I commenced showing and breeding purebred dogs in 1983 in my hometown of Adelaide, South Australia where I owned, bred and exhibited Dalmatians.

I was Secretary of the Dalmatian Club of South Australia from 1984 to 1992 and Editor of “The Spot Press”, a magazine devoted to the Dalmatian breed.  I also served as a willing and dedicated Committee member for over 10 years.

In January 1999, after relocating from Adelaide to Sydney, New South Wales, I joined the Royal NSW Canine Council.  Since then I have enjoyed the antics and companionship of the Italian Greyhound. 

The Italian Greyhound is an enchanting breed and I have had many successes in the show ring under my kennel prefix, Piccino. 

Highlights have included numerous All Breeds Best in Show awards, Specialty Best in Show awards and Royal Show Best in Group awards.  

Piccino Italian Greyhounds were awarded 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009 Italian Greyhound Show Kennel of the Year, 2007 All Breeds Show Kennel of the Year and is the home of six Grand Champion Italian Greyhounds.  Piccino are also the breeder/owners of the 2007, 2008, 2009 and current 2010 Number 1 Italian Greyhound in Australia.  

Other notable achievements have included being invited to compete in the prestigious “Contest of Champions”, three times, the only Italian Greyhounds in Australia to achieve this honour and qualifying for the New South Wales Dog of The Year Finals many times.

My dogs are consistent winners in the show ring and I am trying to improve the breed with my selective breeding programme including importing dogs from America.

Apart from my interest in exhibiting dogs, I am also “Chairman” of the Dogs NSW Complex Fundraising Committee and “Publicity Officer” and a dedicated member of Sutherland Shire All Breeds Kennel Club, which enables me to keep up to date with events in the canine world. 

I am an Italian Greyhound breed specialist and an approved AKC Toy Group (Group 1) and Non Sporting Group (Group 7) Judge of the following breeds:

Toys (Group 1)

Affenpinscher, Australian Silky Terrier, Bichon Frise, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chihuahua (Long & Smooth Coat), Chinese Crested, English Toy Terrier, Griffon Bruxellois, Havanese, Italian Greyhound, Japanese Chin, King Charles Spaniel, Lowchen, Maltese, Miniature Pinscher, Papillon, Pekingese, Pomeranian, Pug, Tibetan Spaniel, Yorkshire Terrier.

Non-Sporting (Group 7)

Boston Terrier, British Bulldog, Canaan Dog, Chow Chow, Dalmatian, Eurasier, French Bulldog, German Spitz (Mittel & Klein), Great Dane, Japanese Spitz, Keeshond, Lhasa Apso, Peruvian Hairless Dog (Lge), Peruvian Hairless Dog (Med), Peruvian Hairless Dog (Sml), Poodle (Standard), Poodle (Miniature), Poodle (Toy), Schipperke, Shar Pei, Shih Tzu, Tibetan Terrier.

Hound Group (Group 4)

Afghan Hound, Basenji, Basset Fauve De Bretagne, Basset Hound, Beagle, Bloodhound, Bluetick Coonhound, Borzoi, Dachshund, Deerhound, Finnish Spitz, Foxhound, Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen, Greyhound, Hamiltonstovare, Harrier, Ibizan Hound, Irish Wolfhound, Norwegian Elkhound, Otterhound, Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen, Pharaoh Hound, Portuguese Podengo, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Saluki, Sloughi, Whippet.

I have to date judged extensively throughout Australia and New Zealand and in 2007 at The Kennel Club of Palm Springs, California, one of the prominent dog shows in USA with an entry of approximately 4,500 dogs per day.  More recently I had the honour to judge at the 2009 Shenandoah Valley Kennel Club, USA.

Sandra L. Reeve

22 December 2010