My love affair with standard poodles

Ok, I have told you a bit about Lotte and there will be loads more to come about her.

Thought I should mention how I started my love affair with standard poodles.  Our very first poodle was a miniature called Pipi (see photo above). Mum and Dad were living in Scotland when she died. They contacted a vet in Edinburgh who told them of a 4 year old standard who was needing a home, so they went to see her. I was at college in Portsmouth at the time when I got the phone call to say Pip had died and that they had brought home a 4 year old called Maxine. She had been fed her fresh meat daily on a china plate, had cups of tea from a china saucer and had to have digestive biscuits each day.  She soon learnt !! Fabulous dog.

When I got home from College I met Maxi for the first time and there my love affair began. I cried every time I left home and upset Mum as she said I was only upset about leaving Maxi. A couple of years later, in 1980, I saw an advert in a newspaper in Portsmouth - "Gentle Giants for sale". That was when I bought Sami for £80. Then, when she developed hip dysplasia at 9 months old, the breeder gave me a pup from the next litter she had, so along came Gemma in 1981.
Gemma had pups in 1983 and we kept Bliss and Bruno - Bruno went to live with Mum and Dad but very sadly died at the age of 15 months from a liver defect. I had started showing the dogs by this time and Bruno was a super show dog.
I then mated Bliss, in 1986, to a fabulous dog who was the Supreme Champion at Crufts in 1985, Montravia Tommy Gun and so was born my soul mate Bruno.
Bruno was used occasionally at stud and in 1993, he was mated to Sophie, producing Maddi. This time also saw the start of my great friendship with Carole - Sophie's Mum.
We lost Sami in Sept 1995, Bliss in January '96 Bruno in February '96 and Gemma in May '96. Dreadful time. More about each of these later.
 I brought home Kizzy from my good friend Marita in April '96. In October of the same year, we got TJ from her and then in 1998, Charlie joined the family.

Almost up to date now; when we lost Kizzy to AIHA and cancer in 2006, we got Tommy 8 days later.
Then having lost Maddi and TJ within 4 days of each other last July 2009, we waited just a year to get our wonderful girl Lotte.

So there we have the dog family - photos will follow and more about the feathered friends also.

p.s. Lotte is having a ball in more ways than one !!