Ebonwald Cardigans

Campbell's Best In Sweeps photo

2012-01-27T18:30:00.000-06:00

Here is Ebonwald Merrymoon Collateral Damage "Campbell". She is by CH Cerridwen Davenitch Believe In Him "Levi", out of Merrymoon Pluperfect Panache "Daisy". She won Best in Sweepstakes at the North Star Herding Group Club Specialty in St. Paul, MN. Thank you Pembroke breeder/judge Sara Houle for this first and exciting win for me :)

Campbell was bred by myself, Barb Hoffman and Jon Kimes and is owned by me. She was just over 8 months old in this photo. I just think she oozes breed type and I love this style of dog. She'll be slower to mature (which is fine by me) and moderate in size (under 30 pounds) when fully mature. She's currently around 22 pounds. She's a fantastic mover and I love everything about her, but I wish for a larger, rounder ear but now I'm being picky :)

Learning......always learning

2012-01-23T17:36:00.001-06:00

I hope to some day have half as much knowledge about breeding dogs as my mentor Barb. . Just when I think I'm starting to figure it out, I'm brought back down to earth by a good talk, chat or email with my mentor Barb. She never tells me what I'm doing wrong, but really gets me to think about things. From many angles. Angles I hadn't thought about before. Things that I was fairly confident in, only to realize I have had no idea the entire time and need to rethink and reevaluate what the heck I'm doing. While this discussion was going several things came to mind:

1. There are people who line breed on pedigree alone. They do not realize that just because dog A is the grand sire on both sides, or whatever combination you can think of....does that make it a 'good' line breeding. Do the parents both have what you want to get from that line breeding on the grand sire? Or are you only breeding for whats on the piece of paper?? Not all line breeding is a good idea but people truly believe that if the g-g-g-grand sire was awesome, this progeny will be too because he is in the pedigree 8 times. Bad idea.

2. People breed for dogs to compliment each other. I've been guilty of this as well. But I REALLY want is a breeding to improve upon the bitch I have (since that's all I have in my home). If you are only complimenting each other, you are going to end up with average and mediocre dogs that do not have any huge faults, or any virtues either! Ho-hum dogs that are faultless, but also very boring and average.

3. Solidifying GOOD traits before going 'out' again. This was something I do in my pigeons, sheep and cattle. I hadn't really put it in to perspective in the dogs before. This hit home. I do not want to keep breeding to what I think are great dogs to improve my bitches but have no consistency in the litter because everything is out crossed.

4. Line breeding on dogs that are 4 or more generations back........Its highly unlikely that that dog 4 generations back will contribute the 6% of it that you really wanting from him, especially if his get don't have it. Enough said.

I am always so willing to explain my experiences in livestock and birds. But I never stop learning. Each day I find something new I didn't know about in regards to something animal related. I am amazed at the amount of people, who have been in dogs less than I have (or longer even), and have had no other knowledge with breeding anything....and think they know everything. Really? The day I stop learning is the day I die. I may have strong opinions on subjects (like what I'm talking about on my blog) but I don't expect anyone to listen to me. I may not be right, but in my experience with several species of livestock, those who know it all don't seem to last long...as they are too proud or ignorant to ask for help.

I'm not saying get it from me......but find a mentor who has left their mark on their breed (doesn't even have to be cardigans), ask tons of questions and don't always expect answers....because mine just ask me more......:) And I'm good with that, 'cuz I keep learning

Upcoming Events

2012-01-21T19:39:00.000-06:00

2012 will be a year of continued progress in the realm of health testing, as well as hopefully moving forward with my breeding program, and my involvement with the CWCCA (our parent club).

In February Ell will be due with puppies. This will be her 2nd litter and I'm cautiously optimistic about this breeding. Pups will be brindles or possibly blacks.

In March when Brewer, Ballantyne and Bolin turn two, I will have their hips/elbows done. Ava will also be done as when she turned two she was in standing heat. Four dogs to have tested at the same time?! $$$ I am going to be paying for that for awhile! But it is very important to me and for the health of my dogs. Im not anxious to breed any of them yet, as I will hopefully have an Ell pup to grow on, as well as a pup out of Minnie that should be coming this way if all goes well sometime this summer.

In April the Cardigan National is going to be happening in Ohio. Since I missed last years in Texas (the first I've missed since I started going in 2008) I told myself I'd never miss another one. Its the chance once a year I get to see some of my Cardi friends! Aside from email or facebook, it is the only face to face opportunity I would get to see my friends!

In May I will be frantically finalizing the CWCCA Supported Entry at the FMKC shows June 1, 2 and 3 in Fargo, ND. I am member in charge but have delegated much to others so I am not running around the show site trying to help the FMKC AND the Supported Entry at the same time. Margot the Briard will also be showing there with her half sister and full sister hopefully so that should be fun to catch up with the Briarders.

I will not be going to the Western Reserve this year as Jon Kimes, one of my mentors will be judging one day. Since he and Barb and I co-bred a litter I am unable to show under him, which is totally fine. He's hard on my dogs without showing under him ;) ha ha ha!!

The rest of the year is up in the air. I'm not sure which shows i will be able to show at or go to. Will depend on my work schedule and the judges I guess, and where the majors may or may not be.

Why I breed

2012-01-20T17:40:00.000-06:00

I was going to post something similar to this but Cindy McDonald beat me to the punch :)

I think its always important to check your own goals, long term and short term. And why we do it anyway.

While I agree with Cindy that I do not breed to: fill a market, for other people to have show dogs, or pets, it is important to understand that while I do breed for myself, and for the improvement of the breed I cannot keep an entire litter for their entire life. I do need to have homes for these pups that I personally cannot see myself moving forward with in the breed. That doesn't mean someone else wouldn't mind using them in their breeding program, and it doesn't make any of them less lovable. And if I had the same first three litters again now, I may have kept something different based on what else I have in my house currently. So my 'show pick' isn't necessarily someone else's pick, or would it be mine in the future.

I am honored that most of my pet homes that contact me are looking for something quite specific. Usually health wise. I believe in using health tested dogs for all tests possible. Some say I test too much. I feel that no matter what, I want to give these new puppy buyers the most information about the pups' parents and lineage as I can. I've had numerous people want dogs that will never be at risk for DM as they've lost dogs to DM. I've had people inquire about pups that would hopefully be free of hip dysplasia. I cannot guarantee that, but if we continue to breed passing hips together the rate at which HD pups would come out of those passing parents would diminish. Why do people ask about this stuff? Because they've seen it in their own dogs that have died or had to been put down. They don't want to have to deal with it again.

There are things that we cannot control, but we (at least ME), tries to use every test as a tool to better my dogs. And while perhaps in 10 years when more tests are available I will have to prioritize my testing and that is all I can do, my best.

So if puppy buyers and prospective owners contact me in regards to health, or herding instinct, or whatever it may be, I am honored that they find me, and happy to share a pup with them that will not have the same conditions as one of their past loved ones. Its something simple. And something that I can live with.

And so even though I breed for myself, and for the betterment of the breed.....by doing just that, I am able to have pet homes have their dogs around longer because I made it a priority of mine to health test. And in the end we all win. I have my show pup to to love and forward my breeding goals with, and they have their companion dog to love forever, as healthy as I could make them.

North Star Herding Group Club Specialty

2012-01-17T12:45:00.000-06:00

This is the Naugthy Ballantyne :) Kind of naked (she blew her coat as it was coming in due to her coming in to season....sigh). She was BOS for a 5 point GrCh major here. Overall she has been shown as a special 5 times and earned a GrCh major each time for a total of 21 points I believe (still learning the GCH pts scale). I'm so glad my mentor Barb and Joanne told me to hang on this girl :)

She is 22 months old in the photo and 25 pounds. I look forward to seeing how she continues to mature and perhaps down the road will get her out to special her more. Equally as excited for her as a brood bitch!

