Shaynedoro Golden Retrievers
The below originally appeared in the Golden Retriever Club of America’s newsletter GRNews. It is apart of a series of articles written by Jennifer Abramson titled, North of The Border. Reprinted with permission from the author and the GRCA.
About six or seven years ago, I braved snow and sleet to show my then one-year-old male Golden at a show in Sherbrooke, Quebec. I had been told that there was a judge in from Australia who might very well like my cream “English-type” boy, and seeing I had yet to win anything other than a second-place ribbon in senior puppy (there were two pups in the class), I went off with high hopes that this particular judge would nally recognize my dog and maybe, just maybe, I would end up at the front of the line for a change. And in the Open class!
Needless to say, not only did I not place, I again found myself right smack-dab at the end of the line. I was very discouraged and just about ready to throw in the towel…
Well…something happened that day that changed my whole doggy outlook and put me on the path that I tread today. I was on my way to exercise “Angus” when I heard a voice behind me.
“You know, you have a nice puppy…but you need to learn how to handle…”
I turned, and there was this lady behind me, whom I had seen many times and knew to be one of Eastem Canada’s well-known professional handlers…and a Golden breeder, to boot.
“If you want, come by my trailer after the show and I will give you a handling lesson and some advice.”
Needless to say, it was the beginning of my friendship with Carole Brechbill of Shaynedoro Golden Retrievers. She has been an invaluable teacher and mentor, and although I still can’t handle for beans, she has taught me so much about this breed we all love.
So, without further ado…I would like to introduce you to another of Canada’s successful Golden breeders, Carole and her Shaynedoro Goldens.
Shaynedoro
Carole Brechbill was first introduced to Goldens over 30 years ago while she was still at university. She was so impressed by their beauty and strength that she just knew she was going to get one as soon as she had the time and space.
That turned out to be sooner than she thought, for into her life came a wee girl of English and American lines.
“After a great deal of cajoling and bribery on the part of my family members, I bought a pup and enrolled in an obedience class. I ended up getting a CD title on my bitch. At the same time, I took on my relative’s dog and went High in Trial with him.”
Her first litter came three years later to Can FTCh Tigathoe’s Pious Pete (FC-AFC Mol Leo Cayenne FDHF ex Tigathoe’s Temperance CD). Although she kept nothing out of this combination, the experience got Carole to thinking that she might like another Golden, this time a male to compete in obedience with, but this time also to dabble in the conformation ring. She found a dog close to her home out of English import Sansue Venetia, OD (Eng Ch. Sansue Tobias ex Sansue Contasia) by Golden Boy Syder, who was closely related to the incomparable Ch., FTCh David Of Westley. The puppy Carole ended up bringing home was Can Ch. Gauldshayne Aries Luke CDX.
“I really knew nothing about the background of either dog, but after a great deal of enjoyment and frustration, managed not only to get a conformation championship but a Companion Dog Excellent title on my dog. I started to work on his Utility degree, but due to time constraints, never finished that title. However…that was truly the beginning. The bug had bitten!!! I was hooked!!!”
Carole bought another female, and after finishing her championship picked out a British male who resided in the United States for a breeding. Her bitch’s name was Can Ch. Archenda Shaynedoro Tara (Ch. Mandingo Torero ex Can Ch. Archenda’s Alice In Wonderland). Sadly, when she was x-rayed for hip dysplasia, she had the worst grade possible.
“I cried my eyes out all the way to a second opinion and all the way home again; I will never forget that feeling of despair and disappointment. I loved her so much and wanted to work to get all the titles that I could. Now, I could do nothing. She was diagnosed with Grade 4 HD, but I did the x-ray when she was in heat…however, Jim Reynolds had picked up on something that was a little off with her rear movement before that, so maybe the diagnosis was accurate and she was just one of those that did not suffer from it. She died at 17.”
Ch. Beaumaris English Jubilee CD, OD
Despite the Setback. Carole was determined to start over, and this time on the right foot. After some research and searching for a puppy that would be close in appearance to her other bitch, she acquired a lovely little girl from Anne Bissette in Colorado. This wee furball was to become Can Ch. Beaumaris English Jubilee CD, OD (Am Ch. Beaumaris Clansman ex Deeite Selina). “Billie” was a full sister to Am Ch. Beaumaris Flying Scotsman CD, OS.
Billie went on to produce several champions, including Can Ch. Shaynedoro The Rieman CDX, JH, WCX (by Can-Am Ch. Shaynedoro Judge And Jury, OS, SDHF), owned by Pat Enright, who was the first Golden to attain a Jl-I title in Canada, Can Ch. Shaynedoro K0 Ka Kola (by Am Ch. Goldwing True Bear, OS, SDHF), owned by Jane Paytner-Stutt, and Can Ch. Shaynedoro Goodbye Girl CD (by Am-Can Ch. Chrys-Haefen Foxfire Am-Can CD, OS, SDHF). Along with Sansue Venitia, OD (who Carole had graciously been allowed to lease), Billie became the foundation upon which her entire breeding program was built.
Sansue Venetia was bred to a lovely English import named Can Ch. Mandingo Torero (Greenglen Country Style ex Mandingo Marianne) and produced the lovely Can Ch. Shaynedoro Fee Fie Fo Fum. “Fee” was Carole’s first home-bred champion, and one of her all-time favourites. She went on to produce the indomitable Can Ch. Shaynedoro Judge And Jury, OS, SDHF when bred to Am-Can Ch. Goldwing True Bear. “Judge” was one of Canada’s top-winning Goldens and a winner of a Group 2nd at Ottawa’s prestigious “Show of Shows.”
