‘We go with the best dogs and we come home with the best dogs’

As this paper lands on your local shop shelf, it is likely that Peri and Scarlett Burnside will be packing leads, dog bowls and grooming kits into their van in preparation for the Irish Kennel Club International and All-Breed Championship Show in north Co Dublin this weekend.

Having just arrived home from Crufts on Monday, with their Italian Bracco hound Fudge, and Fyre, their Alaskan Malamute, many people might be feeling dog-tired, but not this mother and daughter duo.

“We have found something that we can do together not just as mother and daughter, but as friends,” mum Peri tells Irish Country Living from her Co Down home.

While Peri’s parents and grandparents always kept German Shepherds and she was involved in showing from the age of seven, she says it was about 30 years ago when she got back into showing herself, doing the Young Kennel Club (YKC) classes with her oldest daughter.

“I have five children; Scarlett is the baby, the one who really picked it up,” she says.

All breeds great and small

Many people involved with showing and breeding animals seem to have a particular affinity with one breed or group. During our conversation, over ten breeds were mentioned, little and large; either that the Burnsides have bred at home, shown internationally or will be showing on behalf of friends this weekend.

Guinness, the 11-year-old Rottweiler, won’t be travelling to Dublin. He prefers to stay at home with Dad, Mark and Patch the pony. He was Scarlett’s first ‘proper’ dog; meaning she took responsibility for him when he arrived as a puppy, trained him and did agility and obedience classes with him as they both grew up. Admitting he wouldn’t have had the speed of a collie at turns in agility, Scarlett says he loved running around and getting snacks at the end.

These days, Guinness comes in handy as a schoolmaster; helping Scarlett when she is doing training with clients.

For example, if a dog has not been allowed to develop their social skills and is struggling with unfamiliar faces around them, Guinness comes in. As Peri says, he is “bomb-proof” – nothing would faze him, and this helps him calm the situation.

“Nine times out of 10, you will find the dog is not the issue; it is the human. It could be a lack of confidence, lack of experience, and we try to balance that out,” explains Scarlett.

His payment? “Hydrotherapy. He does not like water but get gets in because I ask him, and he gets plenty of cuddles after,” she replies.

From France to Japan

Other dogs the Burnsides’ Libertia Kennels have been involved with include the Dogue de Bordeaux (dog of Bordeaux) and the Akita Inu (Japanese Akita).

“Originally the Bordeaux was a butcher’s dog in France. The butchers would hang a pouch around the dog’s neck and that was where they kept their money safe while pulling their carts,” explains Peri, who set up the Dogue de Bordeaux club with the Irish Kennel Club (IKC) over 20 years ago.

“They were also used in the war for pulling first-aid carts. Traditionally, they are guard dogs, but they are also just great big slobbery pets, who are very loveable,” she adds.

The Akitas are a dogbreed Peri fell in love with for their beauty and devotion to their people. Originally, the Japanese and American Akita were shown together in the same classes. Peri says these two breeds are totally different and are now exhibited in separate classes.

The Fluffy Alaskan Giants

Another dog the Burnsides breed is the Alaskan Malamute. About three times the size of a Siberian Husky (and with a quieter character), these big, fluffy giants are what started off Scarlett’s love of showing, according to Peri.

Fyre is just back from Crufts and Legacy will be going to Dublin. Fyre’s uncle, Marley, left particularly big shoes to fill. Peri sums up Marley as being “the most special dog I have ever been owned by”.

Marley won worldwide. He is the dog who trained Scarlett and made her who she is. She was very small when she started showing, and Peri recounts Marley being patient with Scarlett. When he was nine years old, he won Best of Breed in Austria out of a class of 90.

“Marley was born in my hand and died in my hand. Marley’s swansong was competing with Scarlett at Crufts and two weeks after he was diagnosed with cancer. Twenty-three hours later, he died in my hand,” Peri tells us.

When Marley died, people contacted the family from all over the world – including judges who had never met him – but everyone knew Marley by his first name and greatly admired him.

With all this talk of breeding, how does the record number of dogs in pounds and rescue centres sit with Peri and Scarlett?

“If you look at the animal rescue centres, there are very few [if any] papered, well-bred pedigree dogs sitting in the rescues,” replies Peri.

“Responsible pedigree-breeders will state in the puppy contract that if the owner cannot mind him/her, the purchaser must return the dog to the breeder,” she adds.

The purpose of breeding a litter of puppies is to maintain their kennel line, and Scarlett adds “we tend to keep most of what we breed or give some away to family and friends who are close by, so we can continue to see them”.

Doing so well, however, can attract some unwanted attention.

“We had a 15-month-old malamute that was poisoned because he won too much,” recalls Peri.

“Malamutes are very stoic so it took us a while to realise he was actually sick. Then we brought him to the vet and discovered what was wrong,” she continues.

“I had to wake Scarlett and tell her that her dog had died,” says Peri.

Just as with showing other animals, the Burnsides have a group of friends who they trust, and no-one goes near the dogs unless someone from this trusted group is with them.

“At the end of the day, we know we go with the best dogs and come home with the best dogs – it is a hobby, and we do our very best to mind our pack,” sums up Peri.

Show time

Scarlett and Peri operate a tightly run ship when it comes to preparing for shows. Peri cannot do as much physical work now due to health reasons, so instead she steers the operation; organising paperwork, logistics and schedules classes for Scarlett as well as their friends.

“What we argue about is when Mum does too much; ‘sit down mum!’” Scarlett gives away.

“I am a ‘now’ person, whereas Scarlett is more like her dad, all ‘ah, it’ll be grand, in a few minutes’, but when there are so many things to be done, it needs to be done this second!” counters Peri.

When it comes to presentation, all the dogs are washed and groomed before they leave home. When they are in peak condition, a spritz of water and a good brushing will work wonders on them once they are on-site.

“We did see a poodle sprayed silver in Romania once and that is just not for us!”

Just after our conversation, Irish Country Living received an email from Peri: “I’m incredibly proud of Scarlett and what she has achieved representing Ireland and her willingness to share her experience with others.”

As for Scarlett?

“I am very happy I have this world; to be able to spend so much time on my hobby and with my mum.”

This year, the Irish Kennel Club Show is not in a position to open to the public.

‘Peri and Scarlett’s top doggie movies’

Read more

Kate Durrant writes: Early risers

Health: autism dog making a big difference to a Leitrim family