Dog magazine journalist and editor, breeder, dog show exhibitor and judge, and overall respected dog expert, Allan Reznik is a Renaissance Man
\nof pups.<\/p>\n
Growing up in Canada, Allan\u2019s family dog was a Beagle and then, after that, a Standard Poodle. Allan explains, \u201cWe had a dog. They [Allan\u2019s parents] didn\u2019t believe in multiple dogs.\u201d With this limited exposure as a child, one wonders where his passion for pooches comes from. It turns out, as a young lad Allan was a voracious reader and would religiously purchase the monthly magazine Dog World. \u201cI just inhaled the content. It was this incredible fantasy world for me,\u201d he admits.<\/p>\n
His passion grew along with his knowledge of the subject and, at the age of around 11 or 12, Allan convinced his father to drive him to a dog show. After being dropped off, Allan was free to explore and meet many of the breeders he had read about. His experience at dog shows from a young age was key to putting him onto his multiple dog-themed career paths.<\/p>\n
![\"Allan](\"http:\/\/www.dogster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2104_AReznik_Dogs2.png\")
<\/p>\nPhoto: Courtesy of Allan Reznik<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Combining two passions<\/h2>\n
At that first dog show, he was drawn to an Afghan Hound<\/a> breeder. Allan describes the Afghan as, \u201ca powerful, athletic and primitive hunter, yet very exotic,\u201d and admits being \u201cmesmerized by the breed.\u201d This initial reaction would grow into a lifelong love of Afghans that would include owning, breeding, showing and winning with the beautiful dogs.<\/p>\n An introduction to the Afghan breeder, who would become a first mentor to Allan, happened because of his desire to watch her majestic animals. The breeder, an English woman, who Allan describes as, \u201ca quintessential dog woman with sensible shoes,\u201d noticed young Allan watching from a distance and decided to put him to work. Allan remembers her calling out to him, \u201cYoung man, make yourself useful!\u201d before handing him a brush.<\/p>\n Allan eagerly obliged, and his mentor-to-be realized he was indeed very useful! The duo became a team at dog shows over a number of weekends spanning a couple of years. She was not only pivotal to Allan\u2019s career path but also for his mentality toward sharing his knowledge and expertise. Allan remembers, \u201cShe saw I had promise, a love of dogs and a love of the sport.\u201d One of the lessons he learned: \u201cIt\u2019s really important that we pay it forward.\u201d<\/p>\n Allan went to college, majoring in English with a minor in Psychology. He found he could combine his two loves, writing and dogs, by working with different dog publications in Canada and America. He eventually became the editor-in-chief of Dog Fancy and Dog World before working with the prestigious dog show publication Dogs in Review<\/em>.<\/p>\n Although he loved his years with these different publications, as an editor of dog show-focused magazines, he was unable to do any judging. The American Kennel Club<\/a> has a rule in place that prohibits editors of this subject matter from judging due to any possible conflicts of interest. In 2016 when Dogs in Review<\/em> folded, Allan was free to apply for a judging license. He is now a well-respected judge of a number of different dog breeds.<\/p>\n Allan judges a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel at Del Valle show. Photo: Callea Photos<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Allan moved from urban Southern California to live on a 16-acre farm in Northwest Arkansas with his animals. Currently, he has three dogs \u2014 a 12-year-old Afghan Hound female and two Tibetan Spaniels<\/a>, one male and one female (all retired champions) \u2014 as well as a male cat who spends his days doing his job as a successful ratter, along with being adored by his four-legged siblings.<\/p>\n Allan is anxious to get back to his life judging dog shows and has been saddened by the 2020 shows cancelled due to the COVID pandemic. Allan confesses that 2020 broke his heart and lists the number of professionals at the shows whose lives have been impacted \u2014 breeders, professional dog handlers, vendors and groomers. He mentions more than once during our talk how welcoming and wonderful the people in the dog show world are.<\/p>\n It\u2019s obvious he cares deeply not only for the dogs but for the humans as well.<\/p>\n Like other sports, dog shows are finding ways to come back, and Allan is already prepped on the changes that will take place to keep everyone safe.<\/p>\n There will be no audience cheering for the winners like he is used to, and contact will be limited and done behind masks, appropriate distance and sanitized hands. Even so, Allan is looking forward to the future, \u201cIt\u2019s such a privilege to visit other parts of the country, evaluate the dogs and see what breeders Allan is as busy as ever. He is a freelance writer \u2014 you can read his breed spotlights, Breed Bytes<\/a>, in this magazine. He continues to be very active in the dog show world. Retirement isn\u2019t in the cards for Allan. When it comes to dog shows, \u201cYou don\u2019t retire,\u201d Allan explains. \u201cThere are lots of folks in their 70s, 80s and even 90s who are still showing and judging, generous with their knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n As our discussion comes to an end, I ask Allan if there is anything he would have wanted to do but wasn\u2019t able to. After a silence Allan answers, \u201cNo. I\u2019ve been very fortunate.\u201d Allan\u2019s careers focused on his passion for dogs is something any dog lover would be envious of, the life of a Renaissance Man.<\/p>\n Read Next: Take Your Dog on a Barn Hunt<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The post Meet Allan Reznik: The Renaissance Man of Pups<\/a> by Wendy Newell<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n The post Meet Allan Reznik: The Renaissance Man of Pups<\/a> by Wendy Newell<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n Dog magazine journalist and editor, breeder, dog show exhibitor and judge, and overall respected dog expert, Allan Reznik is a Renaissance Man Growing up in Canada, Allan\u2019s family dog was a Beagle and then, after that, a Standard Poodle. Allan explains, \u201cWe had a dog. They [Allan\u2019s parents] didn\u2019t believe in multiple dogs.