DARAGOJ KENNEL
INFORMASJONEN GJENGITT PÅ DENNE SIDEN ER SKREVET OG UTFORMET AV EEVA RESKO. HENNES DEDIKASJON TIL BEAGLEN GJENNOM ET HELT LIV HAR ALLTID FASINERT MEG- OG DA HUN 15 DESEMBER 2019 OPPLYSTE OM AT HUN VILLE LEGGE NED HJEMMESIDEN SIN WWW.DARAGOJ.NET VALGTE JEG Å KOPIERE OG GJENGI ALL INFORMASJON OG BILDER HUN HADDE PUBLISERT SLIK AT DENNE INFORMASJONEN BLIR IVARETATT EN STUND TIL.
JEG VIL BARE UNDERSTREKE AT ALT SOM STÅR SKREVET PÅ DENNE SIDEN ER UTARBEIDET AV EEVA RESKO VED DARAGOJ KENNEL
Beagles came into my life by accident. In mid-70's, I was determined to become a Pekingese owner as I have always liked furry little dogs. Besides, I had an ongoing argument with my father who maintained that my studies seemed to take second place to my involvement in dogs. I was joking that a Pekingese would be small enough to tuck into the bookcase, if need be, and my father would never know I had another dog... I had already chosen a puppy from a prominent kennel in Britain, but she injured her eye and I could not have her. Since the kennel had a very limited breeding program, they could not offer me another dog as a replacement.
At that time I already owned Basset Hounds. I thought that Beagles would get along nicely with Bassets as both breeds are pack hounds, and showing them would be easier because they would be judged on the same day at two-day shows. I was very interested in American Beagles because of their nice breed type but I had no idea of the bloodlines. There was no internet or fax in those days, and the few foreign dog magazines were perused more than once! In one of them, I saw an advertisement for the Clovergates kennels in Britain. So I reserved a bitch whose sire and dam were British-bred, but the dam was out of American parents.
Clovergates Pleasure arrived in Finland in the fall of 1975. She became a multiple BOB winner and whelped two litters, producing dogs that turned out to be excellent breeding stock well as beautiful show dogs. She was a nice bitch with a good head and a good topline. She was just over 14”. I thought she could have had a little bit more stuff behind the tail. In movement, she had enormous reach and drive, but she was rather loose at elbow and tended to toe in in front. Unfortunately, I lost Pleasure too soon, but she was the first chapter in the story of Daragoj Beagles, and I'm happy to see that her legacy lives in the later generations of Daragoj Beagles that followed her.
Only four bitches in my breeding program were not home-bred. Therefore, I will not focus here on the dam side in my bloodlines; instead, I will concentrate on the stud dogs I have imported or loaned, and on their impact when bred with Daragoj bitches.
Jahtiluhdan Urkki
(Pinewood Chestnut - Jahtiluhdan Mini)
My first Beagle, Clovergates Pleasure, produced two litters. The first was sired by International Ch. Jahtiluhdan Urkki who was out of English Pinewood bloodlines. The litter included three puppies of which I kept Daragoj Half And Half (picture 2) She was a 15” high, strongly-built bitch with a very nice head. She moved well, but she could have had a slightly better tailset and more style.
Beagler's Black Gold
(Gold Smuggler - Pinewood Courtesy)
Beagler's Black Gold was a nice-sized, very typey male. He had a nice head and topline, and good bone and substance. He could have had a bit more stuff behind the tail. He paddled a bit in front, but moved otherwise well. I liked his breed type and overall appearance very much.
1978 in Sweden, BOB Beagler's Black Gold, BOS Clovergates Pleasure
judge Marianne Furst-Danielsson
Pleasure’s second litter was sired by the Swedish-bred Beagler’s Black Gold, whom I used four times in my breeding program.The first combination produced Daragoj Showman, Daragoj Securityman and Daragoj Statesman of which I kept Daragoj Statesman. All three became multiple BIG winners with BIS placements. The two bitches in this litter went to Sweden.
