A short introduction to

Kennel Red And White’s
 
 

It all started with Corin.

Sweet Chester’s Corin, named after the first official showed and registered Welsh Springer Spaniel. At that time I didn’t know, that he should be the ancestor to a new generation of Welsh Springer’s in Denmark.

It was in October 1986. My old English springer spaniel had just been operated for cancer, so I knew, that he would not last forever any more. Therefore I decided to get a replacement, which could learn something of his dog-wisdom before he died.

Many phone calls later my first kennel visit was not by an English Springer kennel, but by Kennel Sweet Chester, which owner Lars Kruuse, was one of the first breeders of Welsh Springer Spaniels in Denmark. There I lost my heart to a small – a bit quiet – red and white puppy. Four weeks later on a very cold January afternoon 1987 I could fetch my birthday present.

Balder 1
He was as call name given the name Balder. (The old Nordic god of reincarnation). His father DKCH Trigger’s Osbourne was a very able hunting dog. His mother was a very nice young bitch DKCH Chessie.

The following summer died my old English Springer.

Balder turned out to be a wonderful companion dog, and I am sure, that if I at that time had been a more skilled dog-trainer, he would have been very successful at field trials. He showed all the natural abilities.

Showing  - he never liked. And not all judges liked him, as the ancient type of Welsh Springer Spaniels, he represented.

But he got his Danish Champion title.

His temperament was very welsh.  Friendly, active in the field, enduring, fast, loveable, happy, self-conscious. He had never been fighting other dogs. With his stable character, strong as a cliff, knowing his own worth, he had always just walked around the intruder, pissed his territory off and walked away – tail wagging at the top point! I never saw him out of balance.

He died a wonderful summer day 13 years old in my arms surrounded by his dog family.

Balder 2

And three month later my new Balder was born. He is now 6 years old – and a grand, grand, grand son. Red And White’s Surtsey Superior is quite a fantastic dog! The same character as my first Balder but extremely intelligent – and with a look!

Everybody loves Balder!

14 month old he came to live in Germany with Michaela Schütte, who showed him to the success with following titles: VHDJCH LUXJCH EUSG2000.  The day after he came back to me, I entered him to a mental-test for young dogs. He passed with excellent notes for a typical spaniel – he had only just one problem – or I had. He could not understand me calling him in Danish, which was pronounced: “Baldaar kom”. Michaela had called: “Balderr hierher”.

A week later he passed an obedience test with a first price! He had very fast remembered the Danish words again.

Now he DKCH INTCH LCH VDHCH DCH KLBCH.  He has passed a fiel trial test winner class, obedience grade 2, and as the fist spaniel he has got a first price in open class at the new hunting trial for spaniels and retrievers.

He works with great endurance in the field, and retrieves everything with pride!

He is happy in the show ring, happy in the field, happy with children, and prefers to follow me everywhere, although it means waiting half a day in the car, or laying in my office at work.

Bianca
Bianca was born in October 1988 in a litter of 5 bitches. The mother was Rosa v. Snellestein owned by Kirsten Hahn and Ove Nørætt, Kennel Danebod. They also wanted a bitch form that litter, and as I at eight weeks should choose between the five, I felt for her beauty, and her happy, self-conscious, clever way between the other puppies.

In the family she soon cleverly took the leading role between the two dogs. And in the field she followed Balder through scrub and overall. I have never seen her throwing any signs of fear (except New Years Eve).  She loved swimming, which she has passed on to my welsh breeding.

Danebod’s Diana Bianca started her show career as a happy – but not very successful puppy with no teeth,not any coat and too long legs. But as a Cinderella she turned out to be a beauty. And at the age of 19 month she was a Danish champion.

Bianca had all the qualities of a good show and breeding bitch. She was intelligent, loved to be the center of the show ring, moved happily and fast, and she loved travelling because it meant meeting of lot of people.

As a mother she was quite, calm, brave and with great consideration has she nursed her litters. These motherhood abilities has she passed on to my breed.

At her old days she moved to live with a local artist: Vif Dissing, who missed a companion after loosing her husband. They knew how to enjoy life – the two of them: Vif painted and Bianca laid quiet nearby and looked beautiful. They walked every day for hours in the woods and along the beach.

Bianca lived to be 14 and died tired of days in Vif’s and my arms!

Red And White’s

In time before Balder and Bianca should have their first litter, I looked for a name for my kennel and FCI chose between three propositions the name that both describe the colors of the Welsh Springer and the Danish national colors: Red And White. As a geographer I then decided that all dogs born in my kennel should be given geographical names. So therefore you can find names as:

Red And White’s: Adria, Bari, Cairo, Dania, Egypt, Galway, Jersie, Lincoln, Offaly, Sicilia, Xixia….

