Luke Ehricht: Progressive, leading up to Westminster, has always been a premier show for Toy dogs. It usually brings in most of the top dogs in the country, and often many international dogs, so it’s always considered one of the prime shows you want to win with a Toy dog.
Luke Ehricht: It’s always more significant when you’re the breeder/owner/handler. We’ve had this breed since 1973 and Comet is so many generations of our own breeding. Breeding has always been the most important thing to us—that is what we’ve worked for. And even though we are professional handlers, our main thing is being breeders. Breeding is what we enjoy the most, for sure.
Luke Ehricht: The dogs—we adore them! What’s so wonderful about Shih Tzu is that we have seven different stud dogs who all run together. There’s never a squabble, even when the girls are in season. We don’t ever have any kind of a worry. They’re just so good that way.
Luke Ehricht: Of course, the grooming and conditioning are big, important parts of the breed. It’s a daily ritual to keep a dog in the kind of specials coat and condition we have Comet in. When Best in Show is over, we spend an hour brushing out the hair, wrapping it up, and tying it up so that he can eat and run around. And although Shih Tzu are always willing to please, they’re also not stupid. If you do something they don’t like, they will make you pay. You’ve got to know what you can get away with and what you can’t. If you come down too hard, they’re not going to perform the way you want them to. But if you give them everything they want, they’ll never quit.
Luke Ehricht: I’ve shown a lot of different breeds over the years. My first Best in Show I ever won was on a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. I’ve shown Siberian Huskies and I used to show a lot of terriers; Westies, Wire Fox Terriers, and Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers. I showed a Cocker Spaniel that was Top Sporting Dog in Canada and won the Variety at American Spaniel Club. But the Shih Tzu are so personable. They’re so loving and affectionate. They’re not yappy and they’re not hyper. They are clean and really laid-back and chill. They’re not fighters, ever. They are an overall sweet and wonderful breed, and what’s great about them is they’re extremely healthy. They’re the kind of breed that once someone has one, they want another. It’s amazing how many people in other breeds are crazy in love with Shih Tzu.
Luke Ehricht: Shih Tzu are not really known for those events, but the top-winning Obedience Shih Tzu is one that we bred. So far, she’s had two perfect 200 scores. They’ve done everything with her, including tracking. The lady who got her from us works just as hard as we do but for a totally different goal. I mean, we’re dog people and there isn’t anything I don’t appreciate about the kind of hard work that people put into their dogs.
Luke Ehricht: There are lots of things to consider and, of course, there are so many different Toy breeds. Some are definitely easier than others. If you’re going to get involved in showing a breed like the Shih Tzu, or a Maltese or a Yorkie, you have got to be dedicated to the grooming. We have people all the time who say they want to start showing dogs and want a Shih Tzu, but they need to own one first to find out if they can do it justice. You’ve got to know what you’re getting into as far as the work involved. And being around Toys, you’ve got to be considerate of them. Toys are not dogs you can leave outside; they’re not like a hunting dog or a hound, though you’ve still got to make sure they get their exercise.
Luke Ehricht: Comet is extra special and he’s very definitely connected to us. He sleeps in bed with us! We’ve had a few very special dogs over the years and he’s definitely one of them. We had high hopes for him as a baby and he always had the kind of personality where we knew he would do well. He’s a very personable dog and he’s loving every minute of it.
Luke Ehricht: Vicki Abbott is an icon in our sport. She’s someone who is truly a Toy aficionado, which definitely makes the win extra special. She showed beautiful Maltese—always in impeccable condition—and I’ve watched her judge for years. I think she’s got a great eye for a dog, period, not just in the Toy Group.
Luke Ehricht: Because Comet is so young, and the fact that he still enjoys showing, my goal is to make him the Top-Winning Toy of All Time. He was Top Dog All Breeds in 2023, which was basically his first full year of campaigning, though it wasn’t something we set out to do. It just kind of happened. And at the end of 2023, I ended up in the hospital two weeks before Orlando and got out just a week before the show. So, last year I cut back a lot on shows because of health problems, which I’ve been dealing with ever since. I think I’m on the mend, but it’s slow. I’m doing a lot less shows this year and hoping it won’t take me that much longer to get the last BISs.
Thank you!
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