“I think that was one of the most memorable moments I have had in the breed. The dog that beat us went on to take BIS, and we had been chosen over many other worthy Best in Show winning Golden Retrievers…
“…He was a wonderful dog. There was not a mean bone in his body. He had a solid temperament without being ‘off the wall,’ and loved to retrieve.”
Judge was the first and only of the Shaynedoro dogs that Carole campaigned herself. In fact, it was while showing him that Carole decided to become a professional handler. Unfortunately, it also marked the end of her trying to nish Judge in the U.S. Nineteen points behind him and still needing a major, it became just too difficult to juggle her client dogs and her own.
Can Ch. Shaynedoro Judge And Jury, OS, SDHFAs a handler, Carole has a pretty good sense of the Canadian dog scene, having handled many of Canada’s top dogs, including “Cruiser,” (Newfoundland Dog) the number one Working dog (when Herding and Working were the same group), and number two all-breed. She feels that for some reason, it appears that we feel inferior to our peers in the U.S. in some unconscious way.
“The majority of dogs in Canada are greatly influenced by the dogs in the U.S. It takes a strong person to overlook all the advertising and hype put forth by our friends to the south of us. We have some very good dogs up here and some very successful breeders, but, being Canadian, we tend to not be too vocal about it. We rarely advertise our wins extensively and we tend not to be overly aggressive or competitive in the ring.”
Another memorable Shaynedoro Golden was OTCh Shaynedoro Danielle Steele, OBHF (Can Ch. Sunapee Shaynedoro Reo Cream ex Shaynedoro Water Witch), who belongs to Brian Williams.
“Sally had a rough start in life. She was returned to me without having had any of her booster shots, and developed parvo. She overcame it without much of a problem and went to Brian, who had decided to do some obedience. He is now on his way to becoming an obedience judge…he is very conscientious, so I am certain he will be a good one.”
Under Brian‘s guidance, Sally went on to great things…including number eight all-breeds in obedience in 1995. She spent a total of four years in the top 10 Sporting dogs. She has four High in Trials and 124 Utility legs (120 placements!)
Am-Can Ch. Gauldyn Benn Of Shaynedoro (Ch. Nanno. Chrys Haefen Son Of Skye ex Coquina Qaminig) also had a poor start in life, but Carole managed to have him returned to her. From there he went to live with Mac and Gillian Wilson and finished both his Canadian and American titles with ease.
“I was showing him in the U.S. when Bob Stebbins saw him, and I suggested to the Wilsons that they hire him to finish “Bemi,” and they did. Bob did it with ease!”
Finally, Carole mentions one dog that many would probably have never heard of. His name is OTCh Shaynedoro Northern Pilgrim, and he belonged to Kimberlee Ann Cooper.
“She bought him because, unbeknownst to me, she had cancer and needed something to keep her going. He was the one to do it! Together they accomplished many things, including an obedience championship and agility title, as well as becoming a sought-after search and rescue team. Today, Kimberlee is active in dog training and gives seminars on SAR. I am very proud of him, but even more proud of Kimberlee!”
As breeder, Carole’s goal is to produce the best possible representative of the breed.
“They must be healthy in all aspects and have a temperament that exemplifies what a Golden should be. They must be able to retrieve and have the potential to be a hunting companion, as well as an important family member. As well, it is very important to me that they live a long life.”
Carole always refers back to her “mental picture” of the perfect Golden, built on her interpretation and understanding of the standard. It is the goal she keeps reaching for and sometimes comes close too, but never exactly achieves. Some of the dogs she admires that helped build this picture are Camrose Cabus Christopher, Sansue Venetia, Goldtreve Campaigner, Cummings’ Gold-Rush Charlie, Goldwing True Bear, Nanno Chrys Haefen Son Of Skye, and more recently Signature’s Natural Wonder, Braelea’s King Of The Road, Dewmist Shade Of Pale and Standfast Angus.
“More important than winning. especially now that I spend less time in the show ring since retirement, is being consistent in what I produce and preserving the integrity of this wonderful breed.”
Her experience made her an ideal candidate for a breeding consultant at Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind, a role she led for about three or four years.
“I was supposed to help plan the breedings, help with the whelpings and assess the puppies. As well, I donated some girls that became useful and successful brood bitches, and Ch. Sunapee Shaynedoro Reo Cream (Can Ch. Camrose Betimmy ex Sunapee Abalone Jingle) sired many good guide dogs for them.”
After almost 30 years, Carole says she has seen a lot of changes…some positive, but she does mention that we still have some areas of weakness:
“The greatest problem in the conformation ring today is fronts. Having good layback and straight legs does not mean the dog has a good front. You must consider the upper arm length and placement as well as the placement of the whole shoulder assembly. Good forechest is another component.
“In general, at least from what I am seeing in Canada, the great majority of the Goldens up here are mediocre in quality at the moment. When a very good dog does appear, he looks so different from the others that because of this it becomes very difficult to win. Go figure!”
Another disturbing trend is the seemingly endless list of health issues that continue to plague the breed, and Carole believes that an open health registry will go a long way towards dealing with these issues.
Finally, Carole makes a plea for temperament.
“Please bring back the real Golden temperament! Goldens may not win as many BIS titles or eld trials or compete with the Border Collies in agility. They were not meant to be off-the-wall dogs. If you want to compete at the highest levels and feel you must have a dog with this type of up temperament to do so…don’t breed for it…get another breed…please.