So here we are, four years older

Transcription

1 A VISIT WITH LITTLETOWN PEKINGESE By Janice Sugden So here we are, four years older and sometimes not so much wiser. For those of you who did not see my previous OE kennel visit, I am Jan Sugden of Littletown Pekingese in British Columbia, Canada. I have had Pekes since Dec. 1994, and then only by default as I was interested in Bichons, not snappy little lapdogs. For the full story, please see the Dec OE, or my website www. littletownpekingese.com/oebreedervisit. html or history.html. We have bred and/or finished 20 champions at Littletown since our start in May We are a small hobby kennel and all the dogs live in the house with us. Below is Littletown s story since Dec. 2007: The year 2008 got off to a promising start. BPIS Ch Littletown Rhapsody s Rockette (sire BISS AmCh Windemere s Tonic on the Rocks, dam Ch Littletown s Bohemian Rhapsody) had been bred to Joy Thoms Ch Windemere s Reflection In White. In Jan she produced a male, Littletown s Reflection In Silver, who went to a companion home, and a female, Ch Littletown Rockette Reflection (Lexy), shown to her title exclusively by my friend and handler, Charissa MacDonell from Alberta. In June, 2008 Windemere s Hi Fashion (Wendy), from a repeat breeding to Littletown s Casblanca Casanova (Nova), produced a singleton litter, Littletown s Rhett Dragon (Rhett, a white), named after the vet who saved his life. Although Wendy s temperature never went down and she never went into labour at all, suddenly I just knew she was in trouble. My regular vet was closed that day so I rushed to the closest vet I could find. He was able to save the puppy and told me Rhett had been only minutes from death when I arrived. Rhett is now in Michigan and just needs his majors to finish his AKC championship. Littletown s Dreamtime Moonglow pictured here with my grandaughter Caitlin

2 Ch Littletown s Goodfella, aka Peshi pictured here with Mel Senko But then disaster struck. In a single year, I lost my beloved first Pekingese, Poppy (at age 15), my alpha male Ch Akarana Rover s Red Rogue (RJ, at age 13), and my 16-year-old Siamese cat SooSoo, who died in my arms. Time stopped and the sun went out, particularly after Poppy s death. She was not only my first Peke, she was my constant companion and my favorite bed dog. She had been with me through so much that I honestly believed she would be there for me forever. After she was gone, it didn t seem to matter any more that there were no puppies and no shows. Despite the changing seasons, I experienced only dark, empty days of everlasting winter. My bed felt utterly empty because Mar Ju s Oreo Dream Littletown (Cookie, now age 12) developed arthritis and could rarely manage to jump into bed. I finally allowed Littletown s Champagne Sparkle (Layla) to be in my room after she came back from Alberta with 6 points. It took a long time for me to truly let her into a corner of my heart. But thankfully even the darkest winter does not last forever. The dense fog into which I had fallen lifted bit-by-bit, and slowly I became able to work on my kennel again. In early 2009, I bred Littletown Nova s Dreamdancer (Sasha) to Ch Littletown s As Time Goes By (Tic Toc). Sasha whelped three lovely boys. Ch Littletown s Dreamtime Firedance (Specs, a silver) was shown by Charissa and Shannon Grabbil and then finished by me. He achieved several Best of Breed wins and a group 4 placing. Littletown s Dreamtime Starfire (Shadow, also a silver) went to my friend Rachel Braxton of Chownese Pekingese, NC and is now major pointed. Littletown s TIME STOPPED AND THE SUN WENT OUT, PARTICULARLY AFTER POPPY S DEATH. She was not only my first Peke, she was my constant companion and my favorite bed dog.

3 Ch Littletown s One More Time, aka Victor Ch Littletown As Time Goes By (Tic Toc), Sire: AmCh Windemere s Heres Lookin at You, Dam: BPIS Ch Littletoewn Rhapsody s Rockette Dreamtime Moonglow (Shimmer, a white) is pointed after being shown by me and by my granddaughter Caitlin (age 12, but sometimes it seems she s going on 30). In spring 2009 Charissa used her MBPIS Ch Lionheart James Dean on my Ch Littletown Rockette s Reflection, (Lexy) and we had a lovely litter of two girls, Ch Littletown s Indian Summer, Summer, (co-owned by Charissa), who finished her championship easily with several BPIG and Group placings, and Littletown s Hot Summer Nights (Sonja) retained by me. Sonja did well in puppy sweeps but is not too fond of the show ring. In early 2010 I bred Littletown s Champagne Sparkle (Layla) to my Ch Tic Toc, and in April she produced a lovely singleton cream female, Littletown s Champagne Bubbles (Sparkle). Sparkle is a lovely bitch but absolutely HATES the ring. I ve never had one quite like her; Tasmanian Whirling Dervish describes

