Erica Max lives on a 35-acre ranch outside Durango, Colorado, where for 22 years she has raised warm-blooded Danish sport horses. She and her husband had an Airedale Terrier and two Giant Schnauzers, but one day, while at a mall in New York, he saw a dog that he thought was “some kind of wolf dog mix “.
After speaking with the dog’s owners, he immediately called Erica to tell her that he had just met a dog that they had to have. Erica’s journey in showing conformation and breeding Picards began in 2011 when they added a puppy who would become CH. Allstars Gregory Peck CM FDC IT (Boy) to their pack.
AKC: How did you get started in dog breeding?
Erica: I was born and raised in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago (with a few years in Jamaica). Even though we lived in downtown Chicago, we always had dogs and cats with a few birds, reptiles, and fish as well. It was well known that my mother took in any stray animals and as a result we often found animals left outside our door. So, growing up, all of our dogs were abandoned dogs that moved in with us.
When my husband and I got married, a friend told us that before we had kids, we should get a dog because it teaches you that your schedule has to accommodate another being. So we had our first Airedale. She was my first registered purebred dog and she made me laugh every day. We decided she needed a canine companion and got our first Border Terrier, Bracken. Even though they were “city dogs,” they walked around Lincoln Park and the beach three hours a day. Bracken’s littermate won the national specialty twice and Bracken was a fabulous dog. We decided to breed him and so we had five Border Terrier puppies in the kitchen of our Chicago condo. It was 1991 and that was the beginning of my interest in herding dogs.
AKC: What is the most important thing to know about the Berger Picard?
Erica: Berger Picards are wonderful dogs. They love their family and, like most herding dogs, they want a job. While ours lives on a working horse ranch, Picards can do well in all kinds of environments, however, this is not a dog that can be left home alone all day. They are very intelligent and need to be given something to do or they will drive their family crazy. They are very good at excavation projects. That said, they are also happy to spend time with their family and watch football. I tell my “puppy families” that Picards have a great sense of humor. Of course, they always ask, “What do you mean?” ” and then, when they have lived with one, they invariably say to me at some point: “I understand”. Sense of humor and intelligence can make for interesting training.
One of the most common misconceptions about Picards is that they do not shed. They do. But if brushed weekly, the hair is very easy to style. Picards tend to be warm and loving with their family, but standoffish and standoffish with strangers. It is very important that as puppies they go out, meet new people and have many new experiences. Because we live in a small tourist town, my dogs are well known along Main Avenue. Even as adults, I take them for walks on busy weekends, and my Picards have been to many high school reunions and the 4th of July parade.
AKC: How has AKC Marketplace helped you find puppy buyers?
Erica: The AKC Marketplace has been a valuable resource for me as a breeder. I find that people who tend to look on the Marketplace have a good idea of what breed they are looking for. This is often the first point of contact, although it is by far not the last. I have a long process to decide who will join our “puppy family”.
AKC: What is your favorite question to ask potential puppy buyers?
Erica: Describe a typical day for your family. What is your house like? Do you have fenced land? What type of relationship do you want to have with your dog? For 25 years, I ran an executive search firm specializing in finding top-level executives for large investment banks. As a result, my interview skills are quite strong and I tend to use them when speaking with potential puppies.
AKC: What are the main qualities you look for in potential owners?
Erica: I am looking for people interested in a Picard for the specific qualities that Picards possess. This is not a good dog for someone who just wants a dog to hang around with. Picards, like all herding dogs, love work and really want to interact with their family. Picards love an active lifestyle and I find that people who want one of my puppies understand and accept this.
AKC: What is the best advice you would give to beginning breeders?
Erica: Find a mentor. Talk to as many breeders as possible. Be realistic about your dogs’ qualities and faults. Decide what you want to improve on, but also understand that there is no such thing as a perfect dog.
AKC: Do your dogs participate in AKC sports?
Erica: My dogs compete in conformation competitions as well as herd and barn hunting. I also make it a point to get them their farm dog certification. They enjoy one-on-one time with me because I am their master in all three. I’m new as an owner-operator and they teach me things on a regular basis.
AKC: What is your favorite thing about breeding dogs?
Erica: I love researching pedigrees and meeting potential stallions and brooding females to try to find the “perfect match”. After 22 years of breeding sport horses, I know there is no such thing as a “perfect match,” but my goal is to breed better dogs. The other cool part is getting emails from my puppy owners telling me how much joy their dog has brought into their lives and seeing reports about the show dogs we have bred.
AKC: Do you have a favorite breeding story?
Erica: My very first litter was my Border Terrier litter. My daughter gave birth on Memorial Day and sure enough, the first puppy was stuck. We headed to the emergency vet, and they were able to get the big boy out and the others were born while we were watching the Indy 500 at the emergency vet. Of course we named him Mario Andretti.
Visit http://mountainpicards.com/ to learn more about Erica’s dogs.