Linda has bred and shown dogs since the early 1970's, beginning in the show world with Dalmatians. She produced American, Canadian and Japanese champions in that breed, and owned and showed the Dalmatian Club of America National Specialty Best of Breed winner in 1985. In the course of her career, that bitch was also Best of Breed and Group 3rd at the AKC Centennial Show in 1984, a multiple-Group winner/placer, the #1 Dalmatian bitch in the US, and the #1 owner-handled Dalmatian. Another Charlin Dalmatian, sold to Japan, was the #1 Dalmatian in that country, as well as becoming the top-producing stud dog there for many years. The Charlin program produced 16 champion Dalmatians over the years, all of them handled by their owners to their titles and beyond.
Linda acquired her first Manchester Terrier (Ch. Nova MyOnyx Likely Story) in 1996. He finished his championship very quickly and, as with her Dalmatians, he was always owner-handled. Linda then acquired a champion bitch (Ch. Walton's Connoquenessing, CGC, ROM, HOF) who she specialed selectively and with whom she won several Group placements under top Terrier judges. Since that time, Charlin-bred Manchester Terriers have acquitted themselves well in the show ring and as breeding dogs. Several have finished their titles from the Puppy classes, have multiple-major win records, have Best of Variety wins over ranked specials, have Group placements, and/or have themselves produced champions.
Linda was AKC-approved to judge Dalmatians and Junior Showmanship in 1990, and has since judged at many of the largest regional specialty shows around the country, as well as at all-breed shows. She judged the Futurity for the Dalmatian Club of America National Specialty Show in 2012 and judged the Bitch classes and Non-Regular classes at the National in 2017. And, in April 2019, Linda judged the Dalmatian Club of New South Wales Specialty Show in Australia. She also served several times as the Road Trial judge for the Greater Washington Dalmatian Club events.
In 1998, Linda was approved to judge Poodles and has judged all 3 varieties of that breed on both coasts. She judged the Puppy and Veteran Sweepstakes at the AMTC National Specialty Shows in 2002 and in 2017, and judges frequently at various sweepstakes and all-breed and specialty match shows. She is a DCA-approved mentor/instructor for Dalmatians, and an AMTC-approved mentor/instructor for Manchester Terriers.
When not showing, breeding, or judging dogs, Linda frequently serves as a ring steward at shows local to her. A member of the Mid-Atlantic Stewards Association for many years, Linda has long experience stewarding in both the conformation and obedience rings, at both AKC and ARBA shows.
Current Club Memberships:
American Manchester Terrier Club, Inc.
Columbia Terrier Association of Maryland, Inc.
Dalmatian Club of America, Inc.
Greater Washington Dalmatian Club
Senior Conformation Judges Association
Dog Judges Association of America
