Updates from the Dinosaurs
Now that they’re approaching 6 months of age, we wanted to share updates from The Dinosaurs. This is a good time to check-in with everyone, you know, before they all hurdle face-first into adolescence and turn into teenage dirtbags.
Jokes aside, we’re delighted with how these guys are maturing. Their humans were asked to spill the tea on their dino along with a favorite photo. Here’s what we got!
Apsara’s Don’t Eat the Tourists, “Chomper”
I could write for pages and pages about the absolute joy that is Chomper. He's smart and perceptive but also a doofy goober. Silly and sweet and made of sunshine. Fuzzy floppy doughboy. Even when he's being a little Turd Ferguson, as I call his cheeky alter ego - he's basically just being a regular puppy. I planned for so much more management between him and my old guy, Lincoln, but don't usually need to do much of anything. He is constantly amazing me with his ability to not be a pushy pain in the butt if Lincoln says no to a play invite.
He's eager to learn and play the ‘how do I get the treats’ game, even if it takes him a little to figure out what's going on. He did figure out ‘settle on a mat’ in record time (you mean I just lay here and you FEED ME?! Best game ever!) and we have successfully used that to build up some excellent café dog skills.
He's the handsomest dingdong. Just out here vibing and living his best life. Happy little duuuuuude.
Apsara’s Snack Attack “Mac”
Our little Snack Attack. He’s just the sweetest lil dude. He is the best cuddle and adventure buddy, will use anything for a pillow for his naps, and will do anything for a snack, living up to his name. His favorite part of the day is greeting it, stretching and noodling around me repeatedly with gusto. He especially loves playing tug with his big sister.
Apsara’s Through The Mists “Finley”
Finley is the easiest puppy I’ve ever raised. He was so socialized that we call him “bomb proof”. He really has no fear. But that doesn’t mean he’s reckless. Absolutely not; he’s quite the gentleman! He keeps us entertained and is very good at entertaining himself. Because he was inserted into our household with two retrievers, he’s learned that it’s all about food! He has also mostly been trained by them as I stand back and watch. We are so in love with this little character of a dog!
Apsara’s Jurassic Bark “Ozzy”
Ozzy has been such a joy. He is such a sweet little boy and also super silly. He has really brought out a playful side of his sister, Lilly. He loves every person and every dog he meets (or thinks he should meet). He learns so quickly and is so much fun to train. We will be starting agility foundations soon and I cannot wait to continue working with this spectacular goober.
Apsara’s Yep Yep Yep “Ducky”
Ducky is an absolute delight. She puts herself up for a nap when she’s tired and thinks things through like a champ! She’s tenacious and loves exploring with us. Always game to train or play she’s ready for whatever we throw at her!
Apsara’s Doctor McCoy “Bones”
Bones is a pretty darn perfect puppy. I told everyone that I was getting my dream puppy and it definitely came true. He's happy, sensitive, smart and playful. He makes us laugh all the time. His best quality (his friendliness to people) is also his worst (jumping and can hardly contain himself). I love how cuddly and snuggly he is. He can go anywhere with me and behave like a perfect gentleman (and behaves better than my young kids in a store). Not bad for only 5 months old!!
One thing that I really love is how good he is with my kids. I can send him into their bedroom in the morning and he jumps on top of them and licks their faces! He's awesome!
Apsara’s We Need More Teeth At Curio “Smile”
Smile is living up to her name, just the happiest girl ever. Her and Weller are absolute besties and are always wrestling and goofing off together. She’s doing amazing in puppy class, I am so so in love with this puppy.
Apsara’s Hold Onto Your Butts “Minion”, STR
Minion is such an absolute clown. She’s hilarious and she knows it. As mischievous as the little house fairy fox can be, her shenanigans are harmless. Her favorite activities include hoarding unharmed craft supplies and stolen trinkets in a pile in the living room, plucking dead leaves off of house plants, and harassing Poki and Aura to play when her kid isn’t home.
Silly as she is, Minion knows when it’s time to plug in. She loves to train with her junior handler and catches on to new tricks quick. They just finished puppy class last week and earned their first title and ribbon: the AKC Puppy Star.
