Literally!
The air is crisper and shivery and leaves crunch loudly. The air smells like fire places and warm jackets warm ourselves and those around us.
The title of my blog is the mantra of one of my favorite science fiction series by George R. R. Martin; the "Song of Fire and Ice," series.
"Wyntr" is also the name of the kennel from which my next puppy will be coming, and I can only be extremely excited by the pairing. Celeste finally went into heat, and was bred October 29 and November 1 to Tiggy! Puppies should be on the ground by New Years!
So, Wyntr really is coming!
Harper is finally snapping out of her I'm-in-heat-and-I-have-no-brain phase.
Dear Harper's brain,
Mommy has missed you. It's fun to play with Harper again.
Love furever,
Mommy
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
October 2010 and Harper is in season
October has got to be my favorite month, and I've done my best to take Harper on as many walks as possible. The leaves are gorgeous, the air seems more clear, and the sky is this incredible shade of blue.
Another event which has me feeling hopeful is that Harper is in heat. While I'm not planning on breeding her until Nancy and I find the right stud dog, it's good to see normal signs of fertility- no matter the mess! :-) Its not that I expected her to be infertile or anything, but one just never knows. I feel like maybe she had a light heat at 6 months, but the current heat (at 11 months) is the real deal.
The Normal Canine Estrous Cycle
Right now, Harper is in the "proestrus" cycle, which means that for the next 10 days (or less) she will be excreting bloody discharge from her vagina and male dogs will continue to be very interested in her. However, she is and will be unwilling to mate.
I can tell that she doesn't feel well, and she's very very needy. But, I can't let her up on the couch to cuddle or else I'll be dealing with a mess! Poor little thing. I gave her a coated aspirin to make her feel a bit better. Right now she's trying to burrow under Abby's bed while Abby is still IN the bed...
So for the second time I've had to back out of Advanced Beginner obedience ;-) The first time, I didn't like the trainer. It is probably for the best, though, because Harper doesn't have much of a brain right now and the latter class had literally about 20 people. Once I feel like I'm in a class where Harper and I can learn something, I'll blog more about what happens in class.
Celeste still hasn't come in heat, and I'm going to go ahead and assume that it will be a while before that happens. Its probably for the best. Otherwise, I'd probably have a puppy while Harper was going through her first heat and that would not be fun for anyone involved.
Another event which has me feeling hopeful is that Harper is in heat. While I'm not planning on breeding her until Nancy and I find the right stud dog, it's good to see normal signs of fertility- no matter the mess! :-) Its not that I expected her to be infertile or anything, but one just never knows. I feel like maybe she had a light heat at 6 months, but the current heat (at 11 months) is the real deal.
The Normal Canine Estrous Cycle
Right now, Harper is in the "proestrus" cycle, which means that for the next 10 days (or less) she will be excreting bloody discharge from her vagina and male dogs will continue to be very interested in her. However, she is and will be unwilling to mate.
I can tell that she doesn't feel well, and she's very very needy. But, I can't let her up on the couch to cuddle or else I'll be dealing with a mess! Poor little thing. I gave her a coated aspirin to make her feel a bit better. Right now she's trying to burrow under Abby's bed while Abby is still IN the bed...
So for the second time I've had to back out of Advanced Beginner obedience ;-) The first time, I didn't like the trainer. It is probably for the best, though, because Harper doesn't have much of a brain right now and the latter class had literally about 20 people. Once I feel like I'm in a class where Harper and I can learn something, I'll blog more about what happens in class.
Celeste still hasn't come in heat, and I'm going to go ahead and assume that it will be a while before that happens. Its probably for the best. Otherwise, I'd probably have a puppy while Harper was going through her first heat and that would not be fun for anyone involved.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Monroe, Michigan- October 2-3, 2010
Ah, "my" two little bookends! How I adore them both. The black one is "Chewpee," and his full name is Rubad-Kaos Get Shorty. He got a four point major at the show! Harper is looking up at the camera like, "Mom, I'm freakin' tired. Get that camera out of my face."
This weekend has been good and traumatic for me. The good part is that Harper took second to another bitch on Saturday, and beat one other bitch. I'm going to keep showing her until we get a couple of points or maybe even get a major. I think right now it might be too tough to finish her.
