Hi Ho Dogs

Rudy Winning at Cleveland in December

2012-01-22T21:01:00.000-08:00

RUDY GIVES HIMSELF A CHRISTMAS PRESENT!

Rudy's idea of Christmas this year was to win a major with his co-breeder Jeanne Buente showing him, at our biggest show of the year, the Western Reserve Kennel Club show. He waited until Sunday to do this, as he spent the other day warming up.

As you can see in the picture he also is rolling his coat out. He went home from the show with Heather Myers. Heather is his new owner, with Debbie Lynch, she showed him a few weeks later to finish him. They make a very nice pair in the ring and you will be seeing them soon "Up East".

So, he is now Ch. Foxfair Rudy Valentino, but we don't think it will go to his head. He is the same wonderful Rudy who likes to drink out of the water spray bottle. He does however, have a new skill, Heather taught him to lay on his side to be groomed!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

HARDY ON HIS WAY TO BREED WINS IN COLUMBUS, OHIO

2012-01-22T20:34:00.000-08:00

HARDY ENJOYS STRETCHING HIS LEGS!

Here he is at the shows in Columbus, Ohio where he took at very nice breed win with Jeanne piloting him. This photo shows him in very nice coat. One of the wonderful things about Hardy, other than his personality, is his beautiful silver color with exceptional contrast.

He has not been shown for a while, but he was in such nice coat that Jeanne couldn't resist bringing him out.

He even decided to use his ears - not always a consistent thing with him. We think he just figures that the judge should notice his quality and he shouldn't have to work for it and do something so pedestrian as put up his ears!

The Puppy Girls Turn 12 Weeks

2011-08-28T17:38:00.000-07:00

GINNY AND JO RELAXING ON A SUNDAY!

This morning Michael, Ryan and Connor all worked together to finish staining the deck. I am so lucky to have the support of these wonderful young men! (That includes you too Michael!) They worked so well together with Mike in the supervisor role and seemed to have fun doing it. I think their Dad and Grandfather would be very proud of them for so many reasons.

Anyway in the afternoon, Jeanne came over to see the puppy girls, Ginny and Jo. It is sooo hard to chose between them. They are both so nice and each one is just a little bit different than the other. Ginny is incredibly athletic and compact. Jo is a little bigger with lovely neck, both have very nice temperaments. Jo resembles her aunt Lillian a great deal. Ginny is her own unique little self though she puts both of us in mind of her Grandfather "Andy" in her head and coloring. They had a fun day playing with Jeanne and I and then took a break to wrestle with "Tigger" our Maine Coon.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Rudy x April Puppies 8 weeks old

2011-07-18T14:01:00.000-07:00

GINNY AND JO AT 8 WEEKS

So, William decided to take a swim in the water hole rather than have his picture taken. We will post more of him later!

These were taken the weekend of Grand River on Sunday after three days of dogs shows. I must say these puppies are like father like daughter as they both resemble Rudy in outline and head type.

First is Ginny posing with the cherry tomato plant. The next two are Jo who wouldn't come down the steps and so we had an opportunity to take some pics of her. last is a head study of Ginny. She is a little smaller than Jo, but full of spice and has accomplished running up and down the steps very quickly. She never really practiced, just ran down them the first time, tripped, got up and kept on going!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

CANADIAN TREASURES - The Hardy Boys!

2011-07-14T08:16:00.000-07:00

Cabot Takes Three Group Placements at St. John's Including a GROUP ONE!

Here is Cabot, Foxfair North Wind, taking his first Group One, along with two other group placings at the Newfoundland Kennel Club show. Although he did not have breed competition he took on other breeds to gain his group placements. Cabot is from the second litter of Ch. Vandaban Wessex (Eng. Imp.), and Ch. Nightwind Foxfair Trillium. He is owned,shown, groomed and trained by AnneMarie MacKenzie and Alan MacKenzie. We think he is very handsome, stacks beautifully and represents his accomplished parents very well!

Skipper Finishes His Canadian Championship

Skipper MacVicar is shown here finishing his Canadian Championship, he is a full brother to Cabot and Am. Ch. Foxfair Essex. In fact he is from the first breeding and is a litter mate to Essex.

Skipper took a break from showing to let his grow back in and then came out with his owner, handler and his personal full time cook and trainer, Mary MacVicar. He is a lovely dog, with beautiful color and bone, that enjoys everything he does with Mary. Much thanks to Glady Gates for helping Mary and Skipper get introduced to the dog show world - in fact she is off camera in this picture holding the lead, while Mary gets Skipper's attention!

We are soooo proud of AnneMarie and Mary - who with no previous showing experience - showed and trained both of their dogs successfully and really enjoyed the experience. Of course it didn't hurt that these guys seem to be show offs!

CAll items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

The Puppies View

2011-07-09T18:20:00.000-07:00

SUMMER DAYS

For all of the complaining we do about the weather in north east Ohio during the winter - we should also talk about the summers here. In short they are spectacular. Very green, Cleveland was once and sometimes still is called the "forest city". Flying in to Cleveland people often remark about the trees that surround the city like an "emerald necklace."

The skies are clear blue with light clouds. At night the temps fall into the 60's and the in morning the grass is damp and clears up in a few hours.

The puppies, of course, are the beneficiaries of this weather. They go out after the grass is dry and stay out most of the day now that they are older. The view from their spot under the maple tree is of the gardens. The roses in front of the deck, and the herb garden that has a bird bath and day lillies shown in the picture.

I am not sure the Keeshond pupies notice the flowers that much but they do notice the birds and wildlife that they attract. They watch the bird bath and feeders and look up in the tree if they hear something in the leaves.

Their favorite "toy" however is Ryan. When they see him they start to bark because they are hoping, and they are usually right, that he

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Three Little Ones

2011-07-07T10:55:00.001-07:00

HAVING FUN OUTSIDE

The puppies are six weeks old now and old enough to really enjoy their time outside. One of the features of being outside is running around on the grass with Ryan. When he takes off they follow at first huffing and puffing and soon they will over take him and grab his pant leg - but not yet!

Here they are laying down - because they are tired after several trips up and down the meadow chasing Ryan. Joan is first, followed by Gina and brother William (soon to be Marty) in the back (he is very cute!) It seems like the only way to get a picture of all three staying still is to get them tired first!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Puppies Playing Outside

2011-06-29T19:55:00.001-07:00

Puppies Playing Outside

April and the puppies by Rudy are now five weeks old and spend a good part of the day outside under large maple tree. April likes being in with them also, but only so long as I am there reading a book or working.

They have toys, water, dry food and three times a day warm baby cereal with milk and a bit of Karo Syrup. Not a bad life. One of their favorite games is running around the tree trunk and playing peek a boo with each other. Another is "Who can annoy Mom the most?" They climb on top of her and play King of the Mountain. Then once in a while one gets very cheeky and jumps up and nips her muzzle. She is oblivious to all of this, but if they get a little too out of hand she will put them in line.

They are getting to really enjoy their toys, as you can see in this picture.

Ryan has been taking them out for runs down the meadow and they can't quite keep up with him. There will come a day just a few weeks away when they will zoom ahead of him!

The weather has been beautiful and perfect for them being outside. We will be having rain a few days of the weekend but we need it for the garden.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Foxfair Silent Screen Star, RWB, KCA National Specialty

2011-06-21T20:01:00.000-07:00

LILLIAN - SHOWING UP A STORM!

Not to be out done by her brother Lillian also had to win her large open class and then go on to win Reserve Winners Bitch at the KCA National Specialty under the highly respected judge, Pat Hastings, with Jeanne Buente Handling. Lillian has her very own personality, which is quite different from her brothers.

She is opinionated and likes to do things her own way. I taught her to bait as a baby by throwing the bait at her from across the room. She liked this so much that now she feels she will just stack herself up and you can stand - waaay back over there! This makes for a pretty picture in the ring - but don't try and fuss with her coat, etc, No, she looks just fine, thank you, and will stack herself - as you can see in the picture.

Lillian would like to thank her good friend Gina Marsh of Keesland fame, who gave her wonderful long walks all week of the National and loved on her - as Lillian thought was her due! We had a wonderful time with Rudy and Lillian and Gina and Joan. They would like to know when they are coming back!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Foxfair Rudy Valentino, Reserve Winners Dog at KCA National Specialty

2011-06-18T02:57:00.000-07:00

RUDY SMILING AT THE CAMERA!

Rudy is shown here with 2011, KCA Judge, Karen McFarland, Jeanne Buente on the lead, and trophy presenter, KCA Vice President, Heather Myers.
She is not in this picture but Rudy would like to thank his special friend Joan Dean who took him for wonderful long walks all during the KCA specialty week!

Rudy had a fun time at the KCA National Specialty, but then he creates that wherever he is, it is just his personality, which is - let's just say he has a sense of humor.

It started for him at Shells, who is the groomer that prepares him for shows. When I arrived to pick him up he was in his usual spot, laying on the floor, legs stretched out behind him. Shell said, "You are not going to believe what he just did! I replied, Try me!
It seems Rudy was done being groomed and decided he wanted a little company to play with, so he went over to the crates against the wall, and opened the crate doors letting out two very happy Miniature Poodles. According to Shell he then told them to - RUN!

At the shows one of the things we do to get their coats ready is to line brush them. This means you go through the whole coat with a pin brush spraying with a fine mist of water each line of hair every inch or so. Rudy make this process even more entertaining because he likes to drink out of the spray bottle! So when you spray the line he is right there trying to get the whole nozzle right in his mouth.

Grooming is a boring process as far he is concerned and this is just one of his efforts to make it fun and lighten things up. Unlike his sister Lillian he really doesn't take anything very seriously. He is very cooperative in the show ring, he likes the treats and moving is his favorite. Standing still for a long time - not so much - but then you can always show him the water bottle - now that is fun!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

April has Puppies and Now They Have Names

2011-06-01T07:55:00.001-07:00

Gina and Joan Sleeping

Joan at 10 days

APRIL'S NEW FAMILY

April is very happy with her new family, two girls and one boy. The story of their birth is interesting. So, Gina Marsh and Joan Miles flew from England into Cleveland Hopkins Airport to visit and go the KCA National specialty. They arrived on May 13, and then we drove to Mason, Ohio and spent the next week at the show. It was fun and exciting but also very tiring, and the drive from Burton to Mason is five hours and some. That does not account for stopping to exercise Rudy and Lillian who went with us (more about that later). Then on Sunday May 22 we drove the five hours back home. My sister Donna and brother in law Jack had a really nice dinner for us at thier house and we then came home. As we are getting ready for bed at 10:00, April who had puppies due on Wednesday said she was going to have them tonight!

Gina just looked at me, knowing it would be a long night and Joan clapped her hands and said "Oh, Goody we are going to have puppies!." I looked at Gina - knowing it would be a long night! At 3:30 we were done and went to bed. Then Gina and Joan had to get up early to get to the airport and the long ride home.My sister again saved the day by driving them knowing I had to stay with the puppies. So, in honor of Gina and Joan who loyally stayed by my side and helped us get the babies into the world their names are Foxfair Virginia Dare, Foxfair Lady Joan and Foxfair William Esq. Hmmm, I wonder where the William came from!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Pearl Flys in Flyball

2011-05-23T14:44:00.000-07:00

PEARL IS FAST!

It seems that there is yet another sport that Keeshonden enjoy - FLYBALL!

Shown here running a fly ball course is Klompen's Pearl Grey. She was bred by Kathy Stewart of Alberta, Canada and is sired by Ch. Foxfair Geronimo Energizer "Jake" out of Ch. Klompen's Gabriella "Gabby".

According to Kathy she only hits the ground once between the jumps then just flys along to the next one. Her form looks very efficient. She lives in Canada with her owners who compete in a number of dog sports and training competitions. Pearl was born from frozen semen and I am sure her dad would be proud of her!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

A HERDING WE WILL GO

2010-11-15T20:27:00.000-08:00

Pi and Essex Decide That Herding is Fun!!

Essex Says "Hurry Up"

Sometimes there are very special moments when you work with animals. One I remember very well was just a few years ago when I worked my Quarter Horse, Freckles, on cows for the first time. He was bred for it, his grandfather was great cutting horse sire, but he had never seen cows before. As for me, I had no experience working cattle. But into the herd we went. Just looking at the cows got him excited. His ears were pricked forward and I could feel him start to shake under the saddle.

We got our cow and Freckles pushed him out of the herd. As soon as the cow was well away, he turned back toward the herd and stared, waiting for me to show him the next cow. He loved it, he just wanted to chase cows and that was that.

Last Sunday, it happened again, only this time with one of our Keeshonden, Pi. Pi is a special dog here. She was born in the ten puppy litter and right away my son Ryan took a liking to her. He said, "Mom look she has the mark of a mathematical Pi on her chest." So, he called her Pi and when she was three weeks old he told she came to him when he called her. Hmm. I really didn't believe him but didn't argue. He trained Pi to sit, stay, down, and come. He trained her to jump up into his arms, and fed her from a frisbee so she would bond with it. She became the most enthusiastic and reliable retrieving Keeshond we have ever had.

On Sunday, Pi saw sheep for the first time. Just look at them made her quiver with excitement. She was jumping up and down before she even went into the pen. Once in the pen she circled them to the right. Then after a conversation with the trainer she circled them to the left. Finally she gathered them up and placed them against the wall - staring them down and holding them in place. When she went in for the test she passed and the trainer had to lead her out of the pen by her collar - she didn't want to leave the sheep. We are looking for a trainer close to home and want to start lessons with her in the spring so she can get her second leg on her HIC.

Essex had a little different attitude with the sheep. He was very enthusiastic and thought they were a lot of fun. Pi takes life more seriously and is very focused. Essex was having a good time with the sheep and got a little concerned when the trainer tried to show him with the whip how to change direction. He finally did get the hang of that and learned that he could move them in both directions. Essex also passed his test and earned his first leg on the HIC.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Valentina and Keillor Puppies are 8 Months

2010-02-08T22:43:00.001-08:00

CHINOOK ENJOYING THE SNOW

The good thing is that the puppies are enjoying the snow in Canada and Ohio. The bad thing is that we have been snowed in at times, and this is not the time of year for dog shows in this climate. But, spring in coming and Rudy and Lillian who are at home are getting ready for their first puppy match. Whether I am ready is another matter.

These are the puppies from Ch. Keeshees Lock Stock N' Barrel, ROM and Ch. Foxfair Valentina. We are very pleased with them and will be posting more pictures and video of them soon.

