I got my first Norwich, then Jones Terriers, from a man who schooled race horses in England. The dog was no good I grant you. We called him Harold and this was around 1939. Then I wrote to someone, W.E. West. I don’t know how I happened to write him, but he sent a picture of six dogs and I showed it to someone who spent a lot of time in England she brought back three! I got two of that litter and the best one was a bitch they told me had had a torn ear that was sewn back together. Her name was Rachael. She was a lovely dog and always got noticed. She was the first Norwich champion in America and her picture was used to illustrate the Standard. There was Apple Jack, a bit short-legged, and Tiger who wasn’t a show dog, Farndon Victor and Romeo. He had a lot of dark hair on his coat and muzzle. I had some grizzles that I got from Harry Peters, and a brindle! In fact, two brindles.
They weren’t very good. Years ago the Club had great discussions about color. I was once President because Harry Peters wanted me to be so he could tell me what to do. I was young and he was grown up and therefore too smart to want to be President himself. People today seem to be stacking their dogs and holding their tails up. This isn’t how they should be. Norwich and Norfolk are natural dogs and should stand on their own in all ways. The way I see it we should have “animal people” breeding our dogs, not “show people”. Show people do not interest me because they cannot see beyond the ring. I’m lucky, I have a good eye for a dog, a horse or any kind animal and it has saved me because I don’t try to get what someone else says is good if I don’t see it myself. We need to see the WHOLE picture and the picture should be one of balance.