John Landis of Lower Saucon Township has been selected to judge the Masters Obedience Championship at Westminster next month. The competition will be part of the 144th annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show taking place Feb. 9-11 in New York City.
The type of dog show event people most often associate with Westminster is the conformation event, in which dogs are judged against a written standard for their breed. Landis, however, will serve as the sole judge for the obedience competition in which dogs and their handlers perform 11 different exercises.
Landis originally became involved in the sport of dog showing in 1971, when he purchased a purebred Old English Sheepdog.
In the mid-1980s he began a successful career as a breeder of Komondors, a type of Hungarian sheepdog. Landis continued to breed Komondors for 25 years, with his dogs producing around 100 puppies and 30 canine champions.
Lower Saucon Township resident John Landis, above, with a Komondor puppy. He successfully bred Komondors for 25 years and as a breeder produced numerous championship show dogs. (Contributed photo)
Landis has also enjoyed a successful judging career in which he’s evaluated more than 15,000 dogs in 750 obedience shows. This will be his first Westminster assignment, but he has judged the American Kennel Club Major Obedience Tournament twice.
Landis said his involvement in the dog show world served as an escape from his high-stress job as a vice president of operations.
“The thing that dogs gave me was I could leave for a weekend and I wouldn’t think about work,” he said.
John Landis’ Cocker Spaniel, Tiffin, survived a herniated disk and lung cancer before winning obedience titles. (Contributed photo)
Landis’ favorite dog in his five decades of competition was a Cocker Spaniel named Tiffin.
Tiffin survived a herniated disk, which left her nearly paralyzed, as well as lung cancer, but went on to win obedience titles.
“I think she’s closest to me because of the near-death experiences,” he said.
Landis currently owns two Pulis, which are a smaller breed of Hungarian sheepdog.
One Puli, named Kaylee, continues to compete in obedience events.
The Masters Obedience Championship will take place on Sunday, Feb. 9, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can watch Landis judge the world’s best obedience dogs by tuning in to the live stream on the Westminster Kennel Club’s website.
The conformation event will be televised on the Fox Sports family of networks throughout Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 10 and 11.
John Landis currently owns two Pulis. Fizzy, seen here, has won multiple obedience titles. (Contributed photo)