Chinook's official name is Foxfair Hufflepuff, shades of Harry Potter! He is owned by the Schmolke family in Calgary, Canada. We hope he makes his debut at a puppy match soon!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

We Get Ready to Leave for Our New Homes

2010-01-11T12:41:00.001-08:00

APRIL SAYS, MY PUPPIES ARE WEANED AND NOW I CAN PLAY!

Which is not to say that they don't try to catch a snack now and then! We really enjoyed having our friends from Newfoundland, Canada, Allan and Anne Marie MacKenzie visit us for the last few days. One of the advantages of coming from the far north is that NE Ohio weather doesn't look so bad!

They stopped on their way to pick up their puppy on the way to visit their son in Texas. He will be shown in Newfoundland and his name will be Foxfair Northwind, called Cabot for short - after the premier of Newfoundland.

We will miss them and the delicious fish dinner of Newfoundland Cod we had while they were here. Also, Anne Maries wonderful fruit cake, and our birds thank Allan for shoveling a path to the feeder!

APRIL WITH PUPPY SMILING

PINK PUPPY GIRL

JEANNE WITH BLUE BOY

MAC KENZIE'S GREEN BOY
ANNE MARIE AND ALLAN MAC KENZIE

RED GIRL WITH TIGGER

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

April x Hardy Baby Boys

2009-12-22T20:04:00.000-08:00

BOY PUPPIES BEFORE BEDTIME

These are the April x Hardy baby boys at age six weeks. This picture was taken at night so they are they ready for bed. Usually they are ready for PLAY!

These two look a lot alike and sometimes it is hard to tell them apart. They are about the same size and they also like to hang out together and when they are out of the pen can be found getting into trouble together!

They both have nice silver color, dark pigment, and lovely coat and bone.

Come to think of it Ryan looked more tired in these pictures than the puppies, but I cropped him out at his request!.

The first picture of the single puppy is Green, the second is Blue. In the picture of the two puppies together Green is on the left and Blue is on the right.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

New Champion AKC. & UKC. Ch. Foxfair Puttin' On the Ritz, RN

2009-12-20T04:23:00.000-08:00

FINISHING IN STYLE

Anita Williams of Clackamas, Oregon, is now the proud owner of two Champion Keeshonden. Copper joins his friend Makani as the second champion in the Williams household.

Cooper is sired by Am. Can. Ch. Vandaban Wessex, RN,Eng. Imp. and he is the third champion for his sire. His dam is the accomplished show, and performance bitch, owned and trained by Jeanne Buente, Ch. Foxfair Impetuous, RA, NA, NAJ who was also RWB at the National Specialty. He was co-bred by Jeanne Buente and Deborah Lynch. Cooper was shown to most of his points owner handled.

A good sized boy, with a loving disposition and beautiful silver color Cooper and Anita will now embark on a new and exciting career in agility. Since they are both tall and elegant we expect that they will be getting around the agility course in record time! Not that we are putting any pressure on them!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

The Girls

2009-12-17T18:41:00.001-08:00

Think Pink

These are the girls from our litter of April (Ch. Nightwind Foxfair Trillium and Hardy (Am. Can. Ch. Vandaban Wessex, Eng Imp) . The pictures were taken just before they turned 5 weeks old. The two girls in this litter are about as different as could be. We call them Zenny and Rachel for the race mares Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra. Both of whom may be in a tie for horse of the year. The first time ever that honor may be shared by two fillies.

At any rate, Zenny is larger and darker, has a very sweet dispostion and is laid back. Rachel is smaller, lighter in color and more refined. She WAGs her tail all the time! She is very outgoing and baited for us and posed at age 4 weeks - I think that is a record.

Tomorrow I will put up pictures of the boys. Unlike the girls they are very similar in size and markings. They also like to hang out together, it must be a guy thing!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

New Champion - Ch. Foxfair Essex

2009-12-03T20:02:00.001-08:00

CH. FOXFAIR ESSEX

Essex finished at the Columbus, Ohio shows with his fourth major at 13 months of age! Where did the time go?

It seems like just yesterday I was taking him to class and he was playing with his toys. (Very disturbing to the obedience dogs - but a good working distraction for them!)

When Jeanne and I took him to the Canadian Nationals this summer he won Best Puppy at their Puppy Match and also won the Canadian Puppy Sweepstakes. Just before that we showed him at the Grand River/Ashtabula weekend and he covered himself with glory by winning WD,BOW, and BOB over specials from the puppy class at 8 months old.

His sire is our Am. Can. Ch. Vandaban Wessex, Eng. Imp. (Hardy), and his dam is Ch. Nightwind Foxfair Trilium, (April). The 3 week old puppies that we have right now are his full siblings.

Of all the impressive things he has done so far, the one that stands out to me is how he showed on Sunday at Grand River in the Non Sporting Group. It had decided to pour down rain and in spite of the rain blowing right into his face - he stood there and showed for Jeanne like a trooper with his ears up the whole time, not at all like the 8 months old puppy that he was then.

While he reminds us of both his dad and his mom in many ways, in his showmanship he is much like his grandfather, Am. Can. Ch. Foxfair Excalibur. The other dog that he reminds us of is Ch. Foxfair Eveready, Evan. He is a direct descendant of our foundation bitch Ch. Vaakers Mary Poppins, the dam of Ch. Foxfair Persuasive Friend and Ch. Foxfair Special Sparkle. Sparky in turn is the sire of the Ch. Foxfair Eveready, Evan, who is the sire of Ch. Foxfair Geronimo Energizer, the sire of Ch. Foxfair Excalibur, sire of Ch. Nightwind Foxfair Trilium, the dam of Ch. Foxfair Essex. Whew! All that to say that Essex is the result of 6 generations of Foxfair breeding - and we think it shows!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Skipper at the Docks

2009-11-23T17:28:00.000-08:00

Skipper Mac Vicar

So, Skipper is from the first breeding of Hardy and April and he wishes his baby brothers and sisters a hearty hello!

Mary sent me these pictures today and I just love them, especially the one where he is sitting by the boats. Isn't it a great theme - the barge dog, named Skipper by the boats! What can I say little things like that make me happy.

We will soon be posting pics of new Champion Foxfair Essex, Skipper's brother who finished his AKC Championship last weekend!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Baby Pictures

2009-11-23T08:51:00.001-08:00

APRIL AND BABIES

These puppies are less than two weeks old and don't have their eyes open yet, but as you can see in the picture they have a good sense of where the food is located!

In fact, that is the big girl headed for the milk bar. April is a great mom very devoted and likes to spend most her time still with the babies. By this time most of our moms would be wanting a break but she just lets me know when she wants to go out.

The puppies are growing very fast and weigh almost a pound now. Can't wait to see them at six weeks!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Skipper's Show Adventures

2009-11-14T17:29:00.000-08:00

SKIPPER

Mary and Allan MacVicar of Halifax, Canada are the proud owners of Skipper MacVicar, otherwise known as Foxfair Berkshire Wessex. He is a litter brother to Foxfair Essex, and a full brother of our litter whelped this week.

Currently he is only one point short of finishing his Candadian championship. Very similar to our area the shows pretty much end at this time of year. Mary and Skipper went to a new format of dog show not CKC, but judged by international judges. They enjoyed this show very much and Skipper was privleged to receive Excellent ratings on his score sheets.

He and Mary and Allan send their regards to Essex and their new brothers and sisters! We wanted to share this head study of him with you because we think it is really beautiful.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Rudy

2009-09-12T11:52:00.000-07:00

RUDY AT MICHIGAN KEESHOND SPECIALTY

In our last litter which was Ch. Keeshe's Lock Stock N' Barrel, ROM x Ch. Foxfair Valentina we kept two puppies; a male and a female. They are both very nice but in different ways.

Here we are posting pictures of the boy, Rudy. He is a very pretty boy puppy taking after his mom and dad in this area. However, he has nice substance and balance, excellent reach of neck, short back and very happy outgoing temperament. Nothing seems to bother him. His sister on the hand is very much a princess!

Most of these pictures were taken at the Michigan Specialty when he was 10 weeks old, and the later older picture taken at home when he was 12 weeks. The pics at the Michigan Specialty were kindly taken by Beth Blankenship.

Remembering Senator Kennedy

2009-08-27T17:53:00.000-07:00

DAYS IN WASHINGTON,DC

My blog is usually about dogs but today I am going to remember my days in Washington, D.C., as an intern in the United States Senate. My boss was Franklin Zwieg the chief of staff to the Chairman, Senate Committee On Labor and Human Resources. He had two interns and decided that we were useless to him with that status so just treated us as legislative staff - really. Threw us into the deep end of the pool. We went to the intern seminars but other than that were treated like staff - (except no salary of course). So we had our choice of working on health legislation - (which he said would not likely pass in that session -no kidding here we are 30 years later and no health legislation), or a small bill that had failed in previous sessions, The Women in Science Bill. This bill he said would have a slim chance if we could find a ammendment appropriate for the Chairman and slip between the warring parties working on the National Science Foundation Re-Authorization Act - and by the way - the chairman of NSF was against the bill. NICE.

So, with my usual lack of respect for the establishment I went for the Women in Science Bill. To find a way in I needed data and called to find out how many grants to women were given in each science field? No can do, they said, we don't keep that data. So, the next day, delivered to Senate Courts was a book the size of the New York Yellow Pages, listing all the names of every grantee. Thousands of names. I set out to tabulate these names by hand, disregarding those names that were not gender specfic like Robin. It took weeks. My colleagues started to poke fun at me. So, one night going home on the Capitol Hill Express I looked pretty dejected. Our neighbor in Chevy Chase worked for the Washington Post. He asked what the problem was and I told him. "Do you remember the movie "All the President's Men?" he asked. Yes, but what does that have to do with me? "Well, remember that part in the movie where they were going through all the research?" Mmm, yes. "In the movie it took a few minutes, it really took almost a year." I kept tabulating. The results were stunning and potentially alarming to NSF, in some fields female grantees were less than .05%.

Finally, I had my data, and my boss told me to take it up to Senator Kennedy's office and meet with his staff. We went over the data together and my ammedment which called for the board of the NSF to be balanced in representation by gender, race, etc. At the last minute my boss didn't come and sent me alone. Let me explain that one of the reasons, among many, for Senator Kennedy's success was his superb staff. They were brilliant and driven - and they were feared. Luckily I didn't pay much attention to this because I was also driven and had my research and my lack of appropriate fear. The upshot was Bob Knouss, Sen. Kennedy's staff person looked at me and said, "Where in the world did you get this stuff?", I said, "I tabulated it from their grants register". He picked up the phone and called the chairman of NSF, who when heard the data said "I'll be a @#$%#%##!" The hearing was the next day and he decided to testify for our bill.

Later that week we met with the Senators on the committee in Sen. Claiborne Pell's, office in the Capitol building. Apropos because the research was done in the Senate library which is just under the dome of the Capitol and looks right down the mall to the Washington Monument. There wasn't a lot of seating in the beautifully appointed room in the Capitol old paintings and persian rugs but not many chairs. In these situations the staff just usully sat on the floor, Senator Kennedy saw me hesitate and said smiling, "Here just sit right here" and pointed next to his chair to cushion on the floor. So, sitting between Sen. Kennedy and Sen. Javits, I held my breath while they voted to suport the first Women in Science Bill. The bill has been included in the NSF reauthorization act in some form ever since, and the ammendment creating a balance of women and minorties on NSF Board has survived even though it has been slightly altered. As we left the meeting that day, Franklin, (the spitting image in looks and behavior of Toby Zigler on the West Wing) looked at me and said, "Well, how does it feel to make policy?" Good, really good.

None of it would have happened without the support of Senator Kennedy's staff - he had his faults and his triumphs - the Senate will miss him greatly. One side note the staff building we used Senate Courts was in sad repair and was soon torn down to make way for new offices. It had been an old hotel and the elevator sometimes stopped between floors. One day Sen. Kennedy came over to meet with someone on the upper floor. He was driving as usual his ratty old station wagon, but also as usual was accompanied by several secret service agents. As we went to get on the elevator his agents stopped and said, "No, Senator we will take the stairs". They thought the old station wagon way okay but the elevator - no way!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

The New Keeshond Barge Dog

2009-08-14T09:38:00.000-07:00

JUST CRUISING ALONG IN CANADA

We have a new recommendation for Keeshonden that are missing their barges of the old days. Grab your family and go for a canoe ride!

That is what the Schmolke family does when they are not hiking on the weekends, and of course they always take their Keeshond with them. Lucky Chinook!

Of course not being experienced in canoeing Chinook decided that the water looked fine and plunked himself in to go for a swim! He didn't go far and was immediately scooped out of the water. One thing has changed though, just in case of a mishap he now wears a life jacket just like the rest of the crew! We do know now though that he not only floats - he can swim!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Jennifer and Meisje with Their Family

2009-08-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

JENNIFER - MEISJE AND FAMILY

When we got this picture from Jennifer it was titled, "And Baby Makes Three." Some people are just plain brave and pioneers. So, that is how we think of Jennifer. Frozen breeding's have been done for a while but many are still afraid to do them. Jennifer managed to accomplish two of them in succession.

The first breeding produced six puppies, the average for a Keeshond natural breeding. In her second of two breedings to Am. Can. Ch. Foxfair Excalibur she had two males.
Well, they say its quality that counts and both male puppies look very nice. The little boy in the picture looks like he is trying to make a get-a-way, but we hear his temperament is very nice too. So at the age of ten without any effort at all from his highness, Andy has two boys in Canada thanks to modern technology!

For Meisje's part she did have the harder end of the deal, but looks very good for just finishing up her motherhood chores. This picture was taken in Jennifer's backyard which looks a lot better than most that have dogs, by her friend Marten Douma, who is Dutch and also helps Jennifer with Dutch names for her dogs. We are looking forward to seeing this puppy at Canadian shows in the near future!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Ch. Foxfair Valentina

2009-07-29T14:53:00.000-07:00

VALENTINA TAKES A VACATION

We thought we should show a picture of Valentina without her seven puppies or even one puppy, chewing on her leg or pulling her tail. This, in fact, is a picture of her finishing her Championship before she was ever bred. Yes, those were the days, when all she had to do was smile for the judge and the camera and eat liver treats.

Now, she is out of coat, just when people picking up their puppies want to see her, which inevitably happens with every bitch. I remember when I had Ryan in the hospital and the pediatrician, who had only seen me pretty haggard after having him, stopped by my room after I had a chance to have a shower, do my hair, put on make up and had no tubes running in every direction. He just stopped and stared and said quizzically, "Mrs. Lynch?". Yes, indeed we can clean up pretty good after one these ordeals!