\u201d With this limited exposure as a child, one wonders where his passion for pooches comes from. It turns out, as a young lad Allan was a voracious reader and would religiously purchase the monthly magazine Dog World. \u201cI just inhaled the content. It was this incredible fantasy world for me,\u201d he admits.<\/p>\n His passion grew along with his knowledge of the subject and, at the age of around 11 or 12, Allan convinced his father to drive him to a dog show. After being dropped off, Allan was free to explore and meet many of the breeders he had read about. His experience at dog shows from a young age was key to putting him onto his multiple dog-themed career paths.<\/p>\n Photo: Courtesy of Allan Reznik<\/p>\n<\/div>\n At that first dog show, he was drawn to an Afghan Hound<\/a> breeder. Allan describes the Afghan as, \u201ca powerful, athletic and primitive hunter, yet very exotic,\u201d and admits being \u201cmesmerized by the breed.\u201d This initial reaction would grow into a lifelong love of Afghans that would include owning, breeding, showing and winning with the beautiful dogs.<\/p>\n An introduction to the Afghan breeder, who would become a first mentor to Allan, happened because of his desire to watch her majestic animals. The breeder, an English woman, who Allan describes as, \u201ca quintessential dog woman with sensible shoes,\u201d noticed young Allan watching from a distance and decided to put him to work. Allan remembers her calling out to him, \u201cYoung man, make yourself useful!\u201d before handing him a brush.<\/p>\n Allan eagerly obliged, and his mentor-to-be realized he was indeed very useful! The duo became a team at dog shows over a number of weekends spanning a couple of years. She was not only pivotal to Allan\u2019s career path but also for his mentality toward sharing his knowledge and expertise. Allan remembers, \u201cShe saw I had promise, a love of dogs and a love of the sport.\u201d One of the lessons he learned: \u201cIt\u2019s really important that we pay it forward.\u201d<\/p>\n Allan went to college, majoring in English with a minor in Psychology. He found he could combine his two loves, writing and dogs, by working with different dog publications in Canada and America. He eventually became the editor-in-chief of Dog Fancy and Dog World before working with the prestigious dog show publication Dogs in Review<\/em>.<\/p>\n Although he loved his years with these different publications, as an editor of dog show-focused magazines, he was unable to do any judging. The American Kennel Club<\/a> has a rule in place that prohibits editors of this subject matter from judging due to any possible conflicts of interest. In 2016 when Dogs in Review<\/em> folded, Allan was free to apply for a judging license. He is now a well-respected judge of a number of different dog breeds.<\/p>\n Allan judges a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel at Del Valle show. Photo: Callea Photos<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Allan moved from urban Southern California to live on a 16-acre farm in Northwest Arkansas with his animals. Currently, he has three dogs \u2014 a 12-year-old Afghan Hound female and two Tibetan Spaniels<\/a>, one male and one female (all retired champions) \u2014 as well as a male cat who spends his days doing his job as a successful ratter, along with being adored by his four-legged siblings.<\/p>\n Allan is anxious to get back to his life judging dog shows and has been saddened by the 2020 shows cancelled due to the COVID pandemic. Allan confesses that 2020 broke his heart and lists the number of professionals at the shows whose lives have been impacted \u2014 breeders, professional dog handlers, vendors and groomers. He mentions more than once during our talk how welcoming and wonderful the people in the dog show world are.<\/p>\n It\u2019s obvious he cares deeply not only for the dogs but for the humans as well.<\/p>\n Like other sports, dog shows are finding ways to come back, and Allan is already prepped on the changes that will take place to keep everyone safe.<\/p>\n There will be no audience cheering for the winners like he is used to, and contact will be limited and done behind masks, appropriate distance and sanitized hands. Even so, Allan is looking forward to the future, \u201cIt\u2019s such a privilege to visit other parts of the country, evaluate the dogs and see what breeders Allan is as busy as ever. He is a freelance writer \u2014 you can read his breed spotlights, Breed Bytes<\/a>, in this magazine. He continues to be very active in the dog show world. Retirement isn\u2019t in the cards for Allan. When it comes to dog shows, \u201cYou don\u2019t retire,\u201d Allan explains. \u201cThere are lots of folks in their 70s, 80s and even 90s who are still showing and judging, generous with their knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n As our discussion comes to an end, I ask Allan if there is anything he would have wanted to do but wasn\u2019t able to. After a silence Allan answers, \u201cNo. I\u2019ve been very fortunate.\u201d Allan\u2019s careers focused on his passion for dogs is something any dog lover would be envious of, the life of a Renaissance Man.<\/p>\n Read Next: Take Your Dog on a Barn Hunt<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The post Meet Allan Reznik: The Renaissance Man of Pups<\/a> by Wendy Newell<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8315","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Allan](\"http:\/\/www.dogster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2104_AlanR_CavalierBOB.png\")
<\/p>\nThe judging life<\/h2>\n
\nare producing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nof pups.<\/p>\n<\/p>\nCombining two passions<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\nThe judging life<\/h2>\n
\nare producing.\u201d<\/p>\n