05/08/2025
We haven’t been very active on here lately so I wanted to share some individual updates on the dogs, starting with Zuko!
Back in 2020 I imported Zuko to the USA from Morass Tamaskan in the Netherlands as a potential future stud dog. Zuko’s pedigree is very diverse and he essentially could be matched with any female here and produce a low coefficient of inbreeding and also very low Epilepsy and Addison’s risk, which are two of the major health issues we see this side of the pond in Tamaskan.
Unfortunately Zuko’s color is considered “undesirable” and although he is able to produce both wolf grey and black grey offspring, he also can produce solid black, a saddleback coat pattern typically seen in German Shepherds, and even solid white depending on the coat genetics of the female he is paired to. I suspect this is likely one of the major reasons there has really been no interest in him from other breeders aside from the litter we had with Buccleuch Tamaskan in 2023. That litter is now two years old and I am so happy with how they have all turned out. Truly a lovely bunch of dogs that have incredible owners and I love keeping up with them!
I would very much like to put some titles on Zuko. He is unable to participate in conformation shows due to his color being considered “disqualifying” in our breed standard. We currently have set the goal of earning his CGC (Canine Good Citizen), CGCA (Canine Good Citizen Advanced), CGCU (Canine Good Citizen Urban), RN (Rally Novice), RI (Rally Intermediate), BCAT (Beginner Coursing Ability Test), and DCAT (Dedicated Coursing Ability Test) titles. The AKC organization has the most opportunities in our area for trials, events, and testing but in order to officially compete, Zuko must be neutered and registered under their Canine Partners Program. Part of ethically breeding involves titling your dog in either conformation, sport, or both. This is difficult for a breed in development such as the Tamaskan.
Zuko has recently seen our reproductive veterinarian and we have done three collections for freezing semen. Due to the fact that there is no interest from other breeders and that we will not have a female of our own that would be a match for Zuko for what appears to be a very long time, I made the decision to neuter him so that we can go have fun and compete while still having the option to use him in our breeding program in the future. Zuko is being neutered today, send him all the speedy healing vibes!
I am very excited for this next chapter with Zuko and spending a lot of one on one time together to work towards our goals. We will for sure post updates on our progress! ❤️🖤🤍
