Breeding the quintessential Standard for show, performance, and companionship. The word "quintessential" implies a timeless, classic quality. It embodies the most important defining characteristics, the purest essence of something, and serves as the most representative example. My Quincy's registered name includes "quintessential," which makes it deeply meaningful as a kennel name.
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The Q Te
am: Lisa Dodge - Breeder/Owner/Handler
GCH Ch Steadfast's Quintessential Stars And Stripes RN FDC CA CAA BCAT DCAT ACT1J RATI SBN CGC TKN TKI TKA ATT STR VHMA - "Quincy"
GCH Ch Elkhart's Quintessential Wonderland Adventure BCAT CA TKN VHMP - "Alice/Allie"
GCH Ch Quintessential Written Across The Stars - "Remi" co-owned with Carol & Mark Cioffi and handled exclusively by Anna Stromberg
Quintessential Stars Aligned TKN* - "Tesse"
*pending AKC
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Member of the Standard Schnauzer Club of America (SSCA) since 2019, member of the Potomac Valley Standard Schnauzer Club (PVSSC) since 2024, AKC Bred with H.E.A.R.T program since 2023, training at the K9 Obedience Club of Jacksonville since 2008, Social Media Chair for the SSCA, creator/founder of the SSCA Chat and SSCA Members-Only Facebook groups. Founding member and temporary officer (VP) of the Standard Schnauzer Club of the Southeast (SSCS) 2019-2020. Briefly worked towards AKC Accreditation but club went inactive in 2020 due to lack of interest and too large of a geographical area. Registration with the American Kennel Club (AKC). Membership in the National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW), the Barn Hunt Association, and the International All Breed Canine Association (IABCA). SSCA Volunteer: SSCA Booth for 2019 Meet The Breeds; SSCA Social Media Chair; (2021) SSCA 2022 BOG Nominating Committee; SSCA On-site Booth Coordinator for 2022 Meet The Breeds; 2024 SSCA National Specialty Social Media Chair; 2025 SSCA Nationals Social Media/Publicity Chair; 2025 SSCA Rescue Foster.
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My journey with the Standard Schnauzer breed began in 2018 when I acquired my first Standard Schnauzer, Quincy, from the Steadfast kennel and became involved in the breed community by joining our national breed club, the SSCA. I jumped head-first into the dog show world as a novice owner-handler: learning hand-stripping, show grooming, dog training, the ins and outs of a show weekend, and everything in between; meeting incredibly welcoming, knowledgeable people along the way. Since 2018, I finished Quincy past his Grand Championship, trained and titled him in numerous sports, worked with AKC Junior Handlers who showed Quincy as a champion, acquired Alice and finished her Championship at the prestigious AKC National Royal Canin Dog Show, showed her past her Grand Championship all owner-handled, trained and titled her in a few sports, achieved my dream of breeding my first litter (Kismet) in 2023, and have my first homebred, co-owned Grand Champion, Remi, and I'm starting to show my bred-by, Tesse! I continue to heavily support, engage and volunteer with my national breed club while continuing to grow, learn, and better myself and my program. Training, competing and earning conformation, performance, and working dog titles remain important to me as a way to challenge my dogs both physically and mentally, strengthen our bond, and to prove they meet the written breed standard. My passion and ultimate goal is to help preserve the integrity of this incredible breed. Quintessential Standard Schnauzers is a small, reputable, preservation breeding program. We are breeding OFA health tested dogs who meet the breed standard and who have been proven — through evaluation and titles — to have the structures, temperaments, and drives that benefit the breed. We strive to positively contribute to the legacy of the Standard Schnauzer breed as a whole. The focus is on form and function, temperament, and versatility to produce the most healthy, stable, well-rounded, long-lived dogs. It's rewarding to pay it forward by assisting those who are new to the Standard Schnauzer breed or new to showing and competing, just as others assisted me! Feel free to reach out and I would be happy to support you on your new journey!
