As many readers know, Lochranza Kennels is one of the oldest kennels registered with the American Kennel Club. Our records, such as photographs, ribbons, trophies, letters and pedigrees go all the way back to the early 1940s. That being said, the age of a kennel doesn’t always mean its breeding program remains the same. In our case, there have been several changes of direction over the years. At certain times, we were more conscious of coat texture and abundance. At other times, it was richness of color that we were trying to improve; or, perhaps, fullness of muzzle. At all times, we kept the importance of movement in mind and, at all times, we preferred a bigger-than-average Collie.
When the founder of our kennel, Jacqueline M. Kauffman (known as “Jackie”to her friends) passed the torch on to me, we had already started the breeding plan that would become our most important effort to date. Although the following years would blur his image from the public’s memory, and many other stars would shine in the show ring, the Collie on which we centered our breeding program was Ch. Amberlyn’s Bright Tribute, known to dog lovers simply as “Kane.”
He was magnificent, and he was correct in many ways. At the time of his arrival on the show scene, he possessed certain traits that were very difficult to find. The fullness of his muzzle, for example, was something being lost in the Breed. His neck was unusually long and it displayed a huge ruff. His neck was proudly arched, like a stallion’s. And he moved with the ease and power of a Thoroughbred – yet light as a feather on the lead.
How well I remember seeing him in show after show, towering above the rest; so different that he almost appeared to be a different strain of Collie. As an artist, I could never take my eyes off him. As his last and final owner, I dreaded ever losing him.
Taking care of such a champion is a great responsibility. It’s difficult to explain, but there comes a point in such a dog’s career when he becomes known by many people – dog lovers who crowd around him at a show, or write letters to him, or who send him flowers on his birthday. That’s when you understand that he doesn’t belong to you any more. He belongs to them and you are his spokesman. You are also the protector of his public image.
I mention this because, at the time of Kane’s death, I was faced with decisions that don’t ordinarily confront a kennel owner. For one thing, I had just lost my oldest and most fun-loving friend. Not only had I known Jackie since my childhood, but I had also married her cousin and my sister and I had bought our first purebred dogs from her. Ever since I was a young boy, I had been part of the kennel, helping in any way that I could. Maybe I wasn’t the only one handling the Lochranza Collies in the show ring in those years, but I was as deeply involved in the kennel’s breeding program as anyone could possibly be. For years, some of the Collies in the kennel had been mine or were co-owned with Jackie. Many people in the business didn’t know that. And, I was floundering without her. I didn’t know how to handle the criticism and doubt from other Breeders. Some of them had been sure they would receive the Collies – or Kane himself – after Jackie’s death. How well I remember Jackie’s last trip to the Collie Nationals, in Niagra Falls, New York, where people whispered about what they would get when she died: Her vehicle, her dogs, her house. To their surprise, it didn’t turn out that way. Instead, Jackie left her beloved Lochranza Kennels – all of the dogs, supplies and her records of a lifetime in Collies – to me. This, of course, didn’t win me friends.
I found myself stranded and ostracised by the very people on whom I needed to depend in order to keep the kennel going. I learned about loyalty, I learned about the “cold shoulder” . . . and I learned about betrayal.
Strong words? Perhaps. But, I was alone – withut a mentor to guide me – and I had to make decisions for the future of what I considered to be a treasure and the greatest gift anyone ever could give. Jackie had trusted me and I would honor that trust. The battles started immediately.
The first battle was with the American Kennel Club, itself. In this country, a kennel name is registered for a fee, and the right to use that kennel name lasts for several years. At the end of that time, the registration of the name is once again renewed for a fee. Because of her illness, Jackie had not been taking care of her paper work at home, and, along the way, she had forgotten to renew the name. This left us wide open for other people to use the name if they wanted to, without even asking. But, in her Will, Jackie had left the name “Lochranza Kennels” to me. And I intended to protect it for the bloodline she had entrusted to me. The AKC was notified of that intent.
At first, they were reluctant. They had, in fact, allowed some Collies, and dogs of other breeds, to be registered with our kennel prefix. I made it clear that I didn’t want people thinking we had bred those dogs. They countered by saying that we had lost our right to the name because Jackie had let its registration lapse. I countered by saying it wasn’t the only thing she slipped up on during her illness and while she was under medication. My legal advisors said that I would register the name as an official trademark and no one – not even a Registry – would be able to use it without my permission. As it finally turned out, I produced copies of certificates proving registration of the name all the way back into the early 1940s, further back than even the AKC, itself, had on record. All of us loved seeing these documents so much that we reached an agreement and the name was awarded to me. In return, I agreed not to challenge the existing registration of any dogs that had used the name “Lochranza” during the lapse of the name’s AKC registration . . . and we worked out a five-year plan during which I would show the dogs myself, and register litters as thier Breeder. Under these terms, Lochranza Kennels was officially continued under my name.
