About our Program
EMPHASIZING HEALTH, TEMPERAMENT, AND CONFORMATION SINCE 2020
OUR SELECTION PROCESS
A breeding program is like a puzzle, with each dog representing a different piece of the puzzle. We select dogs for breeding based on the overall quality of the dog in the areas most important to us. The consistent themes that guide our program are versatility, health, genetic diversity, sociability, stability, trainability, livability, and conformity to the FCI breed standard. Finding everything we are seeking in one dog or one combination is nearly impossible based on the currently available breeding dogs within the breed, and some of our goals can be in conflict with one another so we must compromise. Therefore, our breedings are done with longterm goals in mind, and we are often considering two or three generations into the future.
There is no truly perfect dog--since they are living, they all have strengths and weaknesses. As such, we do not breed dogs together which share the same weakness, and instead, we choose dogs that are complimentary in health, temperament, and conformation. This stretches beyond the dog itself, as we also look to its relatives. A male may seem like a perfect fit for a female, but if he is an anomaly in his line, then he isn't truly a good fit.
HOW WE RAISE OUR PUPPIES
We believe that genetics set the course, but socialization maintains it. Our puppies are handled constantly while they are here--picked up, held, carried, and touched all over. Their nails are frequently trimmed and we expose them to brushing at an appropriate age. Scientific research shows that daily handling is just as good, if not better, than Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS), so we do this instead. We feel it is a more natural approach to raising puppies as opposed to intentionally stressing neonates. Once the puppies can hear, we make sure to expose them to a variety of household noises and noises that may be unpleasant: vacuum, blow dryer, banging pots and pans, dropped books or other heavy items, and audio recordings at low volume of thunderstorms, construction, fireworks, city sounds, and so forth.
Throughout their time here, we introduce the puppies to numerous new toys and items in their box and daily life, so that seeing, smelling, and feeling new things becomes a normal part of life, instead of something to be concerned about. From about 3-4 weeks on, our puppies are litter box trained so that they learn to keep their space clean. Once the puppies are big enough to move into their indoor/outdoor space, they learn to use the doggy door and potty outside only--by the time they go home, the majority of our puppies are practically fully potty trained. In this pen, they get a variety of enrichment items to climb and explore--some that move, a tunnel to go under, a crate without a door, a mini toddler slide, and a kiddy pool (weather permitting). We also take our puppies on daily walks around our farm so that they can explore, see/hear our chickens, and learn to pay attention to where the people are.
OUR HEALTH TESTING PROTOCOL
Our breeding dogs are health tested for the following diseases:
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Hip dysplasia*
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Elbow dysplasia*
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Transitional vertebrae
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Congenital & adult-onset heart disease*
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Ocular disease*
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Autoimmune thyroiditis*
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Multi Drug Resistance 1 (MDR1)*
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Degenerative Myelopathy (DM)*
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Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA)
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Pituitary Dwarfism (PD)
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Cerebellar Hypoplasia (CH)
Testing includes radiographs under sedation, an echocardiogram, eye dilation and exam, blood panel, and a cheek swab for DNA. We utilize this testing to insure that we do not combine lines which share the same health defects within the pedigree. We use the Australian National Kennel Council (ANKC) for scoring hips and elbows because we prefer their more detailed reports over those from the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) or the International Canine Federation (FCI) for these exams. For transitional vertebrae, we use INCOC, an organization created by two Finnish FCI radiograph scrutineers, which allows us to submit radiographs for grading despite living in a non-FCI country. For cardiac, eye, and thyroid testing, we use the respective board-certified veterinarians and submit the results to OFA to be recorded. For the remaining DNA-based testing, we utilize Embark and AnimaLabs in Croatia.
Our health testing protocols allow us to make informed breeding decisions in order to reduce the risk of hereditary diseases and produce healthy dogs with longterm soundness.
*Indicates testing required for an OFA Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) number.
FROM BEST IN SHOW TO HIGH IN TRIAL
Over the years, our kennel has produced more than a dozen show champions and multiple dogs titled in various performance sports. Our dogs have won many of the most coveted wins in dog shows and sports, from Best in Show to High in Trial. We have also had dogs in the annual rankings for the Top Ten best show dogs in breed and for All Star performance events.
We have made breed history on multiple occasions, with our foundation female, Furrari, being the first White Swiss Shepherd to earn the titles of Rally Obedience Master, Rally Master Excellent, Rally Master Champion, Rally Master Grand Champion, National Total Dog, Super Dog, and Super Dog 2. Her son, Enzo, is the first Breeder-Handler-Owner-Trained White Swiss Shepherd in the USA to earn the titles of FH1, Tracking 2, Tracking 3, Obedience 2, and Obedience 3 in the sport of IGP.
Dogs from our kennel have been successful in the following disciplines:
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Conformation
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Agility
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Obedience
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Rally Obedience
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Dock Diving
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Nosework
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Weight Pull
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Precision Coursing
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Tricks
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Animal Actor
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Canine Conditioning & Fitness
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Search and Rescue
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Service Work
Whether you are looking for a show prospect, sport prospect, adventure buddy, or family companion, we are confident that we can match you to a suitable puppy.