Overall she’s an absolute joy and a very easy puppy to take along on any adventure. She isn’t bothered by where we go or who is there, she’s just happy to be included.
Apsara’s Woman Inherits the Earth, “Gaia”
What can I say about Gaia? She's perfect, she's a little terror, we love her. I'm really the laziest trainer and she's just so good out the box, and learns fast when we do need to teach her something. She hasn't been confined since a couple of weeks after coming home, and she seldom uses her freedom for actual crimes, usually just hijinks like stealing the upstairs kid's rain boots and adding them to her treasure hoard. She shreds the heck out of her legal trash, and demands like 30 straight minutes of tug a day at witching hour. She is so polite with stranger dogs, though she firmly believes her sister, poor Freya, is very much her personal chew toy. She LOVES people, especially kids. She is very curious about critters, but she's developing fantastic recall away from chasing birds. She sleeps SO well, she self-soothes like a champ. As a city dog and hiking buddy, she has yet to encounter a situation she can't handle, and that is everything I could have asked for and more.
It fills my heart with so much joy to know how loved these nine special little treasures are, and to know how much love they are putting out into the world.
Passion & Preservation
I got my first Windsprite, Wally, in 2015. I was so insanely and immediately smitten with this breed, that by 2019 I would have three Windsprites, and in 2021 I bred my first litter and kept one – bringing me up to four. I love this breed immensely. Their goofy personalities packaged up in this elegant fairytale looking dog. Their ability to snuggle up with you on gloomy days, and run around with you to your heart’s content on the best days. I have been working with dogs professionally for nearly 20 years and I mean it when I say that this breed is an absolute gem - there is nothing quite like them. The International Windsprite Club, and the founders who worked to create this breed before the club even existed, have done a fantastic job in creating the perfect versatile companion.
My breeding decisions are not made impulsively. I put a lot of thought into my breeding decisions. Over the last eight years, I have made several observations in my attendance at breed club specialty shows and through following the breed on social media. First, the amount and severity of auto-immune diseases has increased as the early signs of genetic bottlenecking and inbreeding depression arise. Second, the amount of separation distress, confinement anxiety has increased. Third, their size has gotten very large in some lines and their coats are not as full. Finally, they are losing their environmental stability, sense of humor, handler focus, and overall bold-for-a-sighthound personalities. (They were never as bold as a retriever, but they weren’t as reserved and introverted as many of the sighthounds can be.) These personality traits are what make the Windsprite so very special to so many of us.
As a breeder, the health is concerning enough. Though, as a behavior professional, I am also concerned about the changes I’ve witnessed in their temperaments. From my observations, the International Windsprite Club has worked tirelessly to separate the Windsprite from Whippets. And they have done an excellent job. My concern is that as Whippets are the only accepted back-cross, we are losing that something special that the Shetland Sheepdog brought to the breed. The more we continue to use Whippets and ignore or turn a shoulder to the Shetland Sheepdog genetics, the more our wonderful little dogs (ironically) move towards being long-haired Whippets. To preserve the Windsprite, this breed that I love so intensely, I firmly believe that we will need to bring in at least some Shetland Sheepdog to compensate for the more frequent use of Whippets.
I understand the concerns that are had by bringing Shetland Sheepdog (aka: Sheltie), or any herding genes back into the gene pool. It was not easy to locate, but I have found a stud who is clear for both CEA and MDR1 – two mutations that the Windsprites inherited from their Sheltie ancestors. And not only that, he is also not merle, is not a barker, and has a solid and stable temperament. When selected carefully, the addition of the occasional Sheltie acts to preserve that special something that the Sheltie brought to the Windsprite.
I love these dogs so deeply. I can only hope that others will understand that this preservation project comes from a place of compassion and concern. I hope that one day Sheltie back-crosses will be recognized as the Whippet back-crosses are. Until then, I’ll do everything that I can to preserve that special bit of something that the Shetland Sheepdog brought. To preserve the Windsprite as the versatile, handler focused, highly biddable, emotionally stable, physically healthy and overall phenomenal companion.