We first stumbled upon a Finnish Spitz in early 1998 on a bike outing. My daughter was enthralled with her and my immediate reaction was that this was the most enchanting dog I had ever seen! We did some research over the next few months and became convinced that this was a breed we wanted in our family. By summer we were ready to start looking for that special Finkie that would be our new family member. We were fortunate to learn that outstanding Finkie breeders Nancy and Ernie Lloyd in OR had just whelped a litter of five little girls and not all were spoken for yet. We talked with them over the next two months and by the end of October Cisco was on a plane bound for Minnesota where we were then living. We then added our first male, K.C. to our family, also from Ernie and Nancy. We are committed to this breed that has proven to be more than we could ever have hoped for.

We have shown in conformation from the beginning and are now trying our hand (and paws!) at agility with Roki. Although it will be some time. if ever, before he is ready for trials, we are having fun with these new challenges. We enjoy spending this one-on-one time with each of them, and the bonding that occurs as we learn new things together.

With the outstanding dogs in our family we began breeding in an effort to preserve some of their desirable characteristics. With our first litter we were hooked! Although breeding and socializing new puppies is time consuming and challenging, the rewards as we watch them mature through photos and in the ring, and the joy they bring to their new families, is extremely rewarding. We are extensively involved in the Finniah Spitz Club of America and continue to expand our contacts, and knowledge, with breeders in Europe. At this point, it is impossible to imagine living without several Finkies in our lives! My personal passion is preserving the generally good health of this breed through increasing the genetic diversity in our lines while maintaining sound structure and movement.

We do not have a "kennel". Rather, our Finnish Spitz are members of our family and reside with us in the house. Our puppies are raised -- like all our animals -- underfoot, on our laps, in our beds and at our tables. They socialize with our Norwegian Forest cats, and the dogs and cats have formed some very interesting, close relationships. When Cisco left us in the summer of 2005, we also had an eight week battle to save the life of our first Forest Cat, Zenobia, who sunk into a deep depression and refused to eat with Cisco's absence from her life.

We are now breeding our "fourth" generation here. It is a joy to see the traits Cisco brought to the breed preserved in her great-great-grandpuppies. We are passionate about our pups, and hope to continue with contributions to this beautiful breed for many years to come.