Campbell's Best In Sweeps photo didn't accompany this one in the mail so hopefully tomorrow I will post that :)

Popular sire syndrome

2012-01-17T11:53:00.000-06:00

I swear I have no idea where all these thoughts have been festering ;)

In beef and more specifically dairy breeds of cattle where there is a hugely large portion of the national herd bred via artificial insemination with frozen semen...... popular sire syndrome is a huge topic. With as many cows in the registered herd (not to mention 2x as many that are unregistered, but 'grade' (purebred but no papers), the population should have 2% or less inbreeding coefficient. Holsteins in particular last time I checked had a 9% inbreeding coefficient. WHY? Many farmers tend to buy the most popular bull at the time in hopes of capitalizing on its milk, protein or API numbers, and beef farmers breed to popular bulls in hopes of getting offspring worthy of showing or selling as seed stock to other farmers who do not do AI.

This leads to several things. First thing is the quality of the breed (if that bull is a good producer) is increased. This also goes to prove the bull as a long term producer, the quality of his replacement females, and long term 'family' line in the breed. The second thing it does is brings up ugly recessive things to the surface. In a way its good to get it out in the open, but because of the use of Angus in the Simmental breed to get the polled (lack of horns) and solid black color, they were used. This brought in several diseases that should only have been genetically expressed in the Angus breed.

Down the road so many people have used these bulls that they are screaming for out crosses to go to. Something to open their lines back up. Some of us, who don't typically use the popular sires for many of the above reasons keep plugging away doing our own thing. We are the seed stock producers that the AI companies look for....hoping to find something unrelated to the bulls they have been advertising and promoting. And then that bull becomes popular and the circle continues.

One of the first things I saw in the Cardigans is the overall lack of breed uniformity. Sure they all looked long and low from a distance but head pieces, fronts, rears, coat texture its all over the board. Coming from a livestock perspective the quickest way to fix that lack of uniformity is to breed to the same sire. And I see this alot and yet it seems as though overall the highly used dogs still do not stamp themselves on their get in every instance. I understand that one calf is easier to get to uniformity than 8 puppies but farmers usually have 50-500 cows and all their calves look identical when using the same bull. That is what buyers at the auctions love....the uniformity in look, size, color and pattern (or lack of i guess).

I've watched many people's breeding practices in the past. Some breed to every top 10 or 20 dog available. Some to every old 'great' dog that still has frozen semen available. Others only breed to what is local or in the own home. And others yet find dogs that no one is using to keep the diversity open in the breed (amongst other reasons of course). I like to take gambles. I have used dogs that haven't had many litters. I use young dogs. Does that mean I don't like the top dog or heavily used stud dog? No. But I also don't want my dogs to be exactly what everyone else is breeding for either. Sure that might say 'breed uniformity' but I truly believe that with a small gene pool already we need to not all be using the same dogs.

So how does one go about breed uniformity when everyone prefers a different look, and popular sires may or may not stamp themselves on to their get?

I find it so odd that a breed that is so small in numbers has so little uniformity. Surely regional areas or kennels themselves have uniformity but how do we get to overall breed uniformity without sacrificing our genetic diversity that we have by not using the same 5 dogs?

Do Not Show List and Judge Accountability

2012-01-16T21:09:00.000-06:00

Since the beginning of my showing of animals (pigeons, sheep, dogs, dairy cattle, etc) I've always heard people say things after losing for various reasons "Well I will not show to that judge ever" or something like "He won't get my entry again". Many times I felt like asking the person WHY they will not bring a bird, cow or dog to that judge again but usually I keep my mouth shut.

In my seven years of dog showing I have never come across a judge that I would never show to again. Until recently. Sure I have shown to judges several times and never won anything. They didn't like my dog on that day, or didn't like the type of dog that I was showing at that show, or maybe their condition, maturity, lack of grooming etc etc. The list could almost be endless.

I've shown and lost to these judges numerous times. Every time I would say, 'well they didn't like my dog today'. And in the first 5 years of so I did have many different types of Cardigans in the ring. Every time it was a different style of dog, and different age if I showed the dog several times to that judge. Never did I say I wouldn't show them again. Stupid? Perhaps.

Things I need to remember:

1. My dogs' merit based on what else was at the show that day. The next time my dog could be the best dog in the ring and maybe the judge will see it.
2. My dogs' age. A judge may not like it as a puppy but later, when mature love it. sometimes the other way around.
3. My ability to show the dog to the best of its ability. This includes training, grooming and everything about presentation. It may have been a wild child in the ring and again later could be better trained.

In livestock and pigeon judging, which I've been certified to do both for over a decade, we have to give oral reasons for why we placed animal 1 before 2 and why 2 was where it was over 3, even though 3 may have had something nicer and more obvious to the public watching. By the end of the reasons and judging everyone knew why I placed a class the way I did, and fully understood it and respected my reasoning (for the most part). In dog shows we get no critique (at least in AKC). We the exhibitors get to go on a huge Assumption Hunt and decide to say things like "he's a blue judge, she's a movement judge, she doesn't like puppies, he loves puppies, he only puts up a familiar face or she only puts up handlers".....the list could be extensive. And then we talk about it to each other. A lot. And online. Over the phone. At puppy parties or even ringside.

I was raised a very strict and traditional Lutheran Missouri Synod boy. We did not talk ill of people. And most importantly we would make our own judgement on a person (be it a teacher, friend, judge or whomever) on our own time and in our own dealings. Just because 90% of the population hates someone or won't show to someone, if I haven't met the person, or in this case, shown to the judge I will still enter until that judge proves me the idiot for entering under them.

I haven't had a special before. I have never followed a judge that gave me a group placement (because I've never had one yet). I've never followed a judge to shows because they put my dog up before. I HAVE entered shows where the judge put me up before, but I will not go out of my way for it. I also have never made friends with the judges and then bring my dogs to them in hopes of winning because of being their friend versus the merits of my dogs. Can other people do it? Certainly. And a lot of people do. Will I ever do it? Its hard to say today, but my thoughts in my mind are NO, i will not do that. If a judge happens to come back to this neck of the woods and has put my dog up before, I will certainly enter but that does not guarantee I will win or that my dog was the best dog there that day. And I can live with that.

The past few years the style of dogs in my home have narrowed in on two types for lack of a better description (yes the obvious Briard vs. Cardigan for you funny types reading this) but two 'styles' of Cardigans rather. And I do not remember judges well enough (names or faces for that matter) to remember showing under certain ones before. So now if a judge would not like my dogs, I would understand why (perhaps they don't like the style of cardigan I am showing to them, or the slow developing lines or whatever it may be). Because we don't have oral reasons we are not holding our judges to accountability

Again I don't mind losing to dogs that are better. Mine are not perfect. When the entire ringside group of CWC breeders stand there in shocked disbelief (myself included) I would think that none of us will be showing to that judge again. And maybe, next time the kennel club brings them around to judge, with little to no entries....well....they'll figure it out.

I myself being a judge, (all bred pigeon judge, which the National Pigeon Association recognizes over 1,000 breeds) it is difficult to know every standard for every breed. Luckily we are able to have a 'book of standards' available to use at all times. We still have to discuss orally our reasoning for placing birds the way we think they should be, and then usually spend time after the judging talking to the exhibitors about what to improve on, what I did right, and how far off base I was to the interpretation of the standard. Fortunately for many breed specific shows you must be qualified and passed to judge larger shows, and if you screw up a big show, you go back for more 'shadowing' and tutoring to be the best judge you can be. I'd hope AKC has something like that in place for judges and when complaints are filed, that the judges heed the criticism just like a pigeon judge would and want to be a better judge for the betterment of the breed.

I"m sure this is just ranting to some of you, but I appreciate all of the private emails and phone calls as of late in regards to my posts. Its comforting to know I am not alone in these thoughts and welcome feedback to my thoughts. I'm not saying I'm right, I'm just glad to be able to 'work things out' as I get them off my chest.

Who knew 2012 would be so insightful for me? :)

Having vs Wanting

2012-01-15T10:00:00.002-06:00

It is indeed human nature to always want what we can't have. A nicer house, a better paying job, happy love life, a newer car........our society has done well with feeding us the notions that we can never be satisfied.

