Planned Litter
Gusto X Heart: Fall 2010
| Glace Noire Great Gusto HT | Kaponomana Heart of Obsidian AX AXJ PT |
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| AKC# DN140414/02; OFA Hips:EXCELLENT; OFA Elbows:NORMAL; CERF:BSD-1983 | AKC# DN177537/03O; OFA Hips:GOOD; OFA Elbows:NORMAL; PENNHIP 880765; CERF:BSD-1910; CHIC 61247 |
We started planning for this breeding long before Heart was even whelped. We selected Heart, in part, because of the old, American lines from which she is descended. Gusto also comes down from ancestors that have been in the U.S. since just after WWII. Our dogs resemble a type that was exhibited in the conformation ring 50 years ago more than they do today's show dogs. We have absolutely nothing against other breeders going for a more refined style of Belgian. However, we are convinced that preserving diversity in genotype and phenotype within the breed is crucial to the long-term health of the Groenendael.
We were waiting to see how Heart's working capabilities and health screens turned out before making a decision to use her for breeding. We are very happy to report that she advanced to the excellent level in AKC agility in less than one year of competition. She has developed into a successful trial dog and is already advancing toward her agility championship. Heart is also training regularly in tracking and has a good foundation in herding. Outside of the trials, Heart is playful and sociable with other dogs and people. You can see a few of Heart's recent agility runs at our FastBelgians YouTube site.
Gusto has an HT herding title, but is mostly a family companion. He is a nephew to our own Rocky and has an outgoing, friendly temperament. We have known the Glace Noire dogs for years. Almost all of them have proven themselves in tracking, agility, and herding. We are very excited about the prospects for producing a litter of working dogs and wonderful companions.
Heart and Gusto have both passed health screenings for inherited disease in hips, elbows, and eyes.
Applications are now being accepted.
For more information, contact Dave at info@obsidianbelgians