Nancy told me that Pippin, Uno's full sister, came down with Addison's the last weekend in September. Harper and Pippin are half sisters through Brynnie. Nancy's puppy Mimi, from her Millie x Burnie litter, also came down with Addisons. However, Mimi's owner put her to sleep rather then have to deal with an Addison's dog.
What this means for me and Harper is that she has at least a 50% chance of being a carrier and at least a 25% chance of having Addison's disease herself.
Addison's disease is what is referred to as an "auto immune" disease, where the body attacks itself. Diseases such as demodectic mange and allergies are also immune diseases. Addison's disease is also termed as "hypoadrenocortism," or disease of the adrenal glands. The body is unable to produce corticol, which affects how the body handles stress.
Although Addison's disease is not thought to be genetic, auto immune weaknesses are common in certain lines and should be watched carefully. At this time, we are still planning on breeding Harper, but are going to make our choice as carefully as possible. I have asked both Meta and Yvonne in Europe if any of Harper's other relatives have had any immune diseases, or even just allergies or mange.
Here is the website where I found the information:
http://www.canineaddisonsinfo.com/index.html
http://www.canineaddisonsinfo.com/index.html
http://www.vetstreamcanis.com/ACI/january/VMD1/FactSheet054.asp
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Harper officially has Teenager ADHD
And boundless energy, to the point where I'm not exactly sure what COULD tire her out, except for maybe a herd of sheep.
We've started a new Advanced Beginner obedience class, and honestly it has way too many people in it. There is another corgi (Pembroke), several retrievers, a spaniel or two, an affenpinscer, a rottweiler, and an extremely dog aggressive doberman pincer that scares me. We learned the usual stuff- heal, sit, stay, lay down and we worked on holding the stay. We also worked on U-turns and finishes and come-fores.
Harper was sooooo distracted by all the scents and the smells and it probably didn't help that her "sister" Abby is also in our class.
She picks up on the concepts pretty quickly when she allows herself to learn.
Maybe next class will be better!
We've started a new Advanced Beginner obedience class, and honestly it has way too many people in it. There is another corgi (Pembroke), several retrievers, a spaniel or two, an affenpinscer, a rottweiler, and an extremely dog aggressive doberman pincer that scares me. We learned the usual stuff- heal, sit, stay, lay down and we worked on holding the stay. We also worked on U-turns and finishes and come-fores.
Harper was sooooo distracted by all the scents and the smells and it probably didn't help that her "sister" Abby is also in our class.
She picks up on the concepts pretty quickly when she allows herself to learn.
Maybe next class will be better!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Harper is maturing
I don't know if I mentioned in my last post, but I pulled Harper from the last Advanced Beginner obedience class we were in, and we're starting a new Advanced Beginner's class this coming Tuesday. It's with a new trainer, and I'm anticipating that we'll have a better chance at actually learning something. I really didn't like the other trainer's method and I felt like he was sucking the fun out of the training process, so I chose to stop going. He forbade us using positive reinforcement and I don't want Harper thinking that training is a thankless chore.
Harper and I didn't get to go to the herding clinic because it was cancelled. Ah well! Perhaps next time. Sometime this week Nancy will hopefully cut Harper's toe nails and we'll try to fluff up her white parts. We leave out for Michigan on Friday night.
Harper did something super cool this Saturday while we were "park hopping" and I am really excited about it: she's teaching herself scent discrimination.
I''ve always known Harper was bright, but this takes the cake for me.
We were in the park and playing fetch with a stick I found that was just perfect! Not to heavy, not too small, not too big, not too short and not too long! ;-)
One of the times I accidentally threw the stick near an area where there were many sticks.
I expected her to just grab any old stick and bring it back, not thinking that she would actually use her nose to find the exact stick we were using. But, she did!
The reason I know that is that the stick we used I had found originally in another park, and its of a different kind of wood then trees at that park. It's a less dense kind of wood and the bark is peeling off of it.
Thinking that maybe that was just a fluke, I did the same thing again, but threw the stick in a different area that was equally populated with sticks, and low and behold she did it again!
I would really like to start encouraging this behavior in her. It will be tough to do that inside the house, because my scent is everywhere. I wonder if I can somehow get her to recognize a scent and then try to find it.
Perhaps I can get a stinky piece of cheese and let her smell it, then hide it somewhere in the house with out her watching me. That way I can make the behavior self-enforcing.