I have learned in the past few years that that is not always BETTER. I am quite content with my life and my direction, although there are days (or weeks) where I longed for a job that didn't depend on the weather, or a life that didn't have to care for the livestock and dogs and just be a 'city folk' who could go home after work, make supper (or order in) and watch TV all night. Those days are far and few between, as I do like to stay active, and productive, but I still wish for that sometimes.

Breeding dogs to a standard is also a having vs wanting. Dog and livestock really are quite similar and I take my knowledge from livestock and use it on the dogs as well.

A few questions I always find myself asking about my dogs:

1. What are this dogs virtues and what do all my dogs collectively have that are nice?
2. What of those things MUST i never lose and always try to keep?
3. What things would I like to improve on my dogs
4. How do I go about selecting a stud dog to improve what my bitch needs but hopefully not lose what my bitch has?

Awhile back there was a great thread on one of my Facebook statuses regarding stud dogs and how difficult it was for me to find a dog that A) was health tested, B) was of the bloodlines I was willing/wanting to work with, C) structurally had (and was producing) what I wanted to improve in my bitch(es).

Certainly there are many more health tested stud dogs now in Cardigans than ever before. Color was not a sticky point (except I couldn't use blue). Pedigree ....there just some lines I would rather not work with, or have no idea about anything about them and was happy to continue working with lines I was familiar with (mostly old English lines is my preference). I also wanted a dog with a happy and biddable temperament, and had the construction that I was hoping to improve upon.

Many of my kennel club friends who have other breeds cannot believe I would try to breed Cardigans. They say they are nearly impossible to get right and there is much to think of and hope for when breeding. Many litters of Viszlas, Briards, GSPs, or others can tell show pups at young ages and they do not normally go through stages or phases and they are what they are. Sometimes close to entire litters are shown and finished quickly (and that is different than kennel blindness where CWC breeders will show entire litters (IMHO).

When I bred Ell to Pilot I was looking for numerous things. Health tests were a must. A similar pedigree (Merrymoon Hunter is Pie's sire) and I had fallen in love with Pie's dam Alice and was interested in her pedigree. On top of that Pie has a very sweet temperament, and there were things I was looking for out of that litter. In no particular order: rounder feet, more fill of muzzle more substance (overall, not just in bone), longer ribbing and depth of chest, stronger rear. My mentor Barb, said (and i will never forget this) "No matter how much you try and pick the right mate for your bitch, and hope all the starts align, in the end you are just hoping that you get lucky and get something worth keeping". I think of that often. In the end it really is a crap shoot and hopefully a pup or two will catch my eye and be nice enough to keep.

Ell produced surprisingly consistent in the litter. All had nice bone for their size, pretty heads, nice round ears, lovely top lines and necks, length of upper arms etc. Of course each puppy isn't perfect and each has a few faults I would like to see corrected but their virtues, in my opinion outweigh their faults. Are the pups better than their mother? In most instances yes. And that is really what its all about is improvement in each generation.

So even though the dogs HAVE things I want to keep and got things I wanted to HAVE, I still WANT them to be better. Closer to perfection. YES they are my dogs and pets first, but there is not a day that goes by that I do not stare at their faults and wish they were better. And it will come. I believe I have an eye for finding the faults, and improving on them. I just hope that I continue to be of that mindset in the future.

The WANTING will never go away. And I need to REMIND MYSELF that many of my dogs HAVE many virtues and things that other people want. The grass is always greener on the other side right?

Dealing with What we have

2012-01-14T19:39:00.000-06:00

In all the species of livestock I have worked with, judged, bred and shown (including dogs), I have found some huge stereotypes based on life experiences, more than on assumption. Can it be safe to say that ALL people with the SAME issue are going to respond and react the same way? Absolutely not, but in the same breathe, I dare say that for the most part, people do fit these scenarios.

Let's play a few out. Again, this may or may be true of every breeder but it seems that more times than not, these people are exactly as described below. Please take no offense. For this blog entry I will keep it pertaining to dogs as that is who mostly reads this blog anyway.

Size. Different 'lines' in Cardigans tend to grow at different speeds, mature at different ages and tend to 'finish out' at different weights. I have found that Ava, my blue bitch grew quite fast and was as large as her mother by 8 months of age (28 pounds). She grew quickly and topped out at 34 pounds, which is what our standard states as being the largest a bitch should weigh. She just turned two in November and I can say she has weighed the same for about 12 months, with maybe a pound lost here or gained there.

All the other bitches in my home are 24-26 pounds soaking wet. Our standard states 25 pounds to be the least a bitch should way. Could these girls stand to gain a pound? Certainly. But what I find also with these lines is that they take 3-4 years to mature, grow slowly and either get recognized in the ring as pups, or not until they are older.Do I have concern of this that my bitches are so different yes. So what's the big deal?

I find more and more dogs (males especially) in the breed ring that at 12 or 16 months of age are 38-40+ pounds. Adults are 45+ (males). But most every single person I've talked to about this says that that is their only dog that got that big. And they breed it. I would like to gander a guess that large begets large,and my bitches who are moderate in size will produce moderate size offspring.

Am i way off base? People who have the large dogs defend them, and those with smaller dogs defend them as well? i get tired of other Cardigan breeders and friends tell me that "well she is too small" or "she needs more bone", when I think that my bitches have adequate bone for their size and their size is within standard limits. For some reason Americans think "bigger is better' with everything. The servings of food we eat, the vehicles we drive (well until gas spiked the last few years in price) and bigger dogs.

If size only happened as an anomaly (you can bet that Ava won't be bred to a large dog!!), then I wouldn't think twice about it. but several breeders who's dogs I've seen ever year since I got in to Cardigans still have large dogs. And they are producing large offspring. And they are defending their large dogs just like I am defending my moderate size dogs. Do i want to have larger bitches? I would think 28 or 29 pounds would be ideal, but my girls seem to be none the worse for wear when in the all breed rings.

HIP DYSPLASIA. I"ll probably get angry comments to this but everyone believes what they believe with OFA, PennHIP, OVC or not testing at all. But why? Do you think that there are those like me, who had trusted OFA and found out my 9 month old imported dog (with no guarantees, health or otherwise, not even a contract) would come back with MILD HD? I had to make a decision. Believe OFA and come to terms with an HD dog, or shrug it off, retest him and hope for better results the next time or stop testing all together say I don't believe in testing hips.

Some breeders will have long drawn out discussions with me about why they don't believe Cardigans have HD, why they don't test their dogs and why I shouldn't be either. Others will say they test but they will use a dog that doesn't pass if they have a bitch that passes or vice versa. OFA is a tool and they will use the results with caution. Others yet will only use dogs that pass their hips and stick firmly to the belief that OFA and Pennhip are doing all they can. Some yet will test Pennhip or OFA and if they don't like the result with try the other for a passing result. Why?

And isn't it funny that those that typically do NOT pass hips are the ones that usually stop testing or don't believe in OFA results any longer?

DEGENERATIVE MYELOPATHY- This is a newer health concern we have a test for. And again, many who have N/N dogs will say that everyone should test and we can get rid of this disease. Those with A/A dogs seem to say that the test is not conclusive because we haven't found the trigger to the disease and refuse to share results or test any further dogs. Since I've only had N/N or N/A dogs I'm in the middle of the road. I would use an A/A dog if my bitch was N/N and my carrier bitches i would ultimately want N/N dogs to breed to them. But why is this?

TURN OUT - some will argue we need to have dogs turn out at 10 and 2 (if looking at a clock) while others say the standard does not indicate any turn out is needed or necessary. Those with dogs with turn out seem to be of the camp that yes 10 and 2 are mandatory. Why? Why can't someone like me say....yes my dog "XYZ" has too much turn out and next breeding will try and rectify this. Or maybe some people do and just aren't public about it.

Why do we tend to stand behind and believe so strongly these things that affect our dogs? I realize that this is making huge assumptions about everyone, myself included and there are ALWAYS exceptions to the rule. I know there is a new group of breeders who share all results, good, bad or ugly and hopefully, others can learn from our pains, experiences and heartbreak.

I'm not sure the purpose of this post only to write down my thoughts I've had in my mind for years, long before dogs. Why do we as humans do this? Is this the reason for so many debates and friendships ruined (or gained) by having similar experiences?

