TD/TDX Judge

Sue Boyd: TD/TDX Judge

I have been involved in dog training since 1971, tracking my own dogs since 1973 and judging tracking since 1983.  I have instructed classes in the St Louis area for Mound City Obedience Training Club and Gateway Tracking Club, an AKC-recognized pioneer tracking club.  I have also served in various capacities for MCOTC, GTC, Lincolnland Basset Hound Club and BHCA.

I have bred and handled my own dogs to breed championships as well as CDX and TDX titles and have co-authored two books on tracking.  One basset and four cats currently control the lives of my husband, Tom, and me.

It is an honor to judge at the Nationals.  Thank you and good luck to all the exhibitors.

Jane Jonas: TD/TDX Judge

I probably started in dogs differently than most others in that I was not raised in a "dog family".  We never had any pets but I always was extremely fond of imagining myself on a horse with a dog and maybe a cat in the house. After I got married, I did get those dogs, and a few cats along the way, as well. The horse dream was never fulfilled.  But that was OK. We started with a GSD and then soon got a Basset Hound . This breed stuck with us. ..or at least I found I was a hound person and that stuck with me. We also had a Gordon Setter in the mix at one time, too. Over the nearly 48 years we have had ten Bassets, two of them reside with us now. My original pairs were fabulous family pets . Then ,when  our  oldest daughter  went off to college ,so did I. I completed a Veterinary Technician degree when we lived in Missouri. Then I completed an Animal Science degree when we lived in Lincoln, NE. From those late in life educational experiences I also worked as a relief technician for 15 years at a small animal practice that had a focus on canine reproduction. It was there that I met those friends that drew me into Conformation, Tracking ,Obedience ,Rally , and Therapy dog work. .I also bred and raised ten litters of Bassets over the 48 years and am proud to have  bred , trained and handled Bassets included in the BHCA parent club Versatility program.

While I Have many hobbies, including needlepoint, landscape gardening, skiing, hiking, and being a grandmother, my fondness for all I do is eclipsed by Tracking.  I became addicted in 1995 when I set foot in the first training field and never looked back. I found that my most valued friendships and also my most fascinating learning curve, as well as humbling experiences ,came from  those many years in the fields with friends and even all alone with my dogs. The thrill of the first certification is still the same now as it was in 1995. It never gets old., since each dog is a different bond. Over the years I also helped others in the fields, as well as helped clubs get licensed for tracking.  In 2008 I became an AKC TD tracking judge and added TDX in the future years. It is always an honor to be invited to judge an event and to get to share those dogs that others bring out to exhibit. . No two teams are the same. NO two days either!

Best of luck to all exhibitors. It is an honor to be invited to judge for our club this year.

Jane Jonas and the Bassets,