Peppi's puppies are here. October 20th she whelped five beautiful babies. This time we got girls! So far everything is fine, babies are now growing fast.
Pepin tyttövoittoinen pentue syntyi 20.10. Alku oli hieman hankala, kun yksi oli tulossa takatassu pyllyn alla, mutta nyt kaikki näyttäisi olevan hyvin. Huolta, valvottuja öitä ja "imetystukea", sitähän se kasvattajan arki on. Pian on pikkuisilla jo silmät auki ja siitä eteenpäin kehitys onkin huimaa.

We've also got a new puppy at home! I decided to purchase a pretty great granddaughter of Triscuit from a friend of mine, Päivi Honkapää. She is sired by a top winning particolor dog, Ch Very Vigie Look At Me. This beauty is known as Meri and officially Adunaic Seven Serene Seas. You'll find her pedigree here.
Meillä on myös uusi vaalea villikko nimeltä Meri. Merissä yhdistyy vanhat Trisun ja Aatun linjani ja parhaat kirjavat linjat. Kiitos Päivi Honkapää Meristä! Merin sivu Koiranetissä.

How many different emotions can just a few days hold? Success on showground, painful losses, pity and worry of someone truly skinny, and start of a new generation. And I'm just a small "home" breeder. I wonder how I would manage this all if it was more numerous.

Spending a great sunny weekend with my "old" friend Niina in Estonia, two "projects" were finished. That is, two homebred new International champions both living in families who love them and take care of them, me just showing them (well, yes, grooming as well). Both Timmy and Iines have become familiar to my doggy and human family as they have made short visits every now and then - and they come to our home as to their second home. Easy-going and happy dogs as every cocker should be. Timmy finished his international title in very first possible show, shown very sparingly but gaining several titles and some group placements in international shows along the way. Timmy is now written C.I.B. *) Fi & Ee & Lv & Lt & Balt & Se & Rkf & Rus Ch Serene Theme For A Dream. His page in Koiranet (not all titles applied yet). *) FCI pending
Another new International champion is a 2,5-year-old little diva, Iines, who certainly was not a natural showdog as a puppy. She just hated the show leash in the beginning, moving not more than one metre in two puppy shows altogether. As soon as normal leash was changed, she was OK with it. But meat balls and tennis balls can make miracles, and also Iines learned to love it. The result is C.I.B. *) Fi & Se & Lt & Lv & Ee & Balt Ch Serene Light Up The Night. *) FCI pending. Her page in Koiranet. 

Still in Tallinn, I got phone calls from another friend, Päivi. Within few hours Unni, Ch Serene Superstition, went to a practically normal dog to a septic peritonitis after a ruptured pyometra. No discharge, no signs. With a poor prognosis she had to let her go. Unni would've been 10 in November, perfectly healthy until now. And now she's gone. We're devastated. Life has its nasty surprises. Sleep well Unni, say hello to Daddy Adam and Mommy Triscuit.

​During the weekend I also got show news from Marjo, who co-owns Timmy's litter sister Zirka, Ch Serene Dreams Gone Wild. Some controversial news indeed. Zirka only needs a time cacib to finish her international title. But on Saturday the judge deciced to excuse her because of too small size. Otherwise a very nice critique. Well, things happen. Except that small size is not a disqualification and I don't believe she is that small. That was mostly funny. On Sunday the very same bitch was BOB so maybe she grew overnight.

On Monday new generation of Serene american cockers was created. Peppi, Ch Serene Dreams R Free was bred to Sauli, Ch Serene Lightning Strike. This again combines my two main bitch lines. This litter - as every litter in fact - is very much awaited. I'm grateful to Peppi's owner Heli for this possibility.

The week is hardly half way. At least my life is not boring... Maybe it is like they say "you get what you order".