The battles weren’t over. Not long after Jackie died, it was Kane’s turn to join her on the oher side of that “Rainbow Bridge.” It happened suddenly, and, of course, we weren’t “ready for it.” I guess what I wasn’t ready for, though, was how quickly other breeders would try using Kane’s image to their marketing advantage. Remember, this wasn’t an “ordinary” champion Collie we were dealing with (Not that there can even be such a thing as an “ordinary” champion). This Collie was a symbol of phenomenal accomplishment within the Breed. Not only was he a wonderful dog, but he had proven himself in the show ring for well over a decade (winning from the time he was a puppy at 6 months, all the way to the age of 12 and a half) . . . and he had been campaigned by great handlers Coast to Coast. He was also quite a glamour boy, photographed by some of the best photographers in the business. These pictures were an important part of our marketing plans for the bloodline.
At the time of Kane’s death, there was an up-and-coming kennel which had a Blue son of his. He wasn’t a bad looking dog, not at all. In fact, I liked him – although I didn’t want to infuse Blue into our bloodline. People were saying, “But, you don’t have much choice. You have to use this dog.” The truth was, I had choices they didn’t even know about: there was a handsome son in California who was starting to make a name for himself (Ch. Triumph’s Baby Sergeant York) . . . and there was also a “secret” hidden away from the dog show world on a farm in Maryland. That secret was a Mahoghany Sable son of Kane’s that Jackie had intended on showing, but who had been hurt in an accident – and was never seen in public again. With these two Sable sons, I had an “ace in my pocket” the day I saw a big ad in one of the Collie magazines.
Even today, I can hardly describe the mixed feelings that came over me when I saw that ad. There it was: a bold announcement to the world that this kennel’s dog was “carrying on the mantle of his sire” and right beside their dog, in all his glory, was a picture of Kane.
Maybe to some people, it might have been a nice ad. But, I didn’t see it that way. To begin with, the owner of the kennel had done some very good handling of Kane in the show ring for us, and, yes, I liked her pups which were related to him. What I didn’t like, is that she had “staked her claim” on Kane even before Jackie had died . . . and she had told people so.
I fought back. Again, I sought legal advice and they agreed with me: Kane’s “public image” was an asset to our kennel, and it had marketing value to us. His name and his pictures belonged to us, and not to anyone else. I also didn’t like the idea that such an ad was run (almost making it appear that our kennel was stepping aside in favor of their dog) without letting me know. After all, we were continuing Kane’s bloodline. We were far from “out of business.”
All of the dog magazines in the United States were notified that the photos of Kane belonged to Lochranza Kennels. We didn’t want them being used in ads without our permission. As it turned out, my timing couldn’t have been worse.
As I was fighting it out, there was a wonderful book being written about the Breed. It was one of those books that goes down as a classic, with pictures and descriptions and histories of great Collies and their accomplishments. I guess my announcement regarding Kane’s pictures was misunderstood. When the book came out, there wasn’t even one picture of him, or mention of his name. Maybe it was too much work for the writers or publishers to call me and talk about it. Maybe they didn’t want to risk being turned down (I wouldn’t have done that). A lot of “maybes.”
In the years that followed, I kept a low profile on the show scene. I worked in the studio, on my collectible figurines of dogs and horses and anything else I wanted to make. I painted, and wrote stories and recorded songs that were played in nightclubs and on the radio. Through it all, I had my dogs, breeding them according to what Jackie intended for the Lochranza Collies. It would take ten years, during which Kane’s name would firmly appear throughout the Lochranza pedigree. Finally, the stage was set for the outcross we had been waiting for. His name was Ch. Lakewinds Shot in the Dark. His call name was “Logan,” and he belonged to Fred and Caroline Haynes.
Once again, this dog was no “ordinary” champion. Like Kane, he had poven himself at show after show, all around the country. Like Kane, he possessed physical traits that were difficult to find in the Breed any more. And, when I saw this pefectly marked, Tri-color myself, I felt a dignity and “presence” that was very familiar. He was the right choice.
The night the puppies were born was very special in our kennel. Our soft lights were glowing, and the whelping box was warm. It was the dam’s first litter and she wasn’t sure about any of this. But, she surprised us all.
That night, as I finally held two beautiful Collie puppies in my hands, one male and the other a female, I thought back on all the years it had taken to reach that moment. As a Collie Breeder, I rememberd the work, the planning and the cost. I remembered victories and mistakes. I remembered enemies (real and imagined) . . . and I remembered friends. In that moment, I was touching the past and I was touching a new beginning.
I had promised to take care of the Lochranza Collies and bring them into the future.
I hope Jackie is smiling.