Lighthouse Kerry Blue Terriers

04/05/2024

So very happy for the sire of our Brooklyn and Brynlee girls out of BISS GCHB Lighthouse I Put A Spell On You ~ Lennox !!! Congratulations Natalia!

Spirit Of The Heartland Kennel Club - Saturday, May 4, 2024

http://caninechronicle.com/?p=286577

13/04/2024

So excited about these Journey x Lisbon babies in Michigan!!

11/03/2024

The sire of Brynlee and Brooklyn garnered top honors at the celebrated Crufts dog show by winning Best of Breed and subsequently making the short list in an exceptional terrier group. We hope for 2024 puppies out of Meno and Lennox, a repeat breeding of our beautiful 8 month old girls!

04/03/2024

Keegan became new CH Lighthouse Girl On Fire @ O’Mara today and went on to win Owner Handled Best In Show at the Superstition Kennel Club show!

02/02/2024

So VERY proud to have my second Lighthouse Kerry Blue out of AKC RBIS GCHB/UKC RBIS/Int BIS CH Lighthouse If Not For You CAX DN TKN CGCA ThD BCAT IT HCT (Dylan the Therapy Dog) x AKC GCH/BIS RBIS Int CH Lighthouse Caught Up In You CAA ATT ThDX IT HCT CGC FDC DCAT (Merritt The Therapy Dog) invited to Westminster Kennel Club! Lennox (BISS GCHB Lighthouse I Put A Spell On You) was invited last year and brother Journey (GCHB Lighthouse I’ll Be Alright Without You BCAT) is invited this year!!

Photos courtesy of Diane Lee taken this past weekend!

03/01/2024

If you want to buy a dog and walk away, don’t buy one from me.

If you want to pick a puppy because it came to you when you sat down or gave you a cute look, don’t buy one from me.

If you don’t want to take my recommendations on what food to feed or what is best for the health and well-being of the dog, after years of experience, don’t buy a dog from me.

If you want a puppy in a hurry, because you need it for a Christmas gift or to be in senior pictures, don’t buy one from me.

If you never plan to update me on how the dog is doing, or send a picture once in a while, don’t buy a dog from me.

If you want a dog to live in the backyard, run loose on a farm, and never share time in the house with your family, definitely don’t buy a dog from me.

If you want a lawn ornament, you can buy one made of cement or plaster, not much care needed.

However, if you want a puppy that has parents with health testing, that was socialized, loved, and made a priority from the day it was born. A puppy who’s temperament and activity level has been carefully chosen to fit your lifestyle. A puppy selectively and purposefully bred to the standard set forth by our breed club, then maybe you do want to buy a dog from me.
If you want a breeder who will at any time in the dogs life take them back, no questions asked. A breeder who is there 24/7 for you and your dog for questions and concerns and will work hard to help you resolve any issues. Then you might want to buy a dog from me.
If you want a breeder who loves each puppy/dog with all their heart, considers you part of the family and will laugh or cry with you at any time. Well then, we might be a match.
Reputable breeders should never be lumped in with puppy mills, backyard breeders, or those who broker dogs. A reputable breeder will be able to provide clearances, a five-generation pedigree, an explanation as to why they bred the two dogs. While most of the time they will make little or no money. What money they might get is reinvested into the dogs one way or another.

A reputable breeder knows their dogs and can realistically tell you what to expect and when to guide you toward veterinarians, training facilities, and products that will benefit your dog.

A reputable breeder will be your friend, a guiding hand, and a strong shoulder.
So whatever choice you make, make it with the best interest of the dog in mind and if that’s not your plan, then don’t buy a dog from me.

- Author unknown, but I'm sure most ethical, reputable, preservationist breeders feel the same. Please feel free to re-post, I did.

28/11/2023

From AKC Judging Operations: "Keep your dog up to date on vaccines including but not limited to Bordetella, Parainfluenza, and Canine Influenza, and avoid direct contact with other dogs.

If your dog has been exposed to a dog with an upper respiratory illness, but is showing no symptoms, it is recommended you quarantine your dog for a minimum of 2 weeks. Do not take it to any areas where other dogs will be.

