Showing dogs is in their bloodlines
Staff writer
A rural Peabody resident has been training dogs to appear for the prestigious Westminster dog show at her South Fork Ranch.
Shannon Rivas has a Rottweiler named General. He is a grand champion and No. 9 in the nation in his class. Her Sloughi also is going to Westminster.
The first dog show she competed in was 25 years ago.
Rivas’ first year of having one of her dogs make it to Westminster was in 2021 with a parson russell terrier
She started competing at Westminster in 2023.On the terrier’s third time at Westminster he ranked in the top 10.
When Rivas purchased General, she knew he had the makings of a champion.
“We knew he was going to do some great things,” she said.
Rivas owns 27 dogs, including two Rottweillers obtained as puppies.
General enjoys being in the ring, as judges make their choices, she said.
While Rottweillers are big dogs, hers are very sweet because how they were raised, she said.
“It’s a breeding dog,” she said. “They are in great demand.”
Dogs allowed to compete at Westminster are judged on their eyes, teeth, hips, and elbows.
“We show them to breed them,” she said. “They are being judged against tough standards.”
Her love for dogs, dog shows, and breeding started when she was a child.
Her family had a rough-coated collie named Snow White that her parents were able to lease.
Her parents also raised golden retrievers.
“Every year I could hardly wait to see the dog show come to the Cypress Community College in Southern California,” she said. “I loved watching all the beautifully groomed dogs in all shapes and sizes.”
Shortly after moving to Kansas, Rivas discovered she was pregnant with her first child.
She took an 18-year break from raising and breeding dogs to raise her seven children.
While relatively new to dog showing, her dog, Winnie, in 2022 won the best of opposite sex at Westminster.
Her almaboubin m’basa, a very rare breed with a Swedish father and German mother, swept the 10 best of breeds in 10 days at the Florida Classic Cluster, the largest dog show cluster in Florida.
Her Russian tsvetnaya bolonka, named Showboat’s Etch in Steele, was named the first AKC champion for the breed on Friday. The breed gained official AKC status Jan. 1, 2025.
“We do it for the dogs,” she said. “We try to keep to the original purpose.”
Elizabeth Melzer, her handler, is a big part of her showing dream and takes he dogs from show to show.
“She is my eyes, ears, and feet when it comes to this dog show adventure,” she said.