Judging

I live in Naantali, a small city near Turku in the Southwest part of Finland. I bought my first apricot dwarf poodle, Dundelion Carlos Sainz, in 1991. Already after few weeks I realized that I wanted to learn how to show and groom him in dog shows. I became a member of Finnish Poodle Club and participated eagerly in the trainings of the local poodle club right from the beginning. After a year I got another apricot dwarf poodle, Backseat Driver’s Inside Joke and 1996 I bought my foundation bitch, Backseat Driver’s Vicky Lee. 2010 I bought my first cirneco dell’etna, Tulimaan Her Highness.

I applied for a kennel name already in 1995 and the first Trucker’s litter was born in 1997. Four apricot dwarf poodle males were born in the litter. So far, I have bred poodles under my kennel name in all sizes, in colors apricot, red, black and white, and also cirneco dell’etnas. The breeds I have bred have done well in the competitions for the most successful dogs of the year in the breed clubs of each breed. Poodles have got great results from dog shows, agility and obedience. Cirneco dell’etnas have been successful in track racing, lure coursing, pack coursing, blood tracking tests and of course in dog shows. In 2022 Finnish Kennel Club awarded me the Vuolasvirta -award for excellent breeding of cirneco dell’etnas.

At home I have cirneco dell’etnas, poodles are living in other families. With my cirneco dell’etnas I go to dog shows, sighthound racing and coursing. I qualified as a judge in 2019. My first breed was naturally poodles, but I am also qualified for my other own breed, cirneco dell’etna. At this moment I also have qualifications for some other breeds in FCI groups 9 and 5.

Since the show rules and anti-doping rules in Finland require certain things from the exhibitors, the dog must not be treated harshly in my ring under any circumstances either, and I do not want to see dogs being treated rudely. I also do not accept that the dog's coat, skin or nose has been dyed or that the coat has been treated with chemical substances before or during the show. Dogs' well-being and health are always a priority.

In my ring I am looking for a sound and non-exaggerated dog whose breed type has nothing excessive. It is also important for me that the dog has typical temperament for the breed. A dog’s structure should always be suitable for its original purpose and a dog built in this way moves effortlessly and with balance regardless of its breed. And finally, the entirety is crowned by a coat that is correctly groomed for the breed.