Lazarus	Dash

Yes, it's true, we have puppies! 9 healthy pups for Dash! It is a miracle to see how she has thrived at being a first time mom. The delivery was flawless and Dash is proving to be a loving, patient, conscientious mother.

Obviously this couldn't have happened without Lazarus, the most gentle (and virile) of possible mates.

My motivation to breed Dash was purely to help the small gene pool. I have no desire to start my own line or sell puppies, etc etc. I have no time and or interest to compete. I am your classic "pet owner" - which does not mean I am not serious about the breed, its health and its future. I am extremely serious about all of these things! As your resident "newbie" I started this process with so many questions I nearly drove Diane (and others) crazy. Thanks to the extreme generosity of many of you reading this I picked my way through the complicated issues of inbreeding, outcrossing, gene pool viability, genetics, health testing, possible mates etc etc. To make matters more complicated, I was willing to let Diane use Dash for her breeding but I didn't want to give her up for an extended time to go live with Diane. And yet, I have no experience doing this - so who was going to oversee the whelp?

Eventually we decided that Mindy's Lazarus was the best choice for a mate. Their temperaments are equally astonishing (calm, sweet, friendly, with drive when needed and an "off" switch) and both have exceptional conformation. Additionally Mindy, like Diane, place health, testing and absolute transparency above everything. Both dogs are proud to be CHIC. Their union would produce a litter with a COI of just 10%. Finally, Mindy agreed to offer Laz even though Dash does not have an AKC Championship.

I had no idea until after the fact that this decision, to use Laz, would unleash a cascade of generosity and dedication I have never before witnessed. This is because, with Laz, I got Mindy Garbarino! For the duration of the pregnancy Mindy has provided me with charts and notes and assistance and information and custom-made feeding schedules, etc etc. Together we have monitored her prog esterone levels, her temperature, her ultrasound reading, her diet, her exercise, etc etc. Mindy could not have been more "present" if she had lived right here in my home. Then, as if this weren't enough, last Friday, Diane flew across the country to oversee the whelp, help organize the supplies and get us ready. As of this writing, three days after the big event, she has not left the side of the puppies for more than ten minutes. 24/7 - Diane is there, watching with a breeder's commitment - and, I think, a sparkle of pride. In a nice bit of synchronicity the pups were born on the exact day of Dash's own birthday, three years later. She gave US her birthday present!

I think the moral of this story is twofold: the future of this rare breed requires us to think outside the box. "Pet owners" can be useful. A dog that is not a champion in the notebooks of the AKC is still a viable contribution to the gene pool. Luckily the breed is in the hands of people like Mindy and Diane and so many of you whose generosity and commitment to the breed and willingness to help I have experienced, with enormous gratitude, first hand.

These are exciting days and I am grateful to all who have helped us.

kind regards, and my unflagging thanks to Mindy and Diane

Maria Nation (and Dash the new mom!)