide light and joy on days which might otherwise be quite dull. I don't have any great accomplishments in the
dog world. I have only a handful of dogs here. Three are AKC champions, and I was very proud to owner-handle them
for most of their points. I tried to make this an interesting article by including some nice photos of the dogs
for you. Since we value our pets as much as our show dogs, I've included pet photos here as well as show photos.
A little about
my personal background: I’m a registered nurse who graduated from Mt. San Antonio College in 1981. Since then I have
been working full-time in critical care. This experience and knowledge base has proven invaluable to me in caring for my dogs.
I have been married for 32 years and we have three children and one lovely granddaughter. Our son Daniel attends
Cal State Fullerton, where he will have earned his BS in Kinesiology in June 2008. He plans to become a teacher, and is working
part time for Upland School district in the elementary physical education department. Our youngest son Andrew is just
beginning his college life; he also works at Border's bookstore. He really enjoys the job, (I think it's
probably a great place to meet chicks). Our daughter Erin lives in Omaha with her family. It's been tough for me since
she moved away, now I'm the only female on the premises. I am so very blessed to have these three lovely children. It is my
granddaughter Maya, though, who has inherited an obsession with dogs; it seems that trait skipped a generation.
Maybe one day she wil also follow a path involving the dog world. My husband was formerly the transportation and
distribution manager for Coca Cola US; his region included everything west of Minneapolis. Currently he is
the operations manager for a small private charter bus company. He enjoys the autonomy, and his skills are much appreciated
by the owner.
Both of my parents were teachers. My mother worked for a while in Washington DC at the Pan-American
Union as a Spanish and French interpreter. She retired after over 30 years as the department chairman of a high
school foreign language deparment. Dad had a love for animals and nature. As a boy in rural Indiana, he often brought home
strays. Not just dogs and cats, but orphaned wildlife also! He loved to spend time at his uncle’s farm near Logansport. Dad’s interests were as diverse as sailing, hunting and ranching. When
I was in high school, Dad built a 36-foot trimaran sailboat in our back yard. It took him several years to complete that
project!! He also owned and operated a ranch near Barstow, and was one of the first in the US to import Limousin cattle from
France in the 1970’s. We always had a variety of cats and dogs on the premises, including Samoyeds, my parents
favorite breed. Mom loves canaries. Dad had a very soft heart. There was always a dog by his side. We couldn't let
him answer the door, he’d always buy whatever was being sold; he loved to help strangers. He recently passed away, and
we miss him dearly.
At our house, a high
value was placed on learning; education was emphasized as a way of life, a lifelong process of growth. I am the oldest of
five children. We were sent to private, parochial schools. We had weekly music lessons, and spent many
happy hours in libraries. My parents loved classical music, and were very supportive of our musical education. When
we were practicing the piano, Dad always told us how wonderful we sounded…even when we hit those clunker notes! And
he made sure that the TV was off when we were practicing. Vacations were family centered; trips back to Indiana or Florida
to visit grandparents. Our means weremodest, and my parents sacrificed to provide us with the best possible start in
life. For this I can never repay them, but can only hope to provide the same advantages for my own children.
From my father I inherited
a love of all animals. In addition to the Poms, we have a couple of cats. Our Netherland Dwarf rabbit just recently died
at age 9. I also bred canaries and finches for a short while. There is nothing like a songbird to brighten up the household!
My involvement in Poms
and the dog show world only began a few short years ago. I attended a Pomeranian specialty in 2001, and since that time I
have become a huge fan of this breed. I began to show my dog here in California, and bought a bitch so that I could embark
on a breeding program. Both of them, Ch. Genstar’s Diamond Gypsy “Buddy”, and Ch. Kayra N Genstar Kaitlyn
finished their championships quickly, and they each had a BOB win over multiple specials. As an owner-handler, this is a thrill
which cannot easily be duplicated!
Encouraged by this
success, I also co-owned, trained and handled other Poms for Kayra Poms. One of these girls, Ch Kayra’s Canary
Diamond or “Carrie” also finished in short order, thanks to the help of Kathy Sanguinet. Kathy took her to Arizona,
and put most of her points on her to finish her, when we did not have any majors here at our local Southern California shows.
