Bella
Out of
Dutch, VDH, German Ch. Caballus Inferno JWW'98, W'98, Europasieger '99, Bundessieger'99
and
CH Mathel Felicitation ROM
Bella
Out of
Dutch, VDH, German Ch. Caballus Inferno JWW'98, W'98, Europasieger '99, Bundessieger'99
and
CH Mathel Felicitation ROM
Breeding beyond boundaries.
How many times have your gone to the National or a large regional dog show to check
out prospective studs and been disappointed in the lack of choices? Sometimes nothing
you see complements the bitch you have. With today’s shrinking world, there are more
options open to breeders. One of those options is using an over seas stud.
With the improvements in storing frozen semen, collecting and shipping fresh chilled
semen, and newly lifted quarantines; your breeding choices don’t have to be confined to
your geographic area.
When using an overseas stud, you must often rely on pictures, video and word of mouth
of people who have met the dogs in person. But this is the case with many US studs
where you may not have had the opportunity to meet the dog in person. Or even the case
of having only seen the dog as an adolescent and you do not know how he has matured. I
was fortunate to deal with breeders and owners who were very helpful in supplying
whatever I wanted to do my research on potential overseas studs. This included pictures
of the dog, his parents, siblings, and any offspring he may have had on the ground.
Videotapes of the dog and relatives. Talking with other breeders overseas who have used
the particular dog, or close relatives of his in their breeding programs.
I have had experience sending a bitch overseas for a natural breeding. This can’t always
be done if the country still has quarantine laws in effect. My latest litter was a result of
fresh chilled semen sent from overseas. You can still run into problems with customs and
language barriers resulting in delays. Timing is everything when using fresh chilled
semen. Even a day’s delay can mean the difference between having a litter and not. It
did take a bit more planning to make sure it all came off smoothly. With fresh chilled,
you should decide before hand on what kind of extender you will use, and what type of
shipping container it will be transported in. A test collection and storage of the stud is a
great idea. That way you know how many days his semen will live. Not all dogs are
alike, and not all dogs semen react to the extender and chilling the same.
Everything you need to register such a litter is clearly explained on the AKC website. I
am currently bringing in frozen semen from overseas to store in the US. This has its pros
and cons. With Frozen semen you don’t have to worry about the timing of shipping, as
you can have it on hand months or years in advance of the breeding. One of the
drawbacks of frozen semen is with the shorter life span, either surgical or transcervical
insemination is recommended over vaginal insemination.
With the use of fresh chilled and frozen semen, you do have the potential for higher
breeding costs with the addition of progesterone testing, collection, storage and
insemination fees. You also have the potential for decreased litter size in some cases.
Finding and using the right stud for your bitch isn’t about producing a huge litter. Its
about producing a few quality dogs that fulfil the goals you have for the breeding and the
resulting offspring. Article written by Cathy Lewandowski for the Curly Coated Retriever breed column in the AKC Gazette
Some of Bella's siblings
CH SoftMaple's International Fling CGC CR-CA134/34F/C-PI, CERF CR-640G26F-PI,
CR-EL97F26-PI
CH SoftMaple's Fairway Explorer CGC CR-CA74/16F/S-PI CR-EL98F28-PI CR-642G28F-PI,
CERF CH SoftMaple N HunterBay's NYwkend CGC CR-EL99F28-PI
CR-645E28F-PI,
CR-CA135/34F/C-PI CH SoftMaple Boyerie Int'l Dateline CR-CA117/28F/C-PI CR-643
CR-628F24F-PI CH Farway SoftMaple's Finn Heir CD CGC
CR-EL93M24-PI CR-625E24M-PI
CH SoftMaple Dese's Int'l D'Lite CGC CR-624G24F-PI
CH Soft Maple Avanti Mileage Plus CR-630F25F-NOPI
Raven CR-CA110/27F/C-PI CR-716 CR-629G25F-PI
Chase CR-CA75/16M/S-PI CR-679 CR-623G24M-PI
Go to SoftMaple Girls page
Go to SoftMaple Boys page
Back to SoftMaple
I started doing an on-line puppy diary since many of the people that would be getting one of my pups would not be able to travel here to see the pups. I did not
want
to put a bunch of cute puppy pictures online, and encourage anyone to have a litter just because they wanted to see cute puppies! Breeding dogs, if done the right
way, is a lot of work. Lost sleep and sometimes heartache. It takes a lot of time, effort and money to raise a litter of puppies. Once I started doing The Puppy
Diary, I realized I had a captive audience. These people logged on every day to see the pictures, and read what was happening. I used this opportunity to cram as
much education into each day as I could. Health, Coat issues, grooming, feeding, socializing, vet care, puppy evaluations, shipping puppies.... you name it! I tried
to
put it in The Diary. It was suggested that I make it into a book. Well here it is! There are 560 pictures and over 300 pages of living with and watching one litter
grow up. I am sure may conscientious, caring breeders raise litters similar to the way I do. Its is a good look into the time, money, commitment it takes to
bring
up a litter of pups. Some of the things that go on behind the scenes, that the eventual puppies owners (family), never realize go into the litter.
