Were you looking forward to the next part of our widely read column "Legends of Czechoslovak Cynology? This time we will welcome again to Slovakia. We will reminisce about the breeding of the Czechoslovakian Vlciak, but most importantly we will say goodbye to the recently deceased legend of cynology, Mr. Oskár Dora.
The life of my friend Oskar Dora was probably greatly influenced by the month of May – so often referred to as the month of love. He was born in May almost to the day, although three years earlier than the first crosses between the Carpathian she-wolf Brita and the German shepherd Caesar from Břez Grove. In May 1990 he became the chairman of the Club of Czechoslovakian Vlciak Breeders, which was founded in 1982. And maybe in May he registered his kennel under the protected name "Dór CS", because the judges gave him at his birth in May so that the Czechoslovakian Vlciak breed would enchant and accompany him until the end of his life...
Since he was celebrating the 65th anniversary of his birth this May, I decided to personally wish him all the best, and especially good health (which he needed so much), with the intention of simultaneously using this visit to finish an interview with one of the oldest breeders of Czechoslovakian Vlciaks and one of the founders of his club in Slovakia, which he sarcastically commented to me: '... And it will probably be the last!" Even though we were sipping hot coffee, I was a little frozen, because I understood what I was probably experiencing internally...
I am "from the old school", so I sent him the written form of the interview in manuscript to the hospital in Banská Bystrica for authorization already on the last day of May. Unfortunately, Oscar was so aggravated that he never authorized our conversation again...
Oscar cynological curriculum vitae
He founded his kennel of Czechoslovakian Vlciaks already in 1984 and bred eleven litters in total. Since 1987 he has been the national and since 1992 the international exterior assessor for the Czechoslovakian Vlciak and Siberian Husky breeds, which is also significantly contributed by the then newly established Polish register of Czechoslovakian Vlciak breeders incorporated into the Polish Association of Breeders and Hunters, which pushed for Oscar's inclusion as an international referee. He also acted as a breeding advisor, but he preferred to judge already adult individuals, which definitively finished their development and their appearance remained unchanged. Before the national and international recognition of the Czechoslovakian Vlciak, he participated in the elaboration of an accurate-sounding standard and the preparation of materials necessary for FCI negotiations, thus significantly contributing to its international recognition. The standard was approved on 13 June 1989 in Helsinki under No 332 for a ten-year trial period designed to verify and confirm the exclusive and sustainable characteristics of the breed. The breeders met these conditions, so in 1999 the Czechoslovakian Vlciak received definitive international recognition of the FCI. In the years 1990 – 1997 and 2009 – 2012 he was the chairman of the Club of Czechoslovakian Vlciak Breeders. On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the founding of this club, in 2007, together with "Grandfather" František Rosík, Ing. Jozef Svlna, Tomáš Ruska and Sonia Bognárová, he was awarded for merits in the development of the breed. And his merits in the development of this breed were also appreciated by the Slovak Cynological Union, which awarded him its bronze medal. In addition to breeding CSV, he was an enthusiastic tourist and photographer.
Oscar Dora replies...
Since we are personal friends, I think readers won't mind if we relate to this interview as well. How did you get into breeding the Czechoslovak Wolfdog?
We became closer to "Grandpa" Rosík when he worked in our company from 1983 to 1986 as a pensioner-guard and for the first time I got acquainted with his dog – a well-known REP breeder from the Border Guard. I liked it so much that I took to raise a dog ARAMIS from Mucha's yard, born in 1983 (fr. Nuk from PS, m. Gyra from PS), carrying the blood of the she-wolf Brita. I was so impressed and captivated by the breed that already in 1984 I founded my own kennel under the protected name "Dór CS" on the then excellent line after Nuk from PS, which I had to later rename to the again protected name "Oskár Dór" under the influence of international changes in the names of kennels. I was determined to seek out and consolidate suitable character and exterior traits brought to the breeding by Nuk of PS (*1979, Fr. Prim of PS, m. Izra of PS, and who carried the bloodline of the Brita she-wolf). Nuka was already used in breeding by other civilian breeders, e.g. Miroslav Polák – kennel "Mi-Ro CS" and Peter Ryšánek – kennel "Pe-Ry". My first litter after ARA from PS (blood carrier of Brita she-wolf and blood carrier of Beet from PS – blood carrier of wolf Sharika) consisted of two and two dogs born on December 4, 1984 (Aphrodite, Athena and Atlas and Artemis). Since I have such a Greek-sounding surname, I gave the puppies names from Greek mythology in all litters – it always sounded very natural to me. Although my teacher – "Grandpa" Rosik – did not like my choice of cover dog very much, I never regretted it!
