David Miller | Grand River Kennel Club Vice President
Mr. Miller (aka Jean-David Laplanche) has been a dog enthusiast all his life. From an early age, his parents raised various terriers. In the early seventies while residing in France, he fixed his sights upon the dogs that he has raised for over forty years, Salukis. Under the prefix of Shandell, and coupled with the French Saluki kennel, Arab Bahari, he still occasionally breeds and shows. In addition, he has owned Afghans, Dalmatians and Italian Greyhounds. In the mid-seventies and throughout the eighties, Mr. Miller showed not only his Salukis, but dogs in several breeds for clients. In 1988, he applied to the American Kennel Club and was approved to judge Salukis. Since then, he is approved for the American Kennel Club Hound Group, Non-Sporting Group, Sporting Group, Toy Group, Doberman, Dandie Dinmont Terrier, Glen of Amaal, Norfolk Terriers, Norwich Terriers, Briards, Pyrenean Shepherds, and Cardigan Welsh Corgis. He has held many offices in the Grand River Kennel Club, currently President, and is the show chairperson for their cluster weekend – The Regatta Classic. Moreover, he is the President of the Cuyahoga Valley Hound Association and Assistant Show Chairperson for the Ashtabula Kennel Club. Mr. Miller has officiated in the United States, Canada, Columbia, Brazil, Peru, Costa Rica, Mexico, Bolivia, France, Germany, Belgium, Luxemburg, Italy, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Hungary, Romania, Russia, Australia, China, India, Taiwan, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea and South Africa. He is published in both English and French in professional educational periodicals as well as dog publications. Moreover, he has given seminars internationally on the Afghan, Azawakh, Saluki, Whippet, Solving the Mysteries of Breed Type, Back to Basics, and Judging Procedure. He travels frequently to North Africa due to his association with sighthounds and conducts tours of Marrakech, Morocco and its surroundings. As an avid traveler, he has visited many kennels around the world. Professionally, Mr. Miller, retired, was the department coordinator of World Languages for a school system in the Cleveland, Ohio metropolitan area. He has also instructed on the university undergraduate and graduate levels. He holds a Master’s Degree in Education with a specialization in French as well as a Certificat Du Premier Degré from the Université De Strasbourg, France. He is a translator and has conferred on projects for officials at the United Nations in relation to indigenous canine breeds of the Sahara. In his spare time, he is a photographer whose work has been published internationally. Mr. Miller speaks French, German, Italian and English. |
