The 12th Dobermann National is proudly sponsored by

12th
AUSTRALIAN DOBERMANN NATIONAL

MEET THE JUDGES

12th DOBERMANN NATIONAL RESTRICTED OBEDIENCE TRIAL
Wednesday November 7th 2007

OBEDIENCE JUDGE:

Mr Keith Ralph (Vic) ( Torsea Dobermanns)

Keith Ralph’s introduction to the world of pure breed dogs came in 1962 with the purchase of a Boxer puppy “Laurelwood Lucky” who went on to become the first boxer in Tasmania to obtain a C.D. Tittle. This started an involvement that has spanned some 41 years. Through the untimely death of “Lucky “in 1965 began what has become a lifelong interest with the Dobermann. Keith has the honour of training the first Dobermann in Tasmania to qualify for its Novice and Open obedience titles, as well many B.I.S. awards at all breed shows. Since that time, along with his wife Jenny, has taken many other Dobermann’s through to gain titles in both Conformation and Obedience under the prefix of Torsea.
In 1968 as a natural progression from his competitive involvement in the sport of “dogs” he applied for and received a Novice Obedience license, with the following licenses gained to judge Open in 1971, Utility in 1973. To these he added tracking in 1976, which was followed in 1988 with Agility and Endurance licences.
Keith has judged at many specialty shows including the Dobermann National in 1995 and in most states of Australia. He had the honour of judging the National obedience and Agility Trials for the Singapore Kennel Club in 1991, and the Agility classes at the Melbourne Royal in the same Year.
During the years since his first participation, Keith has been involved in many official capacities.
Tasmanian K.C.C as Chairman of their “Obedience Advisory Committee” as a member of the V.C.A Obedience, Tracking and Agility advisory body.
Keith was a member of the original group of people from around Australia who met and formed the National Dobermann Council of Australia. He served on this committee for several years as a Victorian Delegate, including a two-year term as Chairman.
He was also a member of the Victorian Dobermann Club of Victoria’s Committee for several years including three years as chairperson.
Other area's of Keith’s involvement has been as a lecturer on many aspects of Obedience training and associated disciplines, such as Judges Training Schemes, Aspiring Judges Testing panels, also to various breed clubs including the Dobermann Club instructors training scheme on the Psychology involved in Dog Training.

12th DOBERMANN NATIONAL WORKING APTITUDE EVALUATION
Sunday 11th November 2007

EVALUATOR:

Mrs Dawn Ayton (Vic) (Keldoone Dobermanns)

Dawn began her involvement with dogs undertaking obedience lessons with the family pet. It was not long before she progressed to owning a purebred dog and competing in dog showing events.
Being a novice show handler with a young inexperienced dog proved challenging so Dawn attended numerous seminars and work shops both here in Australia and the USA. The handling skills she developed combined well with her obedience background and knowledge of dog temperament.
Her first Dobermann was Rovarnie Black Onyx.
Dawn has judged WAE's in Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia.
She is a proud Life Member of the Dobermann Club of Victoria, qualified as a Working Aptitude Evaluator and Co-ordinator of the National Dobermann Council (Australia)'s ROM program.
Having returned to Trialling in recent years, lately having the thrill of titling the same dog in Obedience, Endurance and Tracking in eight days, capping it off with his Tracking Championship a couple of weeks later. Dawn has always been involved in promoting training at all levels, being Chief Instructor of the Dobermann Club of Victoria Inc and an Instructor for the Rottweiler Club of Victoria Inc and this year was involved in running the very successful series of training nights for Triallers at KCC Park, which was a great way to catch up with old friends and meet new ones too.

12th DOBERMANN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW
Thursday November 8th and Friday November 9th 2007

CONFORMATION JUDGE:

Mrs Diane Butler (UK) (Telstar Dobermanns)

I have been brought up with dogs and horses all of my life, Labradors, Pekingese, Poodles, Boxers and GSDs.

My first Dobermann was aquired from rescue; I believe she was about four; I was married with a family by then. We owned horses at the time, due to the vulnerability of our location and after several confrontations with unsavoury characters I decided I wanted a companion that would deter any further trouble. So perhaps Tia was really aquired for the wrong reasons. But how she bowled me over was unbelievable. Whilst competing with the horses, I started totrain her in obedience, she was fantastic and after a while I managed to get an obedience title on her.

I purchased my foundation bitch from Dizown lines in 1987 and titled her in obedience. Went warily into showing, as a friend told me she was good enough, and once again she excelled, with so may wins and Best of Breeds.

Unfortunately I have only bred four litters i all these years, as Im afraid circumstances changed and I had to work. All the puppies I bred did well in obedience and showig, others became superb family pets with amazing temperaments.

Personal circumstances then changed dramatically again and after loosing four of my dogs, all I had left was my old girl from my first litter, who passed away just a month off fourteen, I miss her to this day.

Fortunately the worl famous Tavey Kennel asked me to show their dogs. We have done so well over the years with titles too many to mention, JW's, CC's and all qualifying for Crufts mostly for life.