Valentina, now that the little devils are weaned and there are only two left, can relax and play with them. She cleverly lays on her stomach so that they can't try to sneak in a snack. One cute story about her. She REALLY liked to show, when Jeanne would go in the ring with our special and she was sitting with me outside the ring, she would stand up and show. She was hoping that someone would notice and say, "Hey what about that dog outside the ring, lets get her in here!".

All kidding aside, she was an elegant and beautiful show girl, but she gave up her career to raise her family. How many times have we heard that story!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

The Girls from Calgary

2009-07-22T16:58:00.000-07:00

Chinook goes to Calgary

Chinook is a warm wind that is very welcome in Canada during the winter months of January and February. Tonya Schmolke relayed this information when telling me the name she and her girls had chosen for their new Keeshond puppy.

We had a wonderful time meeting Tonya and two of her daughters when they visited us last weekend. Ryan had worried about how we would keep them entertained, but Tonya assured me that between the puppies and the movies it was like Disneyland.

Actually, while Tonya and I were immersed in dog talk, pedigrees and all things Keeshond, I peeked into the family room to see the girls on the sofa with a big bowl of popcorn watching "The Princess Bride", an old favorite around here but new to them.

Tonya is an impressive Keeshond fancier with a excellent knowledge of the breed, (she owns every Keeshond book), and an understanding of pedigrees that some breeders would envy. She tracked me down by studying their lovely dog, Simba's pedigree. This led her to Janice Graves who referred her to Glady Gates, the breeder of Ch. Seawind's Chinook, who was in Simba's pedigree. Chinook was a beautiful Candian Champion Keeshond who sired many lovely dogs and Simba very much resembled him. Ryan and I were sad to see them go as we had so much fun with them. Ryan commented the next day that it was too bad they lived so far away.

They all had a good trip home and even met someone in the airport that also had a Keeshond, it turns out that it was a relative! The lady had a dog sired by Ch. Skyline Game Boy, the son of our puppies father - in other words the puppy's uncle! Amazing, a small world indeed. Here are some pictures of the girls at home with Chinook in a public garden in Calgary. Doesn't Chinook look right at home!

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Thank Heaven For Little Girls and Their Puppies

2009-07-21T14:52:00.001-07:00

Lillian, Eleanor and Joan Clifton with Their New Puppy Sasha!

We enjoyed visiting today with Joan Clifton and her daughters Lilly and Eleanor. Both girls were wonderful with the puppies and the puppies enjoyed them. This was particularly true of Sasha who sat on Lilly's lap like she had been doing it all her life.

Sasha will joining the Clifton's current dog Kelly, who is unaware of the little invader.
Sasha also walked along on the lead after she had her collar on like she was leash trained. Actually this was just Eleanor following her. The girls then loaded back into the car on their way home to central Ohio. We hope to see them soon at an upcoming Buckeye Puppy Match where they can have some fun with thier new puppy.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

We Take Off for Parma, Ohio, and Nova Soctia, Canada!

2009-07-20T17:11:00.000-07:00

George and Wendy Welcome Razz

George and Wendy Beatty are from Nova Scotia, Canada and they lost their wonderful 15 year old Keeshond that they shared many good times with. George flew in to Cleveland and drove out to our place to pick up his puppy. His AKC registered name will be Foxfair Christopher Lee, after the actor one of whose most famous roles was that of Rasputin, thus Razz.

It seems that Razz demonstrated a heretofore unknown talent on his way home, escape artist. Razz has talent for opening the zippers on a sherpa bag! Once in the car while George was trying to find the car rental return and found a puppy on his lap, and once in the airport terminal. George was unaware he had opened the bag until a nice lady said, "Is that a Keeshond puppy?" It seems she too had recently lost her beloved Keeshond. Adorable also seems to be Razz talent. On the plane ride to Canada he also poked his head out of the bag and the stewardess told George he should just put him on the empty seat next to him. So Razz rode home in comfort snoozing all the way on his private seat. Once home Razz then removed the front of his crate. I don't know what kind of crate this is, so either it is easy to dissasemble or Razz is just exceptionally gifted.

The Smith Family With Their New Puppy

Jeff and Lisa Smith brought home a surprise for their two year old Keeshond boy! A new puppy to play with. We think Jimmy will fit the bill as he loves playing with his littermates. Their current dog only drinks filtered water and we are wondering if he will teach the new puppy, who we called Jimmy to do the same thing! I called him Jimmy Cagney after the actor because he is so athletic and agile. The first time I called the puppies up the steps from yard, they just looked at me as if to say, "Seriously?", but Jimmy looked at this as a great adventure and flew up the steps and then ran into the house! But, also like Jimmy Cagney he liked to play the tough guy with his littermates tackling even the two boys bigger than him.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Keillor x Valentina Puppies Ready, Set, Go!

2009-07-15T16:51:00.000-07:00

Puppies Are Ready For Their New Homes!

Here are a few pictures of the puppies at 7 weeks, they usually leave for their new homes between 7 and 9 weeks of age.

The first puppy we call Fuzzy, just because he has such abundance of coat. Very cute personality and lots of fun to play with.

The second puppy is Calgary, he headed to his new home on Tuesday with Tonya Schmolke and her two girls, Natlya and Micheala, don't think I spelled that right. Ryan and I really enjoyed visiting with them. The girls and Ryan had a movie night while Tonya and I talked dogs!

The third puppy with the green collar on the table is Jimmy Cagney. Still looking for a companion or show home for him. He would be a wonderful puppy for agility, he is fearless and could also finish his championship. But he might also be happy to just be someone's hiking buddy.

The last puppy is Miss Red, she will be staying here and keeping the big dogs in line!
We have two more puppies to picture and will post them tomorrow.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Five Weeks Old and We Love to Play

2009-07-03T23:10:00.001-07:00

Ch. Keeshee's Lock Stock N'Barrel, ROM, Puppies Dad

Here is a picture of the puppies sire whose call name is "Keillor" a very nice dog, who has sired some excellent dogs with wonderful temperaments.

It has been raining this week but we have been able to get the puppies out between the raindrops. Since the ground is well drained and they are under a good sized maple tree that sits up high their area does not get too wet.

They also like the freedom of running around the yard and down the meadow but you have to be ready to go in seven directions at the same time, not easy to do - although they don't seem to have a problem with it!
This picture of the boys is the last time Ryan was able to hold all them in his arms at the same time. They are too heavy to do that now.

Today was the first time we tried to get them to come back in the house on their own. Some went and played in the flower beds instead of coming up the steps.
All that is except little Jimmy Cagney (thats who he reminds me of). He raced up the steps just because it was a challenge and he is so coordinated he could be in the olympics.

He is the smallest male but his favorite thing to do is jump on his bigger brothers and knock them over.

While the boys are busy roughhousing the girls only join in some times, other times they look at them as if to say,
"Aren't they disgusting! - the way they carry on!"

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Our Trip To Canada!

2009-06-26T17:26:00.001-07:00

NEW CANADIAN CHAMPION AM.CAN. CH. VANDABAN WESSEX, Eng. Imp.

Hardy had a good time in Canada, showing nicely and winning Winners Dog on Saturday, and Sunday at the Kingston and District Shows and on Sunday winning Winners Dog and Best of Winners at the Canadian National Specialty. Thank you to the judges who appreciated his quality
Mrs. H. Glendenning, Mr. J. Ireland and Mrs. Kathy Stewart.

Foxfair Essex

Also, having a good time for himself was his son, Foxfair Essex, only seven
months old. We took advantage of all the opportunities offered for puppies in Canada, and as result Essex showed his toes off! He won BOB at the Puppy match on Friday evening, and Best Non Sporting Puppy. Then Best Puppy in Sweepstakes under judge Kit Wilson at the Canadian National Specialty.

I have included here pictures of the Thousand Islands, actually there are 1,800 of them. Many of islands have summer cottages. We took some of the pictures from the Thousand Island Tower in Canada. It is 400 feet high with an elevator and you can walk around and see the Islands from 180 degree view. Amazingly beautiful and highly recommended if you have never been there it is worth the trip.

The show was very friendly and more casually run than the show in US. Not as much attention to the schedule, best way to handle that is relax and go with the flow. The weather was predicted for rain all every day. But, we lucked out and it only rained on Saturday afternoon and that was tolerable not a real downpour. We got to see a lot of our Canadian friends that we don't get to see very often, Don and Glady Gates were there, Janice Graves, Ardis Shurtleef, Dave Hudson, Brenda Brooks, Sheila Taylor and many others. They held a nice luncheon each day and very good hospitality.

There is a bridge to Canada that goes to an island and it is VERY steep. Well it seems like it when you are going up anyway. Only two lanes. Crossing in was not a problem nor was it coming back and all of our papers were in order.

Our accomodations in Canada was a very nice trailer we rented at the Rideau Campgrounds where the show was held. This worked out very well, it was large, had a nice kitches and small yard in front to set up our ex pens for the dogs.

On the way back we stopped at two vineyards, and sampled the wine. This I would highly recommend it was a fun experience and is really the only way to buy wine that you like. Many good varieties were available including champagne. Liberty Winery was very nice and dog friendly offering water and biscuits and well saying we could walk the dogs on the property which was nicely shaded in the heat of the afternoon.

All in all a great trip, lots of fun and a new Canadian Champion to boot!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Four Weeks Old And We Eat Puppy Food and Play With Toys

2009-06-18T06:35:00.001-07:00

I've Been Smooshed!

It seems like the best way to get pictures of puppies this age is to hold them in your arms. Well with the two girls it is easy, but with the five boys at four weeks of age - not so easy!

Fortunately, it is Ryan that gets to the holding while I take the pictures. The puppies seem pretty advanced and are already crunching up dry puppy food. They like their baby cereal too, with milk and a little maple syrup.

The Last two puppies pictured are the girls. In the picture one look quite a bit bigger than the other, but in person the difference is not as apparent.
The girls always seem together, I think they are looking for protection from that horde of boys!

It has been raining the last few days, but hopefully after the weekend it will clear up and they go outside again. Then we can take some nice pictures with outdoor lighting. Their spot is right under the maple tree with lots of shade, and of course toys!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Three Weeks Old And We Can Play

2009-06-07T16:09:00.001-07:00

HI EVERYBODY!

At three weeks old the puppies are now playing with each other. They are not that steady on their feet so if they go to paw each other they often roll over!
OOPS!

They also lick each other faces and make puppy noises. You can see in the pictures they are also fuzzier and have more coat.

Their mom continues to take good care of them and is eating 2 cups of cottage cheese 1 can of puppy food plus 2 cups of dry food a day.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Two Weeks Old and We Can See Some Of the World!

2009-06-01T17:50:00.001-07:00

WE CAN SEE YOU NOW!

The puppies are now two weeks old. They are lighter colored than when they were born, have more coat, weigh almost two pounds and most amazing of all can see a little. We can divide puppies at this age into "eyes shut", "pirates" (one eye open) and "Look out world here I come!".

Valentina is great about visitors. She has lots of energy, amazing for taking care of seven puppies. She now wants to play when she takes a break then rushes back in to take care of the babies. It is almost like she has a watch. Her longest break is in the morning when she goes out with Andy and Essex. She runs around with them for about 40 minutes and then wants to come back in NOW!

The puppies are very content. At this age they sleep most of the time. When they are not sleeping they are eating. This is very serious business. They don't make much noise as they are too busy getting a place at the table.

They are starting to get up on their legs. Today someone did not like what they saw and let out a little growl. I think that was when they saw a giant sitting in their whelping box!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

New Litter - Born May 18th - 7 Healthy Puppies!!

2009-05-20T19:09:00.001-07:00

by Ryan Lynch

Starting with a girl at 10:40 PM on Sunday, May 17th and ending with a girl at 3:40 AM on Monday, May 18th Valantina now has seven healthy puppies five boys and two girls!!

But, don't take my word for it. A picture says a thousand words!

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New Puppies in Nova Scotia, Canada

2009-05-09T06:57:00.000-07:00

Jennifer and Meisje Had A Busy Night!

We got an email this morning from Jennifer Bates in Nova Scotia, titled, "What Did you do Last Night?"
Well, it is pretty clear what Jennifer and Meisje did from the attached photo - it was titled "Two Very Special Boys."

The boys are sired by our Ch. Foxfair Excalibur now the sire of ten champions.

We know that Jennifer was hoping for a larger litter as she had six last time by Andy, but these boys look just darling and hungry too!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Emma - Pretty, Smart - and Agile!

2009-04-25T17:12:00.001-07:00

Ch. Foxfair Impetuous, RN - At Her First Agility Trial

We knew that Emma was beautiful, she was Reserve Winner Bitch at the KCA National Specialty and finished her championship easily.

Now it seems she and Jeanne are on their way to becoming competitors in the agility ring as well.

Emma scored three legs in her first weekend out in agility. This in spite the fact that it was held in a horse arena. Emma did not have any experience with horses and their "Great Smells", but after a brief sniff she went on to focus on the obstacles at hand. It takes a year or more to train a dog for competition in agility and we admire Jeanne's dedication and congratulate both of them on a job well done and a new journey in canine performance.

Emma's sister Ch. Foxfair Valentina is at home expecting a litter of puppies in mid May by Ch.Keeshee's Lock Stock N' Barrel. The girls are from our litter sired by Ch. Trumpets Mr. Beaujangles, BIS,BISS and out of the beautiful Foxfair Zarya, also Reserve Winners Bitch at the National Specialty.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

"Reilly" Makes Champion Number Ten for Am. Can. Ch. Foxfair Excalibur, "Andy"

2009-03-31T18:32:00.000-07:00

A Very Happy
Ch. Wyndjammers Hoist the Flag, smiles for his championship picture

About a year ago "Reilly, now Champion Wyndjammers Hoist the Flag, RN, had an accident whilst leaping up for a toy that was caught in a tree. Then surgery. Now fully recovered he went back to the show ring in Conformation to finish his championship. Robin Skinner, his breeder, owner/handler reports he was down briefly but never out and always full of spirit. So, now he shows everyone that he is both beautiful and smart.

This makes Champion number ten for "Andy", who is very proud of his son in northwest. Reilly and all of the Wyndjammer Kees and Robins' husband Ken live happily in Portland, Oregon, the city of roses!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Valentina and Keillor

2009-03-30T14:51:00.000-07:00

Well, even dogs can be fickle. It seems that Valentina has abandoned her one true love, Andy, in favor another guy. This is such a long distance relationship that her next litter was planned via "Fed Ex". He is very handsome and to be honest Andy has suffered somewhat at her rejection.

The guy's name is Keillor, otherwise known as Am. Can. Ch. Keeshee's Lock Stock N'Barrel. Keillor has also been known to "play the field". But, since Andy just sired a litter in Canada, also via "Fed Ex" he really doesn't have a leg to stand on. Word has it that the new guy is younger than Andy. I haven't told him that yet. It is still possible that she will change her mind for next time.

