History

There all starts...

I got my first touch with dogs was when I was just a little girl. My parents Jouko and Helena had a cockers spaniel called Risse. Risse died soon and for a long time our family lived without a dog. When I went to school I wanted a dog of my own. We were looking for a puppy by an advertisement – just to give me some company. We called also to several kennels, but all puppies were already given away. The kennels we called were breeders of golden retrievers and Tibet spaniels.

My Dad and Risse

We looked for a while and one day my mothers friend at work had a dog who had puppies. The puppies were English Springer spaniels. One autumn night one of the puppies were got to our place just that we could see him. The breeder planned to keep the puppy, because he was already 4 months old. However, the puppy stayed with us. It was November 1987. Pepe was a pretty hard to manage. The breeder never gave us any instructions to raise a puppy, so we did all the mistakes you can do with a dog in the first time. He kept running away, and destroying the house. I remember once I came from school and Pepe had carried all our plants to my parent’s bed. So I got interested with dog-training, and I went to training field with Pepe. At the beginning to train a three-year dog was so frustrating that some days I came home tiers in my eyes.

Pepe

Pepe had his first match-show in 26^th August in 1990, but he never succeeded. But still I wanted to carry on. The next match-show was in November 1990 judged by Eero Santala. Pepe was BIS2. This made me so enthusiastic that I announced Pepe to Kajaani dog show, which was held 5^th January 1991. Judge was Jukka Kuusisto and Pepe got ¼. Soon I realized, that Pepe would never be a show dog. I started to ask my parents for a new dog. Pepe had a few more shows and his highest score was in senior class 1/1 hp. However, Pepe was very important dog for me, he had many BIS from match shows. Pepe loved shows and he had very nice nature. Unfortunately Pepe was sick all of his life, he had skin and ear problems. We put Pepe to sleep in spring 2000 when he was 13 years old. Pepe lives still in our memories, he was the thing to make me got interested this breed.

 In February 1991 I was reading old spaniel magazines and I noticed an advertisement of kennel Adamant’s.   Adamant’s kennel had puppies and so I called to Tarja Hovila. The magazine was old so the puppies weren’t there anymore, but luckily there was a new litter. By  that time I was 10 years old. I asked a lot from Tarja about hips results and eye reflects. I told Tarja I’d think about it. I made my parents to come along with the idea and I reserved one puppy. Afterwards I heard that Tarja had told to Mikko, that were would she promise that puppy. I was ten years old and from North Karelia, far from Somero. Probably Tarja thought that she would never see the puppy again. We picked up the puppy from Somero in the end of February. Pessi looked different than the other puppies, he had stately coat and appearance. There was also one black-white bitch who tried to come whit my mum, but luckily Pessi was the one who came with us to Joensuu. I talked with Tarja about my intrest to dog shows and she thought that especially Pessi would develop slowly. So we could wait the success earliest when he would be two years old. So Pessi (Adamant’s New Design) traveled with us to Joensuu. Pepe welcomed Pessi happily.

Pessi

With Pessi I had , agility, shows and he was my junior handling dog the time I was able to compete. At first Pessi didn’t succeed. We visited shows around Finland but although Pessi didn’t succeed, I succeeded in junior handler competitions. Just before Pessi was two years old in show in Oulu (24^th Oktober 1992) the success started. Pessi was best male and had CC and cacib and he was also BOS. More about Pessi’s success you may reed on Pessi’s own pages. Pessi is the dog of my dreams who still succeeds in shows also in older days.  Nowadays Pessi has titles INT&FIN&EST CH and EST W-97.  Pessi dies in 11 and half years old (autumn 2002). But we will allways remember that man in our hearts.

Paavo

We became to know ourselves with Tarja Hovila because we see each other so often in shows. She offered me another male from her kennel when I was talked her about having another dog. “Paavo” – Adamant’s Ringmaster came to us in 1994. Paavo has succeeded in shows very well.

  Then I moved out from my parent’s house to my own apartment and took Pessi with me. Pessi didn’t like to be alone, he barked all the time when I was alone so I needed to have him company fast. I was handling dogs in Mikkeli in 1996 and I talked there with Suvianna Virkkunen. She offered me her own breeding welsh springer spaniel. So the very next day Dydy moved to my place. Pessi wasn’t so bored to be alone and Dydy had a new home. I didn’t know much about the breed and I though that Dydy would be with us only until I would have an English Springer puppy to myself. But Dydy stayed for a longer time and had very good succeed in shows.

Dydy

Breeding strarted to enthusiast me and Dydy became my first bitch my wss-side. My first litter was born in 1999. Dogs of litter A have had already CC’s in shows.

I have also two bitches from Tarja Hovila, FIN CH Adamant’s Dancing Queen “Melody” and Adamant’s Such A Dream “Tango”. Both are very well succeeded and had puppies. I haw handled few times Adamant’s breedergroup including my Adamant’s dogs in shows. This group has been BIS many times. Thank s about these fabulous dogs belongs to Tarja Hovila. Without her I wouldn’t have probably been so keen in to breeding this breed, handling and trimming.

I also had a dream for along time – it took me ten years to made it true. When I was visiting my first shows with Pessi and I often saw Pirkko Koskinen (kennel Pebblestone) with her American cocker spaniels. Her dogs were fabulous and I wondering that some day I want a dog like that. In the summer 2000 I was at Iisalmi dog show and got to talk with Marja Arpiainen (kennel Jujucans). She is a breeder of American Cocker Spaniels. She told me that Pirkko koskinen had finished her breeding. Marja had her own breeding in the back of her breedings. Some how it happened that me and my friend Suvi traveled to Kemi to pick up my own ACS. “Perry” – Jujucans Needles to Say came to my kennel to cheer up my springers with his funny way – he has for example got stocked to our roses several times. Perry unfortunately died very young autumn 2002. He have very hard sickness. 

Perry

 So practically I have lived with spaniels all my life. I’ve handled dogs since 1991 and from 1991 I’ve trimming dogs. My breeding began in 1999. I’m very grateful to my parents because without their support this all wouldn’t have been possible. Somehow it feels unbelievable that I had my first dog already 18 years ago..

 in the future I’ve planned to have one more breed, but that will be announced in these pages when ever it’s happening.

 My breeding continues, mostly with English Springers. But Welsh Springers will stay along too.    

 You can find our nowadays happenings  and family in our homepage !

Please enjoy your visit !

Heli Tolvanen 22.2.2004