Firstly I would like to say how honoured I am to be asked to Judge at such a prestigious event as the World Samoyed Meeting, I have admired many dogs and many breeders in many countries across Europe and the World and I am looking forward to judging your dogs.

My involvement in dogs started at a very early age as my parents bred German Shepherds and Dobermann Pinschers since the 1970’s

I have owned and bred my own dogs since 1991 and have had many successes with my Weimaraners, Hungarian Vizsla’s and Norfolk Terriers under the Sybaris affix with many champions in the UK and overseas. In addition to this my dogs were also trained and used as gundogs in the field.
I bred the Best of Breed winners at Crufts in 2008 and again in 2014.
I owned and handled the top winning Weimaraners in the UK in 1997 and 2007.

My personal involvement in Samoyeds began in 2009 when I met my partner Charlotte who had a long standing relationship with the breed, the temperament and quirks of the Samoyed meant that very quickly the breed became my main focus too and since then together we have enjoyed success in our breeding and showing careers.
I have been lucky enough to handle some top winning dogs at the very highest levels and in several countries across Europe and together we have bred, handled or owned champions in many countries.

I began judging 1993 and I firmly believe that education is of the utmost importance and have attended many lectures, seminars and passed exams in a number of breeds, learning the nuances of individual breeds and progressing up the judging ladder to Championship level.
I have been very lucky to be mentored by some of the top breeders and judges in the UK throughout my breeding and judging career and am always keen to carry on learning… “every day is a school day”

The first time I awarded a Best in show prize it was to a Samoyed back in the early 1990’s and I have judged at Championship level in the UK since 1997 and as a breed specialist judge for Samoyeds since 2012.

Coming from smooth coated breeds means that construction and balance is of the highest importance as nothing could be hidden under a coat, the “hands on” process of judging confirming what the eye can see and although breed standards across the world vary slightly the key points remain the same and we are tasked as judges with ensuring the breed stays as true to type as possible.

I look forward to seeing you all in Slovakia.

I first fell in love with the Samoyed at only 1 year old, I told my family that I would show my big fluffy white dog at Crufts one day, I was lucky enough to do that in 2000 and much more than I ever dreamed possible in the years since.

I got my first Samoyed in 1996 and added a second in 1999, by then I had begun to enjoy showing and training them for obedience as my male had a very big personality, together we achieved the Kennel Club Good Citizen Gold Award.
Another two Samoyeds joined the family and I bred my first litter under the Samoravich affix in 2005.

I have handled my own dogs to Champion titles in many countries and also Best Puppy at Crufts in 2014 and the Reserve CC at Crufts in 2017

In 2013 our young import boy won Samoyed of The Year and also Samoyed Puppy of The Year, becoming the youngest to win both the Puppy and Adult competition and also being the first imported dog to do so. We won the Title of Samoyed of The Year for a second time in 2015.
I have been lucky enough to handle some of the top winning dogs at shows across Europe and in the UK and handled at my first FCI show in 2003.

In addition to the Samoyeds together with my partner I have owned and handled many Japanese Shiba Inu, making breed history in the UK by obtaining all 3 breed titles with our female in 2010
I also handled a Japanese Akita Inu to breed history in the UK in 2013 being the first JAI puppy to win a group placing at Championship level.

I began judging the Samoyed in 2001 and since then have judged at several Samoyed Speciality shows, Open and General Championship shows in the UK.
I have attended many lectures/talks and breed specialist events and passed all exams to judge at the highest level in the UK.
I believe that as breeders and judges it is our responsibility to maintain and keep the most distinguishing features of the Samoyed as close to the breed standard as possible, to remember the purpose they were used and bred for, and to produce happy, all round family members whilst still maintaining their abilities, instincts and be fit for function.

I consider the invitation to judge at the World Samoyed Meeting to be the greatest honour to date and I very much look forward to meeting you all and judging our beautiful breed.

I met my first Samoyed in 1974 as a puppy, just before I got married and left Victoria to spend 12 months in Perth Western Australia.
This dog came to live with us when we returned to Melbourne.
He was registered and when I finally got his papers I contacted the Samoyed Club, became a member, and started showing.
I was fortunate that this dog came from the top kennel at the time. With the help of the breeders’ daughter he was shown successfully and I began my foray into the world of pure bred dogs and the show world. The dog was CH Kalina Imperial Luna and in the hands of Jane Sydenham-Clarke he won numerous Best In Group and a Best in Show. He only had a short show career as he was quite a handful. His pet name of Satan often suited him. I did not give him this name, but he was too old to change it when he came to me so Satan he was.
Ch Ladara Fair Zaminka and Ch Kalina Fair Zala followed and Mezen Kennels was established.

I started going to judges lectures in 1980 so that I could study about breeds and learn what went into making them unique.
I am licensed to judge Utility and Non Sporting at Championship Show level.
My main goal in taking up judging was to increase my knowledge of breed type and construction so that I could incorporate the information into my breeding.
I have a special interest in the spitz breeds, studying both the subtle and not so subtle differences between them.
I enjoy judging and the challenge of trying to find the dog that is described in the standard even if he is the fictional perfect dog. As judges and breeders the standard must never be far from our breeding decisions. When we judge we are looking for the dog that best meets the standard on the day. When we breed we are looking for a dog that meets the criteria for type and soundness (both of mind and body) and is the best choice for our bitch. It is not always the top winning dog of the day

I have spent much time in discussion with breeders of the various breeds, analysing the merits of the various dogs, always spending time with those breeders who were honest and genuine in their praise and fair in their criticism of the different dogs.
I have a love of all dogs and appreciate a good one no matter what breed it is.
My daughter Kate is now my partner in the Samoyeds and together we discuss and plan our breedings and the future direction of the kennel.
I take pride in the knowledge that Mezen bred dogs are found in the breeding programs of other Samoyed breeders both here and overseas.

I like to follow the breed in other countries and have been fortunate meet fellow exhibitors and breeders and discuss all things Samoyed.

I am very honoured to be invited to judge at the WSM in 2022 and look forward to a wonderful event

I’d like to introduce myself as follows. I was born and grew up in Austria and without
any interruption I had the chance to live in company of animals.
The first dog I received at the age of 7 years was a longhaired Dachshund.

After completion of my formation as a kindergarten teacher, I became fond of travelling.
It was 1983 in New Zealand when I made the acquaintance of my husband, a Swiss citizen. We married in 1984 and subsequently settled in Switzerland.

It was in 1993 when our son Janos became 7 years old that the first SAMOYEDE
joined our family, a male named High Arctic Aivik of Grise Fiord and being a grandson of the famous stud Zoox Katodzky.

In 2001 we acquired the bitch Ikilliikkujan Snow Wonder from Finland and she became the ancestress of my ‘Arctic Aivik’-Kennels.

At that time, my interest increased for everything concerning dogs and especially the SAMOYEDE. We started to train our dogs for Obedience and participated in Agility, furthermore we made our first experience in Sleddog-racing and undertook our first breeding activities. Furthermore, we regularly presented our dogs to national and international Shows and were happy to obtain excellent results.

After that I took in hand my formation as a Show-judge in the frame of the Swiss Kennel Club, first of all for the Alaskan Malamute, Siberian Husky, Greenland-Dog and Samoyede which was brought to a good end in 2006. In 2008 I passed the examination for further 6 breeds such as
Suomen Lapinkoira, Lapinporokoira, Norwegian Buhund, Västgötaspets, Iceland Dog and Swedish Lapphund.

What a pleasure for me to be invited from your end as a Judge at your Show at the Samoyed World meeting, I will absolutely do my best and wish you good success for this event.

Andrea Eicher