Harper and I didn't get to go to the herding clinic because it was cancelled. Ah well! Perhaps next time. Sometime this week Nancy will hopefully cut Harper's toe nails and we'll try to fluff up her white parts. We leave out for Michigan on Friday night.
Harper did something super cool this Saturday while we were "park hopping" and I am really excited about it: she's teaching herself scent discrimination.
I''ve always known Harper was bright, but this takes the cake for me.
We were in the park and playing fetch with a stick I found that was just perfect! Not to heavy, not too small, not too big, not too short and not too long! ;-)
One of the times I accidentally threw the stick near an area where there were many sticks.
I expected her to just grab any old stick and bring it back, not thinking that she would actually use her nose to find the exact stick we were using. But, she did!
The reason I know that is that the stick we used I had found originally in another park, and its of a different kind of wood then trees at that park. It's a less dense kind of wood and the bark is peeling off of it.
Thinking that maybe that was just a fluke, I did the same thing again, but threw the stick in a different area that was equally populated with sticks, and low and behold she did it again!
I would really like to start encouraging this behavior in her. It will be tough to do that inside the house, because my scent is everywhere. I wonder if I can somehow get her to recognize a scent and then try to find it.
Perhaps I can get a stinky piece of cheese and let her smell it, then hide it somewhere in the house with out her watching me. That way I can make the behavior self-enforcing.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Right now things are pretty laid back in my neck of the woods, all in all. It's a lazy, Sunday evening and everyone is sleeping. Harper and I went on a short walk, but it started raining so we had to cut it short and run home.
My personal life has been very interesting, with a trip to D.C for Rosh Hashanah and a decision to start taking classes on Judaism.
I wish that the BF would get rid of his rescue dog, mainly because I don't feel like we are a good fit for her and he's gone quite a bit and doesn't spend the amount of time with her necessary to make her a more normal dog. The good thing about Abby is that owning her has given me a good idea about what bad temperament is and has cemented in me its importance in a breeding program. Abby can't help what she is and what she's been through and I wish that I was a more patient person who could appreciate what is good about her more then what I do.
I decided to remove Harper from obedience work for a while. She's going through this stage where I just don't think it's a good idea to push her. She doesn't have the focus to work like she did last month and I don't want training to be something horrible for her. If she doesn't want to work, then we won't work. We have a fairly strong foundation as suggestion in "Schutzhund Obedience." It could be that Harper is getting ready to start her first heat, which would be really cool.
We're going to be showing on October 3, 2010 in Monroe, Michigan and then again on November 11, 2010 in Fort Wayne, IN. I'm really hoping to get a point on Harper before she turns a year, but I don't think that will happen. However, you never know unless you try and she has "bodied up" quite a bit in the past couple of months. She is a lovely girl, and hopefully we can get her finished.
Kathy is still waiting for Celeste to come in heat, but hopefully it will be sooner then later. Tigger's litter with Abby (the cardigan) turned out with round rib cages and longer legs then is typically desired. I have a feeling that he will produce better with Celeste (at least, I hope so!!). Kathy knows that if I don't see anything that appeals to me in this litter that I won't be taking home a puppy.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Training and the like
Here for the past week, Harper and I have been taking a break on training and excercising because 1) She hurt herself earlier this week and I wanted to put her on cage rest until the limping stopped 2) She hasn't wanted to work and her focus is crap and 3) I have not felt particularly well this week
I've been working with her pretty much every day. She doesn't want to listen or work and she has all of this crazy energy. I know that giving up isn't the right thing to do right now, so I've just changed my expectations and the length and difficulty of our training sessions. We're working on obedience and conformation, both of which are really important.
I'm also reading "Schutzhund Obedience" and it's helping me train her. Some what the book teaches is to avoid expecting too much too early. It just basically says first build the bond and work on making training fun, then work on the more difficult aspects of obedience, such as off lead healing and the like.
Harper and I were taking an obedience class with Nick Nichols at CATC. After three sessions, I realized that Mr. Nichols wasn't the kind of trainer who was going to get us to where I want to be with Harper. He did not believe in training with positive reinforcement, and Harper isn't mature enough to want to work for a pat on the back. It ends up being a really negative experience for both me and the Corgi girl, and I don't want training to be a chore for either one of us.
