We've worked very hard to accomplish the wonderful show wins we have received, it's not very easy being in Alaska where there are so few shows, but we felt it was important to get out of Alaska, meet other breeders and their dogs, exchange information and keep our state of the breed knowledge current. We try to attend every National Specialty, and have been able to get to at least one other show a year. This year, we're turning our focus to obedience competition (go Fang!), and in between finishing our house (the perpetual project!) and enjoying our all-too-short Alaskan summer, we hope to get a leg or two!
With only a few exceptions from time to time, our dogs have been owner/handled to every win. Several have had memorable wins with Novice Junior Handlers. In just the few years we've been showing and breeding, we have achieved 24 (19 "Glacier Creek") Championships on our dogs: 10 American, 6 Canadian, 3 States-International, 2 UCI-International, 2 States Kennel Club, and 1 UCI-National Championship. Two more are major pointed. We've ranked three different dogs in the Top 10 (Shiner, Michael and Sonia) and have had a dog in the top 10 five of the last six years (two ranked in the top 5--Shiner and Sonia). Four are AKC group placers (two Group Winners), three are multiple States group placers, two (and a grandson, Yeti) are multiple Canadian group placers (and top ranked for three years, including #1), and one we bred (Sonia) is a Canadian/States/International Best in Show winner and KCA Conformation Performance Award qualifier at only 2 years of age (and halfway to the Outstanding CPA at only 3). We also showed the only mother and daughter pair (Kizzy and Tanya) to KCA Specialty Best of Winners (Kizzy also won a KCA Award of Merit as well as BOS at a Canadian Specialty, both from the classes), and Tanya has the distinction of being the only kuvasz to go Best of Winners at a Kuvasz Club of America National Specialty from the Bred-by Class. Fang has now become our obedience star with two legs towards his AKC CD and one leg towards his ASCA (Australian Shepherd Club of America), both with a first place in Novice A Class!
Our breeding phylosophy is simple, we breed only what we want to keep ourselves. Our dogs live in our home as members of our family, not as kennel dogs. The Kuvasz is our first and only breed, so we have a great appreciation for the FCI Hungarian Standard, and use it as the basis for our breeding program. While we love showing off our dogs, shows are not the end all and be all to us. We only breed dogs based on temperament, type and strength as well as for a nurturing nature and predator savviness, never because of what is popular in the showring. We try never to lose focus on their original use as predator control dogs (much appreciated in Alaska with all our bears and wolves!) or their suitability as family dogs. Our dogs are only bred if they have passed CERF (eyes clear) and have OFA/OVC normal hips.
We rarely breed, so that we can spend a lot of time with the pups and be more available to our owners. When we do breed, our bitches and puppies come first. We feel very strongly that our responsibility to the pups begins once our girls are bred and does not end for the life of the pups. We do not enter shows once the pregnancy is confirmed and we try not to attend shows or leave town when we have puppies on the ground. Our pups are whelped right in the house and grow up surrounded by dogs, kids, people and the Alaskan wilderness.
We don't always win, but the many wins we have achieved are all that much more heartfelt, because we hope we are helping to preserve a piece of history, nearly lost, "from the Old Country". For the overwhelming response of AKC judges to our idea of an FCI style of Kuvasz, Sonia, (tall, long-legged, long flat head, higher earset, bigger ears) we are extremely grateful. Our goal is not to produce a yearly litter of pets, or generic showdogs, but to try to produce a solid, well rounded kuvasz that reflects their hungarian heritage. We realize not everyone wants a "show dog" so we pay particular attention to temperament and natural instincts. The dogs are not just "pretty faces" but are actual working predator dogs (all have chased a grizzly bear or two off and we owe them our lives). We spend a lot of time making sure our pedigrees have solid temperaments behind them, and knock on wood, have never had a dog excused or disqualified from the ring for temperament problems. Shiner is a born showdog and he has passed his twinkling black eyes and tailwagging legacy down through the generations. He is definitely the true secret of our success!
We're entering into a new phase of our breeding program in that our dogs are now becoming foundation stock for other breeders. Ch. Glacier Creek's Alaskan Icefog was owner/handled by Icefog Kuvaszok to her Canadian Championship and whelped a lovely litter, one of which went to a show family. This pup, Yeti, is now a Canadian Group Placer and Puppy Group Winner at only 7 months of age! Tanya is now owned by and will be bred by Huron Kuvasz Kennels and recently finished her Canadian championship (her third). Maci was at stud for Brantwood and Icefog (which is how we got Kiska). Other owner/handlers have also had wonderful success with our dogs in the showring. Windy, Noel, Chance, Chena, and Rajah all won majors and/or Best of Breeds (some over group winning champions!) with their owners. Cory made the cut in the tough Florida group his first show weekend!
