MERRY CHRISTMAS

MAY PEACE AND JOY SURROUND YOU AND YOUR FAMILY THIS CHRISTMAS AS WE CELEBRATE THE BIRTH OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR. BLESSINGS FROM BRIGHTHOPE KENNELS. VICKI AND DAVE. CIRON, DAPPER, ALLURE, ECLAT, ARINE AND THE GOLDEN GIRLS, DOROTHY, BLANCHE & ROSE.

2013 CALENDARS

Once again the beautiful Blue Picardy Spaniel is being showcased in a calendar. Many thanks to Kim & Pat and Susan & Kypros for all the hard work that goes into the production. Every now and then someone will send a picture of their Blue and we are realizing that there are a few more around the world then what we thought. So this years calendar is truly international. One thing is for sure, owners love their Blues.

YOU HAVE TO BE QUICK

IF YOU WANT TO CAPTURE ALL THE PUPPIES TOGETHER

Puppies love exploring outdoors and love their playtime.

2013 Blue Picardy Calendars!

The 2013 Blue Picardy Calendars are ready to go; This is a full colour, 13-month calendar full of lovely blues from the US, Turkey, Holland, Canada and  even some from our own Brighthope!

At only $10.00 CDN (price incudes shipping), these calendars are sure to please everyone on your holiday list!   
Currently, PayPal is the payment method of choice (and the fastest way to get your calendar).  Please contact Susan Varga at zoeandcoullah@gmail.com if you would like to pay by cheque.
Calendars include US and Canadian holidays and measure 11" x 17" when open and hanging.

**Calendars will be mailed out as soon as they are ordered. Canada Post is estimating that items mailed by the following dates will be delivered before Christmas:
Local Delivery: Send as late as Dec 18th
Within Province: Send as late as Dec 17th
Outside of the province: Send as late as Dec. 16th

PUPPY PARTY

We can always count on our lovely granddaughter Katelyn to gather up some of her friends and bring them out to Nana and Papa's house for some puppy socialization time. The puppies loved every minute of the attention they got and I am sure Katelyn and her friends loved the puppy cuddles as well.

The puppies were tired out after playing and we thought we could get some nice Christmas photos of them in the little sleigh. I guess they had enough and couldn't stay awake and they are also bigger then what I thought so we could only fit two in the sleigh. These photos were taken by another lovely girl in our family, our oldest daughter Laurie (Purple Lavendar Photography).

FOOD FIGHT

It does look like this puppy was targeted in a food fight.... but this is how she looked when her head finally came out of her breakfast bowl this morning.

Puppies have now moved to the big puppy pen. They had lots of visitors today and have met all the other Brighthope Blues as well.

STORIES

I receive lots of emails and phone calls regarding our dogs. The Blue Picardy Spaniel is still relatively rare, and when people are researching breeds and come across the Blues many are curious to know more about them. As I was thinking about the many conversations I have had with people, I realized that I was privileged to have heard about their dogs as well. I must say it is a pleasure to listen to folks talk about dogs in their life, present and past. Dogs have been part of my life for the past 30 years or so and I know how important mine have been in my life. I have silently shed tears as someone has related to me about the last few days of their dogs life and I have laughed heartily at some of the stories from others. Either way, it is wonderful to hear people talk about their dogs. When I had the boarding kennel some of the dogs ended up in the house and became "special boarders", one in particular was Sami. She came often as her owner had to travel. About a year after closing the boarding kennel, I got a phone call from Sami's owner. He had made the very hard decision to have her euthanized the next day and he just wanted me to know. We laughed about some silly "Sami things" and cried about the fact she was at the end of her life. He thanked me for the good care I gave Sami and I thanked him for allowing me to know Sami. Of course this is just one of many stories. I have been asked if it is better to get another dog before the first one passes or if it is better to wait. Some have already made their minds up and are looking into another dog. Some folks wait quite a while and others just a very brief time before another dog comes into their life. Everyone's story is different but they are all the same. For when we share our lives with dogs there is a connection to nature and a connection to each other.

WHAT A LIFE 2

Naptime then playtime. Puppies are now interacting with each other and responding to my voice. Notice the sharp little teeth already, almost time to start introducing some different foods.

WHAT A LIFE

Puppy life, get up, eat and then have an after breakfast nap. We should all have the chance to be a puppy for a day.

MEET THE GIRLS

Introducing Dorothy, Blanche and Rose. The picture says it all. Puppies are doing very well and I am quite happy with how they are developing.

SISTERS

One thing about a small litter of puppies, you can fit them all into one shot. Puppies are 9 days old today and are growing and developing nicely. There is always room at the restaurant with only three puppies and these girls have taken full advantage of not having to share with a lot of siblings. They are holding their heads up and pushing themselves up on their legs. Oh how I love to watch puppies develop.