If your dog has been exposed to a dog with an upper respiratory illness, and is showing symptoms, it is recommended you quarantine your dog for a minimum of 4 weeks after all symptoms have passed. Do not take it to any areas where other dogs will be.

Absolutely do not take your dog to any events if it is showing any signs of respiratory illness such as coughing, sneezing, wheezing, any nasal discharge, lack of energy, or difficulty breathing.
Avoid sharing water and food bowls among dogs. Dog bowls should be washed regularly.
Regularly wash or sanitize your hands, especially after handling dogs. "

If your dog is sick or exposed to the respiratory virus.....stay home!

18/10/2023

When you put every ounce of your heart and soul into your breeding program, magic can happen!! When I decided to breed AKC RBIS GCHB/UKC RBIS/Int BIS RBIS CH Lighthouse If Not For You CAX DN TKN CGCA IT HCT THD ~ Dylan to AKC GCHB/Int BIS RBIS CH Lighthouse Caught Up In You CAA CGC IT HCT FDC THDA ~ Merritt, I wasn't quite convinced it was the right match! The first breeding happened in 2019. That produced BISS GCHB Lighthouse I Put A Spell On You ~ Lennox (2022 #1 KBT bitch). I liked what I saw in her as a puppy so I decided to repeat the breeding in 2020. That breeding gave me singleton GCH Lighthouse I'll Be Alright Without You ~ Journey. 2023 was to be Journey's "figure it out" year as a young 2 1/2 - 3 year old goofball.

Westminster qualifying ends 9/30 of each year. To earn an invitation to the prestigious show one must be in the top 5 breed points. Last year BISS GCHB Lighthouse I Put A Spell On You ~ Lennox ended September as the #4 KBT and earned an invitation to Westminster Kennel Club! I am beyond excited, and proud, to say that Journey ended September, of this year, as the #4 KBT in breed points ( #3 male) and will also receive an invitation to WKC!!! Might I add, both with limited showing only myself footing the bill lol !

Hard work pays off! One doesn't need huge litter after huge litter to produce quality dogs! I am so proud that sister and brother repeated, back to back years, invitations to Westminster!!

20/09/2023

POTENTIAL OWNER: How much is the puppy?

BREEDER: $3500 dollars.

POTENTIAL OWNER: What?? It's way too expensive!!

BREEDER: What do you think would be a good price?

POTENTIAL OWNER: No more than $1200. You reputable breeders are so over priced.

BREEDER: I am sorry you see it this way, why don't you try it yourself?

POTENTIAL OWNER: But I've never done it!

BREEDER: For FREE I can teach you how to do it, and in addition you will have the knowledge to do it again.

POTENTIAL OWNER: Perfect, thank you!

BREEDER: To start you will need a Female (average cost $4000 and up) and a Male (average cost $4000 and up) or Semen (average $4000 and up). You will need to do Genetic & Health Testing on them, averages about $1500+ per Dog. Lets not forget Progesterone Testings at $88 each, 4-5 needed, C-Section, starting at $1300 if planned, and $3300 at the emergency room, Inseminations at $375, Ultrasounds at $123, X-rays $130, Semen Collections $275, Storage of semen $120/year, Semen Analysis $75, potentially Semen overnight shipping and so on ($4500+). 10+ Hours of traveling to/from a reputable Repro vet $400 per visit, dog sitter while you’re gone $50-75 a day, and provide Daily Care, Feeding of high quality food & suppliments, & Grooming for 2 years of the potential Stud/Dam, (minimal $350 per month) Oh, don’t forget Monthly Prevention, Annual Vet Visits and any other additional Vet Visits.
On top of this if you Show - Entries, Equipment, Travel, hotels, food, certificates, etc. Easily $3-4000/year.
And let’s not forget training…if you’re not good at it, hired help is available, starting at $200 per CGC group class, or $50 for private lessons. And you WILL need many lessons. IF you can do it yourself, $100/month in gas money to take your dog places to socialize & desensitize + $40 in training treats.

POTENTIAL OWNER: But I don't have that much money...

BREEDER: For $10,000 you can raise a litter and then keep one of the puppies. Obviously, you will pay the cost of whelping & care.

