Announcing 

Pondview Man in Black

Cash

CH Pondview Hawksmoor Best Case Scenario RN CGC TKN

x

Pondview Hawksmoor Hello Dolly

12 weeks

 

Announcing two litters expected the beginning of January

 

Not Just Labs

 I wrote this in 2009 as a personal essay model for my 4th grade students. Not sure why I never put it to my blog post but it is time. 

On the PETA website, I noted an outrageous generalized statement that reminded me of this piece and so prompted me to find it and post it now, 14 years later. Seems like a lifetime ago but clearly still relevant. The dogs that I wrote about in this piece are now gone except for Glory, who was only 2 at the time. She is now only 3 months shy of 16 years and although she doesn't jump for apples, forage for tomatoes and find a stuffed toy for her mouth, she does search for berries from the Bradford Pear and follows me about up and down the hill in the yard. 

Not Just Labs

By Cheryl Mousseau

                Labradors are often described as bouncy, enthusiastic, cheerful, with a tail-wagging attitude towards life. There are plenty of websites and books that give owners more information. For instance, the Labrador Retriever thrives on exercise and their athletic abilities make them great for hunting. They are even tempered and dependable, get along with other animals, eager to please and easy to train. While I would not disagree with any of these statements, these are definitely generalities. Every dog does have a personality type that is quite obvious to its owner.

            As a breeder, potential owners often contact me inquiring about Labrador puppies because they believe that a Lab will make a wonderful family pet. They ask me if my dogs are good with children, obedient, and calm. They want to know if they jump or dig or if they chew a lot. What some people need to know is that any dog can do all of these things. Dogs, even within a certain breed, are as diverse as people in their personalities.

Potential owners should definitely do their homework, ask questions, and make smart choices in the breed that fits their family and lifestyle. Even after they have made that decision, what many people don’t realize is that the puppy they bring home will never be exactly like their neighbor’s Lab, even when that puppy is an adult. This reminds me of a couple that had seemed to be the perfect choice for one of my puppies. After weeks of interviews, their names continued to be on my list. Still, something did not seem right to me, so I asked to make a home visit to see where my puppy was going to live. They told me that they loved the Lab down the street and hoped their puppy would grow up to be just like that. The wife showed me her white carpet and furniture and said that the dog would stay in the kitchen area and learn not to go beyond the threshold leading to the living room. My eyebrows went up. We walked outdoors to the perfectly landscaped yard. “Oh, a great pool!”, I commented. “My Labs love a swim in our pool.” However, I learned that the dog would not be allowed in the pool. They proceeded to show me an area under the hemlocks where they expected their puppy to go to the bathroom and then wondered if they should put up more fencing to protect the begonias planted along the borders of the shrubs.

Perhaps, I said politely, this is not the dog for you. I had already decided that this was not where my puppy would be living. How, I thought, would that pup ever be able to develop his unique personality. The people were upset with me, they were disappointed, they were angry because they really thought they would be good owners, and I am sure they would have tried. But what they wanted was the dog down the street. They were not ready to accept a unique little bundle of energy into their home and accept it for who it was.

Seven furry bodies crowd down the stairs. Lisle hangs back, Alex and Bounty have raced ahead to be down first but turn to make sure that everyone is following. Caroline, Glory and Meadow, scramble together, three wide all clamoring to hold onto the fluffy pink pig toy. That leaves James to walk with me, glued to my side, trying to keep my pace and share the step with me. Reaching the bottom, all six plus me, I turn back and coax Lisle to hurry along. As each one of my Labs repeats the daily routines, it makes me realize how uniquely different each one is. They are all dogs. They are all Labradors. Yet each of them is as different in their personalities as people are.

My Labradors are spread across generations. Some old, some middle-aged and  some young.  Lisle, now 12, and Bounty, 11,, are now showing their age. They are not as energetic as they used to be, quite content to spend many hours curled up in favorite places, like the leather couch, and snooze. They retire early and are happy to grab their treat rather than take the last let out of the night. The five others are ready at the door in a moments notice, day or night, and race to the kitchen at the first hint of food. They love attention, they love to be near my husband and me, and vie for attention whenever anyone new arrives. That is where the similarities end. Each one of my dogs’ stories would fill a book, easily proving their differences in personality.

