ABOUT
ME
Passionate About Flatcoated Retrivers
I have always lived with Flats. I have always been very keen on them since I was very young. I was fascinated both by their peculiar temperament and by their morphology. I think they reflect my ideal dog.
Since I was young and for a very long time, to increse my knowledge of this breed, I studied the most important textbooks about their origin, standard, morphology and functionality, working skills, descendants and pedigrees. I researched the most important dogs in every single Flat breeding and what they left as inheritance to their breed. I attended training courses with the best European Flat trainers and Flat breeders in order to know how every single subject could strenghten its own potential both on exhibition stage and at work (retrieving).
The progenitor of my Flat breeding it is a female, Heilurihannan Kiss Me Quick, known as Dakota. I took Dakota when she was 60 days old in Finland at Kirsi’s and Asko’s Nieminen kennel Heilurihannan.
In this female puppy I immediately recognized those peculiarities I was looking for: structure, substance, style, superb movements and strong personality. Dakota grew up to my expectations. In addition, during field trials, she demonstrated to be a well-gifted worker. Furthermore, she revealed to be an excellent breeding dog, as she was able to transfer the best of herself to its own puppies. This made Dakota a breeding champion. It is to Dakota and to her huge generosity that I called my Flat breeding DAKOTASPIRIT.
ACHIEVEMENTS
I have Italian, European, Finnish, Austrian, Swiss championship, multi qualifications at CRUFT for many consecutive years. Numberless Best In Show, Best of Breed and Breedign Group winners at Retrievers Speciality Shows. CAC and CAC preserve at field trial.
In Italy Flat Coated is not a well known breed and this is a point of strength. Often a wide diffusion doesn’t provide a good quality. With time even Italy will appreciate Flat, which is more popular in Scandinavian countries and in England, their native country.
For me it is the most refined among retrievers. Gentle, beautiful, powerful and elegant, brilliant in hunting, sporting in Agility, lover of water and of good company, sweet and friendly with men it is perfectly suitable to the town and to live in flat.
Flat is a lively and energetic dog with a powerful but not heavy structure. Clever expression and elegant look, often Flat is called Peter Pan dog, as it always ready to play. This peculiarity makes it an energetic and happy dog even when it is advanced in years. Flat’s tail is in perpetual movement. It is its way to express its uncontrollable joy of life. It is a very “physical” dog: it likes kissing, licking, jumping up and staying as much as possible with you. It is not a garden dog nor a kennel dog, it loves staying very close to its owner and to its pack.
I strongly agree with Mr Colin Wells, owner of W Kennel founded in 1933 and Chief huntsman of the Duke of Rutland, fine expert and selector of this breed, who used to say “My aim is to get dual purposes litters, able both to win high level hunting competitions and to work in very hard conditions harmoniously, proving their resistance and their trainability and, in the same time, able to transfer their temperament on exhibitions in order to win. This makes a fine champion”
MY PHILOSOPHY
In my breed I don’t make difference between a beautiful dog and a good dog. My Flats include both beauty and working capabilities. To breed you don’t have to hurry and you don’t have to think about dogs as a money source.
AIM
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I employ healthy subjects coming from lines of healthy dogs, which in their turn generated healthy dogs (information available on databank)
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I study couplings in order to achieve wide genetic maps in consideration of future couplings. Actually, narrowing too much blood lines (consanguinity), the choice for male dogs is reduced, this can cause damages to the dog selection which may increase the risk of genetic disease.
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All subjects present in my breed follow the same expositive, working and reproductive career. I plan a very few litters with aiming to achieve a working evolution and not a mere dog sale.
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I have litters in a familiar environment, giving particular attention to the socialization process.
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Females of my breed have in their lives, three litters maximum.