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Lehigh Valley Kennel Club, Inc.
4338 Clear Way Allentown PA 18103
New Member Profiles
Join us in welcoming our newest members.
Odile Smith
Briards have been part of my life for over 25 years. I grew up in France and we had a GSD and different sporting breeds used for hunting. Some of those breeds are not registered with AKC yet, such as the "Porcelaine" dog. But my heart was set from teenager on the Briard and as soon as i was out of university and able to have a house, briards joined me. I started with "Oursou", who was an oversized black girl, with the very best temperament and 2 years later I got my first show dog, a black male "Tornado". I did learn from him that naming matters as he was a true tornado. He taught me how critical training and leadership over the briard are critical. He was a fabulous show dog, full of himself, did a lot of winning, including several Specialties and an all breed BIS. What a way to start. Of course, then, some breeders wanted to use him as a sire. I learned about owning a stud! While he was a great dog, his coat quality was not the best and I launched into what has been my obsession since then: owning, showing and breeding Briards with the exact characteristics of the standard, in other words, preserving the attributes of this unique breed. Fairytale Briards was born over 20 years ago. I imported a fabulous puppy boy, "Rebelle des Monts d'en Crouzille", from a true shepherd in France who is also passionate about dog shows and has been one of the key architects of the breed for the past 50 years. He has been my mentor and a second father to me, for as long as I have known him. From Rebelle, came my foundation female Turquoise, whom I bred to Tornado. Also from Rebelle came my fantastic Sage, who accomplished it all for me, as a sire, as a show dog in US, Canada and France and above all as our great family member. There are many children and great children of Sage in the US, with many wins and titles. With Sage, I competed at the World Dog Show in France in 2011, 180 briards. We won the breed and went on winning a group 3 in the home country of the breed !!!. And my mentor won BOS. This remains the best memory of my years in the breed. I only breed occasionally, continuing to build on my own dogs but also building on the shoulders of great breeders from the US and Europe. I am very proud of producing super family members, and to have finished almost all my puppies at Specialties. We are on our 5th generation. No kennel for me, everybody lives in the house, which is why we maintain a low number of Briards at home. I continue to show dogs myself in the classes and in the owner handler competition as time permits, while Greg Strong has been showing my Specials, and at times some class dogs, for the past 20 years.
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Miranda Genetti
My parents showed Rottweilers and Akitas and that gave me the itch to start in the dog world. I was given my first American Eskimo dog in 2002 and started competing in juniors and the breed ring. Since then I was on TV for the Purina National Dog Show and to Westminster. I have changed my breed to the Belgian Malinois. I now compete in conformation, rally, obedience, agility, trick dog, nose work, and IGP. I had my first litter of 9 malinois in 2020 under Neverland Kennel and it was a great experience and am now competing with those puppies. My Malinois have given me a lot of support after returning from the military as a disabled veteran. Elsa my first Malinois has given me everything I need to recover and become a certified dog trainer. Elsa is my demo and heart dog she is pictured after our week at the Malinois nationals with all the ribbons we won together.
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Louis Viruet
Louis became involved in the confirmation/breed show world as a 25 year old in 1992 when he first obtained a Shih Tzu named Chatchka, then he was hooked. Louis started showing and breeding Shih Tzus, however he always admired the Lion looks of the Pekingese. In 1998 friends and mentors AKC Judges Zell Von Pohlman and Allan Harper changed his life. They gifted him his first pekingese, Forbidden City Vivian Leigh, and the rest is history. 28 years later, under the kennel name "Loumans" he has bred Best in Show , Group winning/placing and Specialty winners in both breeds. He continues showing and breeding mostly Pekingese and loving it. Louis is in the process of obtaining his AKC judges license for both Pekingese and Shih Tzus. Shown in the picture is Ch. Loumans Bad To The Bone "Tyler".
Deirdre Doherty-Rahn
Deirdre Rahn grew up watching her mother and grandmother show terriers while she was focused on horse shows. In 1989 when she met her husband Timothy, he already owned a Dalmatian and wanted to bring a second into the family. They purchased their first show Dalmatian together in 1990 and the rest is history. Deirdre has dedicated her life to the sport of purebred dogs as a professional handler, a breeder, a performance exhibitor, and an AKC conformation judge.
Deirdre is pictured with one of her pups, Lita, who finished at a Supported Entry just after the 2018 American Bloodhound Club National where she was Best of Opposite sex in Sweepstakes to her littermate Ozzie, and she won her second Specialty Winners Bitch and Grand Sweepstakes at the National Concurrent Specialty. She and her husband currently breed Bloodhounds and German Shorthaired Pointers under the Sanctuary kennel name. They have bred many best in show, group winning/placing, and Specialty and National Specialty winners in all three of their breeds.
Deirdre and Tim were recently inducted into the American Bloodhound Club Hall of Fame as Breeders of Merit. Only 17 breeders have achieved this distinction since its inception in 1986.
Deirdre is pictured with one of her pups, Lita, who finished at a Supported Entry just after the 2018 American Bloodhound Club National where she was Best of Opposite sex in Sweepstakes to her littermate Ozzie, and she won her second Specialty Winners Bitch and Grand Sweepstakes at the National Concurrent Specialty. She and her husband currently breed Bloodhounds and German Shorthaired Pointers under the Sanctuary kennel name. They have bred many best in show, group winning/placing, and Specialty and National Specialty winners in all three of their breeds.
Deirdre and Tim were recently inducted into the American Bloodhound Club Hall of Fame as Breeders of Merit. Only 17 breeders have achieved this distinction since its inception in 1986.
Tracey Nooft
The bloodhound stole Tracey Nooft’s heart 21 years ago when she purchased her first bloodhound from a friend. She then started working for AKC judge Mrs. Annette Davies in 2000. That’s when she got her first taste of showing dogs in the breed ring and started showing her first bred by dog in 2009. Tracey breeds under the prefix Nozenears. Pictured with Tracey is her first bred by champion Nozenears Rock n Roll Diva “Sassy”. Sassy was BOS at the 2016 ABC National Futurity, BOS in Jr. Sweeps at the CBC Supported entry in 2017 to her brother Hendrix who was the only AOM in 2018 at Westminster and Select bitch at the CBC 2018 Eastern specialty and the supported entry. Tracey just had her second show litter of 12 and is looking forward to seeing them in the ring in 2019.
Veronica Predale-Nagy
Veronica Predale-Nagy has been showing Basenjis since she got her first juniors dog in 2002. Since then she has co-bred litters under the prefix Dark Moon with Michael Work. Pictured with Veronica are her bred by dogs Monkey and Tuco. Monkey was best of winners and best bred by at the 2017 BCOA national specialty. Tuco is a multiple group winner, RBIS, BISS, and Westminster Kennel Club Best of breed winner. She is pictured with her best of opposite ribbon from the 2017 national.