Puppies have arrived

As the saying goes "all is well that ends well" Justy delivered 3 lovely girls on Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately the fourth puppy was caught in the birth canal and an emergency caesarian surgery had to be done. The little guy did not survive, but after many years of breeding I realize that sometimes things are out of our control. But Justy and babies are doing fine and we carry on. I have never had this small of a litter before and am quite surprised at how fast the daily "weigh-in" and "check up" goes.

WADDING POOL IN THE FAMILY ROOM Doesn't everyone have a wadding pool in their family room?? Likely not. But here at Brighthope it always means that puppies are due shortly. The furniture is moved and all the "maternity stuff" is put in place. Justy is feeling down right sorry for herself and she will likely be glad when the puppies arrive. And as always Momma Nature is in charge and we will just patiently wait and of course "hover" to make sure that all is well and taken care of. Not long now!!

TOUCHDOWN, not talking about a football game

Justy is pregnant and Dapper scored the winning goal. I remember the words to a song that we used to sing with our children when they were small. HAVE PATIENCE, HAVE PATIENCE, DON'T BE IN SUCH A HURRY. HAVE PATIENCE, HAVE PATIENCE YOU'LL ONLY START TO WORRY. Well patience has paid off and we should expect puppies in late October. We did confirm this morning with an ultrasound at our vet clinic. Our website has pictures of both parents to be, Justy is on our "family & friends" page and Dapper is under "our dogs".

Arine's First Show

Brighthope attended the Oakville & District Kennel Club conformation dog shows this past weekend. Two shows on Friday, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. We thought it would be fun to get Arine out as a puppy and let her get a taste of the dog show world. Eclat was entered and Kim and Pat also entered Dax (Eclat's brother) as well. Whenever there are more then two Blues at a show, we always hear comments about this being a specialty for the Blue Picardy. :-) Arine is maturing nicely but we were still a little bit surprised when she took Best Of Breed at the first show and absolutely thrilled when the judge gave her Best Puppy in Group. This is only the second time in Canada that a Blue Picardy has won a puppy group, our Ciron being the first. Dax took the breed at the second show on Friday and Arine was given Best of Breed at the Saturday and Sunday shows. It was a fun weekend and we are very proud of our Dutch import, Arine. Her breeder in Holland will be thrilled with the news as well. Hats off to the Oakville club for a good show.

One Smart Blue

And one proud breeder. "Brighthope Time To Dance" aka "Indigo" has completed her Canadian Companion Dog title, she will now have the initials CD behind her name. Indigo was born on Sept. 29, 2008 here at Brighthope. Her dam, our beautiful Nola and her sire, that handsome boy Tristan who belonged to the late Kim Spelmer. Indigo was "puppy #5" and had 9 littermates. She was our pick of the litter and was still here with us when John and Sharon contacted us about the Blues. We were thrilled to let this puppy go to them. John and Sharon had bred Flat Coated Retrievers and decided that it was time for a new breed. So puppy #5 was renamed Indigo and went to live with John, Sharon and Elijah. Sharon's sister, Cheryl, and their son Elijah are Indigo's trainers and they have nothing but praise for this little Blue. Indigo is the second Blue in Canada to earn a CD. Morgan who was owned by Don and Kathy Fath in Alberta was the first. From here on in any higher level obedience titles that she receives will be a first for a Blue Picardy in Canada. And her owners and trainers have no doubt that she will move on in obedience. So you can see why as Indigo's breeder I am so proud and thrilled for her. I am certainly seeing the Blue Picardy as a very versatile breed. Yes they are excellent in the field as pointing dogs but I see much more for this relatively new breed here in Canada.

Mother Nature

Mother nature and Brighthope are fighting right now. Not an all out brawl mind you, but we are having words. If you ask any breeder they will always tell you that they are thinking 1-3 years down the road as to what they are planning for the next breedings. Beautiful Justy and handsome Dapper are planned for the next breeding here at Brighthope. Justy does not have regular cycles but we figured she would be in season in June and so we planned our summer accordingly. This is where mother nature kicked in and has control of the situation. So we are waiting patiently for Justy and of course I haven't told Dapper that he is getting the call this time so he is none the wiser. We have a breeding planned between Allure and Ciron, this is a repeat breeding that produced some lovely puppies including our gorgeous Eclat. Little Arine is growing into a lovely young girl and if all goes "according to plan" she will be bred to Ciron in the next year or so. So here at Brighthope we have lots to look forward to. We always welcome your visits to meet our pack and learn about the breed. Be sure to make note of our new email address. After a couple of months of on again off again problems, I have a new server, and just to complicate matters even more, I also have a new computer. And no, I am not a techy person so this is not exciting. Off to continue my discussion with mother nature.