Puppies are due May 16th.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Darby Earns Two New Titles!

2009-03-17T17:49:00.000-07:00

FOXFAIR EDAN O'ERIN
CGC,TDI

It seems that Darby is going to celebrate St. Patricks Day by adding some new titles to his name. CGC is a basic title that says this dog is a Canine Good Citizen. The dog has to pass a number of tests including sitting and behaving while strange dogs are around, not getting upset when an umbrella opens suddenly, heeling on leash, sitting, staying and coming when called. Ward says that Darby passed with flying colors.

The next title is TDI, Therapy Dogs International. For this test the dog has to show that he/she is obedient in a number of situations and would be suitable to go into a school or hospital or other therapy setting. The dog cannot jump up on people and must be quiet when approached by strangers. So, I will let Ward do the talking for the rest of this blog.

"Since Saturday was Darby's 2nd birthday, and today is St. Patrick's Day, thought it a good time just to let you know that your Irish boy is thriving! Passed his CGC/Therapy Dog International tests with flying colors and I am including a picture that I recently had to take and send off for his therapy badge! He attended his very first obedience match last weekend and did beautifully for his first time out of our school environment. He simply loves every new experience that comes his way - don't think he could possibly ever have a "down" day! Of course with a match, food is allowed in the ring so he was in heaven."

"I have adored every dog I ever owned, but (out of earshot for Gunner!),I must admit that Darby is really extra special. His personality is so exceptional and every moment with him is fun. Perhaps the fact that he does not ever want to leave my side, is part of my great attachment for him!"

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Leaving Home - Saying Goodbye!

2008-12-27T18:38:00.001-08:00

CHRISTMAS PUPPIES

Actually, we have never had puppies at Christmastime. We usually prefer to have them in the spring when they can go outside. But dogs only come into season twice a year so we decided to breed April to Hardy and have winter puppies. It turned out to be a lot of fun, having them right off the kitchen so we could play with them all the time and they could see what is going on. Being right next to the laundry room, they should be able to do their own laundry by now!

CAMBRIA AND MARLA HARPER - Cleveland, Ohio

So, last week first Marla Harper came and picked up her little girl. Marla was referred to us by our long time friend in Keeshonden, Carol Cash. Marla got a beautiful show girl, who will be named Foxfair Cambria. Call name not yet determined. We had a very nice visit with Marla and her sister, also a dog lover par excelance. It is always comforting to have puppies go to families that understand dogs. Marla's sister has Pomeranians so her tolerance for canine behavior has to be very high!
Marla and Cambria will be going to puppy class at Cleveland All Breed Training.

KUMA AND DAWN AND SCOTT NOVICK - Seven Hills, Ohio

Next to leave was our big boy, who will be called Kuma by his new owners, Dawn and Scott Novick. Kuma means "bear" in Japanese. Kuma joins his half brother, bred by Debbie Hodges who is also a Hardy son - his name is Jake. Jake is not quite sure what is going on at his house. He was under the impression he was an only dog. But he watches the puppy carefully and Dawn reports that when the cat hissed at the puppy, Jake stepped in to protect him. Kuma likes lots of attention and will be going to puppy class at Cleveland All Breed.

SKIPPER AND MARY AND ALLAN MAC VICAR - Nova Scotia, Canada

An update on our Nova Scotia boy. It seems that Mary and Allan Mac Vicar ran into a snow storm on their way home. They had to get off the highway in Pennsylvania and stay overnight. Then their plane couldn't land in Halifax and they had to be bused a couple of hours home. But, they report that, Skipper, was a trooper. Never cried on the plane, just stuck his head out of the Sherpa bag to be petted then went right back to sleep. No grass at the bus station or the airport - but paper training came in handy!. They put papers down in the bathroom and then off they went. Skipper is adjusting well to being a Canadian and it seems that his "Aunt Glady" will be having a get together to introduce him to the other Canadian Keeshonden and their families.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Baby It's Cold Outside

2008-12-22T10:10:00.000-08:00

Brrrr! The puppies had another adventure today with a short run down the meadow in the snow, it was in the 30's but they managed to follow Ryan down the meadow and back. Jeanne and Ryan then swooped them up for a quick photo before going back inside. We tried a photo session then, but they were much more interested in taking a nap than taking pictures.

Congratulations to Mary and Allan Mac Vicar from Halifax, Nova Scotia on the purchase of their beautiful male puppy, who will be called Skipper. Show name still pending. After having dinner with us Mary and Allan left to drive to Toronto, and catch a plane this morning for Halifax. We know they had to drive through the snow in Buffalo and are hoping to hear from them soon!

No trips outside today for the puppies, the windchill is below zero!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

THANK HEAVEN FOR LITTLE GIRLS AND BOYS TOO!

2008-12-14T16:53:00.001-08:00

Well they are now six weeks old and there is a big difference between five weeks and six weeks, as in YIKES! Before they would play quietly around me with their toys. Ryan asked, "Don't you need a gate to keep them in these three rooms?" So, I told him not to worry they wouldn't go anywhere. That was true until the day they turned six weeks, then that afternoon they grabbed their toys and ran for it all the way down the hall to the bedrooms. The next morning they didn't even wait for their breakfast but dived into dry dog food scattering it all over their pen. So they are growing up and wanting to explore the world.

They get brushed every day, but this week they will begin to get brushed on the table. Play time will include walking along with me - hilarious to watch. You need to learn to do the "puppy shuffle" which means walking with out picking up your feet so you don't step on anyone. This is much easier with hardwood floors!

Thier routine is still the same, I get up (they wake me up) at 7:00 or 6:40, April goes out side, I make the puppies breakfast, rice baby cereal, milk, canned puppy food, and dry puppy food. Pick up puppy papers and mop pen while they are eating. Take all soft toys and bedding out of puppy pen and put in laundry. Put in new papers, toys and bedding from dryer. Give April her breakfast. Put laundry in dryer. Let April out again. Let April back in. Play with puppies.
Repeat at Noon. etc, etc.

Their personalities are beginning to emerge and they a real joy!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Jeanne Comes To See The Puppies

2008-11-29T17:50:00.000-08:00

The two girls are pictured together and the three boys are pictured together.

The puppies had a big day today. First they moved to their new quarters, meaning out of my bedroom and into the puppy room, which is adjacent to the laundry room. Very convenient for washing puppy blankets, beds and toys. Ryan set up their pen with two rooms, one for playing and eating, and one for "personal hygiene" aka the " potty".

Then Jeanne came this afternoon. April was, of course, very happy to see her and ended up sitting in her lap. She misses Jeanne, but was happy to share the puppies with her. So, Jeanne and I admired the puppies for a while, and cleaned up. Then we went to the Vancura Art Gallery. Came back had dinner and played with the puppies, took pictures, or tried to take pictures. They were a little thrown by the hardwood floors at first, but soon acclimated and started playing around. So, all in all a very nice day, new digs, visitors, and fun - but very tiring, as you can see!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

THREE WEEKS OLD TODAY

2008-11-18T18:17:00.000-08:00

OUR EYES ARE OPEN!

We can see each other now, YIKES! That means that the puppies can play. Only one problem, they are not too steady on their feet, so if they go to paw another puppy they just might fall over - hmm need to rethink that strategy.

April continues to be a great mom, but she now takes breaks and spends a little time with me during day, just taking a nap or walking out in the snow. Yes, I said snow, about 10 inches. We do live in the snow belt after all. I will take some pics and post them just to prove it.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

GUESS WHAT WE WEIGH ONE POUND!

2008-11-07T18:18:00.000-08:00

So, for puppies whose eyes are still shut, they have an excellent sense of location. Meaning they can find mom and dinner with no problem at all. One of my friends called the other day to ask how the puppies were doing and I said, "Oh, you mean the five the little pigs!" Honestly, you almost never see them when they are not nursing! Although they do get in a fair amount of sleep as well.

Above you will notice they are organized into groups of two and three. This happens frequently.
Interestingly, enough it is the two girls and three boys that seem to get together. How do they know? It is a mystery, actually. Keeshond puppies gain about a pound a week. By eight weeks they weigh approximately 8lbs, some a little more and some a little less. In this litter they are all about the same size. Except - well in some litters you have a "runt", or the smallest puppy. In this litter we have the opposite - the biggest puppy! He weighs a pound and a half. Someone remarked on how content he was. I think that is because he is full.

They are doing very well, and as you can see their markings are beginning to develop quite nicely.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Darby, Ward and Gunner

2008-11-01T12:10:00.000-07:00

DARBY GOES TO NEW JERSEY

Darby is the son of Ch. Foxfair Excalibur and Ch. Foxfair Valentina, a beautiful dog with outstanding head type, outline and markings, he didn't quite make the size we were hoping for to compete as a special. With his exceptional personality and drive he will make a wonderful performance dog for Ward Griffiths. Ward is an obedience trainer, and she specifically wanted a young dog and not a puppy. Darby seemed to fit the bill

They are pictured here at training class, she will have somewhat of a challenge as Darby is exceptionally food motivated! Well, he is a Keeshond after all. Even before he left the house Ward was giving him hand signals and little treats. He does have to share Ward with her Labrador, Gunner, who may still be thinking that Darby is only there on vacation and may leave soon. However, Ward reports that she and Darby have bonded and he will be staying in Connecticut. He has made freinds with the other dogs belonging to Ward's trainer friends at the training center. Like his grandmother, Foxfair Zarya, he has a very bubbly personality.
I hope in the future that we get to see them compete.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

April and the "Really Weird, PuppyBassinet"

2008-10-31T18:01:00.000-07:00

Serves Me Right For Catalog Shopping!

A few weeks before we are expecting a litter I usually do a little shopping in the Pet Edge catalog, or some other pet supply catalog.
They are very efficient and send the supplies right away.

They have advertised specials, and this time one of the specials was a, "puppy bassinet", blue and/or pink, 22" long. Sounded good.
I usually use a basket or box to put the puppies in when I am changing the bedding and this was on sale for the very
modest price of $5.99. Imagine my surprise when this came out of the box!

Ryan asked me "What in the world is that?" I explained, and he wanted to know what I was going to do with it after the puppies got to be two weeks old, as of course, by this time they would be climbing out it, if not sooner.
I suggested that Tigger, his cat could use it for a bed. "Not my cat, do you want to make him into a weirdo?"
Not really. Well, I think if I take off the curtains and lace, then Tigger might think it is okay.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

New Litter - April and the Bonus Puppy

2008-10-29T21:59:00.000-07:00

APRIL AND HER FAMILY

So, some of you may know that one of the things breeders do to assure a safe whelping is to take a pre-whelping x-ray. This is taken 3 to 5 days before the first possible whelping date to count the number of puppies expected. This way breeders can be prepared and know if after 2.5 hours between puppies they need to seek help. You are also alerted to an abnormally small or large litter which can pose their own special problems.

I took April in for her x-ray and at first Dr. Borger thought there might be 5 puppies, but when only the shadow of a skull could be seen and no other vertebrae he decided there were four. Mind you reading these things is no easy task, to the untrained eye it looks like smoke and indigestion. These pre-whelping x-rays are nothing like hips and patellas which are very clear and easy to see.

On Sunday night April was very restless, she kept me up most of night just circling and digging around in the whelping box. Then around breakfast time my sister, Donna, came over and said she would like some oatmeal, I made some instant oatmeal in the microwave, then rushed back from the kitchen to see how April was doing. She was doing just fine, she had one puppy, a boy! Five minutes later there was another one, this time a girl. My sister came back and helped me with tying off a few cords, not something she was planning on for the day!

Donna wanted to see the next puppy, and waited about and hour and half, right after she left, April produced another boy and girl in quick succession. Since there were two puppies in each horn of the uterus, this made sense. I thought she was through and after weighing the puppies and rearranging the bedding, I went off to make her some chicken noodle soup. This is a dish that most new mothers really enjoy.

April had a little soup, seemed very content and settled in to take care of the babies. I was reading in the adjoining room. Now mind you neither she or the puppies made ANY NOISE at all in the next hour. I went in to check them again and noticed the blanket was a little damp, so as I was putting down clean towels, I noticed the group of puppies seemed different than before. Hmm. What was it?

I counted them, 1-2-3-4 -- 5, what! 1-2-3-4---5! Yikes! Not believing what I was seeing, I decided to sex them, two girls, check, three boys, check, check, check. Thats right the "shadow" turned out to be a very healthy boy puppy. April was totally non-plussed by my antics, she calmly regarded me with her ears up, not anxious at all - very in control. She is just about the most confident and competent first time mother I have ever seen.

She comes by this naturally as her mother, Nightwind's Sillium, is a well known dam of many champions, who produced 8 puppies in each litter and easily whelped and raised them all.

Obviously, April takes after her mom.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Am. Ch. Vandaban Wessex, Eng. Imp.

2008-10-08T12:13:00.001-07:00

HARDY AND JEANNE HAVING FUN!

Hardy was imported by us from England when he was 12 weeks old. He was in the last litter for the famous Vandaban Kennels of Diane and Ashley Banfield whelped before their retirement. He was picked for us from the litter by our friend Gina Marsh of Devon, England who made many trips to view the puppies. It turns out that the litter was very impressive with littermates finishing their Championships on three different continents all before the age of two. Hardy in the USA, as Ch. Vandaban Wessex, and his sisters finishing their Championships in Australia and Sweden.

Hardy has sired two previous litters and when they were shown at the Keeshond Club of America Specialty they earned their sire a first place in the Stud Dog Class. The dam of these litters were Keeshee Nightwind Silium, who is also the dam of April - Hardy's current intended, and Ch. Foxfair Impetuous RN. We are hoping for the same high quality puppies from this litter also, as April herself has an outstanding temperament, conformation and movement. April is also a daughter of Ch. Foxfair Excalibur, BISS, currently the sire of nine champions.

Hardy has been shown only on a limited basis in the United States, he finished his championship easily, but he is after all an English dog and is a little different than the typical Keeshond in the US. He is a bit larger, measuring officially at 19" this is within the standard, however, many of the dogs competing today are closer to 17". He is a very handsome dog, and breathtaking to look at - we are very happy and proud to share him with you.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Hardy and April - Halloween Babies

2008-10-06T20:53:00.000-07:00

New Champion Nightwind Foxfair Trillium
"April", and Jeanne - Looking Very Good!

I just looked at the date of my last post and it has been a year!! Goodness where does the time go.
We have been very busy this year working on the house putting in hardwood floors, redoing the kitchen and the driveway, and landscaping the yard. Also, I am volunteering for the election and that takes some time as well.