 

Opening the door, the cold chill of winter hits my sleepy body. I pry Brad’s socks out of Meadow’s mouth, cleverly hidden in her Labrador muzzle. Every morning it is the same. Mostly it is socks but sometimes even underwear and if she makes it past me, we later find the dirty laundry strewn across our lawn. Bounty grabs a toy, much more obvious. No soft toys allowed outdoors. She always tries. Glory hesitates, dashes back for the large stuffed bone, but at the last moment abandons that for her large pink pig and races past me. She knows I will not stop her because she is the only one who understands that she must bring it back in. If she forgets, I say, “Toy, get your toy!” I marvel at her intense study of life as she whirls in her tracks and speeds back to the spot where she dropped her toy to retrieve it.

Predictably, I know who will be in first and who will still be out poking around. Bounty and Alex are the first at the door, so worried that they might miss out on their breakfast. Simultaneously, James, Caroline and Glory(carrying her toy) follow. I holler for Meadow and Lisle. I know what they are doing. Lisle is the oldest, at 12, she is slowing down. Her eyesight is not so sharp anymore and she hesitates on the shadowy garage stairs, but this is not why she and Meadow are the last ones in. They are both searching the yard for whatever they can pick up before I can get to it later. A disgusting habit which I have tried to break them of, I have finally resigned to a measure of prevention which means me getting out in the yard to pick up before they can do it. Not always possible at 5am in the dark of winter.

          Finally they are all in again. Meadow and Bounty begin their frantic whine yowl cry as though they have never been fed. Their whole bodies dance, feet barely touching the floor. Their frenzied behavior gets everyone else excited and the bowls cannot be placed quickly enough. Alex sloshes some of his food out of his bowl, predictably, every time, then cleans up when he is done. James leaves his vitamin pill in the bottom of his bowl, everyone else eats theirs. Meadow has moved her bowl 5 feet across the room in her frantic attempts to finish before the rest. The young girls, Glory and Caroline eat in their crates. Clang, clang, clang! Glory bangs her dish against the crate but not because she is bumping it while she eats. She is done but she pushes it purposefully, over and over, perhaps hoping that she will get my attention to let her out or give her more.

          “How can you tell them apart?” friends often ask. It is true that the black Labs look very similar. The two yellows are easy, since Meadow is a girl and Alex is a boy. Of course they really do look different. But I can tell them apart more by their behaviors and personalities rather than looks. Alex is the only one who will lay next to my husband on the couch and continually paw him to be petted. If my husband stops, Alex hits him with his paw again. The only dog that ever lies under the coffee table is Caroline, although if Alex abandons his spot on the couch she will often curl up until she gets too hot, then returning to her favorite spot again. James can be found lying on the dog bed on the opposite side of the room, sucking on his fox’s nose. He is very particular and only chooses the fox, however none of the other Labs suck on their toys. Glory makes sure that she chooses the larger couch and spreads completely out so even I have to squeeze into a small spot to sit down. Bounty and Lisle head upstairs to their beds early. It is as though they understand that they cannot compete for the prime spots. But maybe it is because they are happy to have the solitude of the bedroom before the rest join and crowd in later. Meadow heaves a big sigh,  as if trying to decide if the quest for the space next to Glory is worth it. Most often she chooses the rug but watches for her opportunity to take Glory’s coveted space.

          When they are outdoors, it is Glory who pulls up large clumps of grass and shakes them like they are living beings. It is Glory who hops into the vegetable garden to steal the tomatoes and Glory who nibbles the blueberries and jumps to reach the apples. Caroline kicks up her back legs like a rabbit and pounces like a cat. In the winter, it is Alex who pushes his head down into the snow, rolls to his back and slides downhill like a seal. We say it must be his father’s Canadian blood. James can always be spotted, waiting patiently, with his favorite blue ball hanging by the handle from his mouth. As the rest roam the yard, or romp and play, he sits and watches. Bounty will only retrieve a tennis ball. She loves tennis balls. Meadow loves to retrieve too but is not so picky. She will chase whatever she sees others are interested in, always trying to grab it away from them.