POTENTIAL OWNER: I can do that.

BREEDER: OK so I have a female due to whelp in 2 weeks. You will need to be available 24/7 around the clock for at least 3 weeks to help with delivery, care ( a million loads of laundry) plus weeks afterwards to monitor mum and puppies. You will need to hire a helper so you can catch 4 hours of sleep a night & a puppy walker to exercise your adult dogs.

POTENTIAL OWNER: Five+ weeks?? it's way too much time for me! I have to work.

BREEDER: Plus You will need to be available for puppy families to call you 24/7 with a worry or concern no matter the age. You MUST also be ready to take back the puppy/dog at any age if the family has a unforseen emergency.

BREEDER: You will also need the reproductive vet to do progesterone testing($88/test ) & C-section($1300-$3300) and initial vet care on pups until old enough to be placed ($800+).
Have on hand a scale, thermometer, latex gloves, puppy pads, incubator, heating lamp, whelping box, puppy pen, blankets, toys, bowls, cleaning supplies, appropriate food with supplements for mothers, formula, medications & hand/tube feeding supplies in case of emergency....

POTENTIAL OWNER: But I don't have all these things!

BREEDER: For $5000+ you can buy them.

POTENTIAL OWNER: Ummm .... You know, I think it might be better if I just buy a Puppy.

BREEDER: Wise decision.
For us, there are No Vacations or Holidays, while you go to visit with family & friends we are home at our dogs side caring for them. It is a no breaks commitment.

THIS IS THE REALITY
When you choose a Reputable Person/Breeder, you aren’t only purchasing the Puppy but also: Knowledge, Support , Experience, Love, Time, Sacrifices, etc...

**Plus the cost of Life Time Support to the Puppy Owners…

These numbers are just the tip of the iceberg (best case scenario!!!) as a Reputable Breeder who takes on this journey full time!

*Copied from another Breeder*

01/09/2023

Every dollar raised through this fundraiser goes directly to this group to help continue to expand and provide Therapy dog support to First Responders across the country!

First Responder Therapy Dogs is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit and is 100% donation funded. This is a national contest open to ALL DOGS so you can enter your favorite dog, vote for your favorite dog/s, purchase a calendar or reserve a day. All proceeds help our teams across the country support the mental health needs of all the brave First Responders we visit.

Please consider donating to get her in the calendar!

Show your support for First Responder Therapy Dogs by voting for Merritt in 2nd Annual First Responder Therapy Dog Calendar Contest

01/09/2023

Shared from another post......

HOBBY, SPORT OR A WAY OF LIFE.
I have thought long and hard about about the future of dog showing /breeding and what it actually is that makes us do it. There's the well known " be kind" and it's " just a hobby" phrases been bounced about by many, but really for a few die hard people, is it just a hobby??? Being kind has no place when breeding dogs (but l'll comment on that in another post)

For those of us who were fortunate to grow up in the world of dogs, this is our sport. We have dedicated and devoted our lives to the extremely difficult task of breeding and showing high quality pedigree dogs. We have sacrificed many things in order to establish our breeding programs. We win because we work hard. Our passion to produce the next winner is tireless and endless.

For us, this is not a hobby but a way of life. All our decisions about how we live has our dogs as our number 1 priority . The houses we live in,The cars we drive, the jobs we do and even the clothes we wear are chosen because of our dogs.

For those who dabble in showing dogs, have litters to get extra income with no intention of those puppies being an integral part of a breeding program, this must be what you call a hobby .

You're not bothered if you get to a show or not. You go to shows to meet up with friends, buy things from trade stands and hopefully get placed with your dog who 24 hours ago looked like a swamp donkey. You call out the people who have pristine dogs. Whose dogs perform well and ultimately win. You say we have some secret grooming products. The dogs don't live normal lives ( getting and staying dirty is not normal) we know all the judges. They've used the judges stud dogs etc.the list is endless of the accusations hurled at passionate show dog breeders. We are in fact, constantly working on our dogs, we give good correct exercise that develops the correct physical condition. We play with them to form the bond needed for the show ring. We maintain their coats so it reduces the actual time being groomed.we give them the best of us so that they have fun in the ring.