I just wish that everyone could be upfront and regardless of their dogs tests, their size, their temperament or whatever it could be, we could all stand united and move forward all learning from each as we go. If we wouldn't come down on a fellow person because of their dogs size, and perhaps offer a moderate bitch to be leased so their dogs didn't continue to get larger? Or maybe help to educate new people about the importance of health testing and regardless of the results to no chastise each other's dogs for being A/A, or having HD or whatever the situation.

It really is about the betterment of the breed, not our own ego, agenda or livelihood. Its about the dogs and we are to be good stewards of the breed for them.

Winning vs Improvement

2012-01-11T13:41:00.000-06:00

This is first and foremost a personal opinion not meant to offend anyone. Everyone has dogs for different reasons, we approach breeding and showing at different angles and there is nothing wrong with that. I believe eventually we will all end up in the same place.....but by different roads....may take longer for some than others.

In the past year I have been very fortunate enough to have done well in the show ring with my dogs. Dog showing is a sport and everyone likes to win. However I have come to realize that in the past year or so, everyone seems to have a different take on showing dogs. I am NO expert at showing or grooming so like to think that my dogs win on their own merits and not who is showing them, who I know or how well my dog is trained or groomed.

That being said I don't feel those avenues to winning are bad for anyone to follow, but they are not for me.

When I first started in Cardigans it was because I wanted a farm dog that could do what it was bred to do: herd cattle. I soon started researching breeds of herding dogs and I wanted something without the long lustrous coat of most herding breeds (we had collies, border collies, English shepherds in the past) and wanted somethings a bit more easy to manage (like our GSDs and ACDs of the past). Soon after finding the Cardigan I found the only breeder in MN at the time that I could find on the CWCCA website and she had a litter of pups that had just been born. The girl was a show prospect and since I had shown poultry and pigeons and sheep in the past, how hard could dog showing be? My entire purpose was to have a dog that could work the animals, show in the conformation ring and be my house companion.

Things very quickly escalated to full out show fever and I tried my best to learn how to show, purchase the proper clothes, equipment and everything else associated with showing dogs. It was bug i had hard.

I imported a dog from Europe with huge dreams with my firs two dogs. We did it all. Rally. Obedience, Agility, Herding, Conformation. We drove all over the state and took lessons from different kennel clubs. I enjoyed my dogs thoroughly, but loved it even more when they won or when we had a qualifying score.

As the years progressed and I researched pedigrees, bloodlines, temperaments, health issues, and the breed itself I became even more in love with the breed. I painstakingly went over stud dogs for my bitches and with the help of their breeders tried to find something that would best suit the girls. I was a nervous wreck during their pregnancy. Did I do the right thing? Am I ready for a litter? Am I ready to be responsible for the life of the puppies? Did I breed to the right dog? All these things raced through my head. It was never about making money on the litter. It was about finding my next show dog and moving forward with those puppies genetically in my breeding program.

After having hit and miss wins randomly throughout the years, this past year really made me think long and hard. Was I just being lucky? Had I really been fortunate enough to have some quality pups from these litters that judges and fellow breeders alike found to be worthy of their wins? To be closer to the Standard of perfection?

No one is harder on my own dogs than myself. I've placed dogs because I couldn't stand to look at them, only to have others tell me they were certainly capable of finishing. I've kept dogs longer than I thought because I hoped they'd turn out. Each litter has been so different in terms of growing that I enjoyed being able to see how each progressed (or didn't) and how similar yet different they could be from their parents or siblings.

I was asked by my mentors Barb and Jon numerous times about what I wanted to have as goals with the breed. What do you want to eventually do with them? Be known for? 5 year goal, 10 year goal. Lifetime goal. Such serious questions but ones I answered as honestly and truthfully as I could. My answer was never to have a BIS dog, a #1 in the breed Cardigan, or anything related to showing. While all of those things would be nice, I wanted to be known for other reasons.

I am now, after a year of showing and being blessed enough to win at nearly every weekend I was out showing.....have reaffirmed my commitment to the breed. To their health. To their temperament. To their improved structure, and to the breed as a whole. If I don't win at shows, that isn't going to change what I have in my house for dogs. It isn't going to change my breeding goals or long term plans.

I want to be looked back on at the end of my life with Cardigans as being a good steward of the breed by health testing all of my stock, by improving them conformationally (no dog is perfect but we can all try) and that I will have a distinctive bloodline my dogs can be recognizable as (what I think the ideal cardigan looks like from my interpretation of the breed standard).

I do not follow judges around. I do not know all the big handlers or their names. I do not know any all breed judges and do not show under them for that reason solely. Do I know BREEDER judges? Absolutely. Will I show to breeder judges? Yes again. Our breed is so small in numbers that I do know most of the breeder judges. I do not think any of them at a specialty or supported entry would ever put up their long time friends over a better Cardigan. I think we all hold each other accountable for that.

I am also still learning about grooming for each specific dog. The standard says only whiskers and pads on feet should be trimmed but who doesn't bathe, chalk, brush or manipulate the coat in some manner? That doesn't make it right, but learning these tricks of the trade may give dogs the advantage.

I also need to become a better handler. Having two girls I feel are worthy of specialing locally means that they need more ring time, more practices with dad and to become the stoic show dogs instead of the super naughty pups they were at St Paul (ahem Ballantyne).

So what does this mean to anyone else, showing or anyone reading it? To those who show, probably not much. I will still lose to dogs that are better trained, shown by a big name, or out handled by me, or because a judge knows the person showing the dog. Such is life. That part I cannot change. It is a 'game' and those that are hell bent on winning any way possible will do so, because they have learned how to. Will that make me do the same? Absolutely not. What I do think this means is that I am ever eager to continue improving my dogs so that regardless of my shortcomings, my dogs will outshine others in their quality and breed type (amongst other items), when my dogs of course are better than the others. And depending on the show, this may not be the case, or it might.

What does this mean to those readers who have gotten dogs from me, or are thinking about it? Know that I am not kennel blind. I will not sell something that is not from health tested stock, that has severe structural issues or that I sell dogs just to make money. None of those things could be further from the truth.

I care so much about this breed that if I never won another show, it wouldn't matter. I would still be committed to the long term future of this breed in all aspects...instinct, health, structure, temperament. And after those who get tired of playing the game to win are gone, I will still be here, and my dogs will be better and healthier, living long healthy lives.

And as for the title: Winning vs. Improvement, I believe that by focusing on the latter, and not the former, I will attain both :)

Land O' Lakes weekend

2012-01-10T00:06:00.000-06:00

it seems that no matter the dog show, the day before the first day of showing is another day of dog readying.

I spent most of Thursday bathing and grooming dogs, packing the Volvo and asking Mary again to haul half of my stuff. I swear I'm never showing 6 dogs in one weekend again unless I'm driving WITH her in her extended cargo van :) Many thanks to Mary for hauling my stuff and helping show Ava for me all weekend as well as take dogs back in for winners or sweeps.

Friday was the North Star Herding Group Club Specialty. In a frantic unload Thursday evening I was a nervous wreck in the morning as I had opted to leave my dogs at the show site (I will never do that again BTW...too stressful on ME). An early ring time and we are grooming like maniacs in our half sized grooming area that Teresa and I were set up in. Between Mary, Teresa and myself we managed to make it to ring 5 minutes early......only to realize the rings didn't start for another 30 min (insert large sigh and groan).

Cass ended up being the first and only dog in his class, and Mary had to show him as I had a ring conflict and showed Margot in her sweeps class in another ring. I was running like a fool and more than one person told me to slow down and relax (a slap across the face would have been totally appreciated as well Mary, Teresa, Diana or anyone else who told me to settle down!)

I was able to show Campbell in her class and back in the ring for Best in Sweeps....which by the way Campbell was fortunate enough to WIN considering her bouncy self and naughty antics. I do like those sassy Cardigan bitches. lol. What a thrill and honor and my first Best in Sweeps win!

