Tuija Virtanen, Espoo Finland
www.twistand.com
tuija.virtanen@pp4.inet.fi(text translated by Sanna Kavén)
1. Since when you have bred/owned Welsh springer spaniels?
First Twist And Welsh springer spaniel litter was born in 1985, dam to this litter was our kennel's treasure and the apple of our eyes, our foundation bitch INT & FIN CH & FinW-85 Rwyn Red Betty. In 2005 we will celebrate our 20 years lasted history with Welsh springer spaniels.2. Do you own or breed also other breeds?
I own and breed beside Welsh springer spaniels also pomeranians (German Miniature Spitzes) and also own soon 13 years old American cocker spaniel bitch.3. Introduce shortly all your family members including dogs and other pets?
I and my husband Tero have many kind of animals living with us. Oldest from our dogs is American cocker Ines, soon 13 years old, totally deaf oldie knowing clearly her value. We have two welshes in the house, mom Tinka and her funny youngster doughter Taika. We also have seven pomerians keeping noise :), four males Oskari, Caesar, Yola-Yola and Robin and three females Tantta, Gaya and Melina. This was the end of dogs, but I also want to introduce my horse-treatures, two Finnish horse geldings Jalmari and Ville, which live in Urberga horse stable which I administer with some of my friends.
Twist And kennel newer generations New Design's Comedy Girl
and Twist And Keep On Twist
4. What hobbies you have with your dogs?
When being home we of enjoy walking in nature with our welshes, especially Tero enjoys a lot to be out with the dogs. So mostly I not get dogs with to horse stables anymore :) Obedience training is also mostly Tero's hobby with dogs. Our dogs are also very comfort-loving dogs so it is not unusual to see welshes on the sofa on their master's stomach resting. In shows we visit some times a year, administrating the horse stable is nowadays taking our time from showing more.5. What has been the funniest moment in past month with your dogs?
Funniest and also most embarrasing moment during last month definitely was the kennel puppy meeting, which suddenly changed to big adventure in Nuuksio woods. I wanted to bring our puppy buyers with their dogs to excursion to beautiful pond called Sorlampi. Way over there went without any problems and we even crossed the little marsh area easily. But coming back was totally different story, I could not imagine that I would be leading and get us all lost to Nuuksio woods. I had many times before visited this pond and walked this same route. We got by accident lost to skiing route (which is used during winter time), which is marked with same green as the route going to Spaniel Club cabin. It was embarrassing when path ended like to wall and we had to walk wetty marsh until we found again walking path and then we were totally out where we were. Well, the end was happy when on-coming people friendly guided us away from woods. We will see if our puppy buyers have courage to come some day again to our meetings :)6. How many litters you have bred? Is there expected litters in the future too?
Twist And has bred Welsh springer spaniels since 1985 and total ten litters. Our latest Welsh springer spaniel litter is born in 2004. Now we are already planing for litter to our jubileum year, New Design's Comedy Girl is honoured to be dam to that litter.
Twist And kennel foundation bitch Int & Fin CH FinW-85 Rwyn
Red Betty
7. Tell shortly about the most successful Twist And Welsh springers?
We have bred one international champion, he is male called Twist And Learn owner Arja Rantanen and total nine Finnish Champions , Twist And Shake owner Tuija Virtanen, Twist And Split owner Katja Inkinen, Twist And Slide owner Riitta Paju, Twist And Blow owner Mikko and Jarna Matilainen, Twist And Milla owner Pia Järvinen, Twist And Swoop owner Helena Lindeman, Twist And Faint owner Elina Hakoila, Twist And Flirt owner Suvianna Virkkunen, and we have also bred some CC-winners who not have yet the needed working test passed to get the champion title, Twist And Shout 9xCC and 2xCACIB, Twist And Tramp 3xCC owner Suvianna Virkkunen, Twist Im Bomb Lady 3xCC, Twist And I'm Mr Sandman 1xCC, 1xCACIB owner Ella Kurkela, Twist And Clik 1xCC owner Ella Kurkela, Twist And Dance 1xCC owner Mari Mäkinen, Twist And Hover 1xCC and Twist And Weep 1xCC8. What you point out in your breeding work?
Healthy and dog's temperament are the most important things. If I manage to achieve also some beauty with health and temperament, of course I am happy about it.9. What kind of characteristics an ideal Welsh springer has?
Ideal Welsh springer spaniel is open and happy which adores its family and owner. Welsh should be also active and this is also the thing which makes a Welsh springer spaniel such a all-round dog.10. What level the breed is in our country? Where you find the best Welsh springers in the whole world?
I definitely think we could be proud from breed's state in Finland. We have excellent examples in breeders who have made such a good job with our breed and visited even the origin country of the breed year after year to meet breeders and dogs there. This long-term work can definitely also be seen in result of the most successful breeders in our country. Also the results which I have read from Finnish bred Welsh springers in other countries also show we have high quality here. I self have visited very few times in other countries, so I will not start guess where is the best welshes in the whole world.As end:
As end I want to thank all our puppy buyers and dog handlers who have done hard work to bring Twist And welshes up in show rings but also in different kind of working tests. Our beautiful thanks also to all Twist And kennel co-operators who have given their beautiful males to us as stud.