We win because we have dedicated our lives to our SPORT not hobby. We continually learn, we engage with fellow breeders/exhibitors/judges and discuss breeding.if someone has found an exciting dog on the other side of the world; we want to know all about it. The latest grooming techniques and products ,how will they help us. If someone is having difficulty with getting a dog to show; someone will have an idea that just might work. Be a lead change, a bait change or a different approach to the dogs mental attitude, the wealth of knowledge passionate committed dog breeders have is infinite. Yet we are ridiculed about what drives us. We are accused of bullying, Cheating and only winning because of who we are. But we are passionate, committed, dedicated and driven to keep our sport alive. Hobbies are fads, something that people can go in and out of. Needs no commitment.

Pedigree dogs need stockmanship and people who are willing to commit and strive for producing healthy, high quality, breed standard type dogs, not dogs that "will do" and make a lovely pet because we are doing it for a hobby.

~For me and a few others, it's not just a hobby but simply and clearly; a fulfilling way of life ~

31/08/2023

15/08/2023

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-heartbreak-we-choose_b_587e69dae4b0bd3158f2d242?utm_campaign=share_facebook&ncid=engmodushpmg00000003&fbclid=IwAR1Y--e3fN5XOna0tHgiT1mzJkJjqhw_y5api5xLPfUwkPFFiVrrj8SwHVM

On August 2nd we said goodbye to the bestest boy that ever existed......we miss him and think of him every day.....there will never be another Parker, PDawg, or PDinski! He was truly one of a kind and perfect in every way! We are fortunate to have his legacy continue in each litter we have.

13/08/2023

Lighthouse Nothing Compares To You out of GCH Lighthouse I’ll Be Alright Without You and GCHB Lighthouse Without Question Itz You

7 months old

30/07/2023

29/07/2023

20/07/2023

24/06/2023

So very excited about these puppies!!! Due in about 2 1/2 - 3 weeks!

16/06/2023

5 month old Lighthouse Believe It Or Not Itz You ~ Ripley

26/04/2023

26/04/2023

No other breed can lay claim to the same color as the Kerry Blue Terrier, and that makes its distinctive color the breed’s crowning glory. For all that glorious color, however, Kerry Blue Terrier pups are born an apparent black, and if correct, they’ll have their adult color – any uniform shade of blue gray, gray blue, deep slate to light blue gray – by the time they’re 18 months old, give or take a month or so. On the way to adulthood, there is also a “clearing” period when the color passes through transitional periods involving a gun metal blue, shades or tinges of brown, and/or mixtures of these, as the correct mature color phases in. Put another way, a Kerry puppy doesn’t go from black to blue overnight, and as adults, some will have darker “points” on a coat of correct color.

Color, however, isn’t what made the Kerry so popular in Ireland. The breed became so quickly favored as a sort of mascot for Irish patriots that there were no fewer than four clubs promoting the Kerry’s interests, and between 1922 and 1924, these clubs sponsored at least six shows and six field trials. By 1928 this impressive terrier had became popular worldwide and its reputation as an excellent working and companion dog agreed with the breed assessment as “well nigh perfect.”

Image: Kerry Blue Terrier by Peterson Laird
Find her work here: http://petersonlaird.com/

13/04/2023

I know I am the biggest critic of the puppies I produce!!

A beautifully and clearly explained plan for breeders to consider and follow. Take the time to read and perhaps reread this. Copied from Jeff Pepper's post. Greyhounds have big litters so bear that in mind.

A Breeder's Journey
Espen Engh has bred the Jet Greyhounds in Norway in partnership with his late mother Kari since 1975. With no co-bred litters, the Jet’s home bred dogs have won more than 650 champion titles in 60 countries around the world and include 36 individual Best In Show winners and as many National Specialty BOBs. A veterinarian by education, Espen is also an FCI all-breeds judge, having officiated in more than 85 countries around the world.