Daragoj Securityman
Daragoj Statesman
Daragoj Statesman
Beagler's Black Gold´s third litter was out of Daragoj Barbie Doll (Starbuck Classic – Daragoj Timex) and produced three puppies. Daragoj Little Gold stayed at home. He had some BOB wins and group placements. He sired a few litters but he didn’t produce anything notable. The only bitch in this litter, AM Ch. Daragoj Little By Little went to Karen Crary's Hare Hollow’s kennels in the U.S.
Very Special Show Denmark 1989, Helmi with her BOB-rosette
Helmi was beaten for Best of Breed only four times: once at the World Dog Show in Denmark (but she did win the open bitch class and was awarded the bitch Challenge Certificate), and three times when the breed was judged by Finnish “hunting-type” judges. The day after the World Dog Show in 1989, she went Specialty Best in Show in Denmark in an entry of 150 dogs under J. Council Parker of the United States. Her success in Denmark continued, and later in the year she won the group and the BIS-2 placement at the Danish Kennel Club's International Show in Herning. She amassed 11 group wins that year!
Helmi´s most prestigious win in Finland was BIS-3 at the Finnish Kennel Club´s Centennial Show, where she was the only bitch and the only Finnish-bred dog among the five BIS-placed group winners. Her group win presented me with a difficult dilemma: I had just 20 minutes to find a handler for her, as my Lhasa Apso had also won her group and I had to show her in the final. At the end of the year, Daragoj Piece of Gold was the top winning show dog of all breeds in Finland. She retired from the show ring at the age of two and half years and was shown only now and then for specialist judges.
Daragoj Great Pleasure
Helmi's second litter was by AM Ch.Springfield Heaven’s Creek, “Jim”. Jim was a nice, short coupled, 15” dog. This mating produced a very nice dog, Daragoj Keep The Dream. He was shown only twice with one BOB at the Finnish Kennel Club's International Winter Show in Helsinki -- unfortunately the poor “country boy” was freaked out by the flashing lights and loud music in the big ring! Daragoj Keep The Promise had two litters, the first producing Netherlands Ch. Daragoj Kohinoor while the rest went to pet homes. Her second litter was by Netherlands Ch. Famous Joker Go For Gold, all puppies going to pet homes. Daragoj Keep The Word went to Brazil.
Helmi's final litter was by Briarhill Our Own Brucie. I kept two bitches. Daragoj Kastehelmi was BIS puppy at Finnish Kennel Club's International Winter Show. I showed her only a few of times, gaining a group win and some group placements. She reminded me a lot of her mother; she was a good 15” bitch and had some of the same habits as her mother. She was a bit close behind. Daragoj Kuurankukka was a very nice bitch but she had lighter eyes than my dogs usually had and no pigmentation in her 3rd eyelid which spoilt her expression. When she became older, her expression softened.
Daragoj Kastehelmi
Daragoj Kuurankukka
Tarr Hill Rollikin´ Romeo
(Navan's Triple Trouble Rick - Pixhire's Fancy-Free)
I have seen AM Ch. Navan’s Triple Trouble Rick in photographs, I never saw him in real life. Based on the photographs, he was one of the most beautiful Beagles I have ever seen. I didn’t have any contacts with breeders in the U.S., but I happened to see the Tarr Hill kennel’s two-line advertisement in the Dog World magazine. I contacted them and was able to purchase Navan's Triple Trouble Rick’s son AM Ch. Tarr Hill Rollikin’ Romeo.
Romeo was a handsome 14” dog with a nice head and good ears. He was well ribbed, and he had a very strong short back. I used him only once, to Daragoj Half And Half. He had a couple of litters in Sweden, for example one with his granddaughter, but it was obvious that he didn’t reproduce himself, and his offspring didn’t look like him at all. This was a disappointment -- I had expected him to be a dominant producer as he was out of a half-sister breeding with AM Ch. Kings Creek Triple Treat as the double grandsire on both sides.
(Beagler's Black Gold - Glovergates Pleasure)
Daragoj Statesman, “Pocco”, was a nice 16” dog. Pocco had very much the same style and type as his father, Black Gold, but he was taller. He had very nice proportions, firm topline and a nice head. He had a straight, a bit long tail and he could have had a bit more stuff behind his tail. He had normal reach and drive, but he toed in a little bit.