Thank you to everyone, courageous judges, friends and family, who have appreciated what we have tried to accomplish and given us so much support to make it a success. You have helped preserve the uniqueness of this breed. Most of all, thank you to the dogs, for just being you.
Glacier Creek's Major Show
Accomplishments to Date:
| Shiner | 1992 Winners Dog, Kuvasz Club of America's
Supported Entry, Chintimini, Oregon
1992 Best Adult in Match, KCA Sanctioned Match, Portland, OR 1993 Top 12 Kuvasz Breed Points 1994 Top 5 Kuvasz Breed Points Best of Breed, 2XBOS, Columbus, Ohio Cluster. Multiple Champion |
| Michael | 1995 Top 10 Kuvasz Breed Points, Multiple
AKC/CKC Group Placer, Multiple Champion
1996 Top 10 All Breed, #3 In Canada (Top Group Placer) Multiple AKC Group Placer |
| Kizzy | 1995 Winners Bitch, Best of Winners,
Judges First Award of Merit (first
one ever awarded to a kuvasz from the classes), Kuvasz Club of America Specialty, Burbank, California 1995 Winners Bitch, Best of Winners, Best of Opposite Sex, Kuvasz Club of Canada's 20th Anniversary National Specialty, Multiple Champion 1998 New International Champion with three V-1 (Very Excellent--the highest) Ratings |
| Windy | 1997 Bred-by Class Winner 3 out of
4 shows, including the Kuvasz Club of
America's Specialty, Winner's Bitch, 5 point major, Chaparral KC, Albuquerque, NM 7 X Best In Show Brace, Puppy Group Placer |
| Noel | 1997 Multiple Group Winner, AK Kennel
Club Sanctioned matches,
Majors over Group placing Champions 7 X Best in Show Brace |
| Tanya | 1998 Winners Bitch, Best of Winners
from the Bred-by Class, Kuvasz Club of America Specialty
in Perry, Georgia 1998 Multiple Group Placer, International Ch., States KC. 2000 Best of Breed to new Canadian Ch. Kuvasz Club of Canada Specialty Weekend. |
| Sonia | 1997 Multiple Regular Group Placer,
Multiple Best Puppy In Show, States KC
New Champion from the Bred-by class at the River City Cluster of Dog Shows in San Antonio, Finished in three weekends with four, 4 point majors. 1998 Best of Breed, Hungarian Style Match, Kuvasz Club of America's Specialty Weekend, Perry, Geogia Multiple Group Placer, States Kennel Club Shows. Multiple Champion Multiple Canadian Group Placer, Yukon Kennel Club Shows, June AKC Group 4, Cook Inlet Kennel Club, Group 4 Whidbey Island KC, WA BEST IN SHOW/ Best Bred-By Exibitor in Show, 2 X Reserve Best BBE in Show, Three group placements, UCI International Shows, Palmer AK, August #2 in Canada, #8 AKC All-breed 1999 Thirteen AKC Group Placements in AK and TX, Multiple BOB's over top ranked kuvaszok in 4 States. BEST IN SHOW--Canada, BEST IN SHOW--States Kennel Club (AK) BIS-BBE (2X) UCI International #1 in Canada, #3 AKC Breed, #4 AKC All-breed 2000 Group 3, Cook Inlet Kennel Club Group 3 Kennewick WA. Top 10 Breed and All Breed 2001 Judges First Award of Merit, BOB All Breed Shows and Group 1, KCA Specialty Weekend. Group 4 Houston, Group 3 Sheboygan, Group 4 Tanana Valley. |
| Alaska | 1998 Best of Breed her first weekend
out over top ranked specials, Canada 2000 Dam to #1 Kuvasz in Canada ("Yeti") |
| Fang | 1997 Our First Champion from the Bred-by
Class at 9 months by going
Best of Breed over Group Placing Champions, made the cut in group 1999 Multiple Group Placements, States Kennel Club shows, May and September, AK. Handled to a Group 2 and his States and States International Championships by his new Junior Handler, Juliann Hanson. 2000 Working Group Placer handled by Julie Hanson, #12 All-Breed 2001 2 Qualifying scores to AKC C.D., and one towards ASCA C.D. both with first in class placements. |
| Curly | 1997 Championship from the Bred-by
Class at the River City Cluster of Dog
Shows, San Antonio, TX Best of Breed over Group Placing Champions for his first major 1998 Junior Handled to a Group 4 Placement at the June Alaska Kennel Club, #12 All Breed Shows |
| Rajah | 1994 Three majors at the River City Cluster of Dog Shows, including Best of Breed over Group Placing Champions |
| Kiska | 2000 Best of Winners for a 5 point major at the Kuvasz Club of America Specialty Weekend. |