The Schutzhund book focuses on making training fun, because the whole idea is to bring the dog out of its shell so that it WANTS to work. It's basically impossible to build drive if the dog doesn't enjoy its training. I've said it before and I'll say it again, if I wanted a mindlessly obedient dog, I would have gotten a golden retriever or a border collie. I like that Harper can think for herself. It makes being in our team of two a more enjoyable experience for me.
After having a brief waffling experience, I'm still looking forward to getting a puppy from Kathy Carlson. We've been waiting somewhat impatiently for Celeste to come into heat. I heard from a friend that people everywhere planning an October 2010 litter are experiencing the same delay. Jared and I have picked out a name for her, but I haven 't told anyone yet about doing that. I don't want them to think that I'm too excited about it. But, we've decided on "Hedwig."
It's a good, celtic name. I just can't get on board with the Welsh names. Some other names I've thought about are, "Crowe," "Scottie," and one other name I can't think of right now.
Harper is going to be shown on a limited basis for the rest of 2010, and one of the shows is in Monroe, Michigan, and Nancy and I will be visiting Kathy Carlson.
I've been working with her pretty much every day. She doesn't want to listen or work and she has all of this crazy energy. I know that giving up isn't the right thing to do right now, so I've just changed my expectations and the length and difficulty of our training sessions. We're working on obedience and conformation, both of which are really important.
I'm also reading "Schutzhund Obedience" and it's helping me train her. Some what the book teaches is to avoid expecting too much too early. It just basically says first build the bond and work on making training fun, then work on the more difficult aspects of obedience, such as off lead healing and the like.
Harper and I were taking an obedience class with Nick Nichols at CATC. After three sessions, I realized that Mr. Nichols wasn't the kind of trainer who was going to get us to where I want to be with Harper. He did not believe in training with positive reinforcement, and Harper isn't mature enough to want to work for a pat on the back. It ends up being a really negative experience for both me and the Corgi girl, and I don't want training to be a chore for either one of us.
The Schutzhund book focuses on making training fun, because the whole idea is to bring the dog out of its shell so that it WANTS to work. It's basically impossible to build drive if the dog doesn't enjoy its training. I've said it before and I'll say it again, if I wanted a mindlessly obedient dog, I would have gotten a golden retriever or a border collie. I like that Harper can think for herself. It makes being in our team of two a more enjoyable experience for me.
After having a brief waffling experience, I'm still looking forward to getting a puppy from Kathy Carlson. We've been waiting somewhat impatiently for Celeste to come into heat. I heard from a friend that people everywhere planning an October 2010 litter are experiencing the same delay. Jared and I have picked out a name for her, but I haven 't told anyone yet about doing that. I don't want them to think that I'm too excited about it. But, we've decided on "Hedwig."
It's a good, celtic name. I just can't get on board with the Welsh names. Some other names I've thought about are, "Crowe," "Scottie," and one other name I can't think of right now.
Harper is going to be shown on a limited basis for the rest of 2010, and one of the shows is in Monroe, Michigan, and Nancy and I will be visiting Kathy Carlson.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Dog Meanderings
For the second year in a row in August I am on someone's puppy list. I'm very excited about the breeding, but part of me is worried that I'm moving too fast. Harper IS a year old (almost) and I've done some decent things with her (like get her CGC), and I have plenty of time for another puppy.
But, if I take this puppy bitch from a litter that hasn't yet been conceived, then that means that I am really and truly serious about starting my own breeding program and that I have to be willing to take the risks associated with it. One one hand, I could have 10 puppies come out like slick, fat baby seals and all beautiful and healthy with great temperaments.
On the other hand, I could have 10 puppies and the first get stuck in the birth canal on her way out and lose the litter or lose the dam or lose everyone. My bitch could get pyometra and die.
Luckily, the breeder is a very understanding woman, and understands what it is to "think too much." I really like the breeding and it really fits in to where I want to "go" with my kennel. I know that a puppy from this litter could give me both brains and beauty.
Harper has become a living, breathing ball of fire. She races around the house like she's possessed if she doesn't get a good walk at least once a day. I used to be able to get away with training her once every three or four days, but now we have to train every day. She tells me she wants to work, but she's unfocused.
Luckily, the breeder is a very understanding woman, and understands what it is to "think too much." I really like the breeding and it really fits in to where I want to "go" with my kennel. I know that a puppy from this litter could give me both brains and beauty.
