an interview with vanessa nicolau (kimekai chow chows)
Sunday, January 11, 2009 8:27 PM                
 
All about TANAKA OF THE CHINA'S JOY: Premium Puppy 2004
  
     
 

Photo © Melanie Nicolau

SHOWDOGS: Congratulations, Vanessa, on winning Premium Puppy - and a number of other fantastic wins - with Tanaka. Can you describe the experience of winning this competition and how long it took afterwards for you to come back to earth?
Vanessa: Tanaka and I are still above cloud nine - I think we'll stay there for a while!

SHOWDOGS: Please tell the readers the call name and age of your dog.
Vanessa: Her call name is Tanaka, and when she is being naughty - which is quite a lot of the times, she is known as "The Terror" and when she is being a meanie, trying to take over as topdog in our home, she is known as the "Dutch Bitch". She will be 15 months old soon.

SHOWDOGS: What are the names of her sire and dam?
Vanessa: Both are Dutch dogs, her dam is PRESUMED INNOCENT OF THE ROYAL CLUB and her sire GAMBLER OF THE CHINA'S JOY.

SHOWDOGS: Were you able to pick her as a puppy? What made you choose her from her littermates?
Vanessa: Tanaka was a long time in the planning. Lissette let me know in February that "the puppy" had been born. Lissette sent me a pile of pics of the 4 girls so that I could choose. This happened weekly and I kept choosing the same puppy. I went to Holland when the litter was 9 weeks old, and when Lissette picked me up at the airport, she told me she'd kept all 4 girls back so that I could see them all. I went into her puppy room, and my first words were "That's the pup that I chose in the pics, but this is the pup that I want" and chose the girl at the back of the playpen. Lissette was extremely relieved because the pup that I had chosen in the flesh was "the puppy" and not the pup that I had picked in the photos!! On a serious note, it made me realize how misleading photos can be.

  
 

SHOWDOGS: For those who haven't been able to keep up, what are Tanaka's major achievements?
Vanessa: She started on a high - at her first show she went Best Puppy and Reserve Best in Show (the Chow Club Show). Then at Transvaal Utility Breeds Club in August she went Reserve Best Puppy in Show.

So far 2004 has been good to her - 2 x Group 2nd's and a Group 1st, a Reserve Best in Show, Best Junior in Show and Premium Puppy. I think all her achievements are remarkable as she is still very young.

SHOWDOGS: Amongst these wonderful achievements, is there one that stands out as most significant?
Vanessa: For Tanaka and I this is a hard choice - winning the Premium Puppy 2004 was wonderful and then a week later she went Reserve Best in Show and Best Junior in Show at the same show, and this was just as wonderful!!

SHOWDOGS: You've shown under a large number of judges. Which ones have left a good impression in terms of their ring manner and judging procedure?
Vanessa: I like judges that give a Chow the opportunity to move and also look for the correct characteristics in a Chow. I really appreciate the judges that don't hang over a Chow, don't approach the Chow from the side and don't wear flapping jackets, big hats and sunglasses. To be honest I usually stand on the side of the ring and decide if the judge fits the profile of a 'Chow person" while the Bulldogs are being judged!

SHOWDOGS: How long have you been showing dogs? Please tell us about the first time you entered a show ring. How has the showing experience been for you so far?
Vanessa: I started showing in 1998. I am very lucky in that Taipan, my first show dog, has done very well. We went to our first show in January 98- I did not have a clue as to what was going on, my mother and sister had a good laugh at the side of the ring!! I was totally confused when Taipan was placed in the Mini Grand and Kabuki placed in the Puppy Group. The prizes were great and it was even more of a joke piling the 3 humans, 2 Chows and the prizes into an Uno.

SHOWDOGS: To what would you attribute your success over the years?
Vanessa: I think my Chows are successful because they don't really believe they are Chows - they are very spoilt pets and I have a very special and unique bond with each one.

SHOWDOGS: As is the nature of competitive sport, I'm sure you've had a taste of unkind comments aired in public. How do you tend to respond to these statements?
Vanessa: It usually doesn't worry me.

SHOWDOGS: How do you go about deciding on a show campaign programme? Or do you simply attend shows where and when you can?
Vanessa: I enjoy showing. I like the away shows because it is a time for me to get away from the every day things with my Chows (all 4 Chows always travel with me).

SHOWDOGS: Which club do you think offers the best-organised show and which was your all-time favourite show?
Vanessa: I must be honest in that I enjoy most shows. I tend to get involved with my dogs and nothing else, so quite often I only hear about what went wrong long afterwards!

SHOWDOGS: Have you ever calculated how many kilometers you travel to shows every year?
Vanessa: I'd hate to calculate. My accountant asked me this year if I'd like to know what I spend on my Chow Chows annually - I said "no ways" !!!

SHOWDOGS: Grooming the Chow Chow is obviously a time-consuming labour of love. How long does it take to groom one dog? How much time to you need to devote weekly to the grooming process?
Vanessa: A Chow Chow doesn't need to be groomed daily, but when I do, it takes a good couple of hours for each one. When I bath 4 chows on one day I usually run out of hot water. Grooming is also therapeutic in a way.

SHOWDOGS: How many dogs and how many different breeds do you own and co-own?
Vanessa: I own .......... actually better said that I am owned by 4 Chow Chows.

SHOWDOGS: Are you an active breeder? How many litters have you bred?
Vanessa: I breed very selectively.

SHOWDOGS: Your kennel name is interesting. How did you happen upon this name?
Vanessa: My kennel name is Kimekai, and my Chows have Japanese names, a bit confusing for a Chinese breed!!

SHOWDOGS: Tell us about your next "rising star".
Vanessa: Tanaka is the rising star at the moment and the next planned rising star is a couple of years down the line, he will be a Taipan/Tanaka son, called "Kimekai Sun of Samuri" and his call name will be Shogun.

SHOWDOGS: Do you have any special plans for 2004? Will you be campaigning Tanaka?
Vanessa: This year I'll show Tanaka and Katana where possible. I am hoping that Tanaka's success will continue, but we'll enjoy the year regardless.

SHOWDOGS: Thank you very much for your participation, Vanessa. SHOWDOGS wishes you well for 2004 and further.

  
                     
         
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