At present I have three Dobes at home, a Dexter granddaughter, now retired. A Dizown male, who has his JW, has won a class at Crufts and also a second and is on the way to his title. Also a fourteen month old bitch I have in partnership, that already has her JW and at present is top Dobermann Puppy in the UK.

I started judging in 1983 and my appointments have taken me all over the UK. I have been passed by the English Kennel Club and by the Dobermann Breed Council as a Championship Show Judge for Dobermanns in 2002, but have also judge most of the herding and working groups also Chinese Cresteds for which I have passed their Championship Show judging exam to be able to award CC's. I also judge group and Best in Shows at open show level.

I am a founder member of the SOUTH EAST OF ENGLAND DOBERMANN CLUB and have been chariman for the pst six years. I am a canine behaviourist and a pet bereavement councillor. I am privileged to be a member of the Kennel Club and to be the Kennel Club's liason officer for Dobermanns in the UK.

I am indeed honoured and thrilled to be chosen by the Dobermann Club of Victoria, and consider myself so very fortunate in being selected by many of my peers for such a prestigious event, and will treasure this appointment forever.
I am and always will be passionate for the most lovable and versatile breed in the dog world, THE DOBERMANN.

HOST CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW
Saturday November 10th 2007

CONFORMATION JUDGE:

Mr Wayne Brown (Scharmeland Dobermanns)

The name Wayne Brown has been synonymous with Dobermanns from 1970 under the Sharmeland prefix and later changed to Scharmeland.
The most out standing winning dog was Australian Champion Sharmeland Graf Spirit. He was the first and second National winner in Australia
The beginning:
I had the good fortune to be given a Dobermann male (Chico) by a client of mine who was relocating to South Africa and couldn’t take the dog with him, I was privileged to have this honour, the family were Italian and they also wanted the dog, but Franco his owner felt I was more suited to his strong temperament.
He was an incredible dog and would test me to the limit by jumping the fence and going walk about with the local dogs, who at that time all ran loose, his only sinister move was if he was threatened by another male but only of equivalent size he would give them a belting and if they ran home would chase them into their own house and finish the deal on the lounge room floor, hence he attained a reputation which was getting me into trouble, with fences at 8 feet high and a barb wire strand at the top he still went walking, I think he had hidden wings, so I decided to get him a female companion, It was the last pup in the litter 16 weeks old, did I want the papers, they asked? Oh alright, the new baby did the trick. I went to work the following day and was shown a blue ribbon won by a work mate with a rendition “I got my dog from a Big Breeder and he is a show dog, your mongrel wouldn’t be good enough to show, my breeder is Trevasco Kennels and my dog is Trevasco Tall Texan!” who later became a Champion.
Well every one has heard of red rag to a bull, or I dare you and many other quips that one should never have said to mild mannered Wayne Brown.
This bitch after 2 miserable attempts to try to imitate the opposition won on our third attempt at 9 months Challenge bitch and puppy of breed at the Brisbane Royal exhibition under Mr Bill Siggers a well noted Great Dane breeder from the UK, I was hooked and so 36 years later still addicted, numerous champions near to a 100, I’ve lost count, imports, both dogs and semen, exports, became a Dobermann judge and then group status, my whole life dedicated to improving fronts and keels and attaining correct layback of upper arm and shoulders in the Scharmeland progeny, right down to even my business transporting animals. I have been club president, secretary and committee of Dobermann clubs in two states and now an ordinary member of Victorian Dobermann club.
my breeding has slowed some what, but we still have semen from the belated Brazilian US Japanese Canadian International Champion Charleston Yankee and some extremely good brood bitches to produce a few more litters yet
I have judged specialties in Sydney, Hobart, Auckland and Christchurch and now it is my pleasure and a privilege to judge the 2007 Dobermann host show in Melbourne Victoria

HOST CLUB RESTRICTED OBEDIENCE TRIAL
Sunday November 11th 2007

OBEDIENCE JUDGE:

Mr Frank Valestro (Vic)

I was introduced into the dog world in the early seventies, training and trialing dogs. While training my German Shepherd I became very involved in the breed and German Shepherd Dog Club of Victoria.
Within the general dog world I am serving my second four-year term as a Board Member of the Victorian Canine Association, and a number of sub-committees.
Currently serving on VCA Management Committee and OTEC, a past Chairperson of Retrieving and Field Trial Committee and also past Chairperson of Obedience Tracking & Agility Committee, as well as serving on a number of other sub-committees.
I teach handlers and instructors on training and trialing methods, ringcraft and lectures at a number of all-breeds Obedience Clubs throughout Victoria, and breed under the Barfran prefix.
I am a full panel ANKC Judge so am able to judge UDX, Utility, Open, Novice and CCD classes as well as Tracking, Agility, Jumping and Endurance. I have had the privilege to judge in Singapore in 1999 and again this year, also at Nationals, Royals and State trials, along with other prestigious trials in every State of Australia except Western Australia.

12th DOBERMANN NATIONAL BREED SURVEY
Wednesday November 7th 2007

JUDGES:

Mr Phil Hastie (SA)
Mr Damien Bourne (NT)
Mrs Paula Brown (WA)

Further details to be confirmed shortly