Harper has become a living, breathing ball of fire. She races around the house like she's possessed if she doesn't get a good walk at least once a day. I used to be able to get away with training her once every three or four days, but now we have to train every day. She tells me she wants to work, but she's unfocused.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Building a Pedigree
I was talking to some one online the other day who, like me, is very new in Cardigans. "I figured out that all the dogs I like are related," she exclaimed! "Duh" she said, exasperated with herself.
I knew exactly how she felt, because she knew that in the back of her mind. However, sometimes it really takes looking into pedigrees before any kind of understanding is reached. I think that I am just now starting to understand how pedigrees are supposed to fit together.
Tentatively and with the help of my mentor, I've put the pedigree together that will be my first home breeding and then I've also planned out two generations past that. I am going to get more input before I put the plan in action, but so far I'm pretty comfortable with what I've done.
Now that I have the pedigree tentatively built, I have to research the individual dogs in the pedigree to figure out who has what diseases and who is a fluff carrier and who produces growth plate closures so that I know for a fact what I am getting into.
Anyway, here is what I have so far:
I knew exactly how she felt, because she knew that in the back of her mind. However, sometimes it really takes looking into pedigrees before any kind of understanding is reached. I think that I am just now starting to understand how pedigrees are supposed to fit together.
Tentatively and with the help of my mentor, I've put the pedigree together that will be my first home breeding and then I've also planned out two generations past that. I am going to get more input before I put the plan in action, but so far I'm pretty comfortable with what I've done.
Now that I have the pedigree tentatively built, I have to research the individual dogs in the pedigree to figure out who has what diseases and who is a fluff carrier and who produces growth plate closures so that I know for a fact what I am getting into.
Anyway, here is what I have so far:
| Coedwig's Carbon Blue | ||||
| Pecan Valley Run Ruby Run | ||||
| Ch Rubad's Rhapsody in Blue Deco | ||||
| Harrow Place's Total Calamity | ||||
| Ch Rubad Harrow's Brython HT | Pecan Valley Photo in Black | |||
| Welshclan's anwen ariene | Lady Arwyn of Harrow | |||
| Welshclan's Ultra Violet | Baileswood Einyaun Ert | |||
| Rhiwelli Ymlaen A Ni | Rhiwelli Teani | |||
| Welshclan's Ideal Impression | ||||
| Elmo the Dog's Cabaret | ||||
| Grangerfield Midnight Charm | ||||
| Ch Yardican's Roland | ||||
| Ch Cornerstone's New Light | ||||
| Ch Cornerstone's Coedwig Dreamer | ||||
| Ch Cornerstone Visions Denim and Lace | ||||
| Ch Visions I have a Dream | Ch Cornerstone's Coedwig Dreamer | |||
| Coedwig's Malachite | Ch Cornerstone's Double Diamond | |||
| Ch Wolfrun Coedwig Angelou | Ch Spectrum Harlem Shuffle | |||
| Ch Coedwig's Carbon Blue | Ch Coedwig's Lilac | |||
| Ch Arugian Wolfrun Brandywine | ||||
| Ch C-Myste There and Back Again | ||||
| Ch Shadowalk PV Ellusion |
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Bel-Rhosyn: the beginning
I decided to delete my personal blog, because I'm not really that interesting outside of my obsession for dogs. ;-)
From 2009 until now, I have researched a breed, decided on the breed, found a mentor, gotten my first dog, shown my first dog, taken multiple training classes with her, and got her CGC!
That's right- I'm in the grip of Cardi Mania!
After Sean died, it took me a long time to put my life together and to really figure out what I was interested in and what made life worth living. As my grandmother once said, "God is in the details." One of the "details" that makes my life worth living is being surrounded by animals.
Currently here at Bel-Rhosyn, we have two dogs, a cat, and a thirty gallon tank with two large oranda gold fish and a pleco. Out of all of my animals (some of which are more low maintenance then others), dogs are my favorite.
I have loved dogs my whole life. I have always been able to "read" dogs and I still have a really hard time figuring out how people can't understand what their dog is saying to them. Being around dogs is relaxing for me and I feel like my life is better because I've shared my life with dogs.
Growing up, mom would never let me have a dog. She always said that once my sibling and I graduated, she would get a dog- well, I said, "That doesn't do me any good now!" I finished high school, started and graduated college, met a nice boy and have a stable job. Now, I'm ready to start my "family."
