by Marelyne McLeod-Woodhouse
Schonhardt Kennels

In 1969 I started showing Doberman’s in both obedience and conformation but failed the obedience badly.  I met Larry & Camille Mojzis of Meliora Kennels who were my mentors and helped me greatly, even after I became involved in Mini’s in 1974.

My first two Mini’s were ‘Buson’ Minis (Miss Val Miller) and I then went on to get Thornor Suchi  who was bred by Thora and Norm Champion of Thornor Kennels in Victoria.  Suchi’s sire was English & Australian Ch Eastwight Sea Lord (Imp UK) and I later got her sister Thornor Kakak Kechil.  Suchi was the show winner but Kechil was the producer, being the dam of Australian Ch  Schonhardt Copy Boy (picture right).  Copy was the sire of Victorian and South Australian Specialty Show winners and Melbourne and Adelaide Royal winners for several years and certainly put Schonhardt Kennels well and truly on the map.

I formed a partnership with Mrs Lynette (Netti) Hobbs of Koobalies Kennels and we imported our first dog in 1980 from the UK.   The partnership went on from there having imported many American and Canadian dogs of which some were Canadian Champions some both American and Canadian Champions.   They also included the first uncropped American Champions and uncropped Canadian Champion dogs to be imported to Australia.

Schonhardt to date is the only Australian Kennel to export to America a young bitch who attained her title, American Ch Schonhardt of Hansenhaus (picture right).  Tilley is now a top producer, having produced 9 puppies in two litters with six of these becoming American Champions.

The most important addition to my kennel was the famous American & Australian Ch Simon Say’s of Hansenhaus (Imp USA) (picture left) who was only the second uncropped male Mini to attain his American title in over 50 years and is the first and only uncropped American Champion to come to Australia to date.

Canadian Ch Minuteman Toy Boat Toy Boat was the first Canadian import Mini into Australia and was followed closely by Canadian Ch Minuteman All My Rowdy Friends who was the first uncropped Canadian Champion to come to Australia.    Later came the uncropped Canadian Ch Minuteman To The Batmobile, (picture right) the first and only titled black dog to come here from Canada and who attained his Australian title after only 4 shows.

Certainly not to be forgotten was my very first English import ‘Cookie’, Australian Ch Arbey Dynamite (picture left)  who arrived in whelp and produced seven puppies in quarantine.   I imported Cookie on my own and waited patiently for her to come for nearly 2 years but it was well worth the wait as she gave me a wonderful foundation for my kennel.   It was at that time that I started to do well and with the arrival of the dog “Max”, Australian Ch Rimmick Rikardo in partnership with Netti Hobbs we were well on our way.   These were followed by four more dogs of Hansenhaus breeding but carrying the Hi-Crest prefix.

To the above dogs I have to add my Australian Ch. Miss T.J. of Sole Baye from the famous Sole Baye kennels in California.   My Black and Silver lines were extended by the importation of  Arbeybuffels Trouble Shooter whose sire and dam were imported into the UK  from the Suelen Kennels in the USA.   These blended with my Eastwight lines behind my ‘Copyboy’ who carried the Black and Silver genes for which Eastwight Kennels in the UK were famous.

I would like to thank all those exhibitors who helped make me the number one breeder of Australian Champion Minis.  By exhibiting and finishing my Minis to their Championship titles, or using my American and Canadian Champion Imports or my homebred Champions at stud, they have produced in excess of 130 Australian, American, New Zealand and Hong Kong Champions.  Among these are multiple Best In Group, Best In Show and Speciality winners.