Tarr Hill Rollikin´ Romeo became ill with the parvo virus during his visit in Sweden and he had to stay there so I couldn’t mate Daragoj Half And Half to him as I had planned. Instead, Daragoj Half And Half’s first and last litter were sired by her half brother Daragoj Statesman.
1980 Daragoj Statesman and Daragoj Half And Half expecting their first litter
The other litters are described in more detail as I describe their sires, Starbuck Classic, Clovergates Fancy Pants and Torbay Top Billing.
When I repeated the Daragoj Half And Half - Daragoj Statesman combination, the result was the "Clock litter": Daragoj Casio, Daragoj Timex, Daragoj Tissot and Daragoj Seiko. The puppies were named in irritation after one of the local hunting fanatics had compared my dogs with cheap Japanese watches because they were not used in hunting. Daragoj Casio became BOB and BIG winner at the Finnish Kennel Club's Winners Show at the age of nine months under the veteran British Beagle authority Douglas Appleton of the Appeline Beagles. He was a nice sized male, with very nice head and an excellent side gait but I would have preferred a little more leg under him. He was exported to the Dazzler’s kennel in Denmark where he distinguished himself as a very successful show dog and producer, and he can still be found in the pedigrees of many of Denmark's top winners.
(Meadow Crest's Grand Slam - Starbuck's Carry Nation)
Starbuck Classic was imported from the U.S. in 1982. He was very much a hound type dog of 16”. He had very good bone and a strong topline. His front assembly was a bit too far forward, giving him a shortish neck and a slightly long-bodied look. He became a BIG winner. He sired two litters at Daragoj and a couple of litters in Sweden. His best known progeny include Daragoj Boomerang and Daragoj Barbie Doll (dam: Daragoj Timex) and Mälardrotts Yankee Boy. Boomerang became an all-breed BIS winner at the age of 11 months under U.S. judge Richard G. Beauchamp (picture). He had many BIG wins and BIS placements in Finland. In Sweden, he won BIG at the Swedish Kennel Club’s International Christmas Show in Stockholm. He didn’t compete for BIS because he was already sold to the Famous Joker kennel in Denmark and had to leave immediately for his new home. In Denmark, he was a very well known winner with many specialty and all-breed show BOB wins. He was a 16”, very eye-catching dog with very long and powerful side gait, beautiful bright colors and excellent bone. He could have had a bit more angulation behind. He had a great attitude and he was very smart! His use in breeding has been very limited, but he produced a few nice puppies who have done well in the show ring. Boomerang’s sister, Barbie Doll was usually beaten by her brother for Best of Breed. She won an all-breed BIS-2 and BIS Veteran of all breeds (picture) at Turku International Winter Show in Finland.
Daragoj Boomerang
Daragoj Barbie Doll
Daragoj Boomerang
Mälardrotts Yankee Boy was bred by Ingemar Engström in Sweden. His dam was a British import, a double granddaughter of Page Mill Oscar. Yankee Boy became dual champion at a very early age, and he was a widely appreciated stud dog in Sweden and, to my knowledge, also in Norway. His litter sister Mälardrotts Yasmin is one of the four non-home bred bitches in my breeding program.
The breeding of Starbuck’s Classic and Daragoj Double Pleasure produced sisters Brazilian Ch. Daragoj Royal Rendez Vous and AM Ch. Daragoj Royal Ascot. Royal Rendez Vous was exported to the Bangor kennels in Brazil but, sadly, didn’t produce any offspring. Royal Ascot moved to the Hare Hollow kennels in the U.S. and became double BISS winner, the second time as a veteran.
Clovergates Fancy Pants
(Johjean Sunnymeade Bobby of Clovergates - Clovergates Fancy Free)
Johjean Jamboree Jubal
Daragoj Macho Grande,
(Manabay Midas Touch - Torbay Henrietta)
In 1987, I imported two puppies from Australia, Torbay Top Billing and Torbay Pina Colada. Top Billing began a new phase in my breeding program -- while the size, bone and proportions improved, some of his offspring displayed quite unpleasant temperaments. With his introduction into my bloodlines, I lost the “traditional” blanketed tricolor of my Beagles. I have also noticed that, since then, many of my bitches have needed Caesarean sections. Top Billing was never shown because his tail was too gay. He had a nice clean head, a short and very strong body, lovely round bone, and excellent muscles because he never stayed still for a minute! He attended a charity show once, taking BOS while Daragoj Piece of Gold went BOB under Mr. Woodhead from Australia. After judging, I mentioned to him that the dog was an Australian import. He looked a little bit confused and then answered me politely: "Well, I see, but I still think the bitch is better".
