Feyd Thorson Modig, CGC, is not just your average lady.

In fact, she is the Bermuda champion in Confirmation at the Bermuda All-Breed Club show, and the winner of the Champions' Class at the recent United States Rottweiler Club (USRC) Sieger Show.

The `CGC' at the end of her name stands for `canine good citizen', and she is living proof that not all larger breeds of dogs are meant to be vicious.

Feyd is a five year old rottweiler owned by Jack Castle, a local rottweiler breeder and shower. Mr. Castle, aside from breeding and showing his dogs in local shows and overseas, works at Stevedoring Services and is the president of the Port Workers Division of the BIU.

Seven years ago he became involved with rottweilers through his wife's cousin, Calton Wilkinson. Mr. Wilkinson was also a rottweiler breeder and shower locally and overseas.

Mr. Castle owns nine rottweilers both locally and in training abroad. One of his earliest champions, Kayla von Ruelmann, is currently in Arizona learning schutzhund.

"Schutzhund,'' Mr. Castle said. "Is the sport of controlled aggression.

"You can send your dog away to be aggressive yet at the same time you have full control of them, like police dogs or drug dogs.

"There are three phases: Obedience, tracking, and protection.'' Dogs trained in schutzhund are entirely different from other large dogs which have received more than a fair share of the press in recent years: Dogs bred specifically for fighting.

"They're just bred to be crazy, I guess,'' Mr. Castle commented.

He emphasised the difference between the two different types of dogs.

"I think the public, especially in the rottweiler and some of the other breeds, they have this perception that rottweilers and pitbulls etc. are vicious dogs,'' he noted.

"But I think there are a lot of good things that people are doing, as you can see by what I'm doing here and overseas.

"The reputation these dogs have isn't always the dog, it's the individual that owns the dog,'' Mr. Castle declared.

As for dogs that are not trained specifically for fighting, Mr. Castle added: "Because of lack of knowledge, people are breeding off of what they see in front of them instead of researching pedigrees and genetics which would help give breeders a better understanding of what they are breeding.

"Then we'd have less problems than we've seen, particularly in some of the rottweilers in the country,'' he added, citing dogs that have inherited diseases such as hip displasia, a very painful genetic disease with no cure.

Also through breeding practices, Mr. Castle said: "People breed dogs that have more aggressive attitudes (depending on) what they are into as breeders.'' Some people breed more for show, while others breed more for obedience or other training, such as schutzhund.

It has been said that the rapid rise in the popularity of the breed has attracted many irresponsible breeders who are only interested in making a profit, and don't care what damage is done to the breed in the process.

"As far as rottweilers are concerned,'' Mr. Castle said. "My good friend Rory Suber and I got together and decided to form a breeding club.

"We are the Bermuda Rottweiler Fanciers and Friends. Our aims and objectives in the club are to put on seminars on educating individuals about the breeding standard, training the dogs, and general care of dogs -- all dogs, not just rottweilers.

"Basic knowledge of breeding and care of dogs goes for all.

"With respect to some of the breeding practices that are taking place we'd like to be able to have people call up and ask for breeders that are following the correct procedures.

"If people want to do training (for their dogs) they can come to us. We are at the Arboretum every Wednesday evening from 6.30 until 8.30, doing basic obedience clinics.

"On June 3rd we are putting on a dog walk from Astwood Park to the Botanical Gardens as a fundraiser,'' he added. The walk will be similar to other fundraising walks, with the participants gaining sponsors.

Mr. Castle showed both Feyd and another dog, Blanka von Ber-Castle, in the previously mentioned Sieger Show in Danbury, Connecticut, just over ten days ago.

Blanka placed in the top eight of the 12 to 18 month class of 28 dogs, while Feyd won her champions class, where she was competing against international or recognised champions from around the world.

Jack Castle can be reached at 234-1591, or 237-1261.

Friend or foe? Jack Castle with Feyd.