Northern Lore Windsprites is a collaborative breeding program in development in the Midwestern USA.
We're working on having Fable "station" while we train and play with Haven. It's such a huge help to be able to work with one at a time! We'll practice this with Haven too, when she's gotten the hang of a few other foundational skills, so that Fable can have her turn without interruption.
Look at this pretty little thing ❤️
Making new friends everywhere we go!
The cuteness levels are off the charts. Who authorized this? 😤
Fable zoomin' her way to a blue ribbon at the MWCC event last weekend. Photo credit to !
There are so many things for responsible buyers to keep in mind when searching for an ethical breeder! These are just a few of them. We always welcome questions, but I'd also like to give y'all a little rundown on how Northern Lore shows up in these four categories!
1️⃣ INVOLVEMENT - Nikki and I travel halfway across the country with our dogs, twice a year, to attend breed specialty shows hosted by the International Windsprite Club. Eventually, we hope to hold specialties in the Midwest region as well! You can join Midwest Windsprites to stay tuned for regional events that we organize, which currently just consist of social gatherings, rather than shows. In addition to our involvement with the IWC, we are also active with other local canine clubs.
2️⃣ HEALTH TESTING - Our girls haven't had litters yet, but we're currently preparing for Siren's first, likely coming up in early 2025. Prior to being bred, we will complete the health testing recommended by our breed club (OFA hearts and eyes), as well as any additional testing seemed necessary by our veterinarians. Our pups will be registered with the IWC, which means they will receive genetic testing via Embark in order to confirm their CEA and MDR1 carrier status. Siren, Fable, and Haven have already been Embarked. In addition, we aim to be as transparent as possible about the health and temperaments of our dogs. We want our puppy buyers to be able to make informed decisions.
3️⃣ PROVEN DOGS - Each of our dogs compete in IWC conformation classes. At a year old, Fable had already achieved her Junior Championship and she passed the CGC test earlier this year, with the goal of working towards therapy dog certification. We also participate in a variety of dog sports! Siren came home with a whole pile of ribbons from our last specialty show, where we enter Agility, Rally, and Straight Racing each time. This past weekend, Fable took first place in her LCI category at an ASFA event hosted by the Midwest Coursing Club. She's also placed in both UKC and WCRL Rally. We've also dabbled in nosework, barn hunt, dockdiving, disc, and flyball. Our focus isn't on winning, but on having as much fun as possible with our dogs! Proving them to be as excellent as we think they are is icing on the cake.
4️⃣ LIFELONG RESOURCE - There's a reason our "mailing list" sign-up sheet is called the Future Friends Form! It's cheesy, but it gets the point across. We want to develop lasting relationships with the families that will love and care for our puppies throughout their lives. We will always be here for you. We will want updates about the puppies we place forever. And your Northern Lore pup will be welcomed back with open arms at any time, if circumstances change.
I hope that's helpful! Writing it out reminded me of several other posts I'd like to put together in the future, including information about CEA and MDR1. In the meantime, please let us know if you have any questions and we'll be thrilled to chat with you here in the comments or on Messenger!
Don’t forget to do your research before buying a puppy. Reach out to your local kennel club if you need help identifying or locating an ethical breeder.
Fable scored 73 points on each of her runs (with the highest score on the board being 75 points), which earned her first place in her category, LCI (Lure Coursing Instinct) - "Sighthound Mix"! A blue ribbon!
Windsprites are not yet recognized by the UKC or the AKC, so they're ineligible to run as purebreds with ASFA (the American Sighthound Field Association). Instead of racing against others of the same breed in randomized 3-dog heats, they run as singles and their individual scores are compared to other dogs in their category. LCI is divided into small, large, or sighthound mix segments.
I look forward to us one day being eligible to win one of the big Best of Breed or Best of Field rosettes! But we're thrilled with her performance, either way!
Thanks to Apsara Windsprites & Lurchers for this synopsis of the developing situation with the newly available genetic testing!
I think it's important to note that the commercial dog food industry, regulated by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), has seen a huge shift in the type and amount of dietary copper over the past 25+ years. In 1997, AAFCO approved the use of more bioavailable forms of copper in the production of commercially availablendiets and in 2007 the upper limit restricting the amount of copper allowed was eliminated entirely. This has led to an apparent increase in Copper Toxicosis and Copper Storage Disease across many different breeds. Our dogs are likely getting many times their required amount of copper in their meals, compounding in their bodies over their lifetimes and leading to toxic, harmful levels and negative impacts on their health.
