Can you introduce yourself?
My name is Stacey Jones, I’m 47, married with 2 children. A 14 year old son, Christian and an almost 13 year old daughter, Margaret Claire. I am currently a breeder and exhibitor of Bull Terriers & German Pinschers.
How did you get into showing?
My mother was also a breeder, so I grew up in the purebred dog community. My mom, however, was quite ill and was becoming unable to show dogs herself. I expressed interest in showing the dogs so she wouldn’t need to hire a handler, and it just looked incredibly fun. I began showing first at local puppy matches, learning the ropes there and getting used to the whole dog show rhythm. It was a reasonably priced way to get experience for your puppies and yourself before venturing into the point shows.
Who are your dogs and what do you do with them?
I share my life with 6 dogs.
Coco – a 6 yo Boxer who is my heart dog. After I took a break from breeding/showing Bulldogs to raise my children, Coco entered my life. Future show hopeful and foundation of my bloodline. Unfortunately, Coco was found to have a heart murmur and therefore was removed from any future breeding plans. She is my spayed, beloved best friend.
Freya – 3 yo black Great Dane. Freya is a Juniors dog fail. My son is tall, wanted a large dog to try Junior Handling. He found however that long legs doesn’t mean anything and she was a bit too much for him. So she’s our resident farm dog…who lives indoors, but she barks and let’s us know when someone arrives!
Poppy – 3 yo Colored Bull Terrier. Poppy was to be my foundation. I told myself I’d never own a terrier. The news of Coco’s heart issue devastated me. A friend encouraged me to not give up. She introduced me to her Bull Terriers and my heart sang. These dogs were amazing! I found Poppy, and at 2 years old, Poppy also failed her heart clearance with a diagnosis of mild SAS, which removed her from any future breeding. She is now our spoiled pet too.
Zoot – CH. Encees Cinnamon Candy Kisses – Zoot – 2 yo German Pinscher. I was still searching for a dog for my children to show in Juniors. Another dog friend introduced me to Zoot’s breeder and my mentor in the breed. Zoot was my daughter’s show partner. She is an AKC champion, finished by my daughter and future foundation of my daughter’s own program.
Bubbles – Encees Raise Your Glass – Bubbles – 6mos German Pinscher and my daughter’s newest show prospect.
Action Behold, The Power of Cheese at Keepsake – Cheese – 21 mos Colored Bull Terrier. Also finding her way to heart dog status. Cheese is the foundation of Keepsake Bull Terriers. She is being handled in breed classes by my daughter and is my daughter’s current Junior’s partner.
Outside of dogs who are you as a person?
I’m a mom, sister, wife and friend. My husband, myself & our kids are black belts in karate. So when we’re not doing dog stuff, you’ll find us at the dojo. I work part time at the dojo as an assistant instructor and I manage their social media.
How has being a parent impacted your hobby in the dog fancy?
I was 8 months pregnant when I had my last litter of Bulldogs. Bulldogs are a difficult breed and need constant monitoring. I knew I would not be able to give 100% to my dogs or my children trying to juggle them both. So I took a very long 8 year break. And that was hard. 8 years without showing or breeding was really difficult. Outside of my family, they are my #1 passion. Coming back now after so long, things have changed so much! So its been difficult trying to pick up where things left off. The exciting part is now I have my kids with me. While I still show our dogs, I’ve turned the lead over to my daughter, who shows the vast majority of the time.
What surprised you about the dog fancy when it came to parenthood?
How people were willing to encourage my kids. When I began at age 10, there was not a whole lot of support. I was seen more as an extension of my mom, rather than a partner. Even though I did pedigree research, breeding & puppy raising with her. I wasn’t spoken to about dogs or even spoken too much at all. Now things are much different. My daughter has a huge amount of support from both people within our breeds and in the community in general. She gets asked if she’d like to help out with other breeds in the ring all the time. I’m elated that the community as a whole has embraced her and encourages her.
Where do you see yourself in the future with dogs?
I hope to establish a good bloodline of typey, healthy, sound dogs with optimal temperament. I absolutely would love to be a breeder of merit and one day obtain my judges license. Ultimately, I hope to leave my legacy to my daughter and leave my beloved breeds better off then when I became involved in them.
Do you plan on having your kids involved in dogs?
Absolutely! But I will not force it upon them. My daughter has taken a strong interest and she wants to continue on and be a breeder/exhibitor in her adult years. My son, he enjoys going to shows, helping set up, and break down our grooming areas, take video and just being a part of it all.
What is your dream accomplishment with dogs?
Probably similar to many others. I want to breed the absolute best dogs possible. To have dogs who are consistently producing correct type, conformation, temperament, & health.
Best advice you’ve ever been given?
To work hard in silence and let your success make the noise.
