Background
After having been involved in the sport of pure bred dogs since 1956 with
Doberman Pinschers and Great Danes, in 1965 I saw my first Belgian Tervuren at a dog show in Edmonton, Indiana. To say I was
smitten is to put it mildly – I was in awe of these wonderful dogs. I spent the next year researching the breed and
breeders of the time and purchased my first foundation bitch from Dorothy Hollister of Val de Tonnerre Belgians. This bitch
became Ch. La Mariee du Val de Tonnerre, CD C-BAR. My background in raising and training horses allowed me to understand and recognize correct structure and movement in my
chosen breed but La Mariee opened my eyes to the incredible intelligence and versatility of this wonderful breed.
Over the years, I’ve concentrated on maintaining these qualities. And
have been fortunate enough to have acquired or produced many outstanding Tervuren, including such greats as BIS Am. Can. Ch. Rajah D’Antre du Louve, CD, BAR the breeds 3rd Best In Show dog, Ch. Kajon’s Kashmier of Sanroyale, BAR and their son Multi Ch., Int’l. Ch. Our Valiant du Sanroyale and Rajah x La Mariee son, BIS Am. Ber. Ch. Sanroyale’s The Hustler, CD, BAR.
In 1978 I was approved by AKC to judge the Belgians. I now judge eight breeds
in the Herding Group and am working on the rest. My background in local and breed clubs is extensive; I have held almost every
office in both types of clubs. I have been involved in putting on both Regional and National Specialties. I am currently a
member of the American Belgian Tervuren Club, the Lone Star Belgian Tervuren Club and the Dallas/Ft. Worth Judge’s Association.
Breeding Philosophy
Let’s be honest here, many breeders will tell you their breeding philosophy
is to produce sound, healthy dogs. And that’s probably true. But, it’s not the whole truth. My breeding philosophy
is and has always been to produce Winners! Yes, that’s right, Winners! Winners for me and winners for the people who
buy my puppies. Dogs that will win in any venue in which their owners want to work them.
Now, the question here is: What do I consider a “winner”?
More than anything else, a winner must be sound! Soundness both mentally and
physically. A winner must have sound health. A winner must have absolutely phenomenal temperament, steady and confident in
any situation. A winner must have correct structure and movement. A winner must have correct type. These are the things a
breeder is responsible for. With these attributes as a foundation, the new owner can shape the puppy for any venue they wish
to pursue.
No matter what anyone tells you, an unsound dog cannot do sustained work of
any type. The unsound dog can do the Agility run, can run a course of herding, can certainly do entry level obedience and
certainly do conformation. BUT, can they do it over long periods of time? The answer is no. The unsound dog breaks down quickly.
Am I successful? You be the judge. 233 1st and 2nd generation title holders
produced in 33 years of breeding.
Sallyann Comstock
