Meet Tanya..
Tanya's passion for the canine species was born in early childhood. As a small child, she would save her allowance and walk to the nearby drugstore, where she would purchase dog magazines. As a young girl, she spent endless hours studying the different breeds and would eagerly anticipate the viewing of the Westminster on television yearly. Her dream of owning her own purebred dog and showing was born at the age of 7 years old and became a reality at the ripened age of 39.
The Journey
Over a decade ago, she purchased her first purebred dog - a miniature long haired black & tan dachshund named Oscar. Tanya started taking Obedience Classes with the NKC in 2007 and anxiously awaited the vet to give her the thumbs-up that Oscar was good to enter the show ring. Sadly, one his beloved jewels did not descend. This ceased his show career before it could even begin. Tanya took this closed door and made the decision to open another and started a Facebook Group called the Dachshunds of Newfoundland & Labrador. Her goal was to meet fellow dachshund owners. At the time she never imagined that the group would thrive and continue to grow. Over a decade later, the group consists of over 1200 members. Tanya is often referred to as 'The Wiener Dog Lady' and oddly enough takes great pride in this title.
As founder and president of the Dachshunds of Newfoundland & Labrador Group, Tanya organizes events all year long. The group is well know for the Annual Wiener Dog Races at the NL Pet Expo, their Janeway Telethon fundraising, their Annual Christmas Hampers for Animals in Need Drive and the Annual Downtown St. John's Christmas Parade yearly. The group is well recognized in the community and Tanya prides Oscar on being the foundation for the group. Sadly, Oscar passed in March 2017 from autoimmune hepatitis. However before his departure from earth, Tanya and her family had added a ball of energy to their family. Sir Victor, a standard wire-haired dachshund joined their family in late January 2017. The road to the championship title commenced in March 2017 when they joined the NKC Conformation Classes and started the show circuit.
The Dog Show Rollercoaster
Tanya quickly realized that she had a lot to learn when it came to dog show conformation and made the decision to enroll in classes asap! Tanya completed the NKC Conformation Classes with Elizabeth Zedel and Deanne Sinnott. She loved their way of instruction and found both of them to be a wealth of knowledge. Tanya began to see that she had to build her relationship with Victor in order to reach their goals. Following this class, she enrolled in Elizabeth Zedel's Skill Building Class, where she learned about the use of Sue Alisby's techniques. These skills did and continue to serve her well in her everyday relationship with Victor.
Next, it was back to conformation classes. Tanya asked around and learned that Peter Drake had formerly worked with Victor's mother and had achieved success. So the decision was simple. Tanya enrolled in conformation classes with Peter Drake. When asked, Tanya often tells others without any of her instructors she wouldn't know a tenth what she does. However Peter in particular assisted her in understanding it. He has had a tremendous impact on Tanya's confidence and after her first few classes with him, she attended a show and nailed it, obtaining her first 3 points; 2 of which were her first 2-point major! It is with great pleasure that Sir Victor was awarded his championship title in 2018 and is now on the road to his grand championship. Ch. Jackwyre Walking Trouble holds true to his name in every sense!
Tanya's Mission and Vision
Tanya takes her role as President with the NKC very seriously. Her personal mission is to support the club in all its endeavours and to help grow the sports. She has a particular keen interest in all aspects, but is quite eager to assist the Junior Handlers in hopes of helping shape the future owners and handlers of the dogs in the sports. Most recently she taught a large class with the assistance of prior juniors. She is well known for her exceptional organizational skills, her relentless efforts and strong interpersonal skills. She thrives on utilizing social media to promote the club and never backs down from a challenge. This will mark her second year on the board as she served as Vice President of the NKC during the 2017-2018 year.
Despite having 8 years of post secondary education in the biochemistry and nutrition fields and working as a Pediatric Clinical Dietitian by day for the last 15 years, her heart belongs to her dogs and everything dog-related. She enjoys freelance writing for various publications and has been featured in the magazine: Pet Connection and on the CKC Blog. She is honored to serve the club and its members and is hopeful that 2019 will be a tremendous year for all!