Together with Briarhill Our Own Brucie, Torbay Top Billing has been the most frequently used stud dog in my breeding program. From the breeding point of view, the most significant of his sons was Daragoj Jumping Jack (dam NL & LUX CH Daragoj One Way Ticket). He was a very typical, short bodied and well moving 15” dog. Unfortunately, he was always beaten in the ring by Daragoj Piece of Gold. His other offspring worth mentioning include AM Ch. Daragoj Sabrina (the dam of AUST Ch. Daragoj Starsong) and Daragoj Wallnut (the son of Daragoj Barbie Doll). Wallnut was a multiple BIG winner. His greatest achievement was BIS-2 at the Finnish Kennel Club’s International Winners Show. He took another BIS-2 placement at an all-breed show – beaten both times to the BIS by the world famous white Standard Poodle Maneetas Del Zarzoso Fuego Fatuo! Unfortunately, he was too inbred to be of use on my own bitches. He later went to Italy and continued his wins there.
The combination of Top Billing - Daragoj Double Pleasure produced Daragoj Hurley Burley whom I kept, and Daragoj Hot Shot who went to Denmark to the Dazzler’s kennel. Hot Shot was not exactly to my taste as she was somewhat low on leg and slightly close behind, but she attained her Danish and U.S. Champion titles. Hurley Burley was better in type and head, but rather straight behind and should have had a broader thigh (but later produced two litters.) Others in the Top Billing-Double Pleasure litter became family pets as they had nice outlines but were lacking in bone and substance. Top Billing was also bred once with a "hunting blood line" bitch, producing the multiple BIG winner Stonebridge Muru.
Torbay Pina Colada arrived in the same crate with Top Billing. She was a small 15” bitch, short on leg, well angulated at both ends, and with the prettiest of heads. I bred her once although she was not my type of bitch and her temperament was strange because she had such nice parents. She was bred to Daragoj Jumping Jack. Her son Daragoj Wilhelm Tell won some groups and Daragoj Westpoint went to Denmark. I made no futher use of this litter in my breeding program.
Daragoj Jumping Jack
Daragoj Sabrina
Daragoj Wallnut
(Echo Run Jumping Jack Flash - Loverly Too Hot To Touch)
The four-month quarantine for dogs coming into Finland outside the so-called rabies-free countries (mainly Britain, Australia and the Scandinavian countries) was abolished in 1989, which made it much easier to incorporate dogs from other countries such as the U.S. in the breeding program. In the early 1990’s, AM Ch. Springfield’s Heavens Creek sired a litter for me, but his progeny has not had much long-term influence on my breeding program.
Around the same time in the early 1990’s, I happened to see a video tape of the Great Lake Specialty in the U.S. A young male, Briarhill Our Own Brucie, caught my eye at once. Luckily for me, as he grew, he ended up over 15” and became available. His breeder Bruce Smith contacted the Specialty judge, Dr. Catharina Linde-Forsberg, to ask if she knew of anyone who might be interested in buying the dog. Catharina contacted me and soon Briarhill Our Own Brucie arrived in Finland. He was an extremely well constructed, sound mover with a good masculine head. His “clean” outline pleased me very much. If I want to say something negative about him, I would have preferred a darker eye and a better coat quality. He had been trained in the U.S. to show freely, and, therefore, showing him was a pleasure. He became multiple BIG winner and perhaps the most significant stud dog for Daragoj.
Starsong was a nice sized bitch with a nice head, a lovely arch of neck and a strong topline. She had the great attitude and charisma of the good old days. She had a strong and long reach on the side, but she was slightly wide in front and close in rear movement.
Lovenote was just under 14". She was a very well balanced bitch with excellent, steady topline and a very nice short, straight tail with excellent brush. She was well angulated at both ends and had low hocks. She had a shade more bone and shorter legs than her sister Lovestory. Her head was nice and clean with nice medium-brown eyes. She was an outgoing show dog, always wagging her tail and moving correctly from all angles.
