From the time he was 12 he had a kennel with runs where his Poms were Allowed to run in all types of weather and get plenty of exercise. He chose the Pomeranian because his parents said, your choice must be small, is our only requirement. Edd felt the Pomeranian breed was a little dog with a big attitude. Attitude still means a lot to Judge Bivin in the ring today, and do not be surprised if He remarks, "I would rather have THIS one pull MY sled". He believes the Pomeranian should move as a diminutive of a Northern dog. Poms should cover ground, tend to single track, and move in an efficient manner, as befits a diminutive of a much larger, very functional group of dogs.
 |
| Pomeranian |
Edd's main mentor, friend and handler, with whom he traveled in his Pomeranian Puppies, was AKC handler (now AKC judge) Maxine Beam. Maxine taught Edd to line brush a Pomeranian (not with a comb) and do it well. With Reddy Teddy's Coat, this was no easy job, as in those days trimming was very limited. Besides, correct coats like Teddy's needed very little, if any, trimming. Edd also learned to trim feet (which he says he is VERY good at If you need help ask!!) and ears. You trim all ears to suit each particular Pomeranian.
Edd left for school, and for a college chose Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, his lifetime home. Edd never returned to breeding except he feels as a Breeder Judge he IS still breeding Poms as he puts up the very best of what is at that show, and if he can, the type of Pomeranians he would want to be breeding today. As a young man being over looked by some judges because of his age, he vowed some day he would become a judge and ONLY judge the dogs. His peers voted Edd Bivin as Judging Legend 2002, a real honor.
 |
| Pomeranian |
Back in 1996 you gave an interview for the Pomeranian Registry. I have that here. So my first question would be this: The new Pom standard went into effect January of 1997. Do you feel it has improved the understanding of what a Pomeranian should be or not? Any comments?
You have to understand that I am a purist about a lot of these things, and I go back in this breed for a long time. I remember when there was tremendous pride taken in colors, in coat texture, in coat, in soundness, and in balance and proportion. And I’m sorry, while there were people who called to ask me about the standard, while it was being talked about and being considered, there were some things in it that I really feel have been detrimental to the breed. I do not like the way that it deals with coat. But it is more than that. You see, in my opinion standards have to be very strict. When Pomeranian breed standards are permissive people have liberty to do things to violate things about breeds that are basic and essential to the quality of the breed. For example, Coat: We have people who show Pomeranians today who trim all the guard hair off of them.
 |
| Pomeranian Dog |
They Pomeranian show them basically down to the undercoat and do not understand that that is a defiance of breed type and character. They do not understand that if you put that kind of dog, that trimmed dog, out in weather and conditions, which make the coat desirable, and necessary, they freeze because they have no protection. They have no guard hair to catch the moisture of the snow or whatever it is. Years ago you would put them outside, and they would play in the snow and the weather, you would bring them in and they would shake off and they were dry to the skin, because they had something to keep the moisture out of the short webbing, which was the undercoat down next to the skin.
Traditionally Pomeranians were shown in somewhat of an oval outline. Today it’s almost become a funnel whereby they trim all the skirt off, they trim the entire bib off, and they take them straight up to their neck. So you no longer get that oval appearance. I don’t know what possesses people to trim tails like they do today.
There again, Pomeranian tails were really flat to the back and they were high set. They had long brush on them that came, in many instances, up to the ears. We’ve always had some crooked tails, dogs that did not have absolutely flat tails; but I think we had better tail sets and better croups a number of years ago than you have today. That business of a tail being on top of a back, with a very, very short back, has somewhat been lost.
 |
| Pomeranian Puppies |
I wouldn’t agree or disagree. I don’t really know. I would tell you that a lot of Pomeranian that are over angulated behind cannot handle the angle and they may l appear to be cow-hocked. Now again, a lot of people do not put Pomeranians out to exercise. So they never build any muscle or anything to form and to hold the leg where it is supposed to be. They put them in exercise pens and let them stand and jump all day instead of getting out and get some exercise.
Since I am no longer a member of the American Pomeranian Club after all these many years, I can’t really say what they should do I would tell you that the American Kennel Club has suggested in many instances that mentors be designated, that breed seminars be held, certainly in regard to national specialties and things of that nature. It is my opinion that the American Pomeranian Club has never been as proactive as it needed to be in the business of education.
There are some lovely colored Pomeranian dogs out right now. And there are some lovely colored top winning dogs as well as some nice Pomeranians in the classes. The thing that concerns me is that people don’t know how to use colors in the breed. They don’t know what sables do. They don’t know that a red dog or an orange dog with a black tipping is not a sable. True sable dogs are very good and strong for pigment. Cream dogs, on the other hand, were very good to clear out smutty faces in red, orange, and whatever. It’s very tough to breed a correctly colored sable dog with a clear face and bib. It’s really tough. But gosh, it’s gorgeous when they do it! (He sat back, as if he was remembering a special sable dog, and his eyes really smiled)