Tanya's passion for the canine species was born in early childhood. As a small child, she would save her allowance and walk to the nearby drugstore, where she would purchase dog magazines. As a young girl, she spent endless hours studying the different breeds and would eagerly anticipate the viewing of the Westminster on television yearly. Her dream of owning her own purebred dog and showing was born at the age of 7 years old and became a reality at the ripened age of 39.
The Journey
Over a decade ago, she purchased her first purebred dog - a miniature long haired black & tan dachshund named Oscar. Tanya started taking Obedience Classes with the NKC in 2007 and anxiously awaited the vet to give her the thumbs-up that Oscar was good to enter the show ring. Sadly, one his beloved jewels did not descend. This ceased his show career before it could even begin. Tanya took this closed door and made the decision to open another and started a Facebook Group called the Dachshunds of Newfoundland & Labrador. Her goal was to meet fellow dachshund owners. At the time she never imagined that the group would thrive and continue to grow. Over a decade later, the group consists of over 1200 members. Tanya is often referred to as 'The Wiener Dog Lady' and oddly enough takes great pride in this title.
As founder and president of the Dachshunds of Newfoundland & Labrador Group, Tanya organizes events all year long. The group is well know for the Annual Wiener Dog Races at the NL Pet Expo, their Janeway Telethon fundraising, their Annual Christmas Hampers for Animals in Need Drive and the Annual Downtown St. John's Christmas Parade yearly. The group is well recognized in the community and Tanya prides Oscar on being the foundation for the group. Sadly, Oscar passed in March 2017 from autoimmune hepatitis. However before his departure from earth, Tanya and her family had added a ball of energy to their family. Sir Victor, a standard wire-haired dachshund joined their family in late January 2017. The road to the championship title commenced in March 2017 when they joined the NKC Conformation Classes and started the show circuit.
The Dog Show Rollercoaster
Tanya quickly realized that she had a lot to learn when it came to dog show conformation and made the decision to enroll in classes asap! Tanya completed the NKC Conformation Classes with Elizabeth Zedel and Deanne Sinnott. She loved their way of instruction and found both of them to be a wealth of knowledge. Tanya began to see that she had to build her relationship with Victor in order to reach their goals. Following this class, she enrolled in Elizabeth Zedel's Skill Building Class, where she learned about the use of Sue Alisby's techniques. These skills did and continue to serve her well in her everyday relationship with Victor.
Next, it was back to conformation classes. Tanya asked around and learned that Peter Drake had formerly worked with Victor's mother and had achieved success. So the decision was simple. Tanya enrolled in conformation classes with Peter Drake. When asked, Tanya often tells others without any of her instructors she wouldn't know a tenth what she does. However Peter in particular assisted her in understanding it. He has had a tremendous impact on Tanya's confidence and after her first few classes with him, she attended a show and nailed it, obtaining her first 3 points; 2 of which were her first 2-point major! It is with great pleasure that Sir Victor was awarded his championship title in 2018 and is now on the road to his grand championship. Ch. Jackwyre Walking Trouble holds true to his name in every sense!
Tanya's Mission and Vision
Tanya takes her role as President with the NKC very seriously. Her personal mission is to support the club in all its endeavours and to help grow the sports. She has a particular keen interest in all aspects, but is quite eager to assist the Junior Handlers in hopes of helping shape the future owners and handlers of the dogs in the sports. Most recently she taught a large class with the assistance of prior juniors. She is well known for her exceptional organizational skills, her relentless efforts and strong interpersonal skills. She thrives on utilizing social media to promote the club and never backs down from a challenge. This will mark her second year on the board as she served as Vice President of the NKC during the 2017-2018 year.
Despite having 8 years of post secondary education in the biochemistry and nutrition fields and working as a Pediatric Clinical Dietitian by day for the last 15 years, her heart belongs to her dogs and everything dog-related. She enjoys freelance writing for various publications and has been featured in the magazine: Pet Connection and on the CKC Blog. She is honored to serve the club and its members and is hopeful that 2019 will be a tremendous year for all!