Now on to doggy doings. We are expecting a litter on or around October 31st, which makes them Halloween babies. But since I love Halloween but don't like scary names, they will probably be some other theme, ideas are welcome. The parents are our English import and American Champion Vandaban Wessex, "Hardy" and our new Champion Nightwind Foxfair Trillium, known as "April". I will post Hardy's new picture in my next blog.

April just finished her championship this summer. She went out of coat and we held her back until she was in full coat so we could show her. She is a very sweet dog and follows us all over the place. I think she will make a great mom.

Staying with us this weekend are Jou Jou Smith, Windy's full sister, while her mom is on a walking tour of France with her daughter, and our very own Zarya. Zarya is the mom and grandmom of Windy, Jou Jou, and Valentina and Emma, Darby and Ashling, to name a few.
Interestingly I kept her in the house the first few days thinking that at her age she really didn't want to put up with the girls running outside all over the place. Then she was out there and they ran out and she wouldn't come in. She loves being with them, and is, of course, ruling the roost just like old times. Some things never change.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Teething and Other Joys of Puppyhood

2007-09-21T13:39:00.001-07:00

RUFFY, AND FAMILY POSE FOR A PICTURE

Life is good in Florida, where you have your pick two nice people to pay attention to you!
Ruffy is from our last litter of Windy x Andy. His family drove from Florida to pick him up and had a nice trip home. Now these puppies are teething and leading everyone on a merry chase as they try to subsititute chew toys and bones, for shoes, furniture and drywall.

Teething puppies have swollen gums that hurt like mad and they will put literally ANYTHING,
in their mouth. They have an urge to chew to get the baby teeth out!! This means that everything is fair game, fingers, pants legs, toes, chair legs, rugs, whatever comes to mind or is nearby. One thing that is very helpful is to put marrow bones that you get from the butcher in the freezer, or any chew toy in the freezer. You can place these items in a large plastic bag in the freezer. Keeping several kinds of chew toys on hand will protect you and your posessesions from being objects of their attention.

Knucle bones are especially good for working out baby teeth. It is good to check their mouth every few days to make sure all teeth are coming out. If you see two teeth overlapping give the puppy a knuckle bone and check again the next day to make sure the baby teeth have come out.
Overlapping teeth in puppies just like in humans will cause a crooked bite. Ocassionaly a puppy will have to have the retained tooth removed by the veterinarian. This is a last resort after giving all manner of knuckle bones to get the stubborn teeth out!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Puppy's First Night in a New Home

2007-08-25T17:33:00.000-07:00

Puppies At Seven Weeks

In two weeks these seven week old puppies will be spending their first night in their new homes. How successful thier first night will be, will depend a lot on the preparation given to them by their breeder and the planning of their new owner. The first thing the new owner can do to help prepare is to carefully plan the date of pick up for their puppy. It should be a time when you can spend uninterrupted time with your new puppy. Perhaps a Friday afternoon, so you can spend the whole weekend. Or if you have vacation time the beginning of your vacation. It should be a time when there are no holidays, special events, parties or extra guests so you can spend time with your new puppy.

When you pick up your puppy make sure to ask the breeder about the puppy's routine. Here puppies have a regular schedule. They eat breakfast at 9am, lunch at 1pm, dinner at 6pm. They go out after dinner and just before bedtime. They go to bed between 9pm and 10pm. The routine is a biscuit, I say good night, and turn out all the lights. There is no night light. The puppies know that a dark room means sleep time and they go to sleep.

Ask your breeder what their routine is and then try to adapt to it. If it does not suit your lifestyle make changes gradually. Puppies should sleep in crates or exercise pens, for their own safety and the safety of your posessions. You can have newspaper in the bottom of the crate, a small bucket of water clipped to the side of the crate and a chew bone. They should be able to sleep through the night if their schedule is followed.

Before putting your new puppy to bed, however, make sure you play with the puppy and give it some excercise. A few laps around the yard is fine and a little game of playing ball should do it for an 8- 10 week old puppy. Do not take your puppy on the street or to a park or out of your yard until it has had it's second shot. Just play in the house or yard. A half hour to 45 minutes of play should get the puppy tired for a good nights sleep.

Now put the puppy to bed. If the crate is in your bedroom that is fine. If the puppy barks ignore it for at least five minutes. Then if you think the puppy needs to go out take it out to potty. Do not play with it or talk to it. This is an exercise break not play time. Put the puppy back in the crate and let it go to sleep. Ignore noise. If you keep playing with puppy, puppy will get the idea that through barking they can get you up. Do not be tempted. The next night will be easier!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

New Champion Andy Daughter

2007-08-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

PISTOL AND JUDY
Ch. Spirits Prime Suspect

This is a picture of proud breeder/owner/handler Judy Thompson and new Ch. Spirits Prime Suspect, better known as "Pistol". There is a reason for this name, you see Pistol was - well lets just say she was a "handfull" as a puppy. She was trying to live up to Judy's kennel name and had a lot of "spirit"as a puppy, which made her a "challenge" to train!

Now, you wouldn't ever know any of this because she is a very accomplished show girl. She finished her championship Memorial Day weekend with a five point major. The next weekend, her first time out as a special, as a move up, she won the breed over Specials competition, and placed in a very competitive Non-Sporting Group. Judy says that Pistol was slow to mature, but was, "Well worth the wait." We congratulate Judy and "Pistol". Her mom, Am. Can. Ch. Trumpets Spirit in the Sky Esprit, HOF, and her dad Am. Can. Foxfair Excalibur, BISS, are also very proud of their beautiful young daughter.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Busy Saturday

2007-08-18T11:39:00.001-07:00

Spadafora Family
and Puppy Girl

Sergio Gets A Puppy Kiss

One of the great pleasures of breeding dogs is putting puppies into the arms of people who will love them. So this happend twice on Saturday. First when Cecily Jarvis and her husband came to get their puppy dog. We were so chatty that I didn't get a picture of them with their puppy boy. They drove all the way from Fort Pierce, Florida to pick up their new baby. He was not impressed since he was still smarting over his morning bath and quite irritated with his sisters who were totally reved up and just plain annoying! He seemed very thrilled to get in the car with Cecily and her husband. They placed him in a nice large crate fitted out with pad, water, toy, food and rawhide. He looked around, pronounced it very satisfactory and quietly laid down. Off they went back to Florida.

Next came the Spadafora family with their two wonderful children. Very used to cats they were also great with the puppies. Sergio took off with sister and they ran all the puppies, Pi and Nova around the meadow, SEVERAL TIMES. I commented to Dr. Spadafora that this was going to make for a very quiet ride home to Pennsylvania. Their new puppy, christened, LUNA, snuggled in Sergios arms and I took a picture. After they left I went in the house uploaded the pictures. I loved the first one. The expression on Sergios face was just pure joy. I didn't think the next one could be any better, but decided to take a look anyway. And, there it was, Luna, giving him a BIG KISS. I need to mention their daughter also, because she was so kind with puppies, and Nova, who normally does not buddy up to children just sat in her lap and gave a big sigh. Here was someone who would pet her sweetly - HEAVEN.

SILVER GIRL ENJOYING
THE SHADE

So we will look forward to hearing how the puppies do in their new homes and seeing pictures of them as they grow up. We will share these with you our faithful readers. In the meantime, silver girls is left by herself. She would not be here but the family from Virginia that called cancelled and in the meantime we had turned people away because we thought she was promised. She will be ideal as a companion or for someone looking for a super agility prospect. She is small, energetic and VERY SMART.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Keeshond Puppies - Andy x Meisje's Canadian Girls

2007-08-05T19:21:00.000-07:00

`CANADIAN GIRL
Kikjer - Andy x Mesije
At Four Months

CANADIAN GIRL
Maggie - Andy x Meisje
Age 4 months

Maggie Learning to Bait

These are two of the girl puppies from the litter that Jennifer Bates bred this year via frozen semen. I thought you would enjoy seeing them - they are sooo pretty. The first one is the girl kept by Jennifer, her name is Kikjer - pronounced - Ky-ker. She is coming along very nicely and will be one of those lovely femine girls.

The next one is Maggie and you can see by her picture how compact and gorgeous she is. Very pretty profile and coat and also a nice expression. She is owned by Glady Gates daughter, and we understand that Glady may be showing her!

I think that both of these girls should do very well in the ring and will make their parents very proud of them. This pedigree is a combination of Foxfair and Seawind background, both of which go back to some Rhinevale breeding - a very beautiful combination that Jennifer and Glady created. Congratulations to everyone.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Keeshond, Ch. Vandaban Wessex, "Hardy"

2007-08-04T05:10:00.000-07:00

Hardy, Ch. Vandaban Wessex,
July 2007, at Foxfair

This is one of a few photos I snapped of Hardy a few weeks ago standing next to our woods. This weekend Jeannie came up for the Columbiana Show which is part of the big Mahoning Shenango, Canfield weekend. This is one of the largest shows in the country with 3,000 dogs entered each day of the four day weekend. Winning a group placement here is highly sought after and competitive, because everyone else wants one too!

At two years old in only his second weekend out at all breed shows as a special Hardy won the breed under highly respected Keeshond judge Lorraine Boutwell and place 4th in Group under well known judge Paula Hartinger. Jeannie is entered the rest of the weekend in Agility shows in Cincinnati so Hardy was only entered the one day. We are very pleased to have such a nice a start to his specials career at such a prestigous show.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Keeshond Puppies

2007-07-30T18:10:00.000-07:00

WE ARE READY TO PLAY!

WHAT WE DON'T EAT!

Our puppies are raised on wholistic premium dog food kibble, milk, rice baby cereal, cottage cheese, eggs and mom. Thier treats are wholisitic biscuits with all natural ingredients, no sugar, no dye and no fillers. However, as everyone knows dogs will beg for treats from the table and have sad eyes when you are eating just about anything. It is best to give your puppy treats when they earn them. For sitting for example. You can get your puppy to sit easily by putting the treat over his head and putting your hand under his rear.

Just because you eat something, however, does not mean that it is good for your puppy. There are some things that dogs and puppies should NEVER have. Here is a short list of FORBIDDEN ITEMS, that will make your Keeshond sick, JUST SAY NO TO - CHOCOLATE - this has theobromine in it and a small amount can kill a puppy, NOTHING WITH ARTIFICIAL SWEETNER - like chewing gum with sorbitol or aspartame, or candy with these ingredients. NO RAISINS, GRAPES OR DRIED FRUIT - these things can really poison a dog or play havoc with their intestines. NO GREENIES - NO PIG EARS - NO COW HOOFS - or any other odd item from the pet store. NO COOKED BONES - these will splinter and can damage their intestine. Puppy proof your house and keep your purse and other bags off the floor where puppy can get to them and investigate.

WHAT WE DO EAT

Now you are asking, what can I give my puppy? Well, there are some very nice wholistic treats that are good for their teeth and gums. They can also have baked biscuits like Mother Hubbard dog biscuits, and Iams biscuits in the box. Another nice treat for chewing is a natural bone that is sterilized these are readily available at the pet food store. Their diet should not be supplemented more than 10% with treats or home food additions. Home food can be vegetables like green beans, carrots, cooked meat in small pieces like chicken, or beef, a little rice or cottage cheese is fine, a cooked egg chopped can be added once in a while. No raw eggs as dogs dont digest the albumin well.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Keeshond Puppies at Seven Weeks

2007-07-30T13:43:00.000-07:00

POLITE LADIES CROSS THEIR PAWS!

POSING COMES NATURALLY
The puppies are loving spending the day outside. Most of the time they are in their pen under the big maple tree with their toys. But these pictures were taken at the end of the day when they are allowed out to run down the meadow and in the wild flowers. Pi likes to run with them and she shows them how to retrieve but they don't quite have the hang of that yet.

Queen Annes Lace is in full bloom now and they love playing with these flowers and running through them. There is also a little hill and some rocks they like to stand on and play "king of the mountain" this puppy was caught posing and looking as a littermate ran up to the deck.

Some of them will be leaving for their new homes this weekend and some the following weekend. We will miss them, but know they are going to wonderful homes that will love them as much we do.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

New Keeshond Champion

2007-07-21T17:20:00.000-07:00

CHAMPION #7 for Andy
Ch. Nightwinds Tip Off

Congratulations to Debbie and Robin Hodges on finishing their newest champion, Ch. Nightwinds Tip Off. "Tipper" is the seventh champion for his sire Ch. Foxfair Excalibur. His dam is Keeshee Nightwind Sillium, otherwise known as Silly. Debbie has other "Silly" children at home waiting to get back into the show ring. Debbie says Tipper will take some time off to come into an adult coat before he goes to back to the ring as a special. He finished today with his fourth major at the Medina Kennel Club dog show. At the National Specialty this year he was also placed Best of Opposite Sex in the Maturity. The photo is a snapshot I took of him in the ring posing nicely for Debbie.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Keeshonds: How The Foxfair Dogs Are Spending Their Summer

2007-07-20T21:26:00.000-07:00

MAGGIE TAKES A DIP WITH A FRIEND

Some Keeshonds really know how to live it up in the summer, and keep cool at the same time. Here Foxfair Maggie Mae, who is owned and loved by Valerie in Wisconsin, takes a dip in her private pool. Looking on is her friend Buddy, the West Highland White Terrier. Buddy's and his parents look after Maggs when Val is working. Val says Maggie has completed her puppy class, and is now working in obedience. She also has mastered the tricks of give paw, chase squirells, and chase bugs! Yikes, bugs! Maggies is from our spring litter and her brother and sister, Darby and Ashling are here, now known as the Evil Twins!

ODIN AND PAT ENJOYING THE LAKE

Next is Odin, who is owned and loved by Greg and Pat Wade, also of Wisconsin. They also have a Norwegian Forest Cat and I hear they get along splendidly. Odin is also an Andy son and has learned at lot at his training classes. He particularly enjoys showing off his boat and getting wet - just like the Keeshond barge dogs in Holland. And, of course directing Greg and Pat on how to steer the boat! Greg and Pat appreciate his coat which is, of course, drip dry!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Keeshond Puppies At Five Weeks

2007-07-16T18:19:00.001-07:00

THE PUPPIES GET VISITORS

This was the weekend of the Grand River and Ashtabula Kennel Club dog shows. It is a beautiful setting up by Lake Erie. So, Jeannie Buente, who is the co-owner and handler of the Foxfair Keeshonden came to visit and see the puppies!

We had a very nice time playing with the puppies, who now have a new toy. In thier big pen in the yard under the maple tree, we put a nylon crate. They can't do it any harm since Jill kind of took care of that when she chewed the door!

