Tom Kankkonen

Finland

I have been involved with dogs all my life. My family has been breeding German Shepherds successfully since the 1950’s, first with prefix “Karhunkorven” and since the 1970’s with prefix “Solholmens”. In the early days I was active in the Finnish German Shepherd Association acting as member of the board, member of the breeding commission and judges commission and editor-in-chief. In 1993 I became an FCI judge and I am also specialist judge of the WUSW. Besides Finland I have judged in Israel, Japan, Malta, Mexico, Russia, Sweden, Norway, Ireland, Estonia, Great Britain and New Zeeland. I have also had the honor of judging at the FCI European Winner Shows in 2006 and 2009. I am qualified to judge some breeds in FCI group 1 and hopefully will get license to judge more of them with time. My other hobbies are culture and exercise and I enjoy very much going out and recharging energy with my dogs in the woods or in the archipelago.