Chris Walkowicz and her husband, Ed, added a dog to their household shortly after they were married in 1964. Chris had waited all her life for a puppy. “I mourned my canine deprivation as a child but I came to understand my parents were right,” Chris admitted. “No matter how much a youngster wants a dog and promises to care for one, it’s almost always the parent who carries the greatest responsibility, even if it’s ‘only’ financial and driving the dog to the vet. But I’ve made up for that deprivation as an adult!”
Her love of dogs led to breeding and showing German Shepherds and Bearded Collies and eventually to two careers: writing about dogs and judging dog shows. An award-winning author, Chris has published more than 1000 articles and columns in all the major canine publications. She has served as President of the Dog Writers Association of America. She has also authored or co-authored eleven books, including Successful Dog Breeding, the DWAA Best Book of ‘85, and the Atlas of Dog Breeds of the World, an American Library Assn. top reference book. Her latest book, based on her second passion, Dog Show Judging: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, won the DWAA Maxwell in 2011.
Her main theme is responsibility: responsible choice of a breed, ownership, breeding, showing, and selling. She recommends prospective buyers do their homework before jumping into a purchase, by reading about the breeds they’re considering, visiting dog shows and kennels, and by talking to long-time owners, examining the possible “cons” of a breed as well as the pros.
Among her awards, Chris was named as the Fido Woman of the Year in 1996. She has received DWAA’s Distinguished Service/Communicator Award and was inducted into the DWAA Hall of Fame in 2011.
LaRue
#1
February 10th, 2012 1:19 am
We are SO proud of you, Chris.