In regular classes Campbell was 2nd in her class and Cass was again a lone entry in his class. Bolin in BBE didn't fare as well (5/5) but hey the rest of her weekend went well. :) Ava and Ballantyne were both entered in Breed in hopes of more major wins for their Grand Champion majors. Ava didn't need them but it would be a great thing if her grand champion was all majors! Mary showed Ava for me (first time I've ever let anyone show Ava other than myself), and I showed Ballantyne. Both girls showed well and I was happy with Ballantyne going Best of Opposite Sex and Ava Select Bitch!!! Ballantyne earned a 5 pt major for her ribbon and Ava 4 point! I again had a ring conflict with Margot so I asked my Briard friends if one of them could show her for me. With only minutes of knowing Jackie, Margot did ok, but no points for her, which is fine. Her time will come! The Briarders LOVED her and had so many wonderful things to say about her I was beginning to blush :)

After the show I waited for photos forEVER and missed my Cosetta's annual lunch date with the Briard folk, but they were again complimentary on Margot and I was able to have Teresa try out the restaurant which she did like! The evening called for catching up with college buddies over beers and reliving a good Specialty day of showing.

Saturday was not as early and I didn't have Margot entered the rest of the weekend due to funds (re: no snow yet this winter for snow removal business). The judge was a woman who is well respectedd in Cardigans and has judged the Briard National. I had never shown to her before but she was wonderful with the pups and was very complimentary on my kids :)

Campbell won her class, as did Bolin (after being 5/5 the day before!) and Both girls showed well in the ring for Winner's Bitch. Bolin was considered hard for Winner's Bitch but in the end went to a more mature bitch and Bolin was RWB. Can't complain it was THAT close!

Ballantyne was BOS sex again and she was on the move. The judge pulled her first in the specials line up and I heard from many ringside that the judge couldn't take her eyes off of her. Ballantyne showed really well for me and went BOS over 5 bitch specials and all the class bitches for a 5 pt gch major again! wohoo!! I heard several thought she was going to get the breed and that meant a lot to me that others thought highly of my moderate sized girl. Ava was completely absent mentally in the ring and Mary had a workout keeping her in the game.

I met up with some good friends downtown Minneapolis for supper and then off to the bars with them for a few more drinks in St Paul after I pottied dogs back at the show site. Again a wonderful evening meeting up with old college friends!

Sunday we didn't show until after 2 pm and were honestly one of the very last breeds to be judged. Another good day with Cass being RWD, Bolin again RWB in another tight race for the Winner's ribbon, and Ballantyne was Select bitch for a 4 pt gch major!

After saying goodbye to all my friends....which there is NEVER enough time it seems to talk and catch up adequately, we loaded up the grooming area, packed up the car and I was finally on the road just before SIX pm. Unreal....

Overall it was a great weekend. Best in Sweeps with Campbell, Bolin two RWBs, Cass RWD (all to majors), Ballantyne three Grand CH majors (2 five points and a four point) and Ava one more four point major). Ballantyne now has 21 GrCh major points with ALL majors (5 shows, 5 days) and Ava has 23 GrCh major points with ALL majors (6 shows, 6 days). Before you know it they will have their Grand CH titles! Unfortunately for them, our next show will probably be the National or Fargo as with the lack of snow removal this winter I am a little cramped for extra funds :)

I wanted to thank everyone ringside for their help switching dogs, keeping the dogs quiet (ahem, LOL) and for the laughs and congratulations and hugs all around. It really is a fun thing, this dog showing thing ;)

Congratulations to all the winners this weekend on a strong entry of Cardigans! Always good wins when the quality is high!

Candid Photos from the St Cloud show

2011-12-21T10:47:00.001-06:00

I love when I get to see ringside photos of my dogs. I never get to see that side of them so its really great when I get to see them. I will let you know who everyone is as well. There are some great photos here....

The blue girl below is Ch Ebonwald's A Blessed Pirate Queen. She is nearly complete with her GrCH having 5 majors and having beaten other Champions for every one of them. Ava is my first bred-by champion and will be my first Gr Ch as well.

Those blue eyes always have a different 'look' to them than the brown eyes, but they are so stunning.

Two photos of Bolin, "Ebonwald Brace For Impact at Toshay", in very limited showing has 2 singles and a 3 point major. She's been slower to mature but that is ok. Just happy to watch them grow up and not fall apart.

Bolin in for Winner's Bitch on Sunday. (she won!)

My friend Mary showing Ballantyne as a special on Saturday. her first weekend as a special and she gets 2 GrCh majors by going select and then BOS. She is also really fun to show and although modest in size (26 pounds) she is being found in the all breed ring. Her movement is amazing and if I could change anything it would be a bit more bone and a lower tail set (but I'm being picky!)

This is my little Campbell, "Ebonwald Merrymoon Collateral Damage". As you can see her side gate is amazing. The entire litter moves like this. Her long upper arm and shoulder layback are fantastic. For anyone needing to see proper movement, have a look see here :)

Such a typey little bitch. I LOVE her ;)

I always look so serious.

A table shot of Bolin. beautiful head, length of neck, sweep (neck flows in to the back), dead level topline. If you want to see proper topline, sweep, neck this is it!

More photos of Campbell. She's slowing down here to stand, but still has more reach and drive than many. She's also super fun to show with that typical Cardi Girl attitude :)

Below is the Cass Man "Ebonwald Merrymoon Call One's Bluff. He has both his majors already and is such a good boy in the ring. He's a lot like his sister in so many ways. I'm eager to see how he grows up.

Quick roadtrip

2011-12-18T20:23:00.000-06:00

I drove just about 9 hours Friday to SE Wisconsin so Cleary could go to her new home! She will be living on Lake Michigan in Milwaukee and be an urban girl with an Old English Sheepdog brother. Many huge thanks to Jeanie for finding Cleary and for being HER person. When I saw how you two interacted I knew that you were the perfect fit for her :)

Cole went to Ohio and is close to another Great Lake (Erie) and has a Pembroke sister. He is already winning over the hearts of those that he lives with :) I couldn't have found a better home for one of my dogs with Leslie! Thank you so much for making Cole a part of your family!

I always have such awesome feelings when my dogs go to their new homes. Its never easier. the more that I place, because I still cried a lot on my drive home yesterday...., but when the right family/home comes along I just 'know'.

I hadn't planned on it but Ell is off on a romantic getaway. I was going to wait until her next heat cycle and have pups in the summer, but may have an additional job by then and would rather have the pups now while I am home in the winter months than when I could be much busier.

Unless I send her to Denise and her whelp the litter :) She's good at that! BAHAHAHA

St Cloud weekend

2011-12-12T09:10:00.000-06:00

This past weekend was the first show that I entered Margot my black natural eared Briard bitch in. While she was super excited to be at the show and in the ring we didn't win anything except training experience,which I wanted. She needs to calm down a bit in the ring to move well by herself, but when we were in for Winner's Bitch, and she had someone else to follow, we moved much better. My friends and long time Briard breeders went over her and really loved her, everything about her so that was really wonderful to hear as well. I was also glad to know that Margot's size is totally ok and that Mitcham is just a big guy :)

Saturday I entered FIVE Cardigans (yes you read that right, I am crazy). I was able to go BOS with Ava for her 4th GrCH major on her fourth day as a special and Ballantyne her first day out as a special was Select for her first GrCh major. The classes didn't go nearly as well for me but I can't win everyday :)

Sunday again 5 Cardigans and I was a bit more prepared. This time Ballantyne was BOS for her 2nd GrCH major and Ava was Select for her 5th GrCH major. Bolin (Ebonwald Brace For Impact at Toshay) was Winners bitch for her first 3 pt major! She has only been to one all breed show since she came to visit so in very limited showing I am quite pleased with her. I didn't think she was ready yet but a few weeks ago I got her out and really went over her. While she isn't a perfect bitch I think she has a lot of merit and was pleased to see her do well. special thanks to Mary and Tanya, Tylor and Shelley, Lacy and Suzi for all of your ringside and grooming and photography support ;)

Ava now has 19 GrCH points in 5 shows with 5 majors.
Ballantyne now has 7 GrCH points win 2 shows with 2 majors.
Bolin now has 5 points towards her CH title with one major.

