Announcing the "B" litter!

 

We are so ecited about this breeding! Harley is one of the most in tune dogs I have ever owned. In all my years in working with, owning and training dogs I have yet found one as quick, compassionate and versatile as Harley. Not that I'm TRYING to brag, but she makes it so easy.

When I decided to partner up with Stud Owner, Debbie Saavedra, it was almost as if the perfect solution to my delemma was right under my nose! Let me back up... I had been looking for a Sire for a few years prior to making my selection. It's such a HUGE responsibility bringing these lives into existence. They have no say so and often times it is done to whomever happens to be the most popular dog at the time and often times at the cost of  health and longevity.  That wasn't going to happen to my breeding program....I have always been a dreamer and I dream BIG so when I started searching I wanted to "perfect" Sire for my precious girl.

Quickly reality sat in and I discovered, despite my own ambition and rose colored glasses, there is no such dog. I still had dreams and I was going to follow them. I realize the scale at which this breed is suffering and I want (ed) to make a difference and the method in which I,ve come to understand how that happens is much differnt than the way I started this whole journey. I decided to reach out to those that could point me in the right direction since the plethora of information I was receiving was making my head spin. So the first person I came into contact with was Jan Copper. 

Jan listened patiently to my concerns and the outpouring of my heart as I described in great detail the things I was being told, seeing, reading and watching happen to this breed. In the ring and out of the ring there has been a serious decline in health and structure.  Of course not having the decades of expertise wasn't necessary for me to realize this. So I asked Jan to help me find someone I could talk to without judgement and someone who would be honest with me and not condescending, a confidant of sorts, and thats when she introduced me to Debbie. 

Right off the bat we hit it off.... with her girlish sense of humor trying to find the upside even in the most disheartening of situations. I admired her spirit and uplifting attitude dispite her own health problems, complications in the breeding world and some of her own losses. Her outlook is infectious! So she told me several things to be careful of when selecting a Sire and told me she would be there for me anytime, day or night,  to answer questions and support me in anyway she could. At last, I found someone who was going to help me build my program!!! NOT!! 

I look back on this now and chuckle at myself. There have been a lot of great breeders who have helped me along the way and have offered some very useful tools that I hope to be able to implement in my breeding program for as long as I am blessed to do it. I can't thank those women and men enough, including my own breeder. They helped me to realize things realistically and yet to be patient with myself and the process. They stressed the importance of doing my research, making good decisions and asking lots of questions... buuuuuut ULTIMATELY the decisions of whom and what I breed is mine and I alone share that responsibilty with no one!! YIKES!!! 

Well after several months of talking to some very competent and wonderful breeders it dawned on me, why haven't I asked Debbie about her males? She had never pushed her dogs or even mentioned them for that matter. I had spoke with the breeder of Dax and they felt it was a great match! Then I found out that Debbie OWNED him! I quickly called her and asked her what she thought... I sent her over the pedigree and pictures of Harley. "They are just enough a like but yet compliment one another wonderfully." That was the essence of her comments about the breeding. So off we went on our new adventure... 

Unexpectedly Harley came in season about a month early! I kept getting test to know her levels and we had just enough time to get things lined up. Semen had to be overnighted to the repo vet and the insemination done that day. Fortunately,  it was sucessful and now we have GORGEOUS babies on the way!!! (I am so grateful to have such a strong, kind, funny and intelligent woman to share this with. I can't even begin to thank her enough for her guidence and generosity. She's always willing to share her knowledge, instill her confidence in me and is a great mentor and friend.)

Harley comes from a very old line that only a handful of people have the privilege of sharing. One, being my breeder. I'm so thankful to her for choosing me to have this bitch. She's my heart dog and the foundation to my breeding program. Her temperment and movement make her worthy of being called a gentle giant. She has deep expression as if she's looking into your soul. Her drive makes her suitable for any task and her understanding draws you in as if she really comprehends your every word. Dak is a very special boy. His pedigree has been meticulously orchestrated and designed so beautifully. His structure and movement are seamless. With a bold head, dark rich color and a presence that can't be ignored.  Our hopes are that they are a "perfect match". 

We are confident that anyone who chooses one of these babies can't go wrong or be disappointed. We are looking for show homes as well and hope that we can find some that understand these pedigrees and want to show off these babies in the ring and in other competitions. So if you are interested in one of them please let me know because reservations are limited.

Pictures and updates soon!!!!