Lovestory was just under 15". Elegant, but strongly-built bitch. She had an excellent topline with lovely neck and excellent tailset. Her head was a bit different as Lovenote´s -- narrower and perhaps longer. Her eyes were a little darker, smaller and deeper-set. She also had a light wrinkle between the eyes. She moved with the same style as her granddam Piece of Gold when she wanted, but, most often, she was more interested in looking for the tidbits other exhibitors had dropped in the ring!
Daragoj Loveletter won BIG countless times. His best achievements were two BIG wins at the Finnish Kennel Club’s International Winners shows. When he took the group there for the first time, he was 11 months old, and he ended up with a BIS placement. He didn’t have any litters. Daragoj Lover Boy moved to Denmark where he sired a few litters. He had an accident as a puppy, injuring one of his testicles. For this reason, showing him was difficult because some judges would not accept the veterinary certificate about the accident. Nevertheless, he has two CCs.
Daragoj Private Dancer
Daragoj Patriot
Brucie's last litter out of Daragoj Cardamom produced two puppies of which I kept Daragoj Little Bold Lady, “Tirri”. Tirri is a small 15” bitch. She matured very slowly, but turned out to have a nice head, a good body and a strong topline. Tirri could have had more reach and drive and her rear movement was slightly close for me. She was a great personality.
(Stonebridge Winning Ways - Echo Run Shalamar)
Bagel sired four litters in my kennel. Daragoj Grazia produced AM Ch. Daragoj Just A Lady and Daragoj Just A Little by him. Just A Little became a class winner at National Specialty, while Daragoj Just A Shadow went to Spain.
Daragoj Classic Charm
Three bitches by Bagel out of Daragoj Kuurankukka were exported to Canada where they all gained their Canadian titles. Daragoj Dixieland Jazz and Designed Genres live at the Laponderosa kennels. Daragoj Diamonds Forever is also AM Ch., and she won an Award of Merit at the 2001 Beagle Club Nationals.
Bagel’s offspring are certainly very cosmopolitan, and his influence through my bitches has spread around the world. He was over 9 years old during his last visit, and he had some prostate problems, but we were lucky to get two litters. NZ Ch. Daragoj Personal Agenda (dam Daragoj Kastehelmi) went first to New Zealand to the Jest kennels, and then to Australia to the Beagalee kennels, while her sister went to a pet home. Bred with Daragoj Great Pleasure, he produced Daragoj Cheerleader (who went to the Sentimental Snowdancer kennel in Austria), AM Ch. Daragoj Chit Chat (sent to the Harnett kennels in the U.S.) and AM & CAN Ch. Daragoj Chelsea (who went to the Starbuck -Torbay kennels.) Chelsea is a BISS winner in Canada, she won an Award of Merit at the Nationals in 2001, and she was Top Dam in the U.S. in 2002.
(Clarion Cloak - Daragoj Starsong)
The best known of Crystal Fire’s progeny is International & Multiple Ch. Daragoj Country Classic (dam Daragoj Lovenote). Country Classic has had a long and highly successful show career in continental Europe. He visited Finland, too, winning BIS-3 at Turku International Winter Show. Just like his father, he is a very strong-minded 16” dog. His head could be more elegant and refined, and his eyes could be darker. He is very sound and flashy and creates a fabulous picture when observed from the ringside, but he is a little coarse when you take a closer look. He has a great number of progeny in continental Europe -- too many, in my opinion, as he cannot have been the best choice for all those countless bitches because of his coarseness and size.
Daragoj Charlotte Russe
The combination of Clarion Crystal Fire - Daragoj Lovestory produced Icelandic Ch. Daragoj Stargazer and Daragoj Solid Gold (picture 2)who has done a lot of winning in Finland.
Another Crystal Fire son, Daragoj Brave Heart (dam Daragoj Grazia) has multiple group wins and group placements in Finland.