You can read more about this topic in the article linked below, published by the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association in 2021. In response, AAFCO reviewed their decision and in 2023 they announced that they stand by their current regulations, citing a lack of evidence that there's a connection between dietary copper and negative health outcomes. Shockingly, by early 2024, the study that they used to come to that conclusion has since been rescinded and is considered to be scientifically unsound. Time will tell if the voices of veterinarians will have an influence on industry regulators.
Additionally, it remains to be seen if avoiding breeding carrier to carrier, as we do for MDR1 and CEA, will be an option for Windsprites. Early results indicate that a large portion of the population are carriers of the relevant genes. We're operating with an abundance of caution in the meantime. Thankfully, Haven has only one copy of each of these genes, meaning she's less predisposed to develop issues due to high levels of copper. We're still waiting on Fable's results, but we've got a new low copper kibble lined up for her if needed.
https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/258/4/javma.258.4.357.xml
‼️ Attention All Windsprite Owners ‼️
Recently, two cases of copper toxicosis have been diagnosed in Windsprites. Copper toxicosis is an inherited metabolic disorder in which the liver fails to excrete excess copper and this can lead to liver failure.
There is a genetic marker that has been identified as an increased risk factor in development of the disease. This means that dogs who have one or two copies of this gene are more at risk for the development of copper toxicosis. However, not all dogs with a copy of this gene will develop the disease. Dogs with two copies are most at risk.
Embark recently added this gene to their health panel (ATP7B) in addition to the genetic marker that assists in mitigating the excess of copper in the liver for affected dogs (ATP7A).
You can read more about copper toxicosis here: https://embarkvet.com/resources/embark-adds-copper-toxicosis-dna-test/
This is important information for all owners of Windsprite and Windsprite Crosses and is something to share with your pet's medical care team, especially if there has ever been concern about your pet's liver values.
For anyone interested in finding out if their pet carries ATP7B/ATP7A, but does not wish to order a full Embark kit, the individual tests can be purchased through GenSol here:
https://www.gensoldx.com/product/build-your-panel/
To find the tests easily, press Ctrl+f on your computer keyboard and search for "ATP7". From your mobile, there is an option to search the page if you tap on the three dots in the top corner.
We've been too busy with this little hoodlum to post very often 😆 She's a doll. But even an easy puppy is a handful! We've been going on lots of little adventures in her first week or so home. This weekend we'll go to the vet and then take a little road trip to camp with and run Fable in an (or ) event! Haven is too young to compete, but it'll be good exposure for her.
Haven is here! Fable remains unconvinced that we haven't made some sort of mistake, allowing this little fuzzy stowaway to come home with us. Angus is bemused and Remy is STOKED. She's just his size! 😄 Despite the look on her face here, I know it's only a matter of time before Fable and Haven are best buds.
One more week until Haven comes home! 🏡
Hello, world! This is Haven! 🏡 We're counting down the days until we can bring her home next week!
Here’s a cool thing! So Siren is done with her false pregnancy (yay) and before diving into health testing proper for her pending first litter next year I just needed piece of mind that all her internal organs were all the way they should be. To make sure, Siren went in for an ultrasound on Tuesday.
Drum roll please…..everything is perfect! Not a single thing abnormal in her reproductive, gastrointestinal, or urinary systems, perfect liver and gallbladder, no inflammation, no signs of any kind of IBD issues, all solid. I figured I’d show you all the results for fun if you wanted to take a look! The biggest thing to see? “No ultrasonographic abnormalities evident.” 🙌 Plus, they said she was an angel for the procedure. She was sedated so she would be still and get better pictures so please enjoy Siren’s “the meds are working” face.
Sometimes I look at this dog and my heart just explodes. I’m thinking “wow I have the most beautiful dog in the world” and Siren is thinking “are you going to feed me or what?”
We're so pleased to introduce Haven (Wisco Oak Grove Cojack of Aurai) to you all 🥰 Welcome to the Northern Lore family, little pup!
It's a beautiful day for zoomies! 😄
Many thanks to .the.chihuahua for the beautiful photos of the sweet Wisco Windsprites girls!
Both of my puppies' papas were in attendance at the IWC Mid-Atlantic Specialty Show last month - Blue Mist Fred and Brikal Bruno! Fred is Fable's sire and Bruno sired the recent Wisco Windsprites litter that were getting our second pup from! It's fascinating to look at their confirmation side-by-side like this.
Photos courtesy of our show photographer, Jim Petack!
Yesterday, we went to meet these sweet little puppies for the first time! They're now two weeks old and we were there on the day that their eyes started opening, as they were making some wobbly attempts at walking. 🥰 We can't wait to get to know them more as their personalities begin to show.
Now that the results have been posted, I'm thrilled to talk about Siren's performance at the recent IWC show!