Last weekend I made a trip to Northern Sweden, Piteå, with my daughter. Breed specialist Erna-Britt Nordin was judging 14 american cockers. My beloved Sauli, Ch Serene Lightning Strike, went best male with CACIB and CAC ending up BOS. His sister Iines was 2nd in bitches and got CAC and res-CACIB but it will turn into CACIB as the winner already fulfills the conditions of C.I.B. So, our trip was perfect! Two new Swedish champions, both CACIBs and early back home - 700km.

Viime viikonloppuna teimme tyttäreni kanssa reissun Pohjois-Ruotsiin Piteåån. Tuomari Erna-Britt Nordin arvosti koirani korkealle, sillä Sauli (Ch Serene Lightning Strike) oli paras uros saaden sertin ja CACIBin ja Saulin sisko Iines, Ch Serene Light Up The Night, paras narttu 2 häviten valmiille valiolle, joten sekä sert että CACIB (joksi vara-cacib kirkastuu) myös Iinekselle! Täydellistä, kotimatkalle jo klo 11 ja kaikki tarvittava saatiin. Yhteensä 14 jenkkiä oli ilmoitettu näyttelyyn, näistä 8 valioluokissa. 

I have plans to mate Peppi, Ch Serene Dreams R Free, for the second time. Of course with her owner's kindest approval. As always, some health tests need to be done first. Peppi is already 6 years, and she and three puppies from her first litter (now 2,5 years) are now eye checked clear. As we did lose Peppi's beloved dam Jade last year to a heart disease at the age of 9,5, I also wanted to have an ultrasound examination done to Peppi's heart. That is the best way to get information about heart and rule out all kinds of heart diseases. She passed that, too, no abnormalities.  So now we can relax and wait for her season to start.  Or... not quite yet. Even though Peppi is ready, there is still one examination to be done before I dare to announce the sire of my planned litter.
Suunnitelmissani olisi syksypentue Pepille (Ch Serene Dreams R Free). Olen kiitollinen Pepin omistajalle Helille, joka tekee tämän mahdolliseksi. Aina tietenkin ensiksi on tehtävä terveystutkimuksia. Peppi täytti jo keväällä 6v, ja nyt se ja kolme pentuaan ensimmäisestä pentueestaan (2,5v sitten) on silmätarkastettu terveiksi. Viime kesänä Pepin äidillä Jadella todettiin vakava sydänsairaus johon se menehtyi alkusyksystä 9,5-vuotiaana. Siksi halusin ehdottomasti tutkituttaa myös Pepin sydämen, vaikka Jaden sairautta ei perinnölliseksi epäilläkään. Peppi on nyt sydänultrattu ja todettu terveeksi. Nyt siis siltä osin voimme huokaista ja odottaa juoksun alkua... Mutta en vielä julkaise suunnitelmia - yksi terveystutkimus vielä edessä eli suunnitellun isän äidin silmätarkastus. Parin viikon päästä tiedetään, joudutaanko jälleen kerran käyttämään "Plan B".

All my posts could start like this. Armi's singleton puppy boy has moved to his new home, with his uncle Core. Hope to see you soon again, funny how house feels empty even just one puppy has left the building.
We've got some new puppy plans for autumn, but I'll write more about them when the health checks are done.

We've been to some shows again with nice success. In Tampere international, even though Saturday's judge did not appreciate my dogs' high tails and "too flat croups" at all, Iines did nicely on Sunday ending up at best female 3rd with res-CACIB and CAC and therefore finishing her Fi Ch. Iines is the third one to finish from her litter.
A week later she was BOB in Jämsä group specialty show under spaniel specialist Reia Leikola-Walden.

I had wanted to visit Russia for some time already.  Timmy's owner Elina speaks fluent Russian so I tempted her to join me and we drove to a one-day-visit to Vyborg for two national dog shows. We had three dogs with us, and luckily all three got CC and so we have new Rkf Ch's: Serene Lightning Strike, S. Theme For A Dream and S. Moonlight Shadow. Pictured is Nila, Serene Moonlight Shadow.
​

March 23-24th I was in Riga, Latvia. The results were really nice. On Saturday Sauli, S.Lightning Strike, went BOS with cac & CACIB, and Zirka, S. Dreams Gone Wild 2nd best female, gaining cac and res-CACIB that will turn into CACIB. On Sunday Sauli took a day off since we also had another boy with us, that is Timmy, S. Theme For A Dream. Timmy got BOB over Saturdays's group winner bitch, and went finally BIG-4. So, CACIB, cac and Lv Ch also for him. Zirka  got another reserve that will again turn into CACIB.

