Welcome to the Better Breeder Chronicles where we meet the finest purebred dog breeders in the world. We spotlight these master breeders, hearing their stories in their own words—including their beginnings, their challenges and heartbreaks, and ultimately, their climb to the top and their determination to breed a better dog. We share their journeys to inspire all purebred conservation dog breeders to pursue their dreams for their breeding programs!
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Données mises à jour le 30/09/2026
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Meet Jessica MacMillan: Master Breeder of Paisley Dalmatians
Saison 2 · Épisode 57
mardi 29 septembre 2026 • Durée 58:11
Jessica MacMillan of Paisley Dalmatians has spent a lifetime building a breeding legacy spanning 13 generations.
In this episode, Jessica shares the defining decisions, painful setbacks, and uncompromising standards that made Paisley an influential name in the Dalmatian world.
You’ll discover:
The crucial difference between a showable dog and one that should be bred
How Jessica preserved her program after a devastating inherited health issue
Why breed type, temperament, health, and versatility must work together
How the right stud dog can transform an entire breeding program
Why giving promising newcomers excellent dogs is essential to the future of purebred dogs
Jessica explains how she makes difficult breeding decisions, responds to health problems, and produces Dalmatians that can excel in both shows and dog sports.
Watch the full episode to discover what it takes to build a breeding legacy that lasts.
Timestamps:
(00:00) Never Give Up: The Paisley Philosophy
(02:48) Growing Up in the Dog Show World
(10:25) The Difference Between Showable and Breedable
(11:21) Lessons From a Lifetime of Mentors
(15:03) Building the Paisley Foundation
(17:27) Linebreeding, Outcrossing, and Knowing Your Lines
(19:06) When a Bloodline Must Go
(21:41) Understanding Copper Storage Disease
(22:38) What Makes a True Dalmatian?
(23:28) The Hardest Traits to Breed For
(25:04) The Dogs That Built Paisley
(31:58) Breeding for Versatility
(34:34) Balancing Breed Type, Temperament, and Performance
(35:51) How Jessica Selects Puppies
(37:24) When the Right Stud Dog Changes Everything
Meet Susan Giles: Master Breeder of Ta Sen Lhasa Apsos
Saison 2 · Épisode 56
mardi 22 septembre 2026 • Durée 48:54
For more than 50 years, Susan Giles of Ta Sen Lhasa Apsos has built a breeding program known for consistency, breed type, and generations of remarkable show dogs. Ta Sen has produced an incredible family of successful Lhasas, with the pinnacle being “JJ,” GCHP. Ta Sen Westgate Jingle Juice, 2025 AKC National Championship Best in Show & 2026 Westminster Kennel Club Non-Sporting Group winner.
In this episode of Better Breeder, Susan shares the philosophy, decisions, and lessons behind the Ta Sen legacy and explains what it takes to stay true to a vision across generations.
You’ll discover:
Why compensation breeding is so important
How Susan successfully combined different bloodlines
What made JJ such an exceptional show dog
Why breeders need an objective eye when evaluating their dogs
Why the future of the Lhasa Apso concerns her
From influential foundation dogs and strategic outcrosses to historic wins and preserving breed type, Susan shares lessons earned over a lifetime in dogs.
Watch the full episode to discover the breeding principles behind more than five decades of Ta Sen.
Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(02:56) Getting Started With Lhasas
(05:42) Finding the Right Mentor
(07:04) Compensation Breeding
(07:49) Combining Bloodlines
(09:01) Breeding for Type and Structure
(09:55) Successful Outcrossing
Meet Margery Good: Master Breeder of Good Spice Kennel Sealyhams Terriers
Saison 2 · Épisode 55
mardi 15 septembre 2026 • Durée 58:19
Margery Good of Good Spice Kennel has spent decades proving that great breeding is about far more than winning in the show ring, but also producing happy, confident Companions that are fabulous to live with. Good Spice has produced an incredible family of successful Sealyham Terriers, collaborating with top programs around the world.
From her earliest days in dogs to building generations of outstanding Sealyham Terriers, Margery shares the mentors, breeding decisions, successes, and setbacks that shaped Good Spice into an internationally respected program.
In this episode, she reveals:
Why strong virtues should be bred to strong virtues
How pedigrees help her preserve type while avoiding faults
The legendary dogs that defined generations of Good Spice
Why great companions matter far beyond the show ring
The advice she believes every aspiring breeder needs to hear
With decades of experience behind her, Margery still approaches breeding with the same principle that has guided her career: keep learning, keep improving, and never lose sight of the dogs themselves.
Watch the full episode to discover the breeding philosophy and legacy behind Good Spice Kennel.
Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(00:34) Meet Margery Good
(02:42) How Her Journey in Dogs Began
(07:26) The Mentors Who Shaped Her Career
(09:02) Breeding Virtues to Virtues
(15:06) The Win That Changed Everything
Meet Cherie Hunchak: Master Breeder of Elance Borzoi
Saison 2 · Épisode 54
mardi 8 septembre 2026 • Durée 53:14
Cherie Hunchak of Elance Borzoi has spent decades pursuing one goal: breed dogs that are strong where the breed is weak.
In this episode of Better Breeder Chronicles, Cherie shares the philosophy, breeding decisions, and bloodlines behind Elance Borzoi and the dogs that have influenced pedigrees around the world.
You’ll discover:
How learning to truly see structure transformed her breeding program
Why pedigrees are a roadmap, and the dog in front of you never tells the whole story
How she uses linebreeding and carefully chosen outcrosses to build consistency
Why collaboration and sharing quality stud dogs will strengthen an entire breed
Why her proudest achievement isn’t ribbons, but seeing other breeders succeed with Elance bloodlines
Watch the full episode for an insightful conversation about breeding with purpose, building better pedigrees, and leaving a lasting legacy in the Borzoi breed.
Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction
(02:09) Falling in Love With Borzoi
(04:02) Starting as a Borzoi Breeder
(07:48) Early Mentors and Lessons
(09:55) Understanding Structure and Pedigrees
(12:02) Why Front Structure Matters
(13:39) Developing the Elance Type
(14:49) Reading a Pedigree
(15:45) Linebreeding and Outcrossing
(18:40) Overcoming Breeding Setbacks
Elevate Your Mindset
Saison 1 · Épisode 3
mardi 1 septembre 2026 • Durée 01:07:35
Great breeding programs are built on the mindset of the breeder behind them.
In this episode of the Better Breeder Roundtable,Kathy Rust is joined by Jamie Hubbard (Clussexx Kennels) and Spenser Hardin (Longview Collies) to talk about how a breeder's mindset can either propel a program forward or quietly hold it back for years.
Together, they explore what it really takes to think in generations rather than litters, how to overcome the “I'm just a little speck” feeling at the start, and why heart and head both have to be at the table when planning a breeding.
Jamie and Spenser share how their own visions have matured over time, why co-breeding and networking have become essential in an era of smaller kennels, and how to stay grounded in your own vision when the ribbons pull in a different direction.
Here's what this conversation covers:
Overcoming the “little speck” mindset when starting out
Approaching experienced breeders and nationals with confidence
Building a long-term vision that stays consistent across generations
Balancing heart and head when evaluating your own dogs
Why the biggest winners aren't always the strongest producers
Reproductive health, temperament, and numbers as part of the plan
Building male lines that truly earn their place in a breeding program
Networking, co-breeding, and elevating the breed by elevating others
The truth about first litters and what makes them worth the effort
Whether you're contemplating your first litter, refining your vision, or rethinking the direction of an established program, this episode offers a grounded, honest perspective on the mindset it takes to build something that lasts.
Meet Robert Urban: Master Breeder of Foxfire Black and Tan Coonhounds
Saison 2 · Épisode 53
mardi 25 août 2026 • Durée 53:22
Robert Urban of Foxfire Black and Tan Coonhounds knows that great breeders build more than winning dogs. They build a kennel with a type, a philosophy, and a legacy.
In this episode, Bob shares the lessons behind decades of breeding, showing, and working with Black and Tans, from the breed-founding mentors who shaped him to the dogs that defined Foxfire.
You’ll hear:
How Foxfire developed a recognizable breed type
Why temperament should never be compromised
Why breeders must be their own toughest critics
How shrinking gene pools are changing breeding decisions
The advice Bob believes every aspiring breeder needs to hear
It’s a candid conversation about breeding with purpose, learning from every litter, and making the hard decisions that create a lasting program.
▶️ Watch the full episode and discover the story and philosophy behind Foxfire.
Timestamps:
(00:00) The realities of breeding
(02:15) Getting started in dogs
(07:30) Mentors who shaped Bob
(12:21) Early breeding challenges
(15:22) Building the Foxfire bloodline
(17:25) Pedigrees and genetic diversity
(19:40) The Foxfire ideal
(22:24) Show dogs that can work
(26:10) The dogs that built Foxfire
(33:21) Today’s breeding challenges
Meet Sylvia Hammarstrom: Master Breeder of Skansen Giant Schnauzers
Saison 2 · Épisode 52
mardi 18 août 2026 • Durée 01:18:14
Sylvia Hammarstrom of Skansen Kennels has spent more than 70 years breeding, raising, and learning from Schnauzers. What began as a childhood passion in Sweden grew into a Giant Schnauzer breeding program that has produced close to 2,000 American champions.
In this episode, Sylvia shares the experiences, dogs, and lessons that shaped Skansen, including:
How working in European kennels shaped her as a breeder.