New Email Address

We have recently changed our email address and will now be receiving emails at bluepicardyspaniel@gmail.com

Please update your Brighthope Kennel contact info with that addy--Thanks!!

What a Thrill!

Tired, but happy, Picardies!

The 2012 Blue Picardy Spaniel picnic was a great success!

The rains came BUT the sky cleared just in time for all the Blues and their owners to enjoy a great afternoon. We had 39 people and 24 Blues. To have that many Blue Picardies all in one spot was such a thrill for me as there are only about 250 or so in North America.

 It was great to meet little 3 month old Alex who came with his parents Dave and Dana to meet the relatives of his "big brother" Maverick. Dani at 11 years plus was our oldest Blue to attend and 5 month old Remy was the youngest. We even had two families, one from Michigan and one from Aurora who don't own a Blue but came to meet and learn about the breed.

 I also need to mention how blessed I am to have the best kennel help available, my other half Dave, has spent many years fixing this and repairing that so that our dogs are safe and secure. When I asked about putting up new fencing, Dave got to work and started the project. When I said I would like it finished for the picnic, I did get "the look" but the fenced was completed and the visiting Blues had 2 new acres to explore and play in. Thanks again Dave, I couldn't do this without you.

 Of course our granddaughter Katelyn and her friend Taylor made sure that desert was provided for the picnic. The 2012 Blue Picardy cupcakes were a big success, thanks Katelyn. Dave and I certainly enjoyed the day, it is always great when "our puppies" and their people come to visit. The Blue Picardy is a lovely breed and we think that all their owners would agree.

Still having issues with my computer, and I will have to post additional picnic pics at a later time, so ...stay tuned :-)

2012 Blue Picardy Spaniel Picnic

Let's go! It's PICNIC TIME!!!

The Brighthope Blues are gearing up for this weekend. Some are getting haircuts and everyone is getting a bath, WHY? 
Because their relatives are coming for a picnic and they want to look their best. Actually they really could care less how thay look, they just want to have a good time, it's the two legged pack member that thinks they should look good.

Yes, the Blue Picardy Picnic is just days away. What do you do when you have 25-30 Blue Picardies and their owners all in one place? Well you eat, talk about your Blue, play some games, take lots of pictures and talk about your Blue. At the last picnic one person was over heard commenting that "they thought their Blue was not very well behaved, until they saw someone else's Blue steal a hotdog off someone's plate".

Come and celebrate the Blue Picardy Spaniel with us.

Arrival time 11am

Lunch served at 12:00

Bring your lawnchairs

Saturday June 9th here, at Brighthope Kennels

Looking forward to seeing all our puppies and their people. You are welcome to attend even if you do not have a Blue, but would like to learn more about the breed.

New Homes!

Just a quick note to let visitors know that both Reign and Lewis have gone to wonderful forever homes where they will be loved and pampered by their new families!

I am online sporadically now, but if you emailed and haven't heard back from me, please call~ Thanks!

Trying to contact me?....

...my computer has gone on hiatus for an overhaul, so I will have limited access to email for the next few days. If you are trying to contact me, please call: 519.881.3612

Available Dogs (cont'd)

Some additional info and pics on our available dogs...

REIGN (CH. Brighthope Free Reign)

After much thought and consideration we have decided to place Reign in a new home. Reign will make a great family companion and would be a very good candidate for obedience work.

Reign will be 4 years old in May, he is a Canadian Champion and he is still intact. He has sired 2 litters here at Brighthope. You can view more pics on Reign's page and in our photo gallery.
If you are interested in an adult dog contact us and we would be happy to have you come and meet Reign.

REIGN (click pic to view full size)

 

LEWIS

We have a male puppy from the Allure x Reign (Jan. 2012) litter available.
Because this breed is still relatively rare here in Canada, we always keep a male and female from every litter so that we can assess them more closely. We really can't fit Lewis into our breeding program, so we have decided to sell him.

Even though because of his age Lewis is "all legs" right now he is a very nice little boy. He is very calm for a young puppy and extremely affectionate. He loves his sticks just like his daddy Reign and he gets along very well with all the other members of our pack. He is a real sweetie and I'm sure he would love to cuddle on your couch.

Lewis (click pic to view full size)

 

To talk to us about either one of these boys, please call 519.881.3612 or email

 

Available dogs

Brighthope has an adult male and a 3 month old male that are available to approved homes. If you have been thinking of a Blue Picardy please contact us and we would be happy to talk to you about the breed and about the two dogs that we have for sale.

