NOR CH
Shaggy Toller's Dancing O'Connor

• HD: A/A
• ED: 0:0
• Eyes: Clear
• PRA: Normal/Clear (A)
• 2 x BOB
• Norwegian Show Champion (NUCH)
• BIS JR Tollerfestival 2007
• 3rd Prize Field Trial Beginners Class
• 85 p and a 4th place on WT
• 1st Prize Obedience class I
• Passed Mental Test with approved reaction to gun shots
• Passed the Norwegian Retriever Club's Aptitude Hunting Test

• HD: A/A
• ED: 0:0
• Eyes: Clear
• PRA: Carrier (B)
• Norwegian Show Champion (NUCH)
• Norwegian Agility Champion (NACH)
• Bronze Medalist in The Norwegian Agility Championship 2007
• Class C Tracking in the Nordic Working Dog Programme
• Class III Obedience
• Passed Mental Test with approved reaction to gun shots
• Passed the RIK Aptitude Test (BH)
• Passed the Norwegian Retriever Club's Aptitude Hunting Test

Copperdream Twist And Shout (M)

Copperdream Blame It On The Boogie (M)

Copperdream Takes Two To Tango (M)

Copperdream Saskatoon Sun Dance (F)

Some people like the father, some people like the son, some people like them both - and in my, or should I say Tira's case, we definately fall into the last category. ;-) As many of you already know, Tira was mated to Mister's father, Oskar, in 2007, but even though the ultrasound examination of Tira showed 3 living fetuses, Tira most likely suffered a miscarriage/reabsorbtion of the puppies. So there were no puppies born, to my, and not to mention the potential puppy buyer's, great sorrow...

Mister is a young and most promising toller boy owned by Cicilie Knutsen at Kimcis kennel and Anne-Lise and Eivind Holte at Kennel Lauvstua. He lives with Cicilie and Bjørn in Bodø - 60 miles away from Tromsø and only 30 miles away from my hometown, Ballangen. In other words - using Northern Norway's Official Scale for Measuring Distance they're practically our neighbours! ;-) I met Mister for the first time the summer of 2006, at that time he was only 4 months old, but already a very promising boy with tons of confidence and en extreme desire to carry cold game. :-) Mister continued to develop nicely, and when I met him again in April 2007 the little bundle of joy had become a beautiful and elegant young male who started his show carreer winning his first CC and even a BOB that weekend. But one thing that hadn't changed was his lovely temper - he was just as loving and confident as he was as a 4 months old puppy attending his first Tollarspecial in Mariestad.

After some weeks of grief and despair after Tira's miscarriage, I decided to make one last attempt to have a litter of puppies after Tira. After the miscarriage we got several emails and phone calls from other breeders who had had the same experience, and they all suspected that an infection with canine herpes virus could have caused the reabsorbation. After having been in touch with several vets and investigating a bit more, it was clear that if one suspected such a virus to have caused a miscarriage before, it was of utmost importance that the bitch should not be subject to any unnecessary stress before, under and after the matings. That in mind, it seemed like a too big risk to put Tira through another long flight to Denmark for the mating, even though I would still love to give the Tira/Oskar-combination another go. Mister had been in my mind as a possible partner for Tira in the future, and since he not only shared a lot of Oskar's qualities but also his bloodlines, I asked my good friend Anne-Lise at Lauvstua kennels if she and Cici would concider to let Mister sire a litter of puppies with Tira. Luckily they both shared my opinion of Mister being a good partner for Tira, as he has all the good qualities I once fell for with his father.

That I am extremely fond of Mister, and also his father, Oskar, is yesterday's news, and when I during our stay in Denmark during Tira's date week with Oskar at kennel Shaggy Tollers even had the pleasure of meeting Mister's mother, Queenie, I once again fell head over heels. Queenie is a lovely bitch with a wonderful temperament, and she is a true workoholic. The Littleriver bloodlines she represents are lines that previously have been proven to be a great match for Tira's bloodlines, so to be able to get not only Oskar's bloodlines but also these all in one combination is an extra bonus for me.

I expected Tira to come in heat again in February this year, and quite right - on the 7th of February the first drops of blood could be observed on the floor, and the planning could begin. I early suspected that she would be ready for mating the very same weekend that I was holding a beginners course in agility in Tromsø, so there was some doubts at first on whether this mating could take place or not, but thanks to our sporty friend Cici, it all came into place. After taking a progesteron blood test of Tira on Thursday 21st of February, we headed directly towards Bodø, and after having delivered Tira at Cici's place, we returned home. And after the first lecture of the agility course on Friday night, I recieved the happy news that Tira and Mister had mated for the first time. :-) They had another successful mating on Saturday evening, and a few days later Tira was back with me again, all thanks to Cici's help and not to mention her web of contacts. ;-)

A big thank you is in order to both Anne-Lise and Cici for letting me use their #1 Boy for this litter, and an extra boquet of roses for Cici for all the help with the matings and for getting Tira home safe and sound.

...and on the 25th of April 2008 the puppies finally came - after a dramatic labour where the first-born girl unfortunately was dead when she came out, Tira still had 4 wonderful and HUGE puppies to look after - 3 princes and 1 princess. We very much look forward to see this first and oh-so-longed-for Copperdream-litter grow up! :-)