          The examples that prove my dogs’ unique personalities would fill volumes. Samuel D. Gosling, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin stated that many researchers are reluctant to believe that dogs have unique personalities. However, if you ask dog owners if they believe that their dog has a distinct personality, they would most certainly agree that they do. Dog personalities are real. I have 7 uniquely different furry personalities, just as different as each of us. Each one is special and just as parents love their children, I love them, for who they are. Not because they are Labs, not because they are my dogs, but because I know them as individuals. I know who they are. They are not ‘just Labs’.

 

           

CH Pondview Hawksmoor Best Case Scenario CGC RN TKN "Case"

 Case is the son of Int CH Carpenny Scenario, the first litter bred in the US and only a few litters since that time. Such a special line breeding back to Carpenny Walpole and Hawksmoor Webster, who was the top stud dog in the UK in 1998-1999. He has a beautiful head and expression, easy temperament and short backed compact correct conformation. 

He has produced some lovely progeny.  

CH Pondview Hawksmoor Jazz Man CGC RN TKN "Louie"

Louie has 3, 5pt GCH majors. He has sired multiple litters with lovely sweet temperament, gorgeous heads and correct conformation. Check out all his clearances on his page. Two beautiful progeny here at Pondview, Amber and Dolly, can also be seen on their pages. His pedigree demonstrates strengths in Hawksmoor, Balrion, Windfall and Hyspire. 

 

CH Pondview Hawksmoor Jazz Man RN CGC TKN "Louie" x Pondview Forever Pearl "Margaret"

 Excited to announce pregnancy confirmed. Puppies due March 1, 2022.  At this point, all puppies are spoken for.  

Pondview's New Hopefuls

 Be sure to check out Amber and Dolly's pages. These sisters are our CH "Louie" daughters from last July's litter of 8. They are Hawksmoor Webster granddaughters with lovely coat and classic outline.  They are both getting recognized in their puppy classes at specialties. 

Pondview Hawksmoor Hello Dolly(left) and Pondview Hawksmoor Jazz Man's Treasure "Amber" (right)

Summer Litter Planned Louie x Charlotte

 July litter anticipated  (All potential puppies spoken for)inquiries for future litter in late Fall considered
  CH Pondview Hawksmoor Jazz Man RN CGC TKN
                                   

 

    

  Pondview Hawksmoor Web's Charlotte CGC  (major pointed)

Framingham Kennel Club Show November 9-10, 2019

A nice weekend showing at Framingham Kennel Club Show.
Saturday Judge Cindy Lane
Case, Select Dog, BOBOH
Reed 1 st BBE and RWD
Sunday Judge James Albrecht
Case BOBOH
Reed 1st BBE RWD

Recent Winnings

Pondview Hawksmoor Best Case Scenario RN TKN CGC

AOM in Breed at PLRC under breeder Judge Marion Daniels

Case receives first GCH point as Select Dog at Devon Kennel Club Dog show 

Ludwigs Corner, PA under Judge Nancy Gallant

CH Pondview Hawksmoor Jazz Man RN TKN CGC "Louie" handled by Zach Orcott 

competing in Best of Breed at PLRC specialty

Pondview Lit Bit O Soul "Solo"  7 months

(6-9 month 3rd Place Sweepstakes under Breeder Judge Nicole McCarthy)

CH Wiscoys Rocco x Pondview Hawksmoor Web's Charlotte CGC

Pondview Hawksmoor Wynter of Wellington CGC TKN "Wynter"

 x Pondview Hawksmoor Beyond Forever "Fern"

5 boys, 1 girl

no puppies available from this litter

Wynter x Fern puppies

Pondview Hawksmoor Wynter of Wellington CGC TKN x Pondview Hawksmoor Beyond Forever
5 boys, 1girl

Next Litter expected late May

Pregnancy confirmed. All black litter expected May 30th. 

Pondview Hawksmoor Wynter of Wellington CGC TKN "Wynter"
(CH Hawksmoor Wellington x Hawksmoor Pondview Caroline RN CGC)

Pondview Beyond Forever "Fern"
(Int CH Carpenny Scenario x Hawksmoor Pondview Glory)

If you would like to be on an approved wait list for a future puppy, please email with detailed information regarding you/family.
To be approved you need to have a phone interview. Then a meeting to meet me and the Labs is required before final approval. Please do not expect that your name is on a wait list because you emailed to request this. You MUST be approved first. 

