ABOUT VAL PALMER - TOWSYTYKE
I was born into a “dog showing” family. My mother bred and exhibited Yorkshire Terriers and Maltese for 45 years under the KOMIN prefix. Following her death at a dog show at Durack, Brisbane, in 1987 and carrying on her Maltese prefix, I exhibited and bred champion Maltese and German Spitz Mittel for over seven years.

I now have given my German Spitz Mittel to Craig and Diane Armstrong ( Fyreburst ) who live in Maryborough, Queensland. Diane and her entourage of Junior Handlers will continue to exhibit and breed the German Spitz in Queensland . I wish them every success with this delightful breed.

During my 33 years involvement with Cairn Terriers, Towsytyke has produced over 58 Australian Champions and four Grand Champions. These include winners of Best in Show at All Breeds level and at Terrier Specialties in Australia and New Zealand. The first Cairn Terriers in Australia to attain their Earthdog titles, Ch Clearday Choctaw ED & Ch Towsytyke Magic Wanda ED were both owned by Towsytyke.

My kennel prefix derives from Dr Gordon Stables’ 1878 poem, in the Scottish idiom, The Terrier of the North.

I ken the Terrier o' the North,
I ken the towsy* tyke —
Ye’ll search frae Tweed to Sussex’ shore,
But never find his like.

*shaggy or rough-hewn

After living on Queensland’s Gold Coast for over twenty years, I moved to a rural property in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, so that I could focus on breeding Cairn Terriers.

During 2005 I had a health scare. So much so, that I have now transferred my prefix to my daughter. We will be working in partnership. This will ensure that when I go to Rainbow Bridge, the Towsytykes will continue in the same tradition as they have done for the past 30 years

My highest priority in breeding Cairns is the well-being of the breed. I aim to produce healthy, structurally sound, and well-adjusted dogs by choosing my stock carefully. I exclude Cairns with known physical or genetic faults. For example, none of my stud dogs have luxated patellae.

I hold that the Breed Standard indicates that which comprises a perfect Cairn Terrier. While some breeders appear to interpret the standard according the specific dog they show, others become obsessed with the standard and lose touch with reality. The perfect Cairn terrier never was, and never will be, bred. Nevertheless, we must keep on trying.

Would the Cairn in the show ring dash into a blackberry bush? Could the Cairn chosen as Best of Breed do the job for which it was originally bred? Surely, this should be a primary aim of Cairn breeders. Size (to chase vermin down burrows), strong temperaments and stamina (to persevere in the task), and correct double coats (to protect them from the elements), are important.

In recent years, I have brought in different bloodlines, hoping to breed even better Cairn Terriers. Many so-called breeders are hobbyists who have, say, one stud dog and perhaps two bitches. Improvement cannot result from continually using the same stock: if we think we already have the best, then we should quit. I am a breeder, not a “puppy farmer”: there is a vast difference. Breeders see the faults in their own stock and are mindful of the ease of finding fault with other’s dogs. While it has been a long, hard, and expensive undertaking, I now have an independent breeding program that incorporates some of the best bloodlines from Australia and overseas.

Together with our latest Swedish import, Aust Ch/Swd Ch Raskens Romping Popinjay( Malte) we have many options and our focus will be on the betterment of the breed in Australia. Finally, I pay my respects to the true breeders of yesteryear. Without their dedication to the breed, we would not have our Cairns today. To those breeders and their grand old dogs of the past, I salute you all.   Val Palmer