The puppies are eating puppy food now and growing very quickly. One of their favorite toys is a sherpa ball that is very nice for dragging around. They are also getting very photogenic, so we will be taking more pics of them this week.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Keeshond - The Puppy Crate

2007-07-09T14:03:00.000-07:00

Crate Training Puppy

Shopping for your new puppy will depend on what you already have at home. The first thing to consider is a crate. This is a place where you can keep your puppy when your are busy and don't have time to watch him/her, and place where the puppy can sleep at night or take a nap. It is not to be used a punishment or as a place to keep the puppy all the time. The more puppy proofed your house is, the less time your puppy will have to spend in the crate.

We prefer and recommend a wire crate over the all plastic crates. Plastic crates are meant to be used as airline carriers. They are too warm for Keeshonden and are difficult to clean. In addition to poor ventilation plastic crates do not provide a chance for the dog to see out from all sides. The size for a Keeshond can vary slightly depending on whether your puppy is boy or a girl and size at maturity. Generally speaking the crate should be about 21 to 22 inches high, 18 inches wide and 30 inches long. A few inches either way won't make much difference. Most crates fold down easily for storage and for carrying in the car. Make sure to get the kind with the slide out tray as they are much easier to clean. Add a small stainless steel bucket with a double headed snap and 2 quart stainless steel feeding dish and your puppy will be all set for naps and night time.

Crates can be purchased at your local Petsmart, or Pet Supply dealer or you can order them on-line from one of the dog catalogs like, dogs.com, jbwholesale.com, or petsedge.com.

Next time we will talk about toys and treats.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Keeshond Puppies at Four Weeks

2007-07-07T13:59:00.000-07:00

Here Are The Boys!

Here Are The Girls!

Keeshond puppies at four weeks old are starting to look like the darling little babies they will become at eight weeks. Now they have teeth! They bark at each other and sometimes at other strange things they see. They are starting to play with toys, and, today, they started to eat their baby foood. This is a mixture of Gerbers instant rice baby cereal, evaporated milk, Karo Syrup and warm water, YUM! In fact, they finished a dish an a half today. This is after yesterday turning up their noses at the whole thing. In the meantime their mom is going through about 6-8 cups of premium kibble a day, along with a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese.

I, on the other hand, just noticed that I have gone through 1 bottle of Laundry Soap in a week, that does 20 loads to a bottle. YIKES!

Of course they are still with their mom, and she takes good care of them. But, devoted as she is, she is willing to take breaks now and then. She runs around the meadow with Pi, or just relaxes with a rawhide before going back to her motherly duties.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Dogs and Fireworks - Dont Mix

2007-07-04T04:11:00.000-07:00

FIREWORKS ARE NOT FOR DOGS!

No one loves the 4th of July more than I do. Growing up as a part of the baby boom it was a highlight of the year. Every block in my neighborhood had their own float. When we weren't part of that we decorated our bicycles and rode in the parade. Later, as part of our 4-H group we rode our horses in the 4th of July parade. One year I went as Betsy Ross with a white bonnet and long dress, riding side saddle on my 4-H American Saddlebred mare, Babe, aka Lady Hamilton Stonewall, with a flag draped just behind the saddle. Fortunately her calm nature led her to behave just fine in spite of the band! In later years when my Arabian mare, Tali, and I were in the 4th of July parade, she, who took almost everything in stride, started snorting and running backwards while we were lining up for the parade. I looked up and saw the problem, a GIANT 15 foot tall COW, mounted on a float!

But, every year on the 4th of July, hundreds if not thousands of dogs are so frightened by the fireworks that they run away from home. Some are never found. Dogs have diffeent reactions to the loud sounds of fireworks, depending on how sound sensitive they are. Here are some tips for helping your dog deal with the booming sounds of the 4th of July and New Years, or any time when loud noises abound.

* Keep your dog inside the house and dont take them to fireworks displays.

* Dont reassure your dog by excessive petting and talking. Your presence and normal behavior will resassure your pet.

* Minimize then noise of the fireworks by playing television, turning on fans, running the dishwasher and playing music. Background noise will mask the sounds of the fireworks.

*If your dog wants to hide let him/her find a comfortable place.

* A nice juicy marrow bone, Kong with peanut butter or other favorite treat can take their mind of their troubles.

Most Keeshonden are not that bothered by the sounds. Dogs that truly panic and try to escape inside the house by digging at doors etc, may need a sedative from your veterinarian or natural calming therapy like Bachs Rescue Remedy.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Keeshond - Ch. Foxfair Excalibur - "Andy"

2007-07-03T18:35:00.001-07:00

AM. CAN. CH. FOXFAIR EXCALIBUR, BISSW, BISS

Andy winning the Breed at Mahoning Shenango
Kennel Club with Co-Owner Jeanne Buente under Judge Jackie Hungerland

I promised to do a blog on Andy so people could see a picture and what the sire of their puppies looks like. The first picture was taken when he was two and the next one when he was over three. I also need to get some recent pictures of him.

He has been one of those dogs that comes along very infrequently, most people are lucky if they get one in lifetime. We have been blessed to have him and his father Ch. Foxfair Geronimo Energizer, and his grandfather, Ch. Foxfair Eveready, HOF, ROM, BISS, CDX and his great grandfather Ch. Foxfair Special Sparkle, BISS. They are five generations of Breed winning group placing, and champion siring dogs. From our last litter we kept what we hope may be the sixth generation, Foxfair Edan Of Erin.

Everyone of these dogs has been special to us. Andy is one of those dogs that has done everything we have ever asked of him. He was a wonderful show dog, winning handily in both all breed and specialty competition. He finished his championship by going Best of Winners at the KCA National Specialty, and first Award of Merit. If you went in the group with him chances were more than 80 percent you would get a placement. Then when his first puppies arrived we knew we were onto something wonderful. More often than not he passes on his sound movement, balance, head type and as an extra bonus his easy going and very trainable and loving disposition.

His son, Darby, already has his own ideas of proper Keeshond behavior. He is a very lively little boy, putting us more in mind of his great grandfather Evan than his dad. But then you know what they say, what goes around, comes around!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Foxfair Edan Of Erin

2007-07-01T15:44:00.000-07:00

FOXFAIR EDAN OF ERIN

Darby at Eight Weeks

Well, that is his name, but we call him Darby. This is a snapshot taken in our meadow one week after he won Best Overall in match at the Buckeye Keeshond Specialty Match. I will try and get some better photos of him this week, but he is usually a pretty fast moving target.

His newest trick is he likes to dig out of the puppy yard, and go play with the BIG dogs! He usually gets tumbled but doesn't seem to care. His main objective being to follow his father around and copy everything he does. Andy doesn't seem to mind as long as Darby follows the rules, the first rule being don't jump up on your father!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Keeshond Puppies at Two Weeks

2007-06-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

AT TWO WEEKS SLEEPING IS STILL WHAT WE DO BEST

BUT WE ARE STARTING TO EXPLORE!

Keeshond puppies change a lot between one week and three weeks. At two weeks thier eyes open. After the eyes open it still takes a few days for them to focus. Windy can get up and leave the box but they still bob around looking for her.

Now at at almost three weeks, they can walk although very unsteadily. Ryan observes that they try to play and push each other over. However, their balance is such that when they raise their paw to box they fall over! They practice balance by crawling over each other which you can see in the picture above. They also like to sleep with their necks draped over another puppy's body. Puppies can also be noisy at this age, letting Windy know that her presence is required or letting me know that their room is too warm!

Keeshond puppies keep changing thier shadings as they grow. At three weeks they are starting to get lighter and the shoulder stripes, and ruffs they will have as adults are beginning to show.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Grapes and Raisins Are Poisonous to Dogs

2007-06-19T19:17:00.000-07:00

Grapes and Raisins Found To Be Toxic To Dogs

Our dogs live in the house with us, sleep on the bed and eat our food. We think they are just like us, yet, there are some things that we can tolerate that they cannot. Add to the list of those things - grapes and raisins. Recently the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center has received more than 50 reports of dogs developing acute kidney failure after eathing grapes or raisins. The grapes and raisins were from a number of sources. Some were from grocery stores, others were home grown and the cases came from across the United States.

Dogs that were affected started vomiting within six hours of eating the fruit. Some of the dogs stopped eating, others had diarrhea. Blood test results were consistent and showed elevated levels of creatinine and BUN - measures of kidney function. Kidney failure was evident within 72 hours. Even dogs that received veterinary care had to be euthanized. Only half the dogs that received agressive veterinary treatment, IV fluids and medication recovered. The grapes and raisins were tested for pesticides, metals, and other toxicity but were negative. Fruits grown in private yards were confirmed by owners to be free of inseciticide and fertilizer.

All dog owners should keep the number of the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center hotline nearby in case any dog ingests a suspicous substance: ASPCA Poison Control Center Hotline: 888-426-4435 or use the web-site at www.apcc.aspca.org/

Reference: University of Minnesota, Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association,
ASPCA, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Keeshond

2007-06-17T14:08:00.000-07:00

PUPPY GIRL AT ONE WEEK SLEEPING

The puppies at one week of age now weigh 1 1/2 pounds. They are growing fast. They spend the majority of their time sleeping, and sleeping and then they sleep some more! Their eyes won't open until about next Sunday. With five girls the theme has pink, so we will have to introduce a bit of blue to kcep from giving the boys a complex!

Their mom, Windy, is eating up a storm. She goes through about 6 cups of dog food a day! Only the best will do, of course, plus cottage cheese and other goodies.
She has recovered her energy and runs to the back of the meadow when she is let out. Then she RUNS back into the house and down the hallway. Better look out if you are in the hall because she is coming through! Back to the babies!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Puppies Are Here!

2007-06-12T21:42:00.000-07:00

Dont We Look Sweet On Our Pink Sheet?

The Andy x Windy puppies were born early in the morning on Sunday, June 10th. Windy decided after getting in and out of the whelping box all day, to get down to business about 3:30am. Three hours later she had finished delivering seven puppies, five girls (in a row!) and then two boys. Breeders, you see, dont need much sleep. Well, we need it, but we dont get it! All were healthy and weighed from 13oz to 11oz.

The day before, Saturday, was the day after the great filly Rags to Riches won the Belmont. The first time a filly has done this in 102 years. To celebrate our five girls and two boys born the same weekend, we decided to make this a race horse themed litter! Of course, Tuesday, June 12th, is my birthday so it all made for a very nice birthday present.

Windy is as usual eating up a storm. She loves to run so dont get in her way when she comes barreling down the hallway to get back to the puppies. She is a great mom, keeps them nice and clean and as you can see in the picture roly-poly as well. They are already nearing one pound in weight. We will keep you updated on their progress!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Would You Like to See A Beautiful Keeshond Pupsicle?

2007-06-11T11:22:00.000-07:00

JENNIFER BATES AND THE BEAUTIFUL KIJKER (Ki-ker)

Did anyone ever say that breeding dogs was easy? Well, if they did they were wrong! But as you can see above the effort is worth it. Jennifer, who lives in Nova Soctia, decided after consulting with her mentor Glady Gates, that they would like to breed their Champion bitch Ch. Seawind's Sunshine, Meisje, to Andy, Am. Can. Ch. Foxfair Excalibur, BISS. That would seem simple enough, except that Nova Scotia, is 1244.4 miles from Burton, Ohio, more or less. Driving time is approximately, 19.24 hours, not including rest stops, eating and sleeping.

Thus the decision was made to use frozen semen. Why not fresh cooled? Well because sometimes there is a hold up in customs. This is something that fresh cooled semen cannot tolerate, but frozen is okay in its chilly container. You guessed it! There was a 24 hour hold up, but the frozen Andy's stayed nice a cold in suspended animation. None of this is, of course, inexpensive. In addition to progesterone testing, frozen semen insertion, there is Canadian PAPERWORK! EEEK!

But love or in this case frozen love, conquers all. Jennifer took a picture with Meisje and true love
Andy, (in the frozen container), Jennifer has a sense of humor - which is vital to this process we have discovered. The result was wonderful - six puppies, four girls and two boys, born March 7, 2007, with the assitance of Jenifer and their official Nanny - Glady Gates. A beautiful litter of silver and black puppies, and the girl that Jennifer had been hoping for. Dreams really do come true!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

A New Keeshond Champion in Newfoundland - Midnight Pride

2007-06-02T16:32:00.000-07:00

Am. Ch. Foxfair Escapade, BISSW, "Daisy" daughter
Can. Ch. Midnight Pride wins Groups in Newfoundland!

Some of you may remember the story of our Daisy, she is the sister of Am. Can. Ch. Foxfair Excalibur, Andy. Daisy had irregular seasons and had only had one puppy a singleton male. She was five years old and had not been in season for over a year. We were thinking of finding her a nice home when this nice man Alan called. He was looking for companion to go hunting and fishing. Daisy was energetic and loved walks it seemed perfect.

Only one problem, Alan lived in Newfoundland!. I said, "Surely you don't want to come all this way for her, we live in Ohio?" He said, "No problem I am leaving tomorrow". Then Daisy suprised us all by coming in season right when she arrived in Newfoundland!. Must be the sea air!

Anyway, what to do? I called Maureen Clements and Glady Gates, they both said one of the nicest dogs in Canada lived on Newfoundland, but had not been used very much due the remote location. A mating was arranged with Can. Ch. Sir Mulligan owned by Charles Coady who is seen showing Daisy's daughter in the picture, his son is to his right and Anne Marie, Alan's wife is in the middle. Now the two families are friends, Daisy's daughter has her championship and in winning groups in Canada. All because Daisy went to Newfoundland - It all goes to show you - life is like a box of chocolates - you never know what you are going to get! Andy and the Foxfair dogs send congratulations to everyone on Newfoundland and particularly to Daisy and her lovely daughter!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Bodie and Bob - A Great Keeshond Combination

2007-06-01T14:51:00.000-07:00

Bob Maier and Foxfair Easy Goer "Bodie", ONLY SIX MONTHS OLD pictured after winning thier Rally Novice A class at the Keeshond Club of America National Specialty

There are multiple copies of this picture on order so I guess it is okay to use the proof! I promised a story on Bob and Bodie so here it is. The Maier family, Bob, his wife Marie and daughter Tina purchased Bodie when he was about 10 weeks old. He was a pick of litter stud puppy from the breeding Mary Beeman did of Ch. Foxfair Excalibur, BISS "Andy", and her Champion Klassics When Telling Secrets, "Gabby". He was a handsome sturdy puppy with a very pretty way of moving across the ground, and his dad's special easy going but lively temperament. So, I suggested the name of the famous Throughbred Race Horse and now popular stallion, Easy Goer.