A week later I showed Sauli in Lahti international under Mr Hans van den Berg. I must say I was quite surprised when he went all the way to BOB, finishing his Finnish championship (4th official show in Finland, so three CC's altogether - not bad) and getting another CACIB. In tough group competition he was chosen to last five finalists, but finally was not placed. 

After that I had a tough week. I rarely am sick, but this time I was attacked by a fever that ended up to a pneumonia. Still not in my best shape, Armi got her puppies, two black boys. I had entered two dogs to Tallinn winner show April 14th, but due to "circumstances" was not able to go. Instead, a friend of mine took my dogs over! Nora did a great job and returned home with two brand new Tallinn Winners and Estonian champions, Sauli (S.Lightning Strike) and his sister Nila, Serene Moonlight Shadow. That was already third CACIB to Sauli in only three weeks and three shows. Sorry no pics from there.

Lt Ch Serene Light Up The Night, Iines was shown in Valmiera, Latvia by my friend Laura Pitkänen. They had a nice trip and Iines came back home with a new title -Lv Ch!
Saulin sisko Iines, Lt Ch Serene Light Up The Night, käväisi Latvian Valmierassa Laura Pitkäsen kanssa ja tuliaiset olivat mukavia: sert, VSP ja Lv Ch. Kiitos <3

Armi was bred to my own boy Sauli. I was not going to use Sauli quite yet, but sometimes you have to use "the Plan B". Why not, I thought. I know his background quite well, his mother and grandmother being my homebred girls. His sire and grandsire are already veterans, both have a current eye paper, clear. Longevity and overall health is also something to appreciate in Sauli's pedigree. As a dog Sauli should fit really nicely with Armi. Up on leg, pretty head, strong back, stylish. His sweet temperament is a big Plus.
Suunnitelmien muututtua Armi astutettiin omalla pojallani Saulilla. Tätä ei tapahdu usein - että käyttäisin omaa urosta. Vaikka Sauli itse on juuri ja juuri 2v, sen suvussa on iäkkäitä terveitä koiria, ja koska sekä emä että emänemä ovat omia kasvattejani, tunnen sukua paljon paremmin kuin tuntisin vieraita. Isä Salute ja isänisä Mario ovat jo veteraani-ikäisiä, molemmat äskettäin tarkastettu tervesilmäisiksi. Koirina Sauli ja Armi täydentävät hyvin toisiaan, myös luonteeltaan.

As I don't have puppies too often, each and every litter is very much awaited. So I'm always excited when a bitch starts The season.  This time not less than usual... the male I've chosen for her is already almost 7 years of age, no puppies so far...  we will see how it goes. The bloodline is unique so I'm really looking forward to the litter.  Fingers crossed. If I'm lucky we will have puppies in April, just a perfect timing for the little ones to play outside in garden.
Koska meillä on pentuja suht harvakseltaan, jokainen pentue on kovin odotettu. Juoksun alkaminen merkitsee aikataulullisia järjestelyjä, ihania sellaisia. Milloin lähdetään sulhasreissulle, mihin väliin varataan mammalomaa töistä, ja pidättäydytään näyttelyreissuista jne. Nyt jännitystä lisää paitsi se, että yhdistelmä on sukutaulullisesti ainutkertainen, myös se, että uros on jo lähes 7-vuotias ensikertalainen... Jos kaikki natsaa, ajoitus on loistava ja pikkunatiaiset pääsevät haistelemaan kevään tuoksuja pihalla ja auttamaan puutarhatöissä.