Getting her start in the dog fancy as a Junior Handler over 40 years ago, Claudia Waller Orlandi, Ph.D., has been a successful breeder of Basset Hounds for almost two decades under the Topsfield prefix. Topsfield Bassets hold numerous Breed and All-Breed show records. Claudia's enthusiasm for breeding is matched only by her passion for teaching and working with other breeders.  Her ABC's of Dog Breeding Home Study Program is based on the enthusiastic response to her educational seminars on breeding and her belief that anyone can and should understand the practical rules of animal breeding and canine genetics in their quest to breed better, healthier dogs.  

Claudia’s involvement with the dog fancy began in the 1960’s as a Junior Handler of the St Bernard, Ch Bowser Waller. Although she has shown various breeds of dogs since, for close to 20 years her passion has been breeding Basset Hounds. The Orlandi’s Topsfield Kennel is located on 200 acres in Vermont and houses between 40 to 50 Basset Hounds.  Claudia and her husband, Dom, have owned and produced over 100 champions.

Topsfield Bassets hold various breed records and include National Specialty winners at all levels.  Handled by Bryan Martin, Ch Topsfield Bumper Cars, CD, ROM, a National BISS Winner, was the Number One Hound All Breeds in 2001 and Number Two Hound All Breeds in 2002 and is the top Group Winning Basset Hound in the history of the breed with 250 group firsts. Winner of 45 Bests in Show, Bumper Cars also holds the record for most hound group firsts (117) of any hound breed won in a single year. 

Topsfield Basset Hounds have won multiple Pedigree, Nature’s Recipe and Dog of the Year Awards and have been Westminster Breed winners and Number One Basset Hound All Systems for a record 7 consecutive years and counting. Topsfield Bassets hold a unique 2002 BHCA National Specialty record, receiving Winners Dog and Reserve Winners Dog, Winners Bitch and Reserve Winners Bitch, 3 Awards of Merit and BOS in Futurity under 4 breeder judges at that one National Specialty (entry of 330). Topsfield bred a 2003 Top Producing Basset Hound Sire and the 2002, 2003 and 2004 Top Producing Basset Dam. Ch Topsfield Jingle Bells, ROM, is the Top Producing Basset Hound Dam in the breed’s history, with 21 titled offspring.

Claudia has served on the Basset Hound Club of America’s Health and Research Committee, Judges’ Education Committee and is presently Chairman of Member Education, for which she designed an innovative concept called Basset Hound University. Since 1997, she has authored the column, “Breeder’s Toolbox,” in the BHCA newsletter and has designed The Pedi-Score Tool Kit: A Recording System for Basset Hound Breeders. She has authored Discover the Basset Hound and developed a home study program for breeders called the ABC’s of Dog Breeding: What Every Breeder Should Know!

She has been a speaker for the AKC/CHF Breeders' Symposia and the AKC Judges' Institute and has conducted the following seminars: The ABC’s of Dog Breeding; Anatomy Review for Judges; Tips on Using the Pedi-Score Tool Kit to Evaluate a Litter; and Hands-On Angle Evaluation in Dogs. She judges Basset Hounds, Dachshunds and Junior Showmanship, in addition to conducting the BHCA Judges’ Education Seminar on the Basset Hound.