In March of this year, Nessie participated in the 42nd National Dog Show in Włocławek. I chose this show to mark Nessie’s debut in the intermediate class and, by extension, the start of her Polish adult championship campaign, because the greyhounds were judged by Tomasz Kuszyk, a specialist with extensive experience in judging these breeds and it is the opinions of judges like him that I value the most.
Nessie was highly praised by the judge. Not only did she receive an “excellent” rating and a very favorable description, but in the finals, competing against other adult greyhounds, she took third place in Group X. Standing on the podium with her, I recalled how I had once stood on that very same podium at the Włocławek branch with Elton. That was four years earlier, in March 2022. Elton was competing in the junior class at the time. He took first place in the Best Junior of Group X competition and ultimately placed third in the Best Junior of the Show competition.
Looking at the photos of Nessie and Elton, it’s hard not to notice how much the daughter resembles her father. I’m referring not only to their physical resemblance but, above all, to their temperament. Both are very emotionally stable, calm, and unfazed by the conditions in the show hall. They also allow themselves to be affectionate regardless of time or place, as can be seen in the photos below.
Observing Elton and Nessie’s personalities, I can see just how much a puppy’s upbringing and socialization matter. Both Elton and Nessie come from small, home-based breeders. Throughout their entire puppyhood, they lived in homes, in constant, direct contact with people. From puppyhood onward, they were also provided with social interaction with adult, well-balanced dogs, from whom they learned canine etiquette and communication. These rearing conditions have borne fruit in their adult lives: both have excellent temperaments; they are friendly, stable, and mentally well-balanced. They aren’t afraid of new stimuli and can remain calm in unfamiliar situations. This makes them not only ideal companions in everyday life but also great travel companions—though I’ll write about traveling with a Deerhound in a separate post.
Returning to Nessie’s temperament - in May, at the international dog show in Dortmund, another judge described her as “a queen of good temperament.” As a breeder, I couldn’t have asked for a better assessment of the temperament of a puppy bred under my kennel name.
Speaking of puppies - unfortunately, my spring breeding plans didn’t work out. Aria was inseminated with frozen semen, but she didn’t get pregnant. I’ve decided not to make another breeding attempt with her, so Aria has officially retired from breeding. With two young females on hand - Gaja and Nessie - I’ll wait until they’re ready for motherhood. This means, however, that we’ll have to wait a few more months for puppies from my kennel.
