After months of of research, planning, waiting with great anticipation Ella (Champion Heartstrings Dream a Little Dream of Me) has decided it’s time to become a Mama!

She will be bred to Bronze Grand Champion Rising Star’s I’ll Fly Away (Moses).  A wonderful pairing that we are incredibly excited about.  Generations of fantastic type, health, temperament and very important…great longevity back up both sides of the pedigree.

Ella has already started her pre-natal regimen and will have her first Vet visit Saturday with a reproductive specialist.

The Moses semen was frozen in 2012.  It will be shipped Monday from the licensed lab in Atlanta, GA to our Reproduction Vet in Ohio in a space-age looking container.  Little vials carefully preserved over the years, rolling in a vat of liquid nitrogen at a cool -320 degrees Fahrenheit.

We will be monitoring her meticulously, waiting for the precise moment.  At which point, the semen will be slowly, expertly thawed by our Vet so as not to ruin it and she will be artificially inseminated.

Please keep fingers crossed as we hope for a successful breeding and healthy, beautiful babies arriving around Christmas day!

We have been following the suspicions for some time and in mid-July the FDA released a warning linking heart disease (DCM) to grain-free diets.

Attached is a quick read on the topic.  If any of our families are feeding grain free, please contact us to discuss options for your beloved family member.

TaurineDef.Goldens

This past weekend GCH Heartstrings Margaret CGC attended a show.  She went out just for fun as a long-retired Veteran (over 7 years old) and came home with a career win!  2 Reserve Best In Show Veteran – then they holy grail – Reserve of The Best of The Best In Show!  From the Veteran class and competing against dogs of all ages and breeds!!!

This is significant for two reasons.  First, our “oldies” enjoy themselves immensely; it is a mitzvah or “act of honor and service” to them.  Second, having a Dogue holding up, competitive/showing and remaining in this great of health and condition at their age is really a badge of honor.

In addition to great type, health, temperament – longevity in the pedigree is a key criteria when making a breeding match.  The breeding window is rather short, between 2-5 years of age and this is where we have to look long and hard back up behind the pair.  Scouring the pedigree looking at the ages of grandparents, great grandparents, even great, great grands.  Searching the globe for pedigrees with the very best longevity.

We are very proud to have several Veterans out there enjoying themselves and the icing on the cake – still bringing home incredible wins at over 7 years old.  A proudly-displayed gray whisker here or there, please enjoy some pics of several our Veterans from a variety of shows over the years.

We are very happy and proud to announce that Heartstrings was recently awarded the prestigious designation of Bronze level Breeder of Merit by the American Kennel Club.

We are so humbled and honored.  The criteria is a lofty goal, including producing at least 15 conformation Champions and a close eye on health.

We are very proud, Preservationist Breeders true to the Breed, correct Type and always the cornerstone of improving health and longevity in our glorious Breed.  Many, many thanks to the American Kennel Club for awarding us with this prestigious designation.

Last weekend Heartstrings Low Country Bernadette became new AKC Champion – at the nearly unheard age of 10 months!

She enjoyed an undefeated May.  1st place and Winners Bitch every time she stepped in the ring.  Then on to multiple Best of Winners and 2 Best Opposite and Best of Breed wins over older, mature, seasoned Champions.  Many times the youngest Dogue de Bordeaux at the shows.

Our southern belle “Miss B” lives with trusted friends in South Carolina and becomes Heartstrings-bred AKC Titled Dogue #29.  We are so excited about her future and very grateful to her wonderful co-owners Vic and Pam at Low Country.

Last week we made the long drive to see the head of cardiology at Ohio State, one of the top veterinary schools in the US, to have 2 echocardiograms performed.  Weeks for an appointment, we go here because if there is a problem, Dr. Schober will find it and the prospect will be eliminated from our breeding program.

Aortic stenosis (AS, SAS) and some other heart conditions are genetic and leading causes of death in the Dogue de Bordeaux.  Many times they are silent and can not be determined with a “listen” so an echocardiogram by a board certified cardiologist is necessary.  Here, on echo, we can measure the volume, flow.  Actually see the heart working and determine if there is any regurgitation.  Things you just won’t here on mere auscultation.

Very proud and happy to announce that No Mercy Van de Madroelhoeve and Heartstrings Olga have passed their echocardiograms by a board certified cardiologist with flying colors!

Miss B wins Winners Bitch all 3 days!  2 days Best of Winners!!!

We are so excited about this young girl.  Turning 10 months yesterday, already AKC pointed with a Best of Breed win over much older, mature competition.  Awarded AKC Puppy of Distinction in March.

Keep your eye on this beautiful rising Heartstrings star.  It’s going to be an amazing ride!

Exhausted after spending two hours with a breeder tying to pin them down on whether they health test.  As breeder understanding the jargon and trial lawyer seasoned in the art of cross examination it was a lot of work for me, so I thought I would pass along the right questions to ask and how to verify the seemingly ambiguous term “health testing.”

The DDBSA Health Committee recommends 4 tests on breeding stock prior to being bred:

1.)  Heart on echocardiogram by a board certified cardiologist;

2.)  OFA Shoulders;

3.)  OFA Elbows;

4.)  OFA or Penn State hips.

That’s it.  Very simple.  It’s a yes or no answer.

Whenever buying a Dogue do your own research.  Familiarize and educate yourselves.  Penn Hips and echocardiograms have to be mailed in for a nominal fee but know that THERE IS NO OPT OUT on OFA passes for the other tests.  Saying: “I just didn’t mail it in” carries no weight.  Saying: “My vet looked at everything and we’re good” carries no weight.  Always see the health testing with your own eyes on the following links.  If it isn’t there, assume correctly that it never happened:

www.offa.org

www.caninehealthinfo.org/

Be well and buy well from a true Preservationist Breeder.  For the Love of the Dogue.

This past weekend, amongst a beautiful entry and majority of European imports competing, the Heartstrings-bred Dogues sweep the show!

Winning Best of Breed Bronze Grand Champion, National Specialty Winner Heartstrings Luther.

Winning Winners Dog and the MAJOR, Heartstrings What a Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong).

Winning Winners Bitch and Best of Winners for the MAJOR, Heartstrings Dream a Little Dream of Me (Ella Fitzgerald).

Heartstrings Luther becomes Bronze Grand Champion and just keeps winning!  The latest Best of Breed win over beautiful competition in Birch Run, MI.

Heartstrings Dream a Little Dream of Me (Ella Fitzgerald) a MAJOR win.  Ella has a perfect heart on echocardiogram by a board certified cardiologist.  OFA Normal thyroid panel.  Soon we will have a look at her Ortho’s under film and hope for great results from this beautiful young girl.

Miss B wins Best of Breed at 8 months over much older and mature competition.  The Breed win put on her by a highly respected judge.  She is recognized and rewarded an AKC Puppy of Distinction!

Nadia (Luther x Jazzy) becomes AKC STAR puppy at the unprecedented age of 3 1/2 months!