What she looks for in the ideal Giant Schnauzer.
The legendary dogs that shaped Skansen.
Why health and temperament became more important than winning.
What more than 70 years of breeding taught her about raising great, healthy dogs.
At 87, Sylvia still spends hours at the kennel every day. Her advice to breeders after a lifetime with dogs is simple: listen to your dogs.
Watch the full episode to discover Sylvia Hammarstrom’s remarkable story and the lessons behind Skansen Kennel.
Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(02:24) Sylvia’s Early Love of Dogs
(08:02) Learning from European Kennels
(13:12) Lessons from Breeders and Handlers
(15:50) From California Kennels to TWA
(19:20) From Dobermans to Giant Schnauzers
(24:29) Building the Skansen Breeding Program
(26:44) Developing Her Ideal Giant Schnauzer
(31:37) Breeding for the Perfect Family Pet
(32:45) Breeding Strategies and European Bloodlines
Meet Andrew DiGiorgio: Master Breeder of Foxhollow Wire Fox Terriers
Saison 1 · Épisode 51
mardi 11 août 2026 • Durée 51:10
For nearly 60 years, legendary breeder Andrew DiGiorgio has built Foxhollow into one of the most successful and respected Wire Fox Terrier breeding programs. Andy shares the philosophy, breeding decisions, and unforgettable dogs that shaped a world-class breeding program and left a lasting mark on the breed.
In this episode you’ll discover:
How Andrew learned to recognize great dogs
Why quality matters more than individual traits
His breeding strategy for producing champions
Why type and movement matter most
How the Foxhollow legacy lives on today
Whether you're a breeder, exhibitor, or passionate dog lover, this episode is packed with decades of practical wisdom from one of the sport's true master breeders.
Watch now and discover the principles that built the legendary Foxhollow legacy.
Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction
(02:13) First Dog Show
(04:48) Finding Wire Fox Terriers
(05:52) Learning to See the Whole Dog
(07:30) Building the Foundation
(10:02) Breeding Philosophy
(11:35) Successful Outcrossing
(12:48) Managing the Breeding Program
(13:21) Learning From Setbacks
(14:21) The Ideal Wire Fox Terrier
(16:15) Evaluating Dogs
(18:03) Foxhollow's Most Influential Dogs
Form & Function: More Than a Checklist
Saison 1 · Épisode 2
mardi 4 août 2026 • Durée 01:05:29
Every breed standard was written with a purpose—but understanding why those words matter is what helps breeders make better decisions.
In this episode of the Better Breeder Roundtable, Kathy Rust is joined by Kristi Libertore (Whiskey Hills Bracco Italiano & Whiskeytown Wirehaired Pointing Griffons) and Anne Phillips (Fernhill Brittanys) to explore how breeders can use the Breed Standard as more than a checklist—understanding the purpose behind every word and every trait.
Together, they discuss how form and function shape every part of the Standard, why purpose should guide every breeding decision, and how preserving breed identity begins with understanding why each trait matters.
Whether you're new to breeding or have years of experience, this conversation offers practical insights into evaluating dogs through a functional lens and preserving the qualities that define every breed.
Here's what this conversation covers:
Reading the Breed Standard as a blueprint, not a wish list
Understanding the purpose behind every structural trait
Why form and function must always go hand in hand
How movement reveals what a stack or photo can't
Evaluating breeding stock beyond titles and cosmetics
The importance of mentorship, anatomy, and recognizing structural excellence
Why seeing dogs perform their original job changes how breeders interpret the Standard
Building breeding programs that preserve purpose for future generations
Whether you're evaluating your next breeding, mentoring a newcomer, or rethinking how you look at your own dogs, this episode is a masterclass in breeding with clarity, understanding, and functional integrity.
Meet Stephanie Hentschel: Master Breeder of DarRight Pomeranians
Saison 1 · Épisode 50
mardi 28 juillet 2026 • Durée 54:33
Learn how Stephanie Hentschel of DarRight Pomeranians built a highly-respected Pomeranian breeding program in the breed.
In this episode, Stephanie shares the breeding philosophy, mentorship, and life lessons that have shaped her success, including the importance of sharing their bloodlines with others. She explains why breeding is about much more than winning in the show ring, but about preserving the breed for future generations.
Here's what you'll discover:
Why pedigrees and linebreeding are essential
How to balance type, health, temperament, and soundness
Why breeders should share bloodlines instead of competing
The biggest challenges facing Pomeranians today
The mindset every breeder needs to build a lasting program
Whether you're new to breeding or have years of experience, you'll find valuable ideas you can apply to your own breeding program.
👍 If you enjoyed this episode, like, subscribe, and share it with fellow breeders. Let us know in the comments what lesson from Stephanie stood out most.