In his kennel, he practically reared eleven litters, that is, puppies named in letters of the alphabet "A" to "K". However, according to feedback among breeders, the most successful individuals were named the letter "H" from 2007...
Yes, I also consider this litter after my father ARGO Přízrak Karpat (*2005, Fr. Arin na Blatech, m. Avahoc Shadow of the Wolf) and mother Hera from RoFa, who came from the bloodline of the wolf Šarik after her father and her mother from the bloodline of the she-wolf Lejda, to be very successful, ... although from my perspective today, Argo also had some minor flaws (but he added that with a smile)! At that time, I worked as a breeding consultant for Moravian breeders and I was attracted by his excellent eye and dry labia.
Of course, I am also proud of the litter named on the letter "K" – KAJ Oskár Dór (*2015, Fr. Silbinas Sidebrinis vilka, m. Helena Oskár Dór), which carries the blood of the wolf Šarik and contributed to the establishment of Czechoslovakian Vlciak breeding in Brazil. I am also proud of the dog JAS Oskár Dór (*2012, Fr. Baladin ArQeVa, m. Helena Oskár Dór), who became a world winner! However, the individuals bred by me were also significantly used in the breeds of Peter Krotkovský (kennel "from Krotkovský dvor") and Marián Balaj from Poltár – breeding sleigh "Bal Mar".
Although we are still a good group of breeders, I am sorry that we no longer meet as often as, for example, when I used to go to "Grandpa" Rosík for weekends, discussing and solving all possible problems. "Grandpa" was a connoisseur of history, although not cynological, because then they were not yet summarized as they are today! But he was an independent visionary and preached ideas that, unfortunately, somehow no longer interest today's young people...
Please remind us of the historical moments that led to the creation of the national breeders' club and later the republic clubs of breeders of the CSV...
At the conference of delegates of the Czechoslovak Breeders Club in Brno, on May 26, 1990, the day before my 35th birthday, I was elected chairman of the national Czechoslovak committee. And at that time, the following organizational structure of the club was confirmed: a nationwide committee of the KCHČSV with four branches, each branch having its own management; branches were established for the Czech Republic with headquarters in Prague, Moravia and Silesia with headquarters in Brno, for Western Slovakia with headquarters in Bratislava and for Eastern Slovakia with headquarters in Košice. At the same time, we were ordered to start negotiations on the position of the KCHČSV in cynological structures in the then federally organized Czechoslovakia. Based on the results of the meeting of the club committee and with the consent of the branch chairmen, we decided to transfer the seat of the club from Prague to Bratislava. At the same time, we agreed to end the management of the club by the Prague management and create a separate unit for keeping a studbook in Bratislava, because our club has been issuing pedigree cards for dogs for three years. After leaving the Prague management of the club, the 7th organizational unit of the Cynological Confederation of the Czechoslovak Federal Republic (KKO ČSFR) was formed in Slovakia, which in 1994, when literally the existence of the breed after the division of Czechoslovakia was discussed, helped a lot, because Slovakia had its own documentation – a studbook. Thus, the Czechs could keep their own documentation, which started from the serial number 1,000. After the establishment of the Slovak Republic, the Czechoslovakian Vlciak Breeders Club worked with an unchanged structure, only the name of the club was added to the wording of the Club of Czechoslovakian Vlciak Breeders of the Slovak Republic, which became a member of the Slovak Hunting Association (SPZ), while managing its activities in accordance with the statutes registered with the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic. Through the JPA, he was also a member of the Slovak Cynological Union (SKJ) and therefore also a full member of the FCI.