The key to successful breeding is to be very selective and critical of your own dogs. Make sure to select the best ones at all times, and then breed them with the very best. If you do that generation after generation, you are likely to have success.
Never be fooled into thinking that the dogs are any better, than they really are. You must be absolutely objective about your dogs. Don't overestimate them, but you shouldn't think that they are worse than they are either. Put your dogs in the right perspective and see them as they are; recognize what is good about them, what is not good, and what you can improve on in the next generation and further down the line. There is a lot of work to be done, and it does not pay to cut corners.

The thought process, choosing stud dogs, and pairing them with females, I always start out with the bitch. The bitch line is the most important aspect – what separates a great pedigree from a very good one. A breeder must analyze the bitch thoroughly and focus on her traits that are so outstanding that you want puppies from her in the first place. Those are the traits you don't want to lose. You then have to find a male who is not too bad where your bitch is good, but who can improve on traits where your bitch is not so good. That way you get something new, but don't lose those traits you already have in your line. Don’t even try to look for the perfect dog to breed to because he does not exist; you will always have to make some compromises.

All dogs have imperfections, maybe not desperate faults, but there is always something to improve. You have to decide which traits you want to improve, and you will have to put them in an order of priority.

Then you hopefully get a big litter and you start to select the puppies. If you have a line bred combination, as we almost always do, it's much easier to predict the result. It's also much easier to select the puppies from a line-bred combination. You recognize the puppies from your line instantly. It's much harder to pick them from an outcrossed litter. You hold on to those puppies that have the most of what you wanted from that combination.

It's much more difficult when you have an outcross and you did that to get specific traits like dark eyes or small ears. Then you have to keep the puppies that have those traits. Otherwise you just diluted your line, and that's not good at all.

You have to realize that breeding dogs is a slow process, consequently a lot of patience and long-term planning is required. You are not going to get resulting offspring that have all the best from both sides, otherwise lots of perfect dogs would have been produced a long time ago! So, you have to decide between the actual offspring, which ones have most of what you wanted.
Which one of the them picked up the positives you wanted from the sire without losing too much from the dam?

My mother and I established a system for small-scale breeding. We select the very best bitch of every generation. She goes into the tail bitch line, and I call her the alpha-bitch. The alpha-bitch is bred several times, producing three or four litters to different males that are closely related to her. In this way the tail bitch line always stays linebred.

Again, we keep the best of that generation, another alpha-bitch, daughter of the previous alpha-bitch. If she's the best daughter from three or four litters, she's the best of about 15–20 bi***es in that generation, because Greyhounds regularly get 9–10 puppies. Only that alpha-bitch goes into our bitch line. If she is bred to really outstanding, closely related males, she is very likely to produce at least one outstanding daughter.

This can continue forever, then we also have to produce the males to breed to the alpha-bitch.

For this purpose, we select the second-best bitch of each generation, called the beta-bitch. She is preferably a half-sister to the best one. She is also an excellent bitch, but has been chosen to take a back-seat to the alpha-bitch and will not go into the main bitch line. This beta-bitch is bred with an outcross male from a line that is strong where we are weak. As we breed on a small scale, the beta-bitch generally gets only one litter. If the outcross fails – OK, it was a failure and I don't breed on from the resulting offspring. But if it succeeds, I use those males for my alpha-bi***es.
Thus, the bitch line has been kept closely linebred at all times, some nine generations by now. We outcross only the beta-bitch to incorporate wanted traits from other strains, but do not risk ruining our alfa-bitch line doing so.

Deciding what offspring to keep, we keep all the best bi***es until we are sure about who really is the best. If we have five bi***es in a litter, maybe two of them go away to home pets.
We will keep on to the best two or three and make the final decision when they are 12–15 months old, or whatever it takes to be absolutely sure.

We never ever keep just one puppy from a litter. This is absolutely necessary, because breeders normally have the experience to take better care of puppies and young dogs than puppy buyers. Consequently, the ones sold to others much more often than not don't turn out to be quite as good as the ones you keep.

Your bitch can actually look better than its siblings who may be better genetically. You have to rule out the influence of the environment, to be sure that the end product is not shaped by the environment, but by the genetics. The ones which we keep get exactly the same amount of exercise and they get the same food, so the difference between the puppies when they are fully grown will depend on the genetic makeup. I feel this is the only way to make sure to end up keeping and thus breeding from the best.
Espen Engh