Touchstar Jack Russell Terriers
Interview with Mrs. Francesca Scorza & Mr. Maurizio Massolo • Interviewed by Jovana Danilovic
Published in Best in Show Summer 2014
BIS: When and how did you first come across Jack Russells?
Touchstar: I came across my first JRT during summer 2002 at a dog show in Italy. He was an Australian male rough coated. I had been involved with terries for two years but this little funny white and tan dog has intrigued me a lot from the very first glance I took at it. So I researched more information about them and discovered the first two Australian dogs imported in Italy. Needless to say that I booked my first puppy not so long after that. Of course at that stage I thought that my puppy was the best Jack Russell in the world … but looking at her now she wasn’t so perfect.
BIS: What makes the Jack Russells so special for you?
Touchstar: I love their prompt cleverness, the happy way to look at the life , their easy going way , their attitude to adapt to every situations . They enjoy a walk in the country as well as a nap on the sofa in a rainy sunday. Jrt are sophisticated show dogs as well dirty rascal.
BIS: Which dog do you consider the foundation of your breeding program?
Touchstar: Thinking to my breeding line , I cannot do without mentioning Touchstar Quintana Roo mothers of many champions around the world and her father Touchstar Genesis a male born into my first litter under our affix Touchstar who sired many champions and outstanding breed samples. Genesis came from a famous swedish dog Brosing’s Australian Dot Com( Bob and 3d in group at European Dog Show In Helsinky 2006 handled by me) and had full australian blood. Nowadays most of my dogs have this dogs in their pedigrees
BIS: What do you consider your greatest achievement as a breeder?
Touchstar: I believe that the greatest achievement is to have built a line that produce dogs with a their own style , a” trade mark” which is very defined and common to all our dogs .
We want balanced dogs, angulated shoulders , show aptitude , impressive heads, good expression, soundly movement. Our current special Multi CH – JWW Touchstar Private Collection is the 3rd homebred generations and he is a dog who has got everything we want to carry on in our breeding program . Douring the years we have hardly worked on healthy problems and on balanced temperament which means a lot for a puppy buyer . A Touchstar has to be a good choice for show and home.
Thinking to show wins and looking back , I would like to remember World and European Winner , Multi Ch Touchstar Genesis, World Winner Touchstar Bohemian Rapsody , World Winner Touchstar Machbet , European Winner and Multi Bis and Bog winner Touchstar Actractive , J World Winner Touchstar Fantasyworld and the “ strange cuple” Touchstar Van Gogh and Touchstar Viva La Vida both European champion at EDS Celie and champions in many european countries
Van Gogh was also one of the most winning JRT of the last years ending his career in USA with the American Title.
BIS: Who has been your greatest influence in breeding and in what way?
Touchstar: I’m proud to say that I had many persons around that helped us and influenced us from different points of view : we started to learn since the first day and we have not finish yet.
First of all my kennel partner Maurizio Massolo . We started this adventure together: all the choices are planned together , shows , litters and so on.The affix “Touchstar” was born joining the name of our first two dogs . Two brains are always better than one.
Then I would like to mention two persons above the others. Chantal Leclercq – kennel MayoLand (France) books writer on JRT and Parsons : she showed me the right type. Ingrid Olsen – kennel Brosing’s that trusted me from the beginning with a special cooperation. Many friends that taught me grooming secrets.
I think that one of our best qualities is that we think that every day it’s a good day to learn something and that behind every show or person there is a good chance to learn.
BIS: Did you have a mentor when you first started out, who was that and in which way did that person help you?
Touchstar: I’m proud to talk about our mentor that has been so special for us : Mrs Jocelyn Cansdell – Kennel Myrmidon – Australia who has devoted many years of her life to this little dogs. Despite of the distance she was closer than ever . She gave me dogs ,knowledge and friendship. She thought me about morphology , breeding lines, show training. Jocelyn was with us at the birth of our first litter and was always near us until her premature death definitely too soon for us. The was like a grandmother.
BIS: Are there any other people who have been instrumental in your career as a breeder that you have looked up to and admired?
Touchstar: I think I’m lucky as I have the possibility to take part at many dog shows around Europe and ,if you open your eyes and look around , there are many persons to look up. I like to look successful breeders and successful handlers. Sometimes details make the difference , look all they do and how they do. It’s useful to visit other kennel and other countries , compare the habits, talk with handlers and judges.
BIS: How did the Jack Russells change over time since you first got involved with the breed?
Touchstar: I can say that since we got involved in this breed the quality has improved a lot and is getting better and better continuously . Straight away the acknowledgment of the australian standard of the breed in 2002 in the show rings you could see every kind of type :squared dogs, long dogs , smooth with tiny head and up ears , heavy dogs , soft coats, too much color or totally withe dogs ecc… with completely lack of uniformity. A big help came from the importation of australian dogs starting mostly from the nordic countries and then all across Europe. In ten years I think that European breeders have done really big steps forward : I can proudly say that the quality in high and many of the common mistakes of the beginning are nearly solved . If we look at a JRT ring in an important international show you can see at least 50% of excellent dogs in each classes. For a new breed I think is’t a great result. Even groming has improved a lot too , like the handling and we pay more attention to health and temperament.
BIS: Are there any specific stud dogs/brood bitches in your variety, in your country, or globally, that you think have had an important impact on your variety and if so, why?