Dog sports were always fascinating to me, and while I was in college I started researching all things dog. If I couldn't have my own dog, I could at least research about it and plan for what I could do when I was finally able to have a dog. I have told this to my boyfriend, but I firmly believe that certain people are genetically wired to want to work with dogs, just as dogs are genetically wired to want to work with us.
It took me a long time to narrow it down to Cardigan Welsh Corgis. I've looked at German Shepherds, Samoyeds, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, Newfoundlands, and many others.
With each breed, there was always a hesitation until I found Cardigan Welsh Corgis. With GSDs, I worried about the split between working and show lines, and found out that many of the working lines weren't any different then the show lines. With Samoyeds, it was the mass amount of grooming that is required. For Chessies, it was a combination of the oily coat and the sharpness of their personality. As for Newfoundlands, I was concerned about their over all health and also grooming requirements. I kept coming back to the Cardigan Welsh Corgis- they seemed perfect: fewer health problems then many other breeds, working dogs could compete in the show ring, not too much hair or too little, a variety of colors, lots of drive....and legs short enough to where they couldn't get in too much trouble. Although now I realize that was a fallacy on my part, because Harper's short little legs don't stop her from doing anything!
Once the breed was chosen, then it was up to me to find a good breeder. I lurked on several dog boards in college and was pretty sure that I knew what it would take for someone to be a good breeder. I knew that I wanted a dog that could do what it was bred to do, not just trot around a ring. While showing is very important, I don't think it's the only way to choose breeding stock.
I knew I wanted someone who cared about health testing, because I had read horror stories online from people who had gotten dogs from breeders who were not reputable, and I didn't want that to be me. At that point, I just wanted a pet. Showing sounded interesting, but kind of a strange hobby. Agility on the other hand! That looked fun!!!
So, I got on the Cardigan Welsh Corgi Club of America and started looking for breeders and stumbled upon one in the town where I was living and emailed her. Luckily for me, the very first time I emailed a Cardigan breeder about a puppy, it happened to be Nancy Willoughby from Rubad kennels and she has been kind enough to mentor me. Nancy has been amazing and probably will forget more about Cardigans then I will ever know, but she says that's a common feeling when one is being mentored.
The first time I ever came over to Nancy's house I met Uno and Ruby, Sophia and Brynnie: four dogs who have forever changed my life. I wanted to take Uno home with me! She was fantastic! She was lovely and small and ferrity and made the BEST puppy noises EVER! I knew I wanted one just like her. It was on that same day that Nancy showed me pictures of her dogs herding sheep, winning in the show ring, and doing agility. Then, she showed me the first x-rays I have ever seen of hips and explained what DM was and how it affects dogs. I knew at that moment that I had to be on this woman's waiting list.
Nancy then Brynnie to Europe to broaden the gene pool. While he was there, he sired four litters of puppies, one of which was bred by Meta Feenstra in Amsterdam, Holland. Her kennel is called, "Welshclan's" and she lives on a lovely farm and is actively involved in the World Dog Show and agility.
Then in late January 2010, after decisions and negotiations and Nancy and Dan going to Amsterdam, Harper came to live with us here in Central Ohio.
Since then, I have been studying about Cardigans non-stop. I honestly feel that learning about dogs is like a Master's program that lasts your whole life. I have read books on the following subjects and I am only just scratching the surface: Genetics, genetic diseases, building a breeding program, rearing puppies, handling canine emergencies, nutrition, dog showing, dog handling, dog behavior (several books on dog behavior), and AKC performance events (obedience, conformation, rally, agility, tracking, etc). I have read the AKC Cardigan Standard and the Illustrated Standard backwards and forwards.
This is not to say that I've perfectly retained everything I've read, but at least its a start.
I also have been talking to different people in the breed, asking questions and trying to figure out what my take on breeding is and where I want my pedigree to go. Health, temperament, type, structure, movement.... It's a constant juggling act.
Here at Bel-Rhosyn, we want to do right by the breed and make sure that Cardigan Welsh Corgis are around for future generations to enjoy.
That's right- I'm in the grip of Cardi Mania!
After Sean died, it took me a long time to put my life together and to really figure out what I was interested in and what made life worth living. As my grandmother once said, "God is in the details." One of the "details" that makes my life worth living is being surrounded by animals.