BLUE PICARDY SPANIEL PICNIC

Time once again for our Blue Picardy Picnic
Saturday June 9th, 2012
Arrival Time 11:00am
Lunch at 12:00

Food will be provided and donations will be gladly accepted to help cover the cost.

Come for a few hours or for the day. We will have room for a couple of trailers or tents if you would like to stay over. Please let us know. We are also 30 minutes from Lake Huron and some lovely Provincial Parks for camping.

If you own a Blue or you would like to learn more about the breed, make sure to mark this day and join us in celebrating the Blue Picardy Spaniel.

Please RSVP by May 31st so that we can plan accordingly.
We will post any info about the picnic on this blog.

See you June!!

Reign / Allure Puppy

We have a 10 week old male puppy from our January litter that is available to an approved home. He is a quiet little fellow and he loves to cuddle. He would be a great family companion. Contact us here at Brighthope if you are interested in adding a Blue Picardy to your family. We are always happy to talk to you about our breed.

GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN

Spring is in the air. We know that, not because the sun is warmer, or the snow is melting, or some of the spring birds have returned, we know that because the Brighthope boys have become a bit more amorous as of late. So, it was time for a girls day out in Picardy Park. Marne, Allure, Eclat, Arine and Justy took full advantage of the warm sunshine. They played for almost an hour and this is the only picture that I managed to get all five of them together. I guess they really just wanted to have fun!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CIRON

Ciron turned 8 years old today. He was the first Blue Picardy to take up residence here at Brighthope. The only puppy from the Dani/Sam breeding he was nicknamed Johnny in the whelping box and is still referred to as Johnny Ciron by some of his friends. His breeder Kim Spelmer and I knew that he was a special boy from the start and he proved us right. His presence alone demands respect from all our Blues ( well except for the girls (at times) but that is a whole different blog). He still thinks he is a lap dog when visitors come to meet our Blue Picardies and everyone always comments about his great temperament. Some folks have asked us if we ever place some of our older dogs in new homes, the answer is "at times". But not "this time". We will be celebrating many more birthdays with our beautiful boy Ciron.

NO DOUBT ABOUT IT

PICARDY PUPPIES LOVE THE SNOW. The Reign/Allure puppies are now 7 weeks old and no amount of snow or wind was going to keep them from exploring. Can't wait for their first run in Picardy Park. What a lovely group of puppies from this breeding. It won't be long before they will be heading to new homes and hearts.

Puppy Love

Arine found her spot.
For some reason the new members at Brighthope have always found Dave to be a good sleeping partner. No need for a blanket on a chilly winter evening when a Blue Picardy can keep you warm.

Let sleeping puppies sleep.
I took a chance with this picture. When you get 9 five week old puppies all sleeping you don't blow it by flashing and clicking cameras. But I could not resist with this shot.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!
From the Brighthope Gang (Can you spot our Valentine?)

New Food

Today the puppies have learned food just doesn't come from Mom. That human voice they have been hearing can deliver the goods as well. The puppies are enjoying their first taste of goat's milk. As you can see there are no such thing as manners when it comes to feeding time. There will be lots of new tastes over the coming week for the puppies. I am sure that Allure will appreciate the help in keeping all these little tummies fed.

Puppies are 2 weeks old

Hard to believe that the Reign/Allure puppies are already two weeks old. They all have their eyes open and are mastering the art of walking. Even though we call it the "drunken sailor" walk at this point. Two even found there way out of the whelping box to lay beside Mom today. Time to add a side board to keep them contained!

We would also like to introduce a new member to our Brighthope pack. Arine (pronounced Irene) has been here for 7 days now.
Arine flew from Amsterdam to Toronto last Friday. She was born on October 26th 2011. She will offer our breeding program some new blood lines and so far we are very impressed with her. She has made friends with all our Blues and already she loves her runs in Picardy Park.

Puppies have arrived

Brighthope announces the arrival of nine puppies born Thursday January 5th. Allure's resolution to "stay away from the boys" is not going to work this time. She gave us 6 males and 3 females. All doing fine.
Even after years of breeding I am so amazed at the survival instincts in these little beings. They eat and sleep. They will always find the "restaurant" even when it moves around the whelping box, and voice their displeasure if they do not feel a warm body beside them.

Puppy Countdown!

The only one at Brighthope to make a New Years resolution is Allure and she has decided to "stay away from the boys". She trys her best to waddle around in the deep snow in Picardy Park but it is getting harder with each snowfall. We should have puppies in the next few days; we are ready when she is!

The Blue Picardy calendars are beautiful. Many thanks go to Kim Ratigan and Susan Varga for all the work that went in to putting them together. I must say I am very proud of the Blues that our Brighthope Gang have produced.