We fell in love with the Swiss breeds when we moved to the Yukon in the late 90’s. We
acquired our first, a beautiful Bernese Mountain dog from a Swiss breeder in Haines
Junction. Zeus was a kind and gentle soul with a wonderful sense of humour and a streak of
stubbornness. He would do just about anything for me…..but only once! “You want me to go
through that tunnel? OK, I will this time, but don’t ask me again, “ he would smirk.
I was an avid trail runner back in
those days, and Zeus was good for about 20 minutes, when
he would lie down on the trail and wait for my return. My
husband and I decided we needed a second dog; one with a
bit more endurance that would be a bear deterrent; after
all we were living in the wilds of the Yukon! We researched
the other Swiss breeds and thought that the Appenzeller
might be a good choice. Exuberant was one of the words in
the breed description. That sounded about right.
And so, we got our first Appenzeller
when Zeus was four. Exuberant and then some was our little
Astro when he came to us from Saskatchewan. After our placid
Berner puppy, Astro was quite the opposite, and we wondered
if we had made the right choice for our lifestyle. We had
always had rescues prior to our Zeus, and all very easygoing.
Sadly, we lost our beloved boy to cancer
at a very young age. Our exuberant little Appenzeller
became the focus of my training.
Astro was anything but easygoing and
we had never had a dog with this kind of drive….ever! I
had my work cut out for me, and with the guidance of an
experienced trainer I soon learned that I had an exceptionally
clever and willing dog that wanted to work. A busy Appenzeller
is a happy Appenzeller. I'd
never done competitive obedience before and Astro turned
into an exceptional dog in the ring. winning High in Trial
in his first trial! We competed in trials in the Yukon,
Alaska and Alberta before leaving the north for Vancouver
Island, where we got involved in agility and flyball. A quick learner, Astro thrived and excelled in these new
sports. We traveled near and far to compete in both, and at 13.5 Astro retired from the dog
sporting life, having garnered numerous titles and awards! He had a wonderful and
fulfilling life for 15 plus years.
Astro
(left) Zeus (right)
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Astro
(13 years) Hektor (10 weeks)
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We acquired our second Appenzeller in 2014. Hektor is a Havana Brown Appenzeller,
brown tri-colour as opposed to the traditional black tri-colour, with striking ochre coloured
eyes, and a calmer version of Astro; thoughtful and observant.
Bred in the Netherlands and born in California, Hektor was one of the only two males in his
litter of twelve. We are very pleased with our choice; Hektor’s journey has been quite
different from Astro; we ventured into Conformation when he was 7 mos of age, and the
first Appenzeller to be shown in North America. He has sired six litters and in 2018, Brigitte
von Deroche Appenzellers came into our lives. She’s very different from her daddy, and
another Havana Brown. Both dogs have been very active in Conformation in the US and
now Canada, in addition to competing in performance and companion events in both
countries. They are the best of friends and while having 2 Appenzellers has its challenges,
they are a joy to train and travel with.
Astro was the beginning of my adventure with this most wonderful, loyal and versatile
breed; I thank him everyday!
CH Hektor Blässhunde USA aus der Leinemasch CKC SD, SDO, RN, AKC CM, RE, IABCA
IntCH, NatCH, HnrCH, World Cup CH Gold, Veteran CH, CARO Rally Master CH, World
Cynosport Rally Award of Excellence.
I went to visit the puppies at five weeks and almost went
with a female, but Hektor had been my first choice from
the day he was whelped.
-- Paula Webber
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