Currently here at Bel-Rhosyn, we have two dogs, a cat, and a thirty gallon tank with two large oranda gold fish and a pleco. Out of all of my animals (some of which are more low maintenance then others), dogs are my favorite.
I have loved dogs my whole life. I have always been able to "read" dogs and I still have a really hard time figuring out how people can't understand what their dog is saying to them. Being around dogs is relaxing for me and I feel like my life is better because I've shared my life with dogs.
Growing up, mom would never let me have a dog. She always said that once my sibling and I graduated, she would get a dog- well, I said, "That doesn't do me any good now!" I finished high school, started and graduated college, met a nice boy and have a stable job. Now, I'm ready to start my "family."
Dog sports were always fascinating to me, and while I was in college I started researching all things dog. If I couldn't have my own dog, I could at least research about it and plan for what I could do when I was finally able to have a dog. I have told this to my boyfriend, but I firmly believe that certain people are genetically wired to want to work with dogs, just as dogs are genetically wired to want to work with us.
 |
| Harper fetches a stick bigger then she is |
With each breed, there was always a hesitation until I found Cardigan Welsh Corgis. With GSDs, I worried about the split between working and show lines, and found out that many of the working lines weren't any different then the show lines. With Samoyeds, it was the mass amount of grooming that is required. For Chessies, it was a combination of the oily coat and the sharpness of their personality. As for Newfoundlands, I was concerned about their over all health and also grooming requirements. I kept coming back to the Cardigan Welsh Corgis- they seemed perfect: fewer health problems then many other breeds, working dogs could compete in the show ring, not too much hair or too little, a variety of colors, lots of drive....and legs short enough to where they couldn't get in too much trouble. Although now I realize that was a fallacy on my part, because Harper's short little legs don't stop her from doing anything!
Once the breed was chosen, then it was up to me to find a good breeder. I lurked on several dog boards in college and was pretty sure that I knew what it would take for someone to be a good breeder. I knew that I wanted a dog that could do what it was bred to do, not just trot around a ring. While showing is very important, I don't think it's the only way to choose breeding stock.
I knew I wanted someone who cared about health testing, because I had read horror stories online from people who had gotten dogs from breeders who were not reputable, and I didn't want that to be me. At that point, I just wanted a pet. Showing sounded interesting, but kind of a strange hobby. Agility on the other hand! That looked fun!!!
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| Nancy hanging out on my couch with Chili Palmer. |
The first time I ever came over to Nancy's house I met Uno and Ruby, Sophia and Brynnie: four dogs who have forever changed my life. I wanted to take Uno home with me! She was fantastic! She was lovely and small and ferrity and made the BEST puppy noises EVER! I knew I wanted one just like her. It was on that same day that Nancy showed me pictures of her dogs herding sheep, winning in the show ring, and doing agility. Then, she showed me the first x-rays I have ever seen of hips and explained what DM was and how it affects dogs. I knew at that moment that I had to be on this woman's waiting list.
Nancy then Brynnie to Europe to broaden the gene pool. While he was there, he sired four litters of puppies, one of which was bred by Meta Feenstra in Amsterdam, Holland. Her kennel is called, "Welshclan's" and she lives on a lovely farm and is actively involved in the World Dog Show and agility.
Then in late January 2010, after decisions and negotiations and Nancy and Dan going to Amsterdam, Harper came to live with us here in Central Ohio.
Since then, I have been studying about Cardigans non-stop. I honestly feel that learning about dogs is like a Master's program that lasts your whole life. I have read books on the following subjects and I am only just scratching the surface: Genetics, genetic diseases, building a breeding program, rearing puppies, handling canine emergencies, nutrition, dog showing, dog handling, dog behavior (several books on dog behavior), and AKC performance events (obedience, conformation, rally, agility, tracking, etc). I have read the AKC Cardigan Standard and the Illustrated Standard backwards and forwards.
This is not to say that I've perfectly retained everything I've read, but at least its a start.
I also have been talking to different people in the breed, asking questions and trying to figure out what my take on breeding is and where I want my pedigree to go. Health, temperament, type, structure, movement.... It's a constant juggling act.
Here at Bel-Rhosyn, we want to do right by the breed and make sure that Cardigan Welsh Corgis are around for future generations to enjoy.
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