Cerulean Breeding Philosophy

Champion Cerulean Dreams of de Haviland CD, "OTR" at 13 weeks

Breeding as an effort to both contribute to and improve upon a breed is neither simple nor easy. Belgian Tervuren dogs are my passion and I take my responsibility to the breed very seriously.

I devote countless hours to the study of the breed and to the study of purebred dogs in general. My research spans all things dog including training, behavior, nutrition, genetics, canine health & disease, breeding practices, puppy development, pedigree research, physical conditioning, handling skills, and the nuances of a variety of dog events. I believe that continuing education is the key to continued success in breeding quality dogs.

Now for a bit of background on my kennel and breeding/puppy whelping practices. It's only fair that you know what you're getting into!

Each Cerulean litter receives an average of 370-400 hours of careful puppy development as a group and individually during the first eight weeks. They are exposed to many different sights, sounds, textures, smells, people, animals, surfaces, etc. The result is confident, people oriented puppies. Due to the temperament issues commonly seen in Belgians, I feel the effort behind the development program is not only necessary, but is vital to the success of my breeding program. Nobody wants a lovely structured dog with a poor disposition!

All puppies are sold under co-ownership contracts and are non-transferable for the life of the dog. If you have questions about what a co-ownership is, please drop me an eMail. The point of a co-ownership is not to retain control of the everyday life of your puppy, but to protect the puppy from specific things. Non-transferable means that if for any reason during any point in the dog's life you cannot keep the dog it must be returned to me. I do this to ensure that every puppy I produce remains in the kind of home I had in mind. If the dog is given away or sold to a different home I no longer have the ability to be updated on the health, behavior, and structure information I need and more importantly, the puppy may end up at some point in a shelter or worse.

Pet quality puppies are sold on a strictly enforced spay/neuter contract with Limited AKC Registration. This means that the puppy is American Kennel Club registered, but any offspring that may be produced by the puppy are not eligible for registration with the AKC. This helps me protect my breeding program and the puppy. The puppy can be shown at an AKC show in any event except conformation. (Conformation is the evaluation of breeding stock. Since the puppy was not intended as breeding stock by the breeder, it is ineligible for that event.)

Most of my puppies go to show or performance homes. I greatly enjoy introducing people to the sport of purebred dogs. I have worked with many novice show homes and relish sharing my passion with anyone interested in showing whether it be in conformation, obedience, agility, herding, tracking, or whatever! Dog shows are a wonderful way to spend time with your best friend!

The health of each puppy is guaranteed for life against breed specific problems such as epilepsy, progressive retinal atrophy, hip and elbow dysplasia. All Cerulean puppies are required to have health clearances performed on hips, elbows, eyes, heart, and thyroid regardless of whether they are sold as a show, performance, or companion animal. As a breeder, I feel strongly that I need to know what I'm producing in all my puppies... not just the ones that go to show homes. Every puppy I produce is equally important to me in my evaluation of my breeding program.

I ask all my puppy homes to have a relationship with me for the life of the dog. I want to know what all the puppies look like, how they move, and what their health and personality is like. I enjoy the opportunity to visit a puppy on occasion, if I'm going to be in the neighborhood. At a minimum, I require pictures and updates on a yearly basis. Of course, I appreciate much more frequent updates! Who can you brag to if not your breeder??? <grin>

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

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