Tanja Backes

Germany

My love for dogs began in my youth, as my mother bred Wire Fox Terriers in the 1970s. Later, we switched to Dachshunds, and I started with Junior Handling at the tender age of nine, reaching a peak at 18 when I won the German Junior Handling Final and represented Germany at Crufts Show. Good handling remains very important to me, especially maintaining a friendly and fair approach with the dogs in the ring. At 16, I started my own breeding program, soon inheriting my mother’s dogs and expanding to include Beagles, Terriers, and Pomeranians. My breeding philosophy is to work only with the best breeding dogs, combining top health features with correct anatomy and excellent temperament. Preserving breed standards and promoting breed-specific tasks are my priorities. After pausing my breeding activities in 2000 for personal reasons, I focused on my career as a judge. Since 2003, I have been judging nationally and internationally, holding memberships in numerous breed clubs. Since 2018, I have returned to breeding, this time with the Lagotto Romagnolo breed. We have a Lagotto bitch at home and co-own a male. In addition to judging, I serve as a lecturer for the VDH Academy and am a member of the VDH Exhibition Committee. I am aware of the impact a judge has on breed development and consider it my duty to preserve breed standards and promote healthy, well-balanced dogs. „Fit for function“ is always a top priority for me. The invitation to the World Exhibition in Helsinki is a great honor for me. The exhibitions in Finland, to which I have been invited previously, have always been professionally organized and serve as a tribute to the world of dog shows