In 1993 I was elected chairman of the nationwide committee of both club branches, i.e. for Western and Eastern Slovakia. On the initiative of the Czechomoravian Cynological Union (ČMKU), a meeting was convened in Brno, at which we, as delegates of both republics, were to agree on the representation of the Czechoslovakian Vlciak breed in the FCI. The meeting was attended on behalf of the Czech Republic by the President of the Czech Republic MUDr. E. Philippová, Mrs. V. Tichá and Ing. K. Hartl. The Slovak side was represented by SKJ President Ing. Štefan Štefík, Mr. František Rosík and myself as the chairman of the Club of Breeders of the Czechoslovak Republic. At a difficult meeting, we presented our requirements to Karl Hartl as a fait accompli, which really sparked! But everything calmed down over time, because in both republics we all wanted the successful development of the breed. After discussing topics of mutual interest, we mutually agreed that the name of the breed Czechoslovakian Vlciak and the country-of-origin Czechoslovakia will remain unchanged, but the guarantor of the breed in the FCI will be the Slovak Republic through the SKJ. In order for Mr. Hartl to have a nice memory of the Slovak club, we awarded him a commemorative club plaque "For merits in the development of the breed" number 002 on his 90th birthday.
In 1997, I solved certain tasks not related to breeding, so I asked to be released from the position of chairman of the national committee of the KCHČSV SR and the management of the club was entrusted until the elections to Mrs. doc. Emília Kollárová, CSc., who after regular elections at the club conference became the chairwoman of the club and led it from 1998 until the end of 2009.
Although I have served as chairman in both of my club roles, I must stress that I have always been a "worker" who has worked hard. Although I managed the entire committee and the club, I always accepted and put into practice all reasonable proposals of its members that benefited the development of breeding.
Within the FCI, we are the guarantor of the breed, but the reality is that in terms of the number of animals bred, we are overtaken, for example, by Italy...
It is impossible to prevent us from selling good animals abroad. That's why I was delighted when about a year ago I was invited by the British Czechoslovak Wolfdog Breeders Club to judge this breed at the Oxford exhibition – it is a good sign that our national breed has also taken hold in a distinctly cynologically conservative country like Great Britain! Therefore, I want the production of puppies to be as high as possible in our country, because only then will there be quality individuals that appreciate and represent our breeding. However, I am afraid that we will not have enough fresh blood in Slovakia in further breeding. Therefore, I am internally convinced that in the future we will again have to use wolves to improve the breeding of Czechoslovakian Vlciaks – but in order for this not to be spontaneous, it must be done under strict club control. For such breeding, a closed, strong group of selected breeders would have to be created, and for this step not to be based on a single female German Shepherd and a single wolf.
In your opinion, what is the next perspective of breeding a Czechoslovakian Vlciak?
I think that the Slovak breeders' club has fallen asleep on its laurels – it lacks rioters like "Grandpa" Rosík and other experienced breeders – František Rosík, DVM, i.e. "Grandpa's" son, and Peter Krotkovský, who always irritated me that he did not pass the refereeing exams, because it would only benefit the breed... And finally, I would definitely put myself in the category of rioters! I have concrete ideas, and I am internally convinced that all breeding must undergo quantitative and qualitative change, that the criteria for assessing the quality of breeding individuals must be tightened, because only such decisions will contribute to the development of this beautiful and unusual breed! Therefore, in order to restore some characteristics and external appearance of the breed, I am engaged in the idea of reintroducing the wolf into breeding, but I emphasize - in a closed, selected group of breeders! However, I am also aware that it will be very expensive ...
Wouldn't it be more financially acceptable to set up a sperm bank of unrepeatable individuals?
Now, but as a private person, I initiate the collection and storage of sperm of selected dogs – I do it under professional supervision and actively cooperate with the Brno Veterinary University. It is especially demanding on the professional skill in collecting sperm and storing it specially in freezers. But I am extremely pleased that I managed to get suitable and dedicated partners for this project, including among Lithuanian breeders...
I appreciate our friendship Oskar, because you accepted without hesitation my proposal to review and christen my book The History of the Origin of the Czechoslovakian Vlciak Breed, which you liked, except for minor reservations – and I am grateful to you for that...
You have done a lot of work for the Czechoslovakian Vlciak breed and its breeders' club, so the extended cynological family will never forget you... rest in peace, Oscar!
Taken from: Budeš nám chýbať! | Kynologický magazín eCanis.cz
Translated by Google
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