Potomac 2019

Another year of Potomac, the Camelot of Labradors, is in the books. A busy week of juggling 3 crazed boys who had come off from a month of girls in heat at home and then were over the top with even more smells at the show. Adding my sweet 11 month old, Margaret and 9 week old Solo who was the easiest of all the rest made it challenging to sit for very long to watch all the beautiful dogs in the rings. Always great to see so many friends, from breeders, handlers and vendors that I only get to see once a year. I was proud of how Margaret showed in her huge 9-12 mo puppy regular and sweeps class. It was her first show and she handled it well. Louie and Case managed to hold it together in Brace even though the two girls behind us were in heat. It took all my strength to keep them focused and I left the ring with a 3rd place and a blistered left hand from gripping the leads. Louie looked great in his competitive Veterans classes. Wynter showed well in his Am Bred class although while waiting his turn he managed to embarrass me by yanking me down as he attempted to hump the boy behind us. Case had his moment of glory in the Parade of Titleholders, receiving his beautiful ribbon for his championship. Although he did not make a cut in Breed on Friday he showed well and I was glad to see him happy. Sometimes it is the little things that make a moment memorable .
Thank you Norman Grenier, who was showing ahead of me in Group 4 and asked if Case was the dog he finished with his final 2 points. Nice to see him wagging his tail and moving well. And yes, he was happy to be with me and I was happy to be able to show my sweet boy.
We also were able to accomplish Trick Dog Novice titles on Louie, Wynter and Margaret and Margaret also earned her CGC.
On Friday I left Potomac and headed to Carolina Beach. The sun was setting between rain clouds as I headed east on I-40 and I reflected on the week I had left behind. There is something humbling about being at Potomac. Every dog there is a winner. Many congratulations to all those who placed. I feel blessed to be a part of it all.