Daragoj Estrella Polaris
Famous Joker Go For The Gold
Famous Joker Go For The Gold
(Famous Joker Master Of The Game - Conrada's Denmark Debut)
Netherlands Ch. Famous Joker Go For The Gold visited my kennel at the end of the 90’s. He was a short coupled, nice sized male with a nice head. He is linebred to DK Ch. Daragoj Boomerang. He sired two litters out of Daragoj Lovenote and Daragoj Keep the Promise. Three of the Lovenote puppies went to show homes; one bitch is a co-owned family pet (a nice bitch but not a show dog because of a blue eye. ) AUST Ch. Daragoj Golden Design was loaned to Australia to the Beagelee kennels, but I sold her later as I decided to scale down my breeding activities. Daragoj Golden Years has some BIG wins in Finland. He is also the sire of my “Viva” litter (dam Daragoj Classic Charm). Puppies of the second litter sired by Famous Joker Go For The Gold are family pets with the exception of CAN Ch. Daragoj Gold Label who is with the Waskasoo kennels. “Pentti” is a also a group winner.
(Echo Run Woodstock - Echo Run Shalamar)
I saw AM CH Echo Run Tan Your Blue Hide at the 2001 Nationals in Tennessee. Looking at him more closely, I thought he could be an interesting male for Daragoj Charlotte Russe who was over 4 years old and never bred. Again, I had luck with me. He was owned by Ann Roth, whom I had gotten to know through the internet. So Ann came over with John Boozer and brought “Tanner” with her! Tanner was a nice sized and well-bodied dog. He had the same “clean” look as Brucie had. He had no loose skin anywhere; he had a super tailset and a very powerful rear. His ears were set a little high, and his coat quality could have been better.
Daragoj Charlotte Russe was bred to Tanner. Three bitches and one male were born; one of the bitches is in Belgium, one in Germany and one in a pet home. More about the male "Tarmo" is HERE.
Daragoj Kuurankukka had three tan & white sons by Tanner. Daragoj Red Ribbon went to the Champhurst kennels in Sweden, where he has sired some litters but is still unshown. Daragoj Red Pepper has started his show career well in Finland, and Daragoj Red Sox has been shown on a very limited basis because of his size.
I have never been very keen on close inbreeding. A combination may appear very attractive on paper but the reality is something else. No such thing as a completely healthy, problem-free bloodline that will not be susceptible to producing weaknesses, if too closely inbred, exists in this universe! Over the years, I’ve used so many different males in my breeding program that lately I have been able to breed Daragoj Beagles to each other. In recent years, a small number of litters out of such combinations have been born.
AM & CAN Ch. Daragoj Diamonds For Ever had two males by Daragoj Brave Heart; Daragoj Dragon Heart went to Spain while Daragoj Diamond Heart (picture 2) "Ossi" is at home. He is a multiple group winner (picture, picture 2) in very limited showing.
I kept two bitches myself. AM Ch. Daragoj Desiree was exported to the Harnett kennels in the U.S. Daragoj Delilah went later to a pet home because of her low thyroid level. AM Ch. Daragoj Diamond Shine (picture 2)went to Springfield’s kennels in the U.S. where she has been shown by Connie Conger. She has two BISS and was the top-winning 15” Beagle bitch in the U.S. in 2003. She produced a litter in 2004, and, of these, Springfield’s Long Shot, attending her first dog show at the age of seven months, was Best 15” Beagle in Sweepstakes and the Best of Winners at the 2004 Nationals.
Daragoj Kuurankukka had a litter by Daragoj Brave Heart. Of the ensuing litter, Daragoj Warfare was exported to the v.d. Thurmühle kennels in Austria. Her wins there include a Specialty BIS among other wins. AM Ch. Daragoj Wake Up Call now lives at the Bayou Oaks kennels in the U.S., and I have Daragoj War Warning in co-ownership. The rest are in pet homes.
Daragoj Little Bold Lady had a litter sired by Daragoj Brave Heart. The litter produced INT Ch. Daragoj Lady Chatterley who is a multiple BIG winner, exported to the Catulus kennel in Poland, and AM Ch. Daragoj Liberty Belle who went to the Lanbur Beagles in the U.S. Two puppies are in show homes in Finland.
