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.

Harper fetches a stick bigger then she is

 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!!!

Nancy hanging out on my couch with Chili Palmer.

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.