Shows always go so fast and no matter how much time I get to chat with dog friends it never seems like enough!

Cole and Cleary Photo Shoot

2011-12-06T13:25:00.001-06:00

I've had a few inquiries over the months for these two pups, but never anything solid. If it was, it fell through. So Tylor took the pups for a photo shoot to the Living Room. Their first photo they weren't too sure they wanted a photo shoot.

Kinda bored.......

Kinda tired.

Kinda Happy. Maybe they are getting the hang of this...

Nope. maybe not...

Cole and Cleary are looking for their forever homes. Puppy K graduates, house trained, leash trained, crate trained. They are up to date on shots, de wormed, well socialized with kids, cats and other dogs. Please inquire if you know of someone looking for a new family member!

Updates

2011-11-30T09:30:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I spent the afternoon bathing and blow drying all 9 Cardigans. I thought I'd have time to dremel nails after farm chores but by the time I got in from the barns I was really sore. Or so I thought. TODAY I am sore. I guess the Briards' turn at "Spa Day" will wait until tomorrow.

I am waiting for the snow, having finished my landscaping and fall clean ups now about three weeks ago. Its been seasonably warm (around freezing or a bit higher) so no snow, and although I'm catching up on house work, farm repairs and the like, it would be nice to make a little income :)

That being said I have a lead on yet another job that I could do 'part' time 3 weeks a month for just a few hours each day. I think it would be right up my alley (read: degree) and I will post more when I know more.

I have entered the St. Cloud dog show. Ava is in fabulous coat and I'm excited to get her Grand Champion title finished. She has 3 grand champion majors already from one weekend as a Special, so am eager to see if she can earn a few more GCH majors. St Cloud will also be Margot (the Briard)'s first REAL show. The Volvo will be packed. I think I need a luggage rack.

I am not going to have any more litters until I can place the two puppies from my last litter that I still need to place. Cole and Cleary are both clear red pups that are house/crate/leash trained, have been to Puppy Kindergarten, well socialized (thanks to my friends!) and are ready to have homes of their own. If you know of someone who is looking for a new family member please send them my way. I will get updated photos as soon as I can.

I am planning on doing St. Paul as usual (if funds allow) and then we won't be doing any shows until the National. I'm hoping the dogs will be in good coat for it and hope that my lambs will be all here before I head to Ohio!

Another good weekend for Cass man

2011-11-22T13:33:00.000-06:00

Cass (Ebonwald Merrymoon Call One's Bluff) earned his second major under George Vukich at the Minneapolis Kennel Club on Sunday, Nov 20th. Thank you everyone for the congratulations and for everyone coming despite the snow and ice to hold the major in both dogs and bitches. Cass has earned both majors the only two times they've been available in his 3 days of dog showing :)

To say I'm excited is an understatement! Cass and his litter were co-bred with my mentors Barb Hoffman and Jon Kimes and I'm thankful for their guidance and support.

Its official!

2011-11-11T10:19:00.000-06:00

CH Ebonwald's Be On The Lookout - DN28237503

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Conformation - Awards Processed Through 01-NOV-2011

Number of Points	16
Number Major Wins	4
Number Major Judges	4
Total Number Judges	8

Another good weekend

2011-10-31T08:51:00.000-05:00

I have had a really great year with dog showing. I honestly cannot remember the last dog show I didn't win anything. Even in Ohio the girls were in the ribbons every time. I've been very humbled and very appreciative of all the wins and the compliments on my 'kids'.

This weekend Ballantyne only needed 2 singles to finish. She was Winner's Bitch for her fourth major on Saturday under Judi Bendt. She is my second bred-by Champion, and every point was breeder/owner handled. I'm so pleased that a moderate sized bitch was able to be so competitive and win her champion title so fast.

Sunday my Levi x Daisy puppies turned 6 months old and I entered Cass and Cambell (brindle boy and girl) and Cass was Winner's Dog and Best of Winner's for a 3 point major on his first day as a show dog! I was surprised and thrilled. The judge had many great things to say about the little guy! I guess I'll hang on to him for awhile :)

Photos from Richland

2011-10-07T12:23:00.001-05:00

First photo is of Brewer's WD at the Supported Entry under breeder judge Emily Fish. Shown by Mandy Katasse. Thank you both so much :)

Below is Brewer winning Reserve Winners dog at the NWCF Regional Specialty. Thank you judge Kay Reamensnyder for this win and Mandy Katasse for showing him for me :)

Brewer's amazing weekend, and Minnie's too!

2011-10-02T14:48:00.000-05:00

Today Brewer was RWD to another 5 point major. Today his half brother Nash was WD to finish! Yesterday Nash was RWD and I was told both days it was VERY CLOSE as to who should get it. I told Mandy that if it was that close they should have asked for a redo to make sure ;) ha ha ha

Big congrats to my friend Jeri who's trip out west was now worth the long drive! SO HAPPY FOR YOU JERI!

I am also extremely pleased to know that Brewer was well received with all three judges (twice RWD to a 5 pt major and once WD for a 5 pt major!) and with breeders/exhibitors ringside. I'm so hard on my dogs I guess I need to lighten up :)

Many many thanks to Mandy and Carolyn, Missy and Denise for all of their hard work sending me results from all three days and telling me all the good news that was coming in about Brewer. Special thanks to Mandy for showing him so well for me!

Minnie (Ava's sister) went up to Richland as well and earned her 2nd leg for her RA title with a 2nd place, and today got her 3rd leg and 3rd place for her official RALLY ADVANCE title! WOHOO!!! There were also family photos taken of Pip (formerly Alamo), Minnie, Zoe and Huxley so I can't wait to see those as well!

All in all it was an amazing weekend for the Ebonwald crew. I've been really blessed to have such an amazing year of show wins and trial qualifying runs! Thank you my friends for all your hard work keeping me mentally in check, helping with dogs where you could and keeping me up to date at all the events. You guys ROCK!

Brewer's had a good weekend so far

2011-10-01T12:37:00.000-05:00

I was unable to go to the Richland WA shows but Brewer still has done me proud!

Friday at the NWCF Regional Specialty Brewer was Reserve Winner's Dog to a 5 point major! Yolanda's Token was WD to finish. His Daddy Pilot was Best of Breed!

Saturday at the Supported Entry Brewer was WINNERS DOG for a FIVE POINT MAJOR! Joanne and Ferris' bitch London that is owned by Terry Devine was Winners Bitch! What a great weekend so far. I'm so sorry I couldn't be there to watch it

Available

2011-09-23T11:14:00.000-05:00

After following leads for each boy for several months each, and then several for each boy, they are once again available. These boys are very sweet, mellow dogs that are big snugglers and love to play. They will be 5 months old on the 30th of this month and are fully vaccinated, are mostly house/crate/lease trained, have been socialized well and are honestly ready to go to their forever homes.

The brindle is Cass. I was going to grow him up to show but decided I didn't need to keep a male AND two females from the litter.The two different homes he had lined up fell through after pledging a commitment to get him so he is sadly up for sale again.

The light red is Cole. He's had two prospective homes fall through and just really wants a home of his own. Both boys are very sweet and happy boys that love to go for walks with the rest of the pack here every day and they especially love chewing on bones.

If you know of someone looking to add a cardigan to their home, either of these boys would be great additions!

RIP Robbie

2011-09-22T09:24:00.000-05:00

10 days on the run with only one sighting. He was sighted a second time this morning....someone had hit him with their car. I'm sorry Robbie this was not the way it was supposed to be, you had a long life ahead of you.

So many thanks to all involved with the searching, all the fliers, emails, phone calls, prayers and everything else. Today sucks more than the last 10 and I thank the Cardigan family for all their help. Everyone pulls together in times of crisis and for that I am very thankful.

Catching up!

2011-09-20T16:56:00.000-05:00

It has been a crazy busy last six weeks or so. After Western Reserve in Ohio my job, personal life plus the farm and the dogs were all very busy with classes, training for shows, finding homes, getting new clients, upgrading systems in the farm management etc etc. You get the idea.

