Andrea Gates Sanford

How many Dobermans do you have? How many have you had in the past? 

I have two delightful Dobermans: 9 year old Pearl (Foxfire n KO Janis Joplin’s Pearl CD WAC VCE RN BN ACT1 ACT2 FDC RAT-S CGCA TKN) and 2 year old Sebastian (Ravensown-KO Happiness Is the Truth @ Foxfire CGC).

Sebastian is my seventh Doberman. I grew up with Bulldogs but my mom always wanted a Doberman so she got one when I was in high school and I loved the breed from the start. My first on my own was Annie in 1990, a lovely 4 or 5 year old I got through DPCA Rescue in Washington DC. After moving to Seattle with her, I wanted a puppy and thankfully met Kim Owen (Ravensown-KO Dobermans). In 1997, Kim provided us with Vic (Ravensown Distant Sturm und Drang CD) followed by Betty in 2002 (Ravensown Destined to Rain CD BN RE AX AXJ LC-11D). I had Harry James (Montwood Arista Sugar Daddy CDX RE OA AXJ) for just six short years. Then I was honored when Kim asked me to bring home the magnificent Seamus (GrCh Ravensown Who’s Got the Luck O’ the Irish @ Foxfire CD ROM VCE NJP NFP RA RAT-O CGC TDI TKN) after she finished his conformation career in 2014. I hope I gave those wonderful dogs the lives they deserved. They each gave me so much.

How did they get their names?

Pearl was born on December 7 (which is Pearl Harbor Day)! The litter theme was “Pop Stars” and Pearl was Janis Joplin’s nickname. It fit her perfectly. Kim named Sebastian, as I brought him into the family when he was just over a year old, and it suits him too!

How many other pets do you have? 

I have a bold and beautiful Calico cat who I found as a baby kitten on the street in Corpus Christi, Texas where my family lives. She had Doberman colors and I fell in love with her, so I stuffed her in a bag and carried her home on the plane! She adored Seamus, loves to play with Sebastian and tolerates Pearl.

How long have you been with the Club and what activities do you do as a PSDPC member?

I joined PSDPC so many years ago, I can’t even remember when, probably around 1999 or so. I began helping Kim Owen and Patti Larkin with Health Day in 2020 and now we manage together that every year, plus I built and maintain this website!

What do you like best about the Club?

All the fantastic opportunties to learn everything there is to know about Dobermans from the experts. From the specialty shows to Health Day, I have tried to soak up knowledge and do as much as I can with my dogs, whether it’s in the show ring, competing in performance sports or just hanging out on the couch. Kim Owen has taught me so much and I’m grateful to have a breeder I can count on for all aspects of dog ownership. It’s really important to learn from one another.

What do you hope to see the Club do better?

I’d like to see more public outreach both about the importance of purpose-bred dogs and the important role our responsible breeders take in producing healthy, well-tempered dogs you can take anywhere and do anything with. Dobermans are not the right breed for everyone, so the importance of breeders who follow the life and health of their dogs providing support all along the way is so critical. The more support we all give one another, the better off each dog is.

I’d also like to see more Club members joining in different activities — whether it’s the Mariners Bark in the Park game, competing in Obedience or Agility, taking our dogs swimming or being part of Meet the Breeds at dog shows or the Puyallup Fair. Whether couch potato, athlete or show dog, anyone can show off what wonderful lifetime companions Dobermans can be.

What’s your favorite thing to do with your dog(s)?

Everything! All the things. I take them everywhere and do as much as I can with them. We go for a long walk in our local park every morning and I have several classes for each dog throughout the week in Obedience, Agility and Conformation Handling. We go hiking when we can, visit tolerant friends and family when they let us in and explore new neighborhoods together. 

What do you plan to do this year with your dog?

Pearl is in her retirement so I just make sure she’s got a happy, active life which means I do whatever she wants.

With Kim Owen’s mentorship, I am learning to do conformation handling and show Sebastian! I’ve competed in many dog sports but have never been in the show ring myself. Conformation handling is tough work indeed but it’s been a lot of fun to learn. (And here I thought showing in Utility was hard!!) 

Once we get Sebastian finished, I’ll focus on his Obedience and Agility titles, and hope to add in other sports like Barn Hunt and scentwork as we are able. Whatever he wants to do next, I’ll be along to do it with him!