I was about 14 years old when i asked from my parents, could we buy chinese crested puppy... Answer was "NO". Back then, cresteds 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 ;) Hanski, however, even he become champion, wasn't suitable for our breeding. I feel that Champion status doesn't make dog or bitch to be breeding quality. 

As i had spent my teenage + years with breeding all kind of rodents &  birds it wasn't big decision to start thinking about breeding dogs also. So STORMBLÅSTENS was registered with FCI and we got our first litter. That was year 2000. Our first litter was born at September, that was Ch Stormblåstens Archane Power, singleton powder puff bitch. I use term "kennel" in my pages, but in real, we are far from kennel. All dogs are living in the house with me and sharing my everyday life.

Since then, we have bred several litters and imported quite a lot dogs to make gene pool wider. Several of these imports have been left out of our breeding program as they haven't been suitable. But majority of our imports have been used for breeding by us and other breeders as well. And i feel that selective use of our males will be rewarded in the future. Our boys have sired many fine puppies in several different kennels and they will be used selectively in the future as well. 

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

One bigger thing happened at Stormblåstens at beginning of spring 2005, when we (Essi Suominen & Antti Karppinen) divorced and Stormblåstens prefix moved to me, Essi, only. I can honestly say, that i appreciate my ex-hubby's efforts and all what he did for Stormblåstens. When we divorced, Antti kept some of our dogs and they're now co-owned by both, some dogs were already co-ownership and i have some. So none of the dogs suffered about our divorce. 

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. 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 of the world. :)
Haluan myös sanoa suuren kiitoksen äidilleni ja isälleni. Olette jaksaneet ymmärtää koiratouhujani ja olleet avuksi kun olen apua tarvinnut. Minulla on ollut onni saada maailman parhaat vanhemmat :)