Daisy has found a new home, and most of the puppies have moved on as well. Cleary a 'clear red'/'pink' girl is getting some socialization with a dear friend of mine in Minneapolis area and Campbell the brindle girl and I are doing table time every day and becoming better on the lead.

I've entered the Regional Specialty in Richmond, WA Sept 30 and the Supported Entry on Oct 1 and 2. Its a long trip but I recently traded in the Expedition for something a bit smaller and more economical. I can't believe I'm driving ALONE again out west but I love driving and hopefully the Volvo V70 XC will NOT disappoint me on my trek west!!

Most importantly I will reunite with Zoe, Minnie and Huxley for a mini family photo opportunity, and Mandy, Carolyn and Denise can see Ava. The first two have never seen her, so will be nice to show her to them, albeit a little less hair :) I can't wait to see all my friends out there! I missed the national and by golly I'm going to see them come hell or high water!

The Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival was a huge success and I had the judges from the UK come home with me to inspect my flock and give me some helpful pointers. I'm really excited for breeding season but you can read more about it at my farm blog Ramsay Farms.

This weekend I am in a wedding and will be home a day before I head out to WA state for about 9 days. I have friends and family staying at my house to watch the few dogs I'm leaving behind so will not have to worry about that.

Hope everyone is having a great fall! We've had 3 nights of hard frost, and today's high was 51. Pretty chilly so early. let's hope its not an early winter. cuz its long enough as it is!

Ava's new CH photo

2011-08-30T11:19:00.000-05:00

I finally got my desktop computer back and software downloaded from HP to get my scanner/printer/copier back up and running. This photo has been here for awhile but it hasn't been scanned to my blog or website until today. So sorry for the delay!

Whew! What a weekend!

2011-08-29T08:28:00.000-05:00

I've been fortunate enough and blessed to have had a great run of dog showing this past year or so. The weekend of the St. Croix Kennel Club in Lake Elmo, MN has been good to me the last few years. 2 years ago Zoe was BOW for her 2nd four point major to finish. Last year Ava was BOW for her first 3 point major and this year Ava had a good year too :)

Ava was Best of Opposite Sex Friday and Saturday for two 3 point grand champion majors going over other bitch specials. She was BEST OF BREED on Sunday for a 5 point grand champion major over many specials! I have never had this happen before and its truly a great way to do it in front of so many friends! Thank you all for the congratulations and hugs and cheering :) All owner handled, and all with my first Bred-By Champion too :) I was told that she was chosen for BOB as she out moved them all. Thank you so much Pembroke breeder/judge Tammy Johnston for awarding this to my girl :)

Ballantyne was completely lacking any kind of coat. So little that her guard hairs were now falling out. I had thought if the major would hold without her I wouldn't even bring her. No sense when she is stark nekkid! But Saturday and Sunday I was proven wrong and Ballantyne was awarded WB/BOW on Saturday and WB on Sunday for two MORE 3 poitn majors. She now has 3 majors and 13 points! BEING NAKED! LOL the judges told me that once she was back in coat she would be UNSTOPPABLE! How awesome is THAT!

I was really excited before any of this happened actually. I knew I would be getting to stay with my bestie Erica in the hotel all weekend. I haven't seen her at a dog show since Sioux Falls last year and going to shows without her or her mother Mary is just plain not right! It was great to be able to catch up with her and have our usual 'blonde' moments lol. I also got to see so many of the Cardi and Briard people I haven't got to see as of late. It was good catching up with them as well :) Oh and I was even able to go downtown Minneapolis for supper one night with some college friends. I love downtown life and it was a great break from 'reality' to be out amongst peers doing what I love to do: socialize over cocktails :)

All in all a great weekend that I'm sure won't be repeated for a long time, so I want to revel in it as long as possible :)

Available

2011-08-21T18:43:00.000-05:00

Daisy is now available to her forever home. She just turned 4 years of age in June, is a CHIC dog with all of her health clearances. She is house/leash/crate trained and a very loving couch dog. Daisy would need a fenced in yard.

I also have two of her pink boys still available. They have been getting lessons in leash training, are fairly well house/crate trained and are UTD on vaccinations as well. They are 16 weeks old and need to go to homes soon. They have both been to Puppy K classes and are well socialized with kids and other dogs/cats.

Please inquire

A pretty good weekend

2011-08-17T09:37:00.001-05:00

The Cardigan Welsh Corgi Club of the Western Reserve had their annual Regional Specialty. Not only is it the largest regional specialty in the world, but this year was the record high for entries!!! The quality was deep in many classes and the line up for Best in Sweeps or Winner's Dog/Bitch was quite a sight to behold. There were six or seven Best In Show winners entered in in these shows, as well and very recognizable veterans coming back out in the ring for this specialty. In other words it was AWESOME!!

I was able to see many of my good friends there again, and meet more Cardigan people! Its really the whole reason I go. Ok MOST of the reason I go. And since I didn't make it to the National due to impending puppies, I had to make sure I went to CWCCWR this year. I don't want to forget anyone so won't name names but I do so enjoy this weekend.

It was a a goal of mine to be competitive at Specialties, and Supported Entries. I don't need to win (but it is nice) but I do want my dogs to be nice enough to be competitive. Going to the show and seeing the other dogs from a distance made me rethink why I was there. I should have gone home and pet every one of my dogs out.

Or so I thought :) Then the judging started....

Friday under breeder judges Ballantyne earned a 4th in sweeps and a 3rd in regular classes. Ava made the cut in breed in a quality filled ring. I was so surprised and humbled. Then Saturday Ballantyne earned a 4th in sweeps and a 2nd in regular classes. Ava was given consideration but no cut this day. Sunday with Ava not entered I entered the Naughty Bolin and she was 4th in sweeps and 3rd in regular classes. Ballantyne was 2nd in sweeps and 2 in Bred-by!! Even though both Naughties were completely stark naked their structure and movement gave them placements! I was in the ribbons every time! I guess my goal of being competitive at the largest regional specialty happened. And I want thank everyone that helped me to get here!! :)

These large specialties gives me time to talk to long time breeders like my mentors Barb Hoffman and Jon Kimes. In depth discussions talking about directions, goals, what I want out of a bitch or dog and where to TRY and find that. I also had other long time breeders go over my dogs. Connie Whan who has been instrumental in my breeding plans/goals, Paula O'donnell, Cindy Bossi, Nancy Wiloughby, Joanne and Ferris Beashau, Pixie Lauer, etc etc.Always nervous when people go over my dogs and even more happy when they LIKE them.

I was also quite blessed to have ringside praise about my girls. All three were given compliments ringside or out the ring about their movement, structure and/or temperament. To say I'm pleased in an understatement. And of course with the good, is the bad. Naked Naughties look tiny in comparison to bitches that have full coat and are larger. My girls are 27 pounds (the Naughties) and they looked like 12 week old puppies next to some of the bigger and more in coat bitches. I heard several comments about " I could never have a bitch that small" or something like that. But that's ok. I prefer them on the smaller side of the scale. They won't break down when herding or doing agility and they are slower to mature. I'm an impatient person so this drives me nuts to no end, but in the end is more rewarding.

It was great to be at the specialty where I was able to see dogs that I had considered for stud dogs for my girls. The ability to go over them in person, see them move, ask questions about health testing, what the stud dog has thrown (i.e. bad bites, blue eyes, pinks, fluffs, etc etc) is awesome and every breeder I talked to was completely honest and upfront about what they did or didn't know.

On top of all of this the camaraderie that is there with all of the Cardigan fanciers is just amazing. Saying good morning to everyone you pass, able to sit anywhere along ringside and strike up a conversation is just awesome. These people are amazing.

I wanted to personally thank the CWCCWR club members and the Greig family for all their hard work to get the show to the level it is. Quality judges, amazing food, kick a$$ ring stewards and all the quality dogs makes the 16 hours of driving each way totally worth it!!!

A special thanks to Mandy and Cindy Bossi for the early morning McDonald's Tea! You gals are lifesavers!! And thanks for making my throat hurt from laughing so hard! I wish everyone lived closer together so we could hang out way more often! :)

See you all next year!

First puppy finally goes home!

