More than twenty-five years ago I first encountered this wonderful breed and I found them enthralling from the start (and I still do).
After that first meeting, I wanted to learn everything I could about these dogs. Little did I know then where this quest would take me.
It was never my intention to own a Swissy, and even once I was finally convinced that this was the breed for me, I did not plan to show my Swissies and certainly I never thought I’d eventually decide to breed them. In fact, I was so sure that I would never want to show or breed, I turned down the first actual show dog I was offered! Well, as they say, ’never say never’.
Although I grew up going to dog shows with my aunt, a long-time Dalmatian breeder, all of my own dogs to that point had only been beloved household pets and I had every intention that this was as far as my involvement with dogs would go. I really should have known better, after all, I do still have an “honorable mention” ribbon earned when I showed my poodle at a fun match when I was seven. It may not be the fanciest ribbon my dogs have earned, but it will always be the first.
Since that fateful day so many years ago, I have shared my heart & my home with many Swissies. Each one a unique individual -- just like snowflakes, no two Swissies are exactly the same. Some dogs are with me just for a visit, others stay for a lifetime, but they all stay in my heart forever. Once you share your home with a Swissy you suddenly understand why no one seems to have just one.
Although the Swissies are primarily my dogs, several of my Swissies have been co-owned with my mother. She has co-bred several litters, watched over puppies so I could attend shows and on rare occasions she has even taken a dog into the show ring. Currently two Swissies share my parents’ home full time, with others visiting now & then.
Through this website I hope to share a little bit about those Swissies who were there at the start, those who are here now and those who shall be our future. This is a work in progress, and I started with my first dogs, so please be sure to check back often.
Swissy Regards,
Ellyn