Bob and his family have been involved in downhill ski racing with Bob being a ski instructor, so he was named Easy Goer and call named "Bodie" after the famous downhill racer Bodie Miller.
I believe that Bodie Miller was also a precocious talent and so it has been with his namesake. Bob entered Bodie in Kindergarten Puppy Training Class as all Foxfair puppies are required to do. From the first class they then went on to conformation training and then to Rally training. Bob noticed that Bodie was picking things up very rapidly and seemed to be at least as good if not better than his older classmates. That is when he got the idea to take him to the National Specialty.

To say that I was skeptical about such a young puppy being entered in performance and conformation at the national is an understatement. But Bob said that on their run through they scored a 91 and then did it again - more than enough to qualify. So off they went to their first KCA National Specialty. When Bob said watch this, and gave a hand signal for down to Bodie and he dropped from 15 feet away I knew that we not only had a precocious puppy but an excellent budding trainer in his owner. Concern vanished and I decided to root for them, and hope that the trip would be fun for both owner and puppy. From the happy smiles in the picture you can see that is exactly what happened.

Rally is a great sport for those new to training dogs and for the dogs themselves. It is very positive, the judge meets with the class and discusses the course. Unlike obedience it is informal, fun and instructive all at the same time. I started in dogs when obedience classes and competition were the only performance events in existence. We are now all encouraged about doing Rally - and we have Bob and Bodie to thank for leading the way! Keeshonden are very smart and YOU TOO CAN TRAIN AND COMPETE IN RALLY WITH YOUR KEES!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Keeshond Puppies Reunite in Michigan

2007-05-31T19:06:00.000-07:00

RUDY, MICKEY AND CASEY

Keeshond Puppies
Reunite in Michigan

Don't you love it when a plan comes together? Well, Mickey Kadala lives with his family in Maryland, but his brother is owned by Lisa's brother who lives in Michigan. As it happens Casey is owned by the Cherie another Michigan family and they all made arrangements to meet together and let the brothers reunite. They were born last year in the famous Ten Puppy, Baseball Litter. They are a handsome group of boys and their parents Andy and Windy are very proud of them.

Lisa says the boys were thrilled to see each other and ran and played together just like they did when they were puppies here at home.

Well their mom and dad did a repeat performance and we are expecting another litter with the same breeding this month. Their sister Pi stayed here at home and she is going to be the nanny. In the last year she has learned to sit, stay, down, jump, retrieve, frisbee catch and put the Canadian Geese back into the pond. Her show days are coming in the future. Here is a picture of Pi, who wishes she had been at the reunion too!

Foxfair American Pi

Rudy, Mickey and Casey's Sister

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Foxfair Keeshonden, KCA National Results

2007-05-30T20:00:00.001-07:00

HARDY, "CHAMPION VANDABAN WESSEX, Eng. Imp." Sweeps the Stud Dog Classes, KCA Weekend

Here is Hardy and his offspring, Nightwind The Shadow Knows, "Lamont" and Foxfair Audacious, "Audrey" winning the Stud Dog Class at the Heart of America Keeshond Club on Memorial Day Weekend

Hardy, Lamont, and Audrey are pictured here with judge Ellen Fetter and handlers Jeanne Buente, Kathy Fleischer and Debbie Hodges winning the Keeshond Club of America Stud Dog Class in Lawrence Kansas.

NOT TO BE OUTDONE, CH. NIGHTWINDS TIP OFF, SON OF AM. CAN. CH. FOXFAIR EXCALIBUR WON BOS IN MATURITY AT THE KEESHOND CLUB OF AMERICA SHOW, SHOWN BY HIS BREEDER, OWNER, HANDLER, DEBBIE HODGES OF COLUMBUS, OHIO

CH. NIGHTWINDS TIP OFF
(AM.CAN. CH. FOXFAIR EXCALIBUR X KEESHEE NIGHTWINDS SILLIUM)

It was an exciting and tiring National Specialty week for us. In addtion to his two stud dog class wins, Hardy also put two legs on his Rally Novice title with perfect scores of 100. Then he topped it all off by winning an Award of Merit at the KCA National Specialty which comes with an invitation to compete at Crufts in 2008!

In our next blog we will brag about another Andy son, only six months old that surprised everyone by winning a 1st place in Rally Novice and earning two legs over the KCA weekend. Owned by Bob and Tina Maier of Hudson, Ohio, Bodie covered himself in glory. We will post a picture when we get one!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Cooper and Anita - A Medal Winning Weekend

2007-05-06T20:26:00.000-07:00

Anita and Cooper Have a Wonderful Weekend Winning 3 Puppy Group I's

A Weekend Of Medals for Foxfair Puttin on the Ritz
(aka Cooper)

Anita Williams and Cooper have a reason to be proud, the judges comments on their cards from their weekend of International Show judging were really something to bust your buttons over!

The four judges Charles Bett, Canada, Jane Pero, USA, Lethia Bett, Canada, and Dave Simmons, USA were very consistent in their high marks for Cooper. Some of the comments are as follows:

Overall: Excellent Breed Type, Good proportions, Very nice breed type, excellent for age,Short compact, Sturdy puppy dog.

Head: Lovely wedge shape, definite stop, excellent expression and spectacles.
Eyes: Dark brown and expressive, Ears: Small, high, small and well set, small, erect and high
set, small triangular
Front: Moderate shoulder angulation, Well laid back, Nice layback and return of upper arm.
Chest: Good foreshcest, Well ribbed, Deep lung and ribs, Moderately deep
Rear: Good rear angulation, Good, moderate, Balanced to front
Top Line: Sort, straight, Good topline for Breed, Level and short
Tail: Set high, Good Curl, Stunning Plume, High set, Well curled
Movement: Brisk, Clean and Sharp, Clean and Brisk

Cooper earned three Puppy Group First Places over the weekend. He is still a puppy but is growing up nicely and plans to make his breeder - Jeanne Buente and Debbie Lynch and his mom, Ch. Foxfair Impetuous, RN and his dad, Ch. Vandaban Wessex, Eng. Import - very proud indeed.

Anita reports that "Cooper did great all weekend. He didn't seem the slightest bit pooped out, although by the time we got to Best in Show there was so much bait on the ground, I couldn't keep him from going after it! Guess I should have given him some more ahead of time, (LOL)"

We are especially impressed by his very good stance on the platform! Posing for pictures with baby puppy dogs is not the easiest task in the world. It looks like Anita and Cooper have been hard at work in the training department!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Playing in the Meadow

2007-05-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

Ryan has his hands full!

Ryan in the meadow, puppies in the distance

Pi takes a breather from playing with the puppies - (If you look carefully there is one underneath her)

Here they come on the run!

Tounges are hanging out from playing with the football (blue object in center)

The Meadow

So, some people look at these pictures and ask - just where do you live anyway? We live in Burton, Ohio. This is a small town in Northeast Ohio known for its Amish population, Maple Sugar Festival and County Fair. We have four acres of property with two sides bordered by conservation land and very tall pine trees, most of it is in meadow. It is my job to keep it mowed in the summer - but it is really not a bad job! Our driveway is 600 feet long, so it is very private and no problem for the dogs with neighbors.

About Pi

Pi is the female that we kept from our ten puppy litter of baseball players last year. Ryan has taught her to retreive and here she is playing with the puppies. Her absolute favorite toy is the nerf football. This is because the bounce is very unpredictable and she likes to grab it after the first bounce. She is very good with the puppies and they like running after her as she does her long distance retrieves. Pretty soon everyone's tounge is hanging out!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Boys are Beautiful Too!

2007-05-01T03:40:00.000-07:00

What A Pretty Boy!

The picture above is of the largest male in this litter. He is looking pensive because I am outside the pen taking pictures. In his opinion I should either be in there with him or he should be cuddled in my lap! We had a lot of rain last week and the puppies had to play inside. However, after the very nice weekend and being out every day they have decided THAT is where they want to be! So this afternoon they were quite vocal about going outside to play. And play they did, running down the meadow with Ryan and then playing with their toys.

You will notice that the puppy pictured here has short line or dark thumb print on his forehead. Many breeders belive this is signals very attractive markings on the head as an adult. We tend to agree, especially in his case.

Lately we have been experiencing a flood of calls for girls. This happens from time to time, then followed by requests for boys only. In making a good match with a new home it is really the temperament of the puppy that is key. A family with a bunch of young boys is perfect for the athletic puppy that likes to rough house and play with toys. The older couple that would like a nice quiet dog to take for a walk is great match for the quiet puppy that doesn't like to get his feet dirty!

Sometimes people want what they are familiar with. If they have only had girls then they want another girl. The flip of that is the family that had a girl but now wants a boy so they don't compare the two dogs - knowing that each dog in unique and the new puppy should not be expected to live up to the past memories of a dear dog. Many people feel that males are sweeter and more devoted and that the females are more independent. The truth is that both make wonderful companions!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Six Weeks and We Are Playing With Toys

2007-04-26T16:41:00.000-07:00

Nova plays with the puppies.

Nova is our 5 pound Pomeranian. At this age she can be the leader, but the Keeshond puppies already outweigh her by over a one pound. She makes up for it by being older, quicker and more agressive. At eight weeks the tables will turn and she will run for her life, if they all gang up on her!

Pink Girl

Butter wouldn't melt in my mouth!

This is Ashling, she is a very silver puppy and very naughty! Loves to pose and already comes to her name.

Green Girl and Red Boy - Whats Up?
More pictures?

This boy is very typey and cute, I wanted to get a profile picture of him, but somehow he just wouldn't pose for me!

Blue Girl and Green Girl - Just chilling out after a hard days play!

At six weeks the puppies are eating their puppy food but still getting some help from mom. She enjoys them still and plays with them when they are not sleeping.

Already paper trained I can play with them in the kitchen and they can run and play with their toys. One the favorites is a triangle that is soft and can be picked up. Another favorite is a purple latex dragon which now that they have discovered it squeaks, look out it is squeaking all the time! This weekend it should be nice outside and we plan to have the puppies out in the meadow for some exercise. I am looking forward to getting pictures of them in the sunshine.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

We Like Visitors

2007-04-18T16:13:00.000-07:00

Chris Visits With The Keeshond Puppies

We had a nice surprise this afternoon when my sister, Donna and Chris Shulman came by to see the puppies. Keeshond puppies are always very pleased to have visitors and they climbed all over everyone. Lots of wagging tails and kisses were handed out. Chris and Donna had just come from the saddlery, they both ride, western of course!

This is the age where socialization becomes very important so puppies are gradually exposed to a lot of things. Washing machine, dryer, vacumn, doors opening and closing, radio, music, other animals, the CAT! I will try and get a picture of this. Our cat Boots has raised many puppies. Even though he is older now he still will get down and play with them a bit. He has less tolerance for Keeshond puppy shenanigans than when he was younger, so they soon learn the most important lesson of all - RESPECT the CAT. Later we will share the Boots method of puppy respect training!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Five At Five Weeks

2007-04-14T19:15:00.000-07:00

Babies in A Basket!

Here we are waiting for our pen to be cleaned and have our dinner. The help around here is sometimes too slow!

Ryan Has His Arms Full!

At five weeks old the puppies are eating their puppy formula, but mostly prefer mom. They do have teeth! They are also beginning to play with each other, although they are still a little wobbly on their feet. Tails are starting to come up over their backs and one clever little fellow already has his flat to his back. I will try and get a picture of this!

Their personalities are starting to emerge with some being very forward and others more observant. The girls are mainly tail wagging trouble makers! I think they are going to end up beating up on their brothers. We also introduce toys at this age but they are very entertained by each other at this point and play with us as well, trying to play with Ryans hat when he lays down and following feet!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be
copied or reproduced in any format.

April Snow at Foxfair

2007-04-05T16:01:00.000-07:00

ITS SNOWING OUTSIDE, IN APRIL NO LESS BUT ITS WARM INSIDE

OOPS! WHAT DO WE HEAR!!

TAILS ARE UP NOW!! THE BATHING BEAUTY THAT BARKS!!

Well, what can I say - two days ago it was 80 degrees here. Now, it's snowing and we have 8" of the fluffy white stuff on the ground. On the weekend we discovered that our little Irish group does not like to be warm! It got warm outside and although it was comfortable for me in their room, it was decidedly NOT comfortable for them. After much fussing, I opened the window and turned on the ceiling fan in the adjacent room - everything cooled down and then they were happy.

At three weeks the puppies are a lot of fun now, they recognize people, wag their tails and march over to you on their chubby little legs hoping to be picked up. Of course, if you surprise them you will hear an indignant bark, particularly from Ashling. Hmm, could this be a sign of things to come. We will have to keep an eye on her!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Five Irish Elves for St. Patricks Day

2007-03-26T07:58:00.000-07:00

Ch. Foxfair Valentina and her Five Little Ones

Valentinas puppies were born on March 14, 2007 in the morning! I think since we live in Alpaca country she has decided to adopt their ways and have babies in the morning. The only Keeshond mom we have had to do this consistently.

It was a good thing, however, since baby number one was the largest and got himself stuck with a sideways presentation. Too tricky for me and so up to our clinic, which is mercifully only 1/2 mile away. Dr. McKinney very skillfully repositioned and eased out baby number one. We went home and I called Bonnie Hronek to see if she would like some whelping experience, since she will be breeding her bitch later in the spring. Yup, she would. So Bonnie jumped in the car and arrived in my very wet driveway in the pouring rain just as we returned from the clinic.

Valentina then neatly delivered the rest of the puppies, with a 3 minute interval between each. The puppies were announced with Bonnie excitedly saying, "Here comes another one!!" Then she helped me tie off the cords. Ryan, who loves the puppies, but does not like the whelping process was working. He was simply delighted to come home and find it was all over with babies all lined up in a row and nursing! One of his friends told him how lucky he was that usually he got to be here when the puppies were born. He replied, "Are you kidding! It's the worst day of my life!."

The puppies were very uniform in size all weighing within an ounce of each other. Three girls and two boys. As you can see in the picture they are getting very fat and look like little bhuddas after they eat. Valentina is an excellent mother who runs to go out and zips right back to her babies. They look like they will have lovely coat and color. They were born the week of St. Patricks Day and so we have decided to go with a Celtic theme. What a surprise since as Pat used to say, "We are all Irish over here!"

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Jada - gets a TD and is training for agility!

2007-02-25T07:20:00.000-08:00

Spirits Prime Time, TD

"Jada"

(Am. Can. Ch. Foxfair Excalibur "Andy" x Am. Can. Ch. Trumpets Spirit in Sky Esprit, HOF, "Lucy")

Jumping with style! And at age 7 weeks

Flying through the tunnel, jumping
over the hurdles, or standing in the
snow, Jada keeps it all together -
smiling!