2011-08-01T11:45:00.000-05:00

Holding puppies until arrangements can be made has never been an issue. When half of litter does it, it makes for some interesting times :) Baylor is shown above with Brodie (Pilot x Ell) and they both reside in Connecticut, about 40 minutes away from each other. Brodie's owner's daughter and her partner were looking for a puppy and I just happened to have a few! Baylor was the puppy I had my eye early on and it just wasn't meant to be that he stick around here, so he is now being super spoiled and doted upon in his new home and extended family. They sent me a video clip of him with the zoomies and I know he is NOT looking back!!

Thank you for all involved for this to work and I LOVE IT when the puppy owners fly out to pick up their puppies and take them home. I get to meet the new owners AND see the puppy off. Always the way I like to do it :)

Zoe and Minnie herding in Oregon

2011-07-24T17:22:00.000-05:00

I won't re post the videos but I urge you to go to their own blog site to view them herding up a storm! I'm so glad that Missy and Glenn contacted me just about two years ago about a puppy from Zoe. They are also the best home for Zoe too and I'm so glad that it has worked out so well for both placements!

Zo-Zo looks so happy. I'm so glad she and Minnie are both spoiled rotten!

Here is the link:
http://blog.spyrockcardigans.com/2011/07/girls-went-herding.html

Fun hey?

When photos make you smile

2011-07-20T11:06:00.000-05:00

So much to love about him.....I kinda miss the big goober. He'll be back soon enough :)

A Good Weekend

2011-07-17T18:26:00.000-05:00

This weekend I finished my first dog from the bred-by class. Ava earned her last three single points to become a Champion! I even kept her in on Sunday to hold the point for the class dog, and to make sure she did indeed get all her points :)

She is my 4th champion, my 3rd cardigan champion and my 1st breeder/owner handled exclusively in the bred-by class!! This is my 4th champion in less than 2 years!

There were also health clinics for Cardiac, Thyroid, Patella and CERF.Ava and Ballantyne were done for Patella, as they had already passed the other tests. The gal doing the patella clinic told me how important it is in a herding and actively working breed such as a Cardigan to have good knees. She also said dogs that do agility should be examined.

I also heard this from the CERF, Cardiac and Thyroid vets/doctors. The cardiac doctor said the cases of bad hearts was nearly 50% of all dogs tested just 20 or less years ago and that breeders have made giant strides in their breeding programs and have made those cases now that have problems less that 10 %!! CERF doctor stressed the importance of the eye exams and that many of the genetic/heredity diseases can be bred away from. yet so many people don't do them.

There was a B Match Saturday night that Shelley and I stayed for. It sounded like a grand idea but after 13 hours of being at the show I was D.O.N.E. Margot earned a Group 4 and did extremely well on the leash and for the stand for exam. We need to work on everything but mostly with the 'showing the bite'. She did awesome at the show site with the sounds, smells, people and dogs. I also took two of Daisy's pups with as there was a potential home coming up from Milwaukee to see them. They did awesome for being away from their mom and the rest of the litter. I'm so proud of the boys :)

I also found out today that Brewer earned his first point going BOW at the show he was entered in!! That makes him the fourth puppy in the litter to be pointed. I never think any litter is good enough to have every puppy be a show puppy and finish, but glad to see that her litter had some puppies worth growing on and showing.

I wanted to thank Shelley Powers for all her help this weekend. I'm still not in a fit condition to do much and when I was getting fatigued she was there to help, even when I objected. Its much appreciated :) Also a huge thank you to Barb and Steve Peterson for allowing my dogs and myself to invade your home and eat your food and sleep in your house. I love the Duluth show because there is so much time to spend talking to friends and getting to know new ones! I'm drained each day and sometimes overwhelmed by it all but if anyone has an inkling of going to Duluth for the 4 day cluster, I highly recommend it! Plus you are literally one block away from Canal Park and dozens of GREAT restaurants and things to see and do!

Thanks everyone for a great weekend!

I've officially gone crazy....

2011-07-12T11:32:00.000-05:00

What on earth is THAT? Yup. Its a black natural eared Briard bitch puppy named Margot. :) Her daddy is from the Czech republic and her momma is a relative of Mitcham's. She was born in March and I got her at the Fargo show. Life has been slightly hectic since then and I'm trying to catch up on all things that are worth telling.

She'll be in the Duluth puppy match this weekend. Lord help us. I think she's part monkey. She can almost climb on to the kitchen counters. Mitcham, having just turned 3 on wednesday (i'm a bad dad I know), still does not jump up on the counter or counter surf or whatever you want to call it. He's so polite in comparison. She's a wild child! Let's hope her coat is easier to groom. Note the natural ears too. I didn't want to fight with the gluing for 3 years.....

Bolin's results

2011-07-12T09:49:00.000-05:00

Bolin is a fluff carrier N/A, she does NOT carry pink either (E/E) and she is clear (N/N) for DM! YAY!!

This means my only dog that carries pink is Daisy. And every dog of mine is a fluff carrier (but I can live with that!).

For those not on Facebook....

2011-07-09T12:02:00.001-05:00

Ballantyne's Sweeps photo finally came in the mail! We usually wait 4+ weeks for our show photos. Unlike in the PNW where they get them the end of the same week! Ballantyne is stacked a bit nicer here, than her major win under Emily Fish, but I still like both photos :) Thank you to both breeder judges for seeing her merit.

Ell rocked it!

2011-07-08T22:57:00.000-05:00

Since Oliver was my very best sheep herding before he went down in the back, there have been some big shoes to fill. Ell has proven time and time again she has the ability, the skill and the knowledge to fill them, without being overly hard on the sheep.

Big props to my girl Ell. She was amazing to see work today! And for those interested I did NOT get on the 4-wheeler and I let the Cardigan work the sheep (the grass was MUCH shorter in these paddocks! :P )

Decisions any breeder must make

2011-07-07T22:15:00.000-05:00

The goal of any breeding program, whether with livestock, dogs, flowers or anything else is to improve upon the generation before. If you don't improve you try again, perhaps from a different angle. If something works, you have moved ahead. Then comes the task of deciding :Should I move forward with the offspring and that offspring in turn is replaced by its offspring? This would be the quickest way, in a perfect world, to move ahead with any goal or breeding program.

What if the dam is a real producer and you like the offspring, they are better than the dam, but want to take her a different route? Is it ok to do so? What if you don't get better offspring then? I think about this quite often now. All three litters I've had...the pups are better than their dams. Do I need to breed them again if I already have improvements on them? What if I want to go to a different line to bring in something different?

In my cattle I have one cow that I kept and bred for 9 calves. Each year I bred her to a different bull line, hoping to bring in VERY specific things from each line to blend with my cow genetics of this particular line. I had no problem repeating a breeding in the cow one year as you only get one calf per year, and I always want heifers as I can use frozen semen on bulls that are from all over the world.

In dogs I feel its a bit different. If I retain two puppies from a litter, I can go different directions with the pups, or I can go the same direction as each pup has different things I like about them. Do I move forward with the pups and hope I get something useful out the pups 'in a perfect world'? Or do I breed the dam again and breed her to a different line, bringing in something very specific that I didn't get in this breeding (or I want more of)?

Its just food for thought. I know everyone in the same situation would do it differently and that's ok. Just trying to think out loud. 4 is easier to manage than 6, but I'd hate to lose the opportunity to use the dams again if I was really pleased with the outcome.

This being on the mend stinks! Too much free time to think about other stuff! >:)

Normal dogs

2011-07-06T14:27:00.000-05:00

Ava and Ballantyne got their OFA certificates in the mail today for their NORMAL Thyroid, Cardiac and CERFs. I'm not surprised but since i did Zoe and Ell's Thyroids two years ago, there have only been 12 more Cardigans tested for thyroid and sent in to OFA. If thyroid is not an issue in cardigans I would think more people would test knowing that they are 'ok' and post the normal results.

At any rate, I know my girls are normal for these conditions and I'm happy knowing that I give my puppy buyers babies that have a lesser chance of getting health issues down the road.

My dogs' health is of the utmost importance to me. I'm happy that I can say they are normal for these things. Well.....as normal as my dogs can get ;P haha