Enjoy my litter as I see them. Day to day
Contents
Early puppy stimulation, as well as continued puppy socialization are key in our breeding program. We stress temperament and health. Our dogs are family
companions, first and foremost. We are only interested in finding homes for our puppies in which potential owners are genuinely committed to loving a Curly for its
life-time, be it a pet, show, or hunting companion.
We as breeders are caretakers of the future of the Curly Coated Retriever. Breeding just to fill a demand for puppies can damage a breed for years to come. Not all
dogs are worthy of being bred. Having a Championship title is not a good enough reason to breed a dog. There are many judgment calls that a breeder has to make
according to their own conscience. There is no perfect dog, and unfortunately, no perfect breeders!
Breeding dogs is a labor of love. Their health and well-being is of primary importance. We check Hips (OFA, or foreign country of origin hip score equivalent) Eyes
(CERF)and Cardiac (OFA). Puppies come with a contract covering replacement of puppies that do not OFA, do not CERF, or do not pass Cardiac testing.
Since a dog is a living creature, we can not guarantee that the dog will not have any problems. We do our best to check the health history of the parents,
grandparents and siblings. We study pedigrees and dogs to help make informed breeding decisions. No one has yet bred the perfect dog. We will stand behind our
dogs if there is a problem.
The pups are raised in the home. We use the Bio Sensor method of early puppy stimulation. We temperament test our puppies at 7 weeks of age. As we know the
personalities of the puppies better than anyone having lived wiht them since birh, we try to match each puppy with the appropriate family for its needs. Every pup that
leaves SoftMaple goes with the condition that if for any reason you cannot keep the dog I will always take it back, for whatever reason.
A curly is not for everyone. They are a strong willed, challenging, intelligent dog. We screen our prospective puppy buyers. Your not just buying a dog from
SoftMaple, your joining a family. We ask you questions, and strongly encourage you to ask us questions. Anyone looking to add a Curly to their home shouldn't stop
at just contacting one breeder. We encourage you to talk to as many breeders as you can.
Follow a litter of puppies from birthday until they go to their new homes. The diary contains lots of pictures, tips on puppy rearing, some breed specific information,
and lots of information on the care of any breed of dog.
Chapter One (Week One) ... Page 1
Seger comes into season
Happy Birthday!
Removing the Dewclaws
Start of the Bio Sensor program
Chapter Two (Week Two) ... Page 48
Coat issues.
Tail Gland Hyperplasia
Do Curlies Shed?
Chapter Three (Week Three) ... Page 94
End of Bio Sensor Exercises
Worming The puppies
Eyes are open
First pup escapes from the box
Chapter Four (Week Four) ... Page 130
Weaning. The great food fight!
Introduction to the puppy play room
Shark Cage
Chapter Five (Week Five) ... Page 156
Field dog? Show Dog? CPE?
Happy Mothers Day!
First Stacked pictures
Chapter Six (Week Six) ... Page 195
Toys! Toys! Toys!
What’s In A Name?
Kids and Dogs
Introduction to Wings
Chapter Seven (Week Seven) ... Page 236
About Puppies and Retrieving
Socialize your puppy
First Shots & Vet Visit
Splish Splash, first bath!
Chapter Eight (Week Eight) ... Page 286
Shape up or ship out!
Requirements to ship puppies
See all the pups!
We at SoftMaple have been active in showing and breeding pure bred dogs since 1979. Active in Curly Coated Retrievers since 1993. We do not earn our income
from the sale our puppies. For me raising a litter is a very rewarding, time consuming and expensive passion. When I breed a litter, I focus on the whole dog. I don't
breed to whatever stud is nearby, or to whatever stud is winning in the showring, regardless or health or if he would complement my bitch. We are breeding for
healthy, sound, highly trainable, versatile dogs without compromising the correct structure and breed type set out in the standard.
Moxie 5/29
CH Softmaple's Pheasant Dreams
WC CGC
The first liver curly bitch to win a Sporting Group.
Winners bitch, Best of Winners 2004 CCRCA National
Sired by:
CH SoftMaple's O'Dark Thirty
JH,SH,MH WCQ CD CGC TT HOF CR-536G27M-T OFA cardiac, CERF
The first Curly with a Master Hunter and an AKC Championship.
We at SoftMaple have been active in showing and breeding pure bred dogs since 1979. 
SoftMaple's Announcement page
Active in Curly Coated Retrievers since 1993.
Early puppy stimulation, as well as continued puppy socialization are key in our breeding program. We stress temperament and health. Our dogs are family companions, first and foremost. We are only interested in finding homes for our puppies in which potential owners are genuinely committed to loving a Curly for its life-time, be it a pet, show, or hunting companion.
SoftMaple Curlies
Mark
and Cathy Lewandowski
8282 Soft Maple Road
Croghan NY 13327