4 Littletown s Hot N Wild aka Paris her perfectly! I think she will best serve us in the whelping box. In fall 2010 Summer was bred by Charissa to Arlon Duit s Am Can Ch Lon- Du Don Quixote. She gave birth to three stunning males at Littletown. BPIS Ch Littletown s Goodfella (Peschi, owned by Charissa) and Ch Littletown s One More Time (Victor, currently in Italy) were both shown to their championships by Charissa and her partner Mel Senko. In the process of obtaining his championship, Peschi won several BPIG and two BPIS. I kept the third boy, Littletown s Timeless Tradition (Fabio, a red). He is pointed although I have shown him only a very few times. About a month after Charissa bred Summer, I bred Sonja to Tic Toc. Sonja free-whelped five puppies; she delivered the first one during supper in her crate almost a week before they were due! I didn t even have the crib up yet. She delivered the next one just before I finished making up her bed. Two of the puppies were placed into the same companion home: a female sleeve, Littletown s Summer Stardust (Dusty), and a mini male, Littletown s Just a Second (Teddy). The other three puppies are now lovely show bitches: Littletown s Mistress of Majik (Isis, a silver) is owned by Charissa, and Littletown s Hot N Wild (Paris, a silver fawn) and Littletown s White Hot (Nilla, a paper white) were both retained by me. We are hoping for good show wins with them all. Nilla is already pointed. In fall 2010, I bred Ch Oakhill s Sirtain Fashionista to Tic Toc, and she had two lovely boys in December, Littletown s Timeless Treasure (Simon, now called Li Woo), owned by Adell Lantz, Lantzlot Pekingese, and Littletown s Timeless

5 Edition (Theodore), still owned by me. Both Simon and Theodore are minis: Simon weighs in at 8 lbs and Theodore at 7.5. In late spring 2011, I bred both Layla and Sonja to Kaesi Cook s Oakhill s Party Like a Rock Star (Spike, a black), who was at Littletown on an extended visit. Sonja freewhelped first on June 21, producing two fawns (one male, one female), two silvers (one male, one female), and one red female. Then on June 28, Layla freewhelped two black males and one red female. I was overwhelmed with two litters born only a week apart! But Sonja and Layla coped with the situation quite well, both feeding each others puppies. The three girls and two boys from Sonja and Spike are coming along nicely. Littletown s Summer Jade (Jada), although show quality, went to a companion home in Winnipeg. Littletown s Summer Solstice (Solly), if he is not sold, and Littletown s Summer Sunshine (Skye) will be going to Charissa to start their show careers in early Littletown s Summertime Blues (Eddie) will follow if he is not sold, and Littletown s Summer Sunset (Evie), a sleeve at 4.5 lbs., is now in her furever companion home. Sonja s coat is growing back quite well, and I will try her in the ring again in the coming year. Layla s puppies have all moved away from Littletown. One black male, Littletown s Night Moves (Bobby), was placed in a companion home to live with Nova. The other black male, Littletown s Night Hawk (Hawkeye), was sold to my friend Cindy Ward in Oregon, and he Ch Littletown s Bohemian Rhapsody (Sweet Pea), Sire: BISS MBISA Am Can Int Ch Weitoi Seeker of Wisdom, Dam: PagodaPalace Princess (Ptd) may begin his show career in The red female, Littletown s Pink Champagne (Stella), went to a companion home in California. Ch Littletown s Indian Summer (Summer), Lexy s Daughter

6 I have recently bred Ch Lexy to her grandson Fabio; the puppies are due next year. I believe they will produce something really special. The four photos on these last two pages are of my bitch line since 1999; as puppies. They are very consistent: My mentors all told me that your kennel stands on the quality of your bitches. I m still I m planning to do more showing myself this coming season, if my knees allow it. I might even get some new jackets. I do wish someone would invent a pin brush to telescope me off the ground at the push of a button. Thanks for visiting; I wish a happy, healthy, prosperous and winning New Year to all. Jan Littletown s White Hot (Ptd), Nilla Sonja s daughter FLASH PUPPIES ARE HERE!!! Arrived by C section Tuesday Jan. 10, 2012 One blonde male, one red female. Lexy and babies all doing well. Littletown s Hot N Wild. (Paris) also Sonja s daughter