Bibi

My oldest dog today is DKCH Red And White’s Darling Allowin. She is 13 years old and until last year a very able hunting dog. When all the faster and younger has passed a game: a pheasant – she will use her “radar”-nose and with a proudly fast wagging tail jump directly at the bird and flush it – afterward coming to me with tail and head high lifted! Clearly saying: “Did you see me! I am still the best!”

She once was the best at a field trial, beginners class!

At her best age she knew about 90 commandoes – words, signs or tones from my whistle. Now she is half blind and nearly deaf, but follows our ways using her nose, when we are walking

She retrieved well, swims still with great pleasure and as younger she climbed step ladders or climbed trees like a cat!

Four years ago she was casted to work in a commercial for marmelade together with 3 puppies from my X-litter. The commercial has been shown many, many times in Danish television last time this summer, so everybody knows Bibi - or Molly as she was called!

Learning about dogs

With my Welsh Springer Spaniels I started a new life with dogs. Earlier a dog only meant a good companion, but following the advice of Lars Kruuse, kennel Sweet Chester, I started training in the Spaniel Club. And then I followed another good advice of his: If the puppy does not do, what you tell it to do, then do not get angry at the puppy – nobody learns anything getting scold! – But use positive reinforcement – and read and learn more about dogs.

My favorite authors through the years have been:

Konrad Lorenz, Roger Abrantes, Michael Fox, Bruce Fogles, Stanley Coren, Sven Hägerstrand, Steen Kristoffersen, and Bruner.

In 1993 I was educated as a spaniel trainer, and have now trained many hundred spaniels and their owners in obedience, retrieving and field trial! And I have educated a lot of new trainers. I am also a judge for obedience.

Don’t ask me, what I like best to do: training, showing or hunting with my dogs! 

Maybe the best time is a summer morning on the beach walking and bathing – or a winter evening after a long days hunting sitting together in front of the fire!

Breeding dogs

During the 17 years I have had my kennel I have had  240 puppies. 

My litters are often sold before they are born.

One day old the puppies and the mother visit the veterinary for the first health check.

The coming owners are welcome to visit ones a week to follow the puppies growing up. It also gives my good opportunity to tell about adjusting a dog – a Welsh Springer Spaniel to a family and the family to the new family member. Its my choice to give advice and to tell which puppy, shall go to which family considering the family structure, the whishes for a hunting dog, a show dog or just a pet.

Seven Weeks old the puppies are all tested with the “American-puppy test”.

Comparing my litter diary and the test, I can advice the buyers, how to handle the new member of their family correct.

A couple of days later the Kennel Club chip-marker comes and then the puppies are officially named. Three days before leaving home, they are all given a health inspection and are vaccinated by the veterinary.

During the first four month of their new life I invite the puppies and their families to puppy training 5 times.

It’s really nice to follow the puppies, but it also gives me the opportunity to give good advices and to encourage to further training and showing.

Breeding principles

Breeding dogs is always weighing between many factors trying to build on the laws of nature to obtain the best results as possible.

Hips and Eyes

I have only used dogs with HD A and B. All the dogs, which I use, have been eye-tested without any remarks for PRA, Cataract and glaucoma. 

Temperament

-   is for me very important, because most of the dogs are going to live with families, who first of all want a Welsh Springer Spaniel as the lively, brave, friendly and self-conscious dog it is. For me the typical welsh character is represented in Balder – both the old and the young, and in Bianca the first and the second as well.

At the mental test for spaniels Bibi and Balder 2 showed the nearly typical profile for a Welsh Springer spaniel.

According to the puppy tests it have been typical for most of the puppies, that they don’t submit to dominance – that means that you will never reach a sensible result by forcing a Welsh to do something. You have to use positive reinforcement to succeed training your dog.

The same happy, open and friendly appearance have the show judges praised in the show ring, when I have been able to show a breeding class.

Trainability and hunting abilities

The dogs I use for breeding should have shown that they have a certain amount of “dog-brain” – have shown cooperation, willingness to learn and trainability.

Using the lines I have done, I have always tried to combine exteriors with lines with hunting genes.

And now with my fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh generation I can say, that I am breeding dual purpose Welsh Springer Spaniels, which are able hunting dogs, nice family pets and they obtain results in the show ring.  Several have had success at field trials and retrieving trails.