Daragoj Diamont Heart bred Daragoj Golden Belle (Famous Joker Go for Gold – Daragoj Lovenote); Daragoj Hot Gossip is at the Sentimental Snowdancer kennels in Austria, DK Ch. Daragoj Harley Davidson is in Denmark at the Dynamic Flyer kennels in co-ownership with the Gold Line kennels. Daragoj Harlequino is in Germany with the Happy Beagle kennels. I kept Daragoj Heaven Can Wait (picture 2).
AM CH Daragoj Crystal Rain sired three litters in Finland before he left for the U.S. His first litter was out of AM Ch. Springfield’s Bonnie Aimee. Two bitches were born and I kept them both. In 2002, CAN Ch. Daragoj My American went to the Waskasoo kennels in Canada. AM Ch. Daragoj Miss America went to the Springfield’s kennels in the U.S.
Daragoj Crystal Rain had also a litter out of Daragoj Little Bold Lady. That litter produced four nice puppies: Polish Ch. Daragoj Frank Zappa, a BIS-3 winner at the Warsaw Winner Show in 2004, with the Catulus kennel in Poland and Daragoj Freddie Mercury, who has also won in his new homeland in Slovakia (picture of litter brothers Freddie Mercury and Frank Zappa). AM Ch. Daragoj Foxy Lady has just returned home after her visit to the U.S. where Mr. Jon Woodring kindly campaigned her to her U.S. title. In Finland, Daragoj Falconer became BIG winner at the age of 12 months.
His third litter was with Daragoj Viva la Vida. The only bitch in the litter, AM Ch. Daragoj Tango Queen went to the Lanbur kennels, a male is in a pet home, and I kept Daragoj The Oriental (picture 2)“Orri”. Orri left later to France where he has won the group twice and taken one all-breed BIS.
Daragoj Viva Zabata bred Daragoj Savannah Rose. Daragoj Another Fantasy was exported to the U.S. where he died in a road accident. Before his accident, he bred AM Ch. Springfield’s Darling Crystal (Clarion Crystal Fire – CH Springfield’s Bonne Aimee), and the ensuing litter has been quite successful in the show ring.
Thoughts about breeding
Attitude has always been as important to me as breed type and sound movement when I plan breedings. I do want to ensure that the dogs who live with me at home are not only beautiful and pleasing to the eye in conformation, but also smart with plenty of charisma. Introducing new bloodlines always brings in something that pleases you and something that does not. For example, I think the Australian lines I have used have introduced slightly softer temperaments into my lines – and these dogs are often very good pets, but they may lack the stamina and the self-confidence that a great show dog needs.
In 2002, I had finally and reluctantly come to the conclusion that I should retire from active breeding. Living far on the Northern edge of Europe (in the middle of nowhere!), I had to keep quite a large number of dogs to maintain a viable breeding program even if I did not breed so many litters. There is no point in leasing or importing dogs if their progeny has to be sold as family pets. Finally, I decided that enough was enough with all the hard work. To let all dogs go would have been too hard after more than 40 years of involvement in breeding and showing dogs. Everyone has his or her own ideas of breeding, and I knew that if I let everybody go, my 40 years of hard work and all the Daragoj line would be gone for ever! Therefore, I thought long and hard which dogs I would sell and which I would keep myself.
Over the years, I have been very fortunate in coming to contact with the right people. I have received so much valuable knowledge from so many Beagle fanciers, and I have made so many wonderful friends around the world. I am very grateful to them, and I am very grateful to everyone who has let me buy or use so many of their quality dogs. It has been appreciated very much. My modest hope is that the dogs I have bred will play a role in shaping future generations of Beagles, the merry hound we all love.
Today
I have been told by people who know it better that once you decide to stop breeding dogs, you should not do it at once, period. I have always bred and shown dogs for my own enjoyment. Even if I breed and show my dogs less than before, I don’t want to give up everything.
I have a few home-bred bitches and males at home. I have a male bred by Truda Mawby, Clarion Cameo Magic Man (AUST & NZ Ch. Jest The Rainman – AUST Ch. Clarion Cameo Queen). I have a male AM Ch Lanbur's Edgar Allen (picture 2)( AM Ch Daragoj Crystal Rain - AM Ch Lanbur Summer Symphony). I also own Daragoj Matter of Time (AM CH Echo Run Tan Your Blue Hide - Daragoj Charlotte Russe) “Tarmo”. Click HERE for more details.
