Pluis Davern
National Judge
Pluis Davern hails from Royal Oaks, California and got her beginning in obedience, field, and conformation with Golden Retrievers in 1967. From there, she started Sundowners Kennels, now located in Gilroy, CA in 1969 and trains for obedience, gun dog, and disaster search and rescue. She began training professionally in the early 70’s. When she became a single mom with the responsibility of four children, dog training became her livelihood. In the early 80’s Pluis was accepted as a member of the Professional Handlers Association and finished dogs in Sporting, Hound, and Working Groups. Until recently Pluis trained all dogs selected for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster work in conjunction with the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation in Ojai, CA. Her extensive training of dogs includes for firefighters and policemen, as well as obedience and hunt test for spaniel, retriever, and pointing breeds. Pluis has been involved with Sussex Spaniels since the early 1980s. She got her first Sussex Spaniel, CH The Vicar of Lexxfield CD, who went on to become the first of the breed to go Best in Show in the United States and to place in the group during Westminster. From there Pluis continued with the breed with CH Sand Creeks’ Up; to Snuff CDX SH that captured two Bests in Show, more than 40 group placements. CH Sand Creeks’ Up to Snuff CDX SH also became the first Sussex with advanced field and obedience titles. As a breeder and trainer, Pluis is dedicated to the concept of form and function. Currently she is approved by the American Kennel Club to judge the Sporting Group and nine hound breeds as well as Best in Show and Junior Showmanship. In 2011, Pluis was honored with the 2011 AKC Breeder of the Year Award for her Sundowners Sussex Spaniels, an annual award which honors those breeders who have dedicated their lives to improving the health, temperament and quality of purebred dogs. Pluis has bred and owned Best in Show, Master Hunter, Obedience and Agility titled Sussex Spaniels and Champion and Performance titled Golden Retrievers, Labradors, German Shorthaired Pointers, and Vizslas.