Front Cover Summer 2019

SPOTLIGHT ON CLUB MEMBERS:

LAURA CHAPAL

Barbara A. Baese

I’m sure most of you know Laura

Chapal from the multitude of photo-

graphs and wins shown over the years

in the pages of our Club publications.

However, I bet there are many details

you don’t know about Laura’s begin-

nings and years in our breed. So, I’d

like to share both her history and her

evolution in Dandies with you so you

know “Laura’s story.”

Laura’s early years were spent in Colo-

rado growing up with some memora-

ble pets as a child including a German

Shepard, a Beagle and her first terrier,

a Miniature Schnauzer named Schnoo-

dle. By the time she graduated from

high school, she decided she wasn’t

interested in going to college. With her

Dad’s help she chose to go to Great

Western School of Dog Grooming for a

two-year program.

Her first position as a groomer turned

out to be fateful and set in motion her future as far as a voca-

the entire family moved across country and south to Ft. Mey-

tion and an avocation. When she interviewed for the job with

ers, FL where she lived and worked and continued to show her

the owner Nanette Eckhardt (Munchkintown), who had sever-

dogs. There she met DDTCA members like Kay Simpson, Mar-

al storefront grooming shops, she saw her first Dandies and

tha Chamberlain and Shirley Sellers in competition at shows.

thought they were really weird looking little dogs. But by the

After about 8 years, and her 1993 marriage to David Figueroa,

second day she says, “They sort of began to grow on me and I

they moved to North Carolina and this began what Laura calls

was hooked.” Within a short time of working there, Laura got

her second stage and a “real” foundation for her current

her first Dandie named “Dreamboat Annie” after the song by

Dreamboat line.

Heart and later she chose Dreamboat as her kennel name to

honor that first dog. Her 2nd and 3rd Dandies followed quick-

In May, 1997 Laura got “Rosie,” Top Notch Run for the Roses

ly, named Cinnamon Crisp and Court Jester, who was her

from Martha though the litter had actually been raised by

Dad’s first Dandie. By then, it had become a family love affair

Marcia Musson in NJ. Rosie became her foundation bitch. As

with the breed. So, in 1981 in Lakewood, CO Laura had her

an excellent producer she was used with Tamtop’s Topper

first litter – a wonderful size of 3 males and 3 females, all

which began a long, special friendship with Gail & Ed Isner.

mustards. During this time, Laura started showing her Dan-

During this time she also met and bred dogs with Becky Neal

dies and helped with other dogs. She didn’t go to handling

(Dandie Acres) who, according to Laura, became “like a second

classes at the time and was actually made to wait two years

mother to her” when they travelled together in Becky’s RV to

before being involved in a kennel club so she simply learned by

the ’97 National in CO. This was an extremely active time in

practicing and watching others at dog shows she attended.

Dandies as Laura became good friends with Linda Messer,

She had her 2nd litter of 4 dogs, all mustard, two – three years

whose parents had been old time Club members. She attended

later and changed jobs, going to a grooming shop at a large

MCKC in PA which expanded her friendships meeting Linda

boarding kennel. Laura found this a very different work at-

Gagnon, Cathy Nelson and Dwayne Early while expanding her

mosphere. She worked on such a variety of dogs that it was a

breeding program to include Pennywise & Scoshire dogs.

huge learning experience, increasing her skills. Then in 1989

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