A very memorable experience for me was the very first specialty show
that I attended. I sat next to Beverley Griffiths, who has been a long-time Pomeranian breeder in the San Diego area.
Beverley explained to me what a judge looks for in a Pom. She explained a bit about how to bathe and groom Poms.
She also showed me a picture of one of her champions, who was in full, untrimmed coat. He was gorgeous! Beverley
explained to me that she felt that overtrimming of Pomeranians was detrimental to the future of the breed.
It was so generous of this lady to share some of her advice and experience with a me, a total stranger and total
newcomer to the Pom world.
Our dogs live in our family room most of the time. We have a nice 60 foot square
grassy back yard where they can run berserk and have a great time. Bitches in season or in whelp stay upstairs
in my bedroom. I rarely have to separate the dogs, as I only have a few. My workplace is only two miles from
our house, so I can usually come home at lunchtime to check on everyone, and to let the dogs out for some exercise. Between
me, my husband and our two sons, there is normally someone home, so that works out well.
I have bred just
a very few litters. This endeavor has been an eye-opening experience, with various whelping problems being encountered,
including small litter size, eclampsia, and neonatal deaths. Fortunately, I have not yet had to deal with a c-section. Unfortunately,
I have also had experience with injury to a (pointed) Pom caused by a visiting child who dropped him. But the worst tragedy
for me was when my pointed bred-by bitch was killed by a large dog who decided to attack her in her ex-pen. This was the only
bitch puppy I have produced so far. She was so very sweet. That happened a year ago, yet it is still so very painful to remember
.
I’ve learned
that an AKC championship is just one aspect of successful breeding. One of my champions developed autoimmune thyroiditis and
coat loss, all after the age of four. It is difficult to “have it all”…beautiful conformation, excellent
health, sunny temperament, free whelping of vigorous, healthy puppies. Hey, I can dream, can’t I?
Despite these setbacks
and disappointments, “hope springs eternal”. I hope to finish a homebred champion some day soon. Kaitlyn has proven
to be a wonderful free-whelping bitch. I have two nice sons of Kaitlyn who I am growing out. I have a very lovely red sable
bitch who I co-own with Marion Banding. She has been bred to Leesa Molina’s “Bounder” (Creider’s
On The Road Again). Bounder just needs one more major to finish his championship. Maybe he’ll be finished by the time
this issue goes to press. We are crossing our fingers for healthy puppies. The most recent addition to the household is a
puppy out of Kayra’s Diamond Fantasy (a daughter of my Ch. Buddy) by Ch. Bachman’s Mini Cooper N Cameo. She is
adorable! We call her “Hazel” because she is the color of hazelnut coffee creamer! Thanks to her breeder, Reed
Adams, for agreeing to let her go home with me!
For any newcomers to the
breed, I highly recommend attending as many dog shows as possible, and joining both your local and national breed club.
I’ve become active in our local Pomeranian club as an officer, membership chair, and show chair. I excited about
chairing our May specialty which will be held May 22, 2008, in conjunction with the Mission Circuit in Pomona. We are
lucky enough to have Gregg Waters coming down from Utah to judge our sweepstakes, and to have Fred Bassett as our
conformation judge. Becoming involved in a club and organizing a show is an excellent learning experience and well worth the
investment of time involved. I was able to attend the APC national specialty in 2005, another unforgettable experience.
During my trip to the national specialty in 2005, I met Brenda Segelken, ("Fame" Pomeranians), the editor
of “The Pomeranian Review.” I volunteered to write some articles for the “Review”. For the past couple of years I have been able to combine my primary interests (education, Pomeranians,
and healthcare) in writing articles for the “Review.” We have covered a variety of topics ranging from flea control
to breeding strategies to avoiding household hazards. The subject matter is nearly limitless and very interesting!
Due to my background
as a registered nurse, I suppose it is only natural that my interest in Poms extends beyond the show ring and into the arena
of health and genetics. Early in my involvement in Poms, I began to research some of the health issues which seem to occur
with regularity in the breed. I like to learn all I can about these issues, so that I can breed for improvement in health,
and so that I can provide optimal care for my dogs.