We competed in multiple events, including agility, conformation, rally, and competitive racing, and Siren exceeded all my expectations.
Agility:
We participated in two games: Standard and Full House. In Full House, the goal is to score as many points as possible within a time limit. Siren qualified and earned 2nd place in her class with 24 points in 30 seconds. In Standard, which requires completing the set course in order, she qualified and secured 1st place in her class!
Conformation:
Siren placed 2nd in her class, which consisted of two dogs. She received another high body score, earning more points towards her championship.
Rally:
Siren achieved a score of 207 out of 200 points (thanks to bonus exercises), earning 3rd place out of 19 dogs.
Racing:
In her first race, Siren didn't earn any points due to an early release. However, she finished second by a nose length to Castile who was her close competitor throughout the races. In the second race, she placed second by a nose length to Castile once again, but this time, we earned points. Siren won first place in the third race, still neck and neck with Cas! Her total racing points placed her 11th out of 18 dogs.
Wrap up:
At the end of the weekend, Siren's performance across all categories qualified us in Versatility, which tallies points from all events. Siren achieved the third-highest score overall! I am incredibly proud of her. It was a long and challenging weekend, but Siren was ready for it, and we had an amazing time. It was also incredible to spend time with windsprite friends. Thank you to everyone who made us feel so welcome and to Jim Petack, Carolyn Chow, and Samantha StClair for the amazing photos featured below!!
Tag and Bruno's puppies from Wisco Windsprites are one whole week old! Here are the three girls, Bella, Mozz, and Colby. Get a load of those little pink toesies. 😍
It was a beautiful day for a bit of Plastic Bag Murdersport! 😄 Fable qualified to race with the big dogs at the Mid-Atlantic Specialty Show, but unfortunately she was still in season and wasn't allowed to compete after all. Ah well... We'll try again next time.
Here she is, having her successful QTR run!
I love this shot of Nikki and our IWC board president and skilled lure operator, Donna, having a little chat with Siren about the plastic bunny. 😄 Many thanks to for the lovely photo!
✨If you're curious about the possibility of bringing home a Northern Lore puppy one day, please fill out our new Future Friends Form! Read on for more information.✨
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Edit: Facebook is being a bit glitchy for some folks! Please check the comments for the link to the form if you're unable to access it from this post.
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Hi, everyone!
If you've been hanging around Northern Lore since the beginning, you may remember we sent out a Mailing List Sign-Up Form early on. Since then, we've been continuing to hammer out the details of how our kennel will be run. I'm happy to share that we've updated our procedure for interested puppy buyers to connect with us and to receive important updates.
It's very important to us that we have healthy, ongoing relationships with our puppy buyers. In order to jumpstart that connection, we will use the information you share to contact you directly, as well as to include you in communications about big updates and announcements. If you had already signed up for the previous mailing list or if we've already chatted via email or messenger, please do fill out this new form as well so that we know you're still interested!
Windsprites are a rare breed and the journey to bringing home an available pup can sometimes involve a long and bumpy road. While we firmly believe that these wonderful dogs are worth the wait, we do recommend that interested folks begin building relationships with breeders well in advance of when they're hoping to bring a puppy home.
Thank you for your interest! We're so looking forward to connecting with you and getting to know one another :)
~ Jessa and Nikki
My beautiful little fairy tale creature 🧚🏻♀️
The puppies are three days old! Margaret has been wonderful about sharing updates and pictures with us. We treasure each and every one. 🥰
We're so excited to share Wisco Windsprites' blog post announcing the whelping of the Tag x Bruno litter! One of the three girls will be coming home with us. I wonder who she'll be. 🥹
https://wiscowindsprites.blogspot.com/2024/05/tag-x-bruno-spring-2024-litter-has.html?m=1
Madison, WI
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One year ago today, Fable arrived home to Central Wisconsin! 💖
Siren is halfway through her first session of flyball classes! I’d say it’s going well. 😍
We got to try Flyball at our local kennel club this morning. 🥎 What fun! We're already looking forward to going again next Sunday. My favorite thing about this breed is their gameness. Fable is always ready and willing to try new things with spirit and optimism. She got lots of compliments about her focus and attentiveness, despite all the noise and chaos in this new environment, as well!
I'm so, So, SOOOO proud of how far Fable has come with catching a disc on the fly. We've worked REALLY hard on this! Now to focus on MY aim and accuracy...
Muzzle training! When she's of age, Fable will compete in straight racing with other Windsprites. The excitement of chasing the lure can lead to overstimulation and the dogs may snap at one another as they run. Muzzles help keep everyone safe. This muzzle is from The Sighthound Club and we both absolutely love it. I'm pretty sure Fable thinks this thing is just a treat dispenser.