Jada is owned by Joni Griffith, and was bred by Judy Thompson. The Foxfair claim to fame is that she is an Andy daughter! Her mother, of course, is the famous Lucy, who was number one Keeshond show dog and also earned her Hall of Fame. Jada will two be years old in May and has recently earned her Therapy Dog degree (TD). She is a beautiful girl as you can see from the pictures and her owner has elected to go the athletic route and train her for agility.

She also spends some of her time playing with her sister, Pistol and terrorizing Joni's mom's sheltie! Jada really looks like she is enjoying herself and we look forward to seeing her and Joni in the agility ring soon.

Jada and Joni started training just for fun, they are a perfect example of how you can have fun with your dog and of the versatility and intelligence of the Keeshond.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Cooper Goes To Oregon

2007-02-19T10:56:00.000-08:00

Cooper Settles Right In

Cooper is from the Emma x Hardy litter and has traveled to Oregon to live with his proud new owner Anita Williams.

We expect wonderful things from this beautiful puppy boy and look forward to seeing him grow up - mostly through pictures. Perhaps we will also see him at the National Specialty in May!

These pictures were taken at Anita's house just he arrived in Oregon. We really don't like to fly the dogs but with Oregon so far away there isn't much choice.

He handled the trip like a champ, just like his Daddy did the long trip from England to America. Sometimes I think these dogs see more of the world than their owners do!

We hear he settled in quickly with Anita's other dog Makani and now is quite at home in Northwest.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Snow Dogs

2007-02-14T17:45:00.000-08:00

ANDY IN THE SNOW

All of the dogs love the snow, but Andy, really loves the snow. He likes to run around in it with his face in the snow, something like a furry snowplow.
Our weather here has been in the teens and less with the wind chill added, so even Keeshonden, experts at staying out in low tempertures need to be watched. I knew the other day though that I was worrying too much when Windy and Jill refused to come in, even knowing that when they do they get a biscuit.
This is one way to make sure that your dog comes reliably, always give a treat when you call him. Then even if you are without the biscuit you can still rely on a good recall.

Today the driveway was blown shut, it was plowed yesterday afternoon and by the time Ryan drove home from work, at 7PM it was level with over two feet of snow. Today, even though he has four wheel drive he got stuck at the end of the driveway. It was officially a blizzard with 2" inches falling per hour for the last twelve hours. Yikes!! Thankfully we have plenty of dog food, heat, and people comforts, though I think the dogs and the people are going to go a bit cabin crazy pretty soon.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Foxfair Exclusively Yours

2007-01-22T19:29:00.000-08:00

Foxfair Exclusively Yours
Best In Sweepstakes
Buckeye Keeshond Club

Here is a picture of Foxfair Exclusively Yours, "Jill", winning Best in Sweepstakes at the 2006 Buckeye Keeshond Club. She is sired by Am. Can. Ch. Foxfair Excalibur x Ch. Foxfair Valentina. Since the first breeding of these two produced only two puppies we have repeated this breeding and are looking forward to puppies in mid March, both parents are PHPT negative and health tested clear.

"Jill" will be back in the show ring this spring with her co-owner and co-breeder Jeannie Buente. "Jill" is truly her fathers daughter in both looks, movement and temperament. She is fun to show and her movement is wonderful. Look for Jeannie and Jill, they will be moving along very fast.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

More Emma x Hardy Babies

2007-01-07T22:01:00.000-08:00

Boys Will Be Boys

Emerson Climbs Up For A View

On The Table

The Two Boys

Elliot Taking A Rest on Course

Debbie Loesser and Elliot

Emerson on the Table

Elliot and Emerson
(Ch. Vandaban Wessex, Eng. Import x Ch. Foxfair Impetuous, RN) Which is which? Most of the Time I Can't Tell Them Apart

Jeannie can tell them apart and I can too when I really concentrate. As I was not doing apparently when I took these pictures. At any rate here they are in all their splendor. Two of the nicest male puppies I have seen in a long time. The table pictures are not the best as this is the first time they were on a table. It is better to see them on the ground outside where they really have their feet under them.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Catalog Shopping For Your Dog

2007-01-07T21:39:00.000-08:00

Cherie Lovett and Family

CATALOG AND ON LINE SHOPPING
FOR YOUR DOG? TRY IT

Debbie Lynch

Yes, you can go to the big box store and look for the perfect sweater for your dog. But for real variety in color, size and style try on line or catalog shopping for your pet. On line stores carry toys, treats, grooming supplies, dryers, cages, sweaters, shampoo, leashes, collars, and every type of dog bowl and training aid you can imagine. They even have some items that you can’t imagine. Most on line suppliers will also mail you a catalog so you can get a clearer picture of the item. Shipping is usually fast and reasonable.

Some suppliers specialize in certain items. Also, if you have more than one dog or are planning a litter of puppies discounts are common for orders of multiple items. Multiple item discounts are generally not available at the retail stores, so this method of shopping is ideal for the multiple dog household.

Those who answer the phones at on line pet suppliers are often unusually knowledgeable about their goods and can answer a wide variety of questions. Here are some places to try for high quality items and good prices.

www.dogs.com – Will send a catalog, they also have some of the best prices for everyday
items, and are one of the easiest to shop on-line.

www.DrsFosterandSmith – The source features and internet pharmacy for your pets, they carry a great collection of dog beds, including special beds for your older dog, they will supply a catalog and also have a line of veterinary products and medications for all pets.

www.PetsEdge.com - Will supply a catalog, excellent source of discount toys in volume for breeders and those with multiple pets, great source for grooming items, high quality scissors, brushes and shampoos for your pet. They also have fun items including pet costumes and unusual toys.

If you order your catalogs you should receive them in the mail in a few weeks and be ready to shop for your pets in the New Year!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

The DAP Diffuser for Calming Your Dog

2007-01-07T21:22:00.000-08:00

Mickey Kadala
Calmly Surveying the Harbor in Washington, D.C.
(Am. Can. Ch. Foxfair Excalibur x Foxfair Ride the Wind)

Calming Your Dog With Pheromones?

Debbie Lynch

Recently a friend of mine had a female with a new litter of puppies. The mother had increased protectiveness and sensitivity to her environment, along with stress related digestive problems. Among the things her veterinarian recommended was a DAP diffuser. Huh? A what? We asked. Well, it turns out that DAP stands for “dog appeasing pheromones” and the diffuser is just the gadget that disperses them into the air. Pheromones are the hormone that mother dogs emit when they have puppies. The pheromones have the ability to calm puppies and make them feel safe.

Researchers have discovered that dogs have the ability to respond to these calming pheromones throughout their life. Thus, the DAP diffuser, which looks like an air freshener plug in, sends the calming pheromones into the air. Units can be purchased for anywhere from $20.00 to $30.00 in major pet stores and is manufactured by the Farnam Company. One diffuser covers 650 square feet and last about 30 days.

The diffuser, however, is only one way to deliver the pheromones to your dog, It is also available in a collar and a spray which you can spray on a bandana and place on your dog. The literature on this product says it will significantly reduce barking, improve housebreaking and calm dogs during stressful events like thunderstorms. Those we have spoken with that tried it think it works for their dogs. Now, if we could only get one of these devices for people. Think of it, no more test anxiety, worrying about your weight and what about those taxes!

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

New Champion StarKees To The Puple Born

2007-01-02T20:56:00.000-08:00

NEW CHAMPION
CH. STAR*KEES TO THE PURPLE BORN
"Murasaki"

Am. Can. Ch. Foxfair Excalibur x Ch. Star*Kees Picalili

I must say he got his name honestly, this was the puppy that strutted around at Bernard's house thinking quite a lot of himself. He is one of those rare puppies that is a wonderful combination of his sire and dam. Born in an outstanding litter, he had to go some to distinquish himself. Which he did. Finishing his championship with 4 - 4 point majors. Hmm. The icing on this very handsome cake is that Robin says he loves to show, it just gets him going to think about the dog show. I am not surprised, since he seemed to "really like the camera" from a very young age.
His unusual call name comes from his breeder, Bernard, who is a scholar of eastern languages, it seems that Murasaki means purple in Mandarin.
Everyone at Foxfair sends their congratulations to Bernard Halliwell and Murasaki's dam the gorgeous Arabella on their first homebred champion and to Robin Stark and Jimmy Kranz on a beautiful job of raising and showing this very promising young dog. Andy is, of course, very proud of his 4th champion and second champion son.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Emma x Hardy Babies at 7 Weeks

2006-12-31T13:14:00.000-08:00

Hardy puppy from his first litter - Lamont - Nightwind The Shadow Knows - by the Foxfair Import - Ch. Vandaban Wessex, Eng. Import x Nightwind Sillium, with Debbie Hodges going Best of Winners at just 9 mos. from the 9-12 puppy class for a 4pt major at the Buckeye Keeshond Specialty Weekend - Dec. 2006

Puppies from Ch. Vandaban Wessex, Eng. Imp. - Hardy and Ch. Foxfair Impetuous, RN - Emma - 2 boys - 3 girls

PUPPIES AND PIXIE DUST

Breeding is about at lot of things, planning, hard work, sleepless nights, pedigrees, conformation, health and temperament. But, one thing that you dont hear much about is when all is said and done you also need a bit of luck. Instead of what you hoped for you can get the opposite. Well, in this case dreams did come true and the pixie dust was liberally sprinkeld on this litter. They are amazingly consistent and at seven weeks even Jeannie and I get them mixed up. After trimming the hair on their ears they have decided to come up and I expect they will all be up in a few days.
They have thick coats, very pretty silver color, a lot of bone, substance and size, and as you can see very pretty expressions. Their structure is also very consistent with nice fronts and rears, good tail sets. Of course temperament is number one. All are very sweet and friendly, and then there is Emma Lee Jr, who has been practicing agility and beating up on her brothers since she could walk. Hmm. Wonder what the future holds for her?

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

The Three Musketeers

2006-12-04T21:08:00.000-08:00

The Three Baby Boy Musketeers

Even though Ryan is in the middle of studying for finals he took some time to help me get a few snapshots of the baby boys. They are now seven weeks old and looking gorgeous.

Dad is Am. Can. Ch. Foxfair Excalibur, "Andy" and mom is Ch. Klassics Turn Back Time, "Gabby". Gabby was a fabulous show bitch. Shown by Kathi Fleischer she swept all before her in the show ring. As a show girl she was very silly but has grown up into an a very well behaved lady and wonderful mom. Her dam is the one of the outstanding brood bitches of all time Ch. Aurora's Illumination, the dam of eleven Champions including Breed, Group and Specialty winners. The puppy's sire is the line bred "Andy", sire of specialty and sweepstakes winners. Both parents have been tested negative for PHPT and have passed all health tests.

These puppy boys are not only well bred, they have excellent bone and body, very good movement and gorgeous coats. Two of the boys will be placed in show homes on co-ownerships only. If you are looking for that very special show puppy you can really have fun with give us a call at 440-273-3078.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Emma and Hardy = Five Beautiful Babies

2006-11-30T07:11:00.000-08:00

This is the much aniticpated litter combining Ch. Foxfair Impetuous, RN, with our young
Ch. Vandaban Wessex, English Import. Both have had wonderful show careers with Emma taking RWB at the KCA national specialty and Hardy finishing his championship very quickly
with 3 five point majors. The combination of the type, substance and soundness with excellent temperament that is present is both parents makes us look forward to these puppies with great anticipation.

Puppies are doing very well and are now beginning to eat solid food very greedily!! Hardy of course is a proud Dad, but we have to say that he has not been much help, leaving Emma and Jeannie and her helper Debbie Hodges to do all the work, while he relaxes!

All items on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Big Baby Boy "BB" Four Weeks Old

2006-11-12T19:06:00.000-08:00

NEVER SAY NEVER

Okay, so I always say, I don't post pictures of really little baby puppies. But you can always have an exception, right?

Gerry Brewer sent me this and it was just tooo cute to resist, so here it is. This is one of the three Andy x Gabby babies. They continue to be very bloomy, and err well - fat! I might be able to stop and see him on Tuesday, we will see.

Don't know about the names for these guys yet, do you have any suggestions? Maybe knights of the roundtable, Lancelot, Sir Gwain, etc. We do have to think of something, since we revoked Mary's naming privleges some time ago when she got into the "exotic" realm.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.

Meet Julyn De Jure - Hardy's English Dad

2006-11-06T06:26:00.000-08:00

Julyn De Jure

Sire of Am. Ch. Vandaban Wessex
At 8 weeks, 8 months and 8 years

We have been asked for pictures of Hardy's relatives and previously posted a picture of his grandmother Julyn Silver Nutmeg. Here are some pictures of his sire, Julyn De Jure. He was not shown extensively in the UK and so did not finish his championship. However, he has sired some exceptional puppies including our Hardy. He still lives happily with his breeder Hazel Hodgkinson.

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Four New Champions In 2006

2006-11-01T15:34:00.000-08:00

Ch. Vandaban Wessex Eng. Imp.

Four New Champions This Year At Foxfair

We don't have all of their pictures yet, but we have three new champions at Foxfair!! You already heard about
"Hardy" Champion Vandaban Wessex, Eng. Imp. our boy that we imported from England.

Well, he was bred to "Emma", just after she became Ch. Foxfair Impetuous, RN. Emma put a very nice spin on her show career by going Reserve Winners Bitch at the KCA National Specialty in Columbus, Ohio and then also finishing her rally title this year. Not only is she beautiful but smart. Hardy x Emma babies are due November 9th.

Then just two weeks ago Sally Carr and Doug Kepp's dog Scooter was finished by Sally's daughter Melissa. Scooter is a much loved dog and he is now Ch. Foxfair Let It Ride.
Sally says that being a champion has completely gone to his head and she has had remind him that he is a champion and not a prince! As far as we can tell the only thing keeping him humble is his mother Zarya.

The finale came this weekend at the Delaware Kennel Club show in Ohio, when our beautiful Valentina finished her Championship on Saturday, she went Best of Winners and Best of Opposite and repeated the Best of Opposite on Sunday when she was moved up to Champion. She is now Ch. Foxfair Valentina. Valentina is home now enjoying herself and reminding Ryan and I that she has particular tastes and needs. She likes to go out with one or two special friends. She does not like to get dirty or get her feet wet. She likes chewies but not hard bones. She does not like empty dishes left in her crate, and she does like some meat on her dog food. And one more thing, what was it? Oh, she does not like a pea under her mattress!

Some of you have asked about Hardy pictured above. Our plans were to show him through the end of the year, however, he had plans to change coat! So, we will be bringing him out at selected shows in the spring.

All items including pictures and text on this blog are copyright (c) and are the sole property of Deborah Lynch, pictures and text may not be copied or reproduced in any format.