|
|
ARIOSA
"E" LITTER: AUTUMN
2008
Ariosa's goal is to consistently breed dogs
of excellent conformation, health, and working ability while retaining the
clown-like characters we love. Ariosa breeds for working temperaments, and
puppies will be placed only in homes
with previous dog experience.
(My apologies, having a dog while growing up does not count!)
We are dedicated to matching families with
appropriate puppies. To start the process for a pup from Ariosa, e-mail
lisa@ariosa-swds.com
. Please start the conversation by
including a brief description of what you are looking for in a puppy and
how you decided upon adding a Spanish Water Dog to your family. I'll be looking for active,
dog-experienced households. The pups from this litter will be moderately-driven
SWDs
and will thrive
in homes which can provide a thinking job and regular exercise. Once our
conversation has begun, I will send you a Puppy Packet and
Questionnaire. The Questionnaires are designed to help you tell me what
you are looking for in a pup.
|
|
MEET THE SIRE
AND DAM
|
G-Gordito de Benamaina (Presley) |
Ch. (UCICB)
A-Alameda de Benamaina (Josey) |
 Presley
is a wonderful example of an SWD in a small package. Son of the
extraordinarily tempered and handsome Swedish champion Boqueron de
Benamaina, Presley brings health, character and type to the
breeding. Presley passed his herding instinct test with flying
colors in the spring of 2007. His sweet and devoted temperament
makes him an ideal companion, willing to try anything his owner asks
of him.As with other
Boqueron males, Presley is compact and on the small side of the
standard. However, his progeny have proven well within the standard
and we expect moderately-sized puppies. |
Josey is a phenomenal family dog, a superb retriever
and swimmer. She passed her herding instinct test with flying
colors. Her dam Huma was an ideal mother, a trait we hope to
see carried on by her daughter. |
-
Presley's Health Clearances
- Hips:
PennHIP 854469 (L=0.39, R=0.50; no signs of DJD)
- Elbows:
Not tested
- Eyes:
CERF "Normal" (2007)
- OptiGen
"Clear" for PRA
- Thyroid:
OFA "Normal"
- Tail:
Docked
|
-
Josey's Health Clearances
- Hips: OFA "Fair"
-
Elbows: OFA "Normal"
- Eyes: CERF "Normal"
(2007)
- OptiGen "Carrier" for PRA.*
- Thyroid: OFA "Normal"
- Tail:
Natural long
*Only through DNA testing and careful breeding practices can we
begin to eliminate PRA, a form of hereditary late-onset blindness,
in our small gene pool. Both sire and dam of this litter have been
DNA tested for PRA. Projected PRA results for this litter: 0%
affected, 50% clear, 50% carrier. No puppies from this litter will
develop PRA. |
WHY
DID WE CHOOSE
THIS SIRE AND DAM?
Breeding is an art. It requires a clear long-term
vision; knowledge of health, temperament, and conformation issues; and a
great deal of luck! The Ariosa line focuses on six dogs from Spain and
Finland. The first three are the three fabulous Benamaina "B"
littermates, bred by Sebastian Alonso Jimenez. Tia (Bruma de Benamaina)
is already well-represented in the Ariosa line. The Ariosa "E" sire and
dam are descendents of the other two littermates. The relationship is
far enough back to make a beautiful distant line-breeding. Here are the
three Benamaina littermates:
-
- CH (UCICB, CAC) Bruma de
Benamaina CGC
- Sire:
Ch. Belo
- Dam:
Dama del Bolanio
Tia is Ariosa's foundation bitch. Clever, devoted, multi-talented
and beautiful.
Tia's downline is now 4-generations deep. Her daughter Pink and
great-granddaughter Ave reside with her at my home. |
- CH (SE) Boqueron de Benamaina
- Sire:
Ch. Belo
- Dam:
Dama del Bolanio
Gordo is an extremely handsome male with one of the most open and
carefree characters I have met in this breed. He was primarily bred
in Sweden, but he was also used in Spain.
Presley, sire of the Ariosa "E" litter is named for his father:
G-Gordito de Benamaina. |
- Bohemia de Benamaina
- Sire:
Ch. Belo
- Dam:
Dama del Bolanio
Bohemia is a playground monitor...she keeps everyone in line. Her
type is very much like her mother, the lovely Dama del Bolanio, who
passed away two winters ago..
Josey, dam of the Ariosa "E" litter, is a Bohemia granddaughter. |
TIMELINE
If all goes
according to plan the pups will be born in October
2008. They will be ready to go to their new homes at 8 weeks of age,
after their temperament tests and conformation evaluations.
Temperament Testing
at 7 weeks: This test can be a real nail-biter. Each puppy is
individually tested for several characteristics including curiosity,
self-assuredness, friendliness toward strangers, desire to retrieve, and the
ability to recover from surprising sights and sounds. The test can be a
little iffy--sometimes a pup may be just settling down for a nap when its
his turn! But looking back on the results from previous litters, the tests
have pretty accurately predicted adult temperament. It is just another
insight into the puppies that helps me place puppies appropriately in their
new homes.
Conformation Evaluation
at 8 weeks by AKC judge
Pat Hastings. This
evaluation gives me insight as to what the dog will or won't be able to
physically do as an adult. This helps me place the puppies into homes
appropriate for their builds. For example, a common conformational problem
in all breeds is a "ewe neck", a condition where the ligaments in the neck
are attached in such a way that the neck can be bent backwards to a greater
degree than usual. A ewe-necked dog will not have difficulties tracking,
chasing balls, doing regular agility, obedience or most other activities.
However, the muscles in his neck will tire more quickly while swimming, the
rear will slowly sink, and the dog will have difficulty propelling himself
forward--not the best candidate for the boating family.
|
|
