TRC
: When did you first start handling Rottweilers and for whom?
WK: Pauline Rotkowski, the year was 1972.
TRC : What was the name of the first dog? Was it an
import?
WK : It was Amstel Von Paulus, she was not an
import.
TRC : Compare some of your first dogs to what you
have had presently.....size, conformation, temperament....have they really changed that
much?
WK : They’ve changed and they’re changing
back, I think. They had soft backs when I started, which isn’t good and they’re
going back into soft backs again. They have more size to them now than years ago, you know
in the eyes" Bigger is always Better", but not always correct. Temperaments are
much more ‘pleasant", let’s use much more "pleasant’ as a word,
before they were just plain beasts, that’s why they had to get the temperaments in
order to sell them, because not everyone could own one, they were to much.
TRC : Who gave you your nickname of
Kubear?
WK : (Walter pauses and smiles) That originated
years ago in school!
TRC : How many Rottweilers have you
finished.....approximately?
WK : Yeah, I got the numbers at home.....my wife is
going to count the pictures.......TRC: I spoke with Walters wife..appox 200+!
TRC : Do you have a favorite or favorites over the
years?
WK : No, not really. I’ve had some that were
better to live with than others, but not really a favorite, it’s just like saying
"special"....which special did I really like? They’re all
"special", that’s why they call them that!
TRC : You have had some tremendous wins all
around.....do you remember one that was particularly exciting for you?
WK : Mmmm, NO, off hand, some of the bigger
specialties were nice, I won the "Garden" once or twice, which is always nice to
do in your career, but nothing that would jump out and grab you!
TRC : What was your original breed?.....What got
you started in dog shows, where did you start....did you have a particular person that
helped you or got you started in dogs?
WK : German Shepherds, I started with German
Shepherds.....in obedience actually. I got a German Shepherd and put him through a CD, and
then a CDX in 3 shows ! You know once you win...things get better...when you start
winning, then you think you can do anything. I got a Dog World award and started to train
dogs at the kennel. I also trained dogs at Fran Wassermann’s kennel.....obedience
then into the conformation ring........nobody really got me started. I basically watched
Alan Levine and other handlers that showed all breeds. All dogs are different, and
you have to handle different dogs in different ways. No two dogs are the same.
TRC : So when can we expect to see you standing in
the ring without a dog???? "judging?" We know you are just about there.
WK: When I can’t see and can’t run
anymore! I’m going to "bite the bullet" to the end!
TRC : When you finally do start to judge, do you
have any advice to the people who will be bringing you dogs?
WK : I hope to be judging most of the big
breeds, the breeds I’ve shown, Mastiffs, Bullmastiffs, Akitas, Rottweilers, Giant
Schnauzers. I’ve campaigned Giant Schnauzers, I’ve campaigned most of those big
dogs at one time or another, mostly big stuff, and Am Staffs, which I’ve bred and won
a National Specialty. As for advice on people bringing me dogs ...... rule one ......
stand up showing a big dog! I don't care for kneeling in front of a big dog. They
can kneel by their bedside the night before, don’t kneel in front of me, because once
that dog makes a move and grabs me..... I’ll grab you! It’s simple that no one
should kneel down showing a big dog.....you don’t have the power to control the dog,
he’s an animal, he’s not a robot, you never know what they are going to do.
TRC : It was a pleasure to have "a word with" Walter
Kuberski......if you don’t know who he is you haven’t been with this breed very
long. he's got a heart of gold and has the "Midas Touch" when it comes to
showing "our breed".....those of us that know him have a dear friend and a man
that can make you laugh, but he doesn’t sugar coat anything and shoots straight from
the hip. as it says on one of the stickers on his van" Cowboys don’t need no
instruction"...........thanks Walter.....LB
