I was about 14 years old when I asked from my parents, could we buy chinese crested puppy... Answer was "NO". Back then, Chinese Crested dogs would have been very rare anyway.. so I just spent my time with walking other people dogs. I moved to Helsinki because of school I went, and serious thoughts about buying dog had to wait because of studies. Until finally at beginning of 1998 I had change to visit breeder who had puppies and brought one home with me, because few misfortunate co-incidence, I had to return this puppy to breeder. 

At very beginning of 1999, we (that's me and my ex-hubby) got our first crested (actually the same person where I've got the pup mentioned above, introduced this pup to us). This was true hairless male "Hanski", which we never thought that we would show.. But how it happened, that we found ourselves from a dog show.. and there was no turning back.

As I had spent my teenage + years with breeding all kind of rodents & birds it wasn't that big decision to start thinking about breeding dogs also. So at year 2000 my kennelname STORMBLÅSTENS was registered with FCI and we got our first litter at the same year. That was Ch Stormblåstens Archane Power, singleton powder puff bitch. Which bloodline I am still continuing on my breeding.

Besides breeding dogs, I have been active in Chinese Crested scene in Finland, including vice-president of Finnish Chinese Crested Club, board member of that same club and also board member for "Breeding Committee" also I did the club's magazine for few years and been part of many activities what the club has arranged (Summer meetings and Club Shows) I was also one of the founding members of Finland's Chinese Crested Club. 

Even though I own & co-own quite a lot of dogs, it does not mean that they live with me. I am currently having only a 5 dogs living with me, because I want them to be family members, who can take part to "daily deeds" - we go walking into forest on leash every day, at summer we are together at my summer home, small cottage middle of nowhere, at the bank of the lake. Dogs can come and go as they wish. Some of them go to swimming, some enjoys a bit sauna and all of them enjoys our BBQ's at evenings. In this page I do use term "kennel" - even we are really far from it - all dogs live in the house with me and share bed, living room, kitchen etc with us.

General comments about choosing my "breeding stock"

When I choose male or bitch for my breeding, it isn't necessarily is big winner or "show wreck" with heaps of titles. When I use something for my breeding, it is part of my "vision" of ideal crested and I've never thought to make "overnight success" in breeding. I don't care what others say about the ones I choose for breeding, I will go on how I feel and hopefully within few years more I can have "my type" under Stormblåstens prefix. We will see if my vision become "flesh" ;)

Also what is important in my breeding is overall structure. As I feel that out of things we can see, structure is number one. Health and temperament are also important to me. But as much as we would like to breed only ideal sized cresteds, with perfect health, teeths, ears, tail etc. It's like my friend once said "welcome to the real word" and it is not easy to combine all the favorable qualities in one. 

And as we all know, there is hereditary health issues in this breed as in every other breed. When i started breeding, I most likely would have been more strict about some issues, but when one breeds for several years, keep in touch with other breeders, share opinions, health test and search information and still some issues pop up.. That what makes one's eyes open and gives you more realistic idea about the breeding. One doesn't really learn anything from the "desk box breeding" (No matter how pretty pedigrees you draw on the paper and how healthy and pretty the pedigree looks..) I have decided which issues i consider to be not suitable for breeding and with which faults and issues I can live with. You really can not find lines which are 100% free for 5 generations from all the undesirable traits (i.e.. health, temperament, size, dentition, overall looks..) So therefore each breeder chooses what they can live with, and which they can't. If you want to know more about the subject, I'm more than happy to discuss about it.

Rumor about that "her dogs aren't never available for stud"..

Well, actually there is no truth on this. My boys have been and will be available to a stud at the times. I will consider giving them for a stud if the person has healthy bitch and the mating is something I believe in. I do not see point about handing my boys out for everyone who decides to ask. I am also against "matador studs" and my boys will always be given out on limited basis. Of course, sometimes it happen that there is several people asking my boys at the same time and I must say no, even I think my boy would have been good pick for the said bitch - so it is nothing personal - just that I don't want to fill world with my dog's offspring. Majority of my studs have been used successfully in breeding by other breeders as well.

And few special comments saved for the last..

The time I've been "in" cresteds have been wonderful. I've got many new friends from Finland and all around the world and I have had change to travel. I've had amazing luck to have change to buy my "dream dogs" and "dream lines" and I will be forever grateful to their breeders, who have entrusted me with their special dogs. Hopefully they have and will make you proud. I want to thank all the important people in my life, for your friendship, help, advices and sometimes just being around. Thank you also to all Stormblåstens puppy buyers, you're the best! :)

Also, A Very Special Thank You must be said to co-owners of my dogs. Most of the dogs I own are co-owned, because I feel that I do not want to have huge amount of dogs living with me. I want to give them individual attention and care, which I couldn't do, if I would have lot's of dogs. My dogs also live as family members, they have full access at my house, they play where ever they want, they sleep where ever they want, they share kitchen with me and each of them are taken with me when I go for example to my summer cottage. If I would be having many dogs and / or if I would be kenneling them, this would never happen. Some people understand the point of co-owning, some don't.

I want also say big thank you to my mum and dad and my beloved man, Ari, For your understanding my dog hobby and for being there when I have needed you. I've must have been lucky and got the best parents AND the best man of the world. :)

Haluan myös sanoa suuren kiitoksen äidilleni ja isälleni sekä rakkaalle miehelleni Arille. Olette jaksaneet ymmärtää koiratouhujani ja olleet avuksi kun olen apua tarvinnut. Minulla on ollut onni saada maailman parhaat vanhemmat SEKÄ miesystävä :)