Welcome!
We are a small hobby ken... oh who am I kidding... just ask my husband, family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, or strangers on the street and they will tell you that the dogs are no "hobby" to me, they are a full time obsession.
"Hobby" kennel is a term generally used to seperate those who breed occasionally from those who breed constantly. It seperates those who consider breeding a job from those do it for love of the breed.
At ildanoch our world definately revolves around the dogs. Family events are generally scheduled around dog events and a dog in need. Not to say that the dogs are spoiled... ok, they are... but they do know their manners! Our dogs live in our house, sleep in our bed, and are considered part of the family. Now if I could just get them to contribute to the house cleaning or the mortgage...
Some "Hobby" breeders brag because they only have 1-2 litters a year. At ildanoch we average 1 litter every 2 years. Ken says this is because it takes a year to plan and a year to recover lol. The reality isn't that far off. Though the planning is generally much longer than a year. We have breeding plans going forward several generations. Not that they will necessarily happen though. Dogs will have to mature, be tested for health problems, evaluated for temperment, structure, and type. About a year before a breeding we review our plans and then start the search for what we've missed. Is there a great dog hiding in someone's backyard? What about some old guy that we thought was dead? Are we sure that this is the right match? And that's not even the hardest part.
Breeding and whelping? Nah...that is the easiest part! The hard part is making sure that our pups get in the best homes possible. We take as active a part in our pups lives as possible (though we try to limit the stalking). We feel that as we chose to bring this life into the world that we are responsible for it. Getting an ildanoch dog is like getting an extended family. Our pups come home to "Grandma Camp" if they need some training. We also are willing to board any pups so they don't have to go to a kennel. And we are willing to show any pups for their owners. We do not charge for any of this if it's part of our normal routine. It's just part of taking care of our future
And our past? I had my first purebred dog as an infant and dogs through my childhood but that doesn't really count. My early teens were mostly dogless in fact. But filled with dogs in spirit. I read anything dog related and was in heaven when I had the chance to be around dogs. My obsession even got me into trouble a few times, like climbing the 6' fence to play with the guard dog German Shepards on the other side (who were famous for jumping the fence and biting passerbys - fortunately they liked me)
I got involved with Keeshonden in 1979 when a good friend of mine got a "show dog" and got bit by the bug. I helped train for conformation and obedience and assisted in breeding when the time came. I also helped with rescue rehab for keeshonden in need. I eventually got my own Kees. We focused more on obedience then conformation as I was 2 left feet and 10 thumbs in the show ring.
In the mid80s I met Helen & Dave Howard and their son Ken and daughter Mary. The Howards had just started showing Gordon Setters and had bred their first litter under the kennel name Overlook. I moved in with them and helped take care of the dogs. I did some training and learned alot about setters. I even got a little more comfortable in the show ring though it was not my preferred arena.
Then in 1989 Helen & David got a funny looking brown puppy with yellow eyes and a rat tail -- Rena. I was smitten. This was what I was looking for. A dog as smart as a Keeshond that was capable of performing in many performance venues. The small gene pool and dedicated (read obsessive) breeders was a plus. I arranged to get a puppy from the kennel where Rena had come from, Lindholme Kennels in Canada. I've gotten 2 dogs from George and both have been very special and taught me a lot
In 1991 I started dating Helen's son, Ken and was smitten again. Ken swears he moved out of his folks home to get away from the dogs. But at least he knew what he was in for when he got involved with me! I couldn't imagine trying to have the dogs and care for them without his mental, emotional, and physical support.
In 1992 Helen decided to breed Rena to a little known dog out in the Pacific NorthWest. She gave pick of that litter to her son. And Sunnee entered our lives...
Sunnee taught me to enjoy the conformation ring. I learned to stay out of her way and let her handle all the showing. And my showing style with all future generations has basically been the same lol.
In 1996 we came to the realization that we had a dog who had a lot to contribute to the breed. 17 years after getting my first purebred dog I was seriously considering breeding a litter. ildanoch was created from that event.
There are now great-grandkids of Sunnee out there (great-great in January '08). Sunnee descendents in North America and Europe. Descendents competing in conformation, obedience, agility, field work, tracking, and being wonderful companions.
One of my most cherished memories is standing outside the ring at a National Specialty watching the dogs go around. A breeder who had been in the breed much longer than I turned to me and said "is that dog one of yours?" I said "I dont own it but I bred it". The response was "I thought so, I can always tell your dogs when they go around the ring". Of course, I've also had a breeder tell me they always know my dogs, they are the ones leaping around like maniacs!
I would just like to stress that there would not be an ildanoch if not for the support of Ken, the wisdom of Helen, the patience of my family, and the active participation of every puppy owner out there. Thank you all!