Touchstar: The Australian Gran Champion Myrmidon Jack Cam was one of the top winning JRT in Australia of the end of XX century and many JRT imported from that country has him jn the pedigree. More recently Kanix Speed Wagon is perhaps the stud with the biggest off spring in Europe and his father Beaconway Scotch N’Coke , imported from Australia , is one of the JRT I most appreciated. Even Inverbrae and Baylock lines were largely imported and used.
BIS: Is there something which you would like to change/improve in the breed?
Touchstar: I think that a lot is happening in Europe.As told breeders are doing a big job even if some things are still to improve: round and yellow eyes , short upper arms and flat shoulders , stronger rear movement. we need to work with the right balance between outcross and line breeding never forgetting health and character. It’s time to exclude eyes and bones deseases and shy dogs . we don’t need to copy each others but we need to look at our dogs and choose the right match to improve our breeding lines.
BIS: Every breed has some common problems. Which is the most common problem in your variety seen from a breeder’s point of view?
Touchstar: I believe that the first problem was the “ fashion” of the JRT. In the last 5/6 years was the first breed for the numbers of puppies born into the terrier family and into the first five all breeds numbers. Many kennels breeded to make money with only one male covering many bitches , some time at every season. I believe this isn’t selection. The second problem is that many “breeders” don’t understand the morphology of the dog and so they cannot choose the right match to improve the mistake of the bicth/male : the biggest worry is how to groom to cover the mistake. Morfology is a mix of bones and proportions like notes and the dog it’s like a sinfony that puts all the notes together.
BIS: What is your opinion regarding too heavy and round shaped chest?
Touchstar: JRT it’s a powerful dog that should have a body of medium length with important proportions: he needs to be longer than toller – the body depth from the withers to the sternum should be the same to the length of the front leg from the elbow to the ground. Chest deeper rather than wide. Well laid back shoulder. The rear should be well put together with strong muscles and good angulations.. With these proportions if we look the JRT from the side we will see a dog with balanced proportion between the front and the back. If the chest is too big and too heavy we will see a disproportion between front and back, the movement will be not elegant and flexible but heavy on the front and not well-coordinated as should be . Shoulder is really one of the more important point for me and neck has to be Well laid into shoulder. I can forgive a little bigger chest but never too heavy to modify the balance of the shape of the body . I cannot forgive flat shoulder.
BIS: What has been the biggest disappointment in breeding and showing for you so far?
Touchstar: I try to breed my best . Of course not always things go as we like. If I turn back of course I would like to change some choises we did but at the end all is part of our experience . Better have bad memories than regrets and to breed is a fantastic challenge . When I enter into a show ring I have enough experience to judge with a first glance if I deserve to win or not and , as everybody know, not always the judge has the same opinion some time because he has a different tipe in his mind , some time he is conditioned . I remember some world competitions with “ incredible” judgements but this is the game and we like to play.
BIS: What do you think is the most problematic about the Jack Russell FCI or AKC Standard?
Touchstar: I think it is not updated with the breed developement : the weight and the spannability for istance. If the judge into a show ring had to look exclusively the cm would run the risk to kick out a less spannable JRT but for istance with harmonic and correct proportions towards on perfectly spannable JRT but maybe with light structure , not well proportioned or with bigger faults as wrong front legs or flat shoulder. I also think that is not clear in the standard how the movement should be. Standard it’s important , it is a reference literature that judge and breeders must take as an example to know this breed at the beginning . Then the experience and the first glance are the key to success for both.. Another important point is the height at withers: the suggestion is more than clear and has to be followed from judge and breeders. The type changes when judges let win oversize dogs and breeders have to compete with oversize dogs , of course , more “showy” but sometime not typical.
BIS: Please mention 2 to 3 Jack Russell which are not owned, bred or shown by yourself, that you particularly admired, and tell us what you most admired about each.
Touchstar: Goldsand’s Columbus : I loved the way to use the legs and the shoulders to cover the ground , the great elegance into a small size and most of all the head short and strong perfectly integrated in the balance of the body , the dreamy expression , the top line strong and flexible. Beaconway Scotch N’Coke : the right compromise between the “work type “and the “show tipe” spannable , strong body but not heavy, super elastic movement , strong head with not too short noise but with good proportion. active dog with a great character.
BIS: What qualities do you admire most in a judge?
Touchstar: Firts of all the coherence in the choice of the winner of every class. I think that looking at the dogs taking part at the best of breed you should be able to see which type of dog the judge likes and which details he has valorized. Then integrity : he has to judge with his specific knowledge not looking at the handler . Third the judgement : I really appreciate when I read the judgment and I discover something that I didn’t see before on my dog . When the judgement could be apply to all breed it’s nothing that anybody can learn from.
BIS: What are the most important characteristics to keep in mind for anyone wanting to become a good Jack Russell judge?
Touchstar: Look the proportions and the character. The most typical dog has to win also on better groomed dogs . JRT is not a poodle. Shy dogs must be penalized such as extreme dogs. JRT is a moderate compromise.
BIS: What would be the most important single piece of advice you would give to all serious young breeders?
Touchstar: Look at your dogs: the breeder has to be the best judge of his dogs. You should not think to know everything, never stop to learn . Look your competitors and their dogs. Choose carefully people to trust.
Breed to the top, no mercy. Respect your breed, choose your type , try to do your best day by day, generation after generation . Success can be a lucky moment, the real success come from an hard work .