Tick Borne Disease and Semen Quality

First, let me begin by saying that I am no stranger to Lyme disease and also other tick borne diseases as my dogs and my family have been personally affected in many ways over the years. From PA to NH and other places traveled along the East Coast, I feel that we have lived in and traveled in very high risk areas for these diseases. At one point about 5 years ago, my entire pack tested positive for Lymes and not only did I have to treat everyone with 6-8 wk course of Doxy but we at the time, made the decision be more proactive in treating our yard, since we knew that this is where they all had been infected. We used tick tubes on the perimeter, and began having the yard sprayed with an all natural spray(so they tell me) on perimeter and around foundation of the house in any mulched areas since ticks tend to nest in these areas. It is not just the deer that carry the ticks, as most know, it is mice and birds too. I felt we were doing well and still feel that this plan has been successful but only in my yard.
I am also very averse to treating my dogs with any topical poisons or internal ones that kill ticks. I have only ever used Frontline and when I did, it was sparingly when I had an infestation of fleas that my boys brought back from our house in NC. I was able to get it under control with natural remedies and only used the Frontline on a few of the dogs.
I feel this is good background information leading up to my experiences with my two boys having low sperm counts. Three years ago, in June 2016, I had both my boys collected at a mobile ICSB at a show. It was not first collections for the boys as I had previously collected and frozen semen and also had collected before and evaluated and both were very good collections. The collection that day for Louie was awful. Not worth freezing. Case's collection was excellent at first look. However later when I got the report back for number of units frozen, it was noted that many of the sperm were clustered and circling. At that time, I was very worried about what was happening with Louie, in particular, and brought him to Slade in Framingham to my repro vets for further evaluation. They had no explanation as to the low count (which had gotten even worse). I questioned whether or not Lymes could affect semen and they told me that they just are not sure if it could. He was not testing with a new infection at the time even though 2 yr previous to that everyone in the pack had been treated. I had them run a full tick panel and a C6, also a test for mycoplasma. The C6 showed a low titer for Lymes showing inactive exposure. Test for Mycoplasma was negative. Full tick panel showed he had been exposed to Rocky Mt Fever tick disease. I then tested Case and he also showed exposure. They never exhibited any symptoms for this tick borne disease. I know they did not contract this in my yard or in NH and I do not believe they came in contact with this in the New England area, however, we had traveled to MD, and to Chesapeake Bay area for shows that previous Fall and they had to have been exposed then. My regular vet discounted any connection to Rocky Mt exposure and the low sperm count and also felt that it was not even necessary to treat them for Rocky Mt since it was not showing an active exposure but just that they had been exposed and probably their immune systems were strong enough to not be affected. I disagreed and felt they should be treated anyway. My repro vets felt it was worth it to treat also. I put them both on 8 weeks of Doxy.
Semen improved but not by much. There were sperm but not enough to be a breeding unit. That was after 8 weeks of  Doxy. I was also giving double dose of Glyco Flex with the green lipped mussel since that has been known to help improve semen quality and was giving Oxy-Stud to both boys daily.
I have heard that some breeders had put their stud dogs on Baytril when they were having a non diagnosed low sperm count. So Slade agreed that it was worth a try. I had my pharmacy compound Enroflaxin for them both. Case's counts were never bad but he had a very high count of distill and proximal droplets. After the first round of Enroflaxin, Louie's semen was an acceptable breeding unit but still not back to normal.  I asked them to refill the prescription to do one more round. Then continued to collect and evaluate. He had several months of improvement and then decline and finally, after 18 months, we were back to 98% motility and 700-800 million.
So do I feel that tick borne disease can affect sperm adversely? In my opinion, absolutely. And I think it is happening more often than we, as breeders, even realize. I think that the Baytril was more effective in treating than the Doxy for my boys.
I also think that we should all be more proactive in getting our boys evaluated regularly and also should be doing FULL tick panels since 4DX snap tests will only test for Lyme, Erlichia, and Anaplasmosis. I also would say to those who do not live in the Northeast or the East Coast, that ticks are now all over. And dogs are traveling from West to East more frequently to shows and to do hunt training.
I understand that many use the Lyme vaccine but EVEN if it is effective, and does not cause a problem for your dog, it does not protect your dog against other tick borne disease. I also know that many have had good success with no visible side effects using internal tick products such as Bravecto and Simparica and Nexgard. My opinion with any of these is if I wouldn't take it , why would I give it to my dog.  About a decade ago, there was FDA approved Human Lyme vaccine...taken off the market very soon afterward. Do you wonder why? I spoke to one of the research scientists from Rohr who worked on that vaccine and at the time, we lived in PA and I was so freaked out about Lymes. My son had developed Bells Palsy from Lyme. My husband had been extremely sick from Lyme.
My sister to this day, has long term debilitating affects from chronic Lyme. The scientist told me he would never give the vaccine to his family. Why would we give this to our dogs? 
I don't know the best answer to battling these awful parasites but it is not toxins. I know my risks and that of my dogs. I have to be very proactive and vigilant. Early treatment and testing often is key.
Doing full tick panels if necessary.
And..if you have a stud dog that is low sperm count or going sterile, perhaps it is not too late to bring him back. Don't give up. Treat with the Baytril and treat long enough. Give the Oxy Stud and the Green Lipped Muscle found in GlycoFlex. Boost their immune system any way you can. Maybe you will be lucky, like I was, and have it come back. Don't give up too quickly.

Case is new Champion

Announcing our new Champion

CH Pondview Hawksmoor Best Case Scenario RN CGC

finishing his last single point handled by Norman Grenier at Riverhead Kennel Club under Judge Dr. Klaus Anselm

We are so thrilled and proud of our second home bred champion.

Potomac 2018

What a wonderful week with the boys at the world's largest specialty and gathering of Labradors.
We started the week with snow flurries and cold rain in the 30's and ended on Friday with sun and 80 degrees. From Winter coats and muck boots to short sleeves and skirts, with Labradors enjoying more of the cold than the heat.
Proud of Case for making the cut in his Bred By class of 15. Wynter and Reed looked awesome in a huge class of 15-18 mo old Black dogs. Reed also took 4th place out of 17 in the Monday B Match in the 15-18 mo class.  Louie and Case worked really well together in Brace. The highlight of the week on Friday, was showing Louie in Best of Breed with a total of 124 champions.

CH Pondview Hawksmoor Jazz Man RN CGC "Louie"

in Best of Breed at LRCP 2018

Pondview Hawksmoor Best Case Scenario RN CGC "Case"

LRCP Bred By class 2018 

Louie and Case in Brace

Pondview Black Meadow Marsh CGC "Reed" 

CH Pondview Hawksmoor Jazz Man RN CGC x Pondview Hawksmoor Penny Lane RN

 15-18 mo class (16 months) LRCP 2018