About two years ago, I started a Yahoo group for Pomeranian fanciers.
The focus of this list was learning about breeding, whelping, health and genetics. We are so fortunate to have some very kind,
generous and experienced breeders who are willing to help the newcomers on our list. It has been a learning experience for
me, as well as a method to provide support and camaraderie for both the seasoned breeder/exhibitor as well as the “newbie”.
To all who participate on our “PomForum” list, I send out a sincere “Thank you.”
My dream for the future
is to see more emphasis on health and vigor in the breeding of Pomeranians, that they may enjoy a very long, happy lifespan.
I believe this will be a goal that we can accomplish if we begin to breed less for show ring flashiness, and more with an
eye toward health, vigor and longevity. I suspect many of our worst problems have been caused by some loss of genetic diversity,
through over-use of popular sires. One of my goals goal is to produce dogs of moderate size, which for me is in
the 5-7 lb ballpark range. In addition to dogs with nice conformation, I'd like to develop a line with naturally good dental
health.
For my breeding program my
goal is to select the most typey, healthy dogs, of a substantial size. As to a sire, I prefer to choose one a bit older.
Health testing is certainly helpful, but the greatest health test of all is the test of time. Hopefully this strategy works
out for me. I am still very “green” and have a lot to learn.
We here in Southern
California are lucky, because our network of local breeders provides tremendous support and encouragement for newcomers to
the breed. We have great fun, win or lose. We often linger and chat for a long while after our monthly Pom Club meetings.
I'm very proud of our City of Angels Pomeranian Club. Our members are very active in the fight against anti-breeder
and anti-pet owner legislation, which is an ongoing struggle here in our progressive state of California. Cheri
McDonald and I traveled up to Sacramento last year and attend a hearing and lobbying session regarding CA AB 1634. This
bill proposes a statewide requirement to spay/neuter all dogs and cats in our state, with a few narrow, costly exemptions. The
Review recently ran an article focused on CA AB 1634, complete with pictures of Lassie visiting Sacramento to lobby against
the bill!
I have been so very fortunate
to have others generously let me “borrow” their excellent stud dogs, and to sell me my foundation dogs. You are
the best! A special thanks goes out to Reed Adams, Kay Chaney, Art and Joy Davison, Leesa Molina, and Marion Banding. Also
to Linda Pelz, Kathy Sanguinet, Lana Price, Fran Smith-Milteer, Linda Mulso, Cheri McDonald, Beverly Tiaga, Karen Betz, Alane
Levinsohn, Gloria Carlin, Tammee and Dan Felix, Ron and Merilyn Smith, Char Meyer, Karen Huntsberger, Julie Clemen, Kim Thompson,
Kelly Reimschiissel, Heidi Merrigan, Laura Newbold, Derrik and Deronda Sharp, Deb Proccacini, Brigitte Sovonja, Al and Jen
Lapuz, Deb Barratt, Donna Johnson, Patty Andrusenki, Sherry Cartwright, Mike and Liz Wells, Lindsey and Lori Kamrath, Nancy
Latthitham, Alan Guerra, Carol and Rebecca Silverberg, Cande and Mike Gordon, Marge and Lou Conway, Sherry Letson, Randy
Buske and Roxanne Collins for their help, support and encouragement. You are all credits to the breed. There are so many others; I only wish I could list everyone here. Also, it is an honor to step into
a show ring with talented breeders/handlers like Curtiss Smith, Celeste Solano, and Tish Cannon. I admire your sportsmanship
and professionalism. Thank you so much for sharing your tips and advice with the amateur exhibitor like me!
The Reader has been full of much valuable information over the years. I treasure my collection of
Pom magazines and books. I am very grateful to my sister Becky Cockrum for all the beautiful Pom pictures she has taken for
me, some of which are included in this article, and many more on my website. She also has provided our club with some beautiful
photos from our specialty shows. You can view them online at www.cockrumphoto.com. Sincere thanks to Jeff and the Pom Reader for inviting me to share some
of my life with their readers. I wish this publication many years of continued success in their efforts to showcase our beloved
Pomeranians.
Wishing everyone the brightest of blessings this holiday season,
Geneva Coats
