My father has always had hunting dogs. Finnish hounds and spitz. I remember being around five when in announced that I wanted a dog. Very own one.

I did not get one. My parent tried to change my mind with aquarium, pudgies, rabbit... Still I wanted a dog. All that was required was four legs, ears, nose and some tail.

Since I was quite nice child, I did not argue when they said NO! and waited till I was 15. Then one evening I told them that I was going to get dog to my self tomorrow. Cocker spaniel male. That's when Milo came.

And that is how this all started.

  Milo

While living at home, I was not allowed to get more dogs. In fact in that issue my parents were quite strong headed. When you move out, they said, you can have as many as you like.

Well, when I moved out to study I did try to get another cocker spaniel. For my disappointment there were no litters at that time available. Maybe if I had found suitable litter at that time, I would be head over heals with cockers now a days instead of collies. Who knows.

When I was a child the four legs, ears, nose and some tail could have been collie if I was to be asked. So when I spotted advert of collie male looking for home, I did not hesitate. One call and I was on my way to see him. One night to sleep over and I was back there collecting him.

Remo

Remo was my first collie. With this experience and knowledge that I have managed to gather, I might have not taken him. Or then I would, even knowing that it would be bumpy ride.

Remo was 7 months when I got him, I was third place for him since breeder. Living in a tower house, without lift first task to him was to learn to climb stairs. Not to mention about everything that was going to be learned.

He did learn things and habits. Remo introduced me to the collie world and people. And since you have one, you can always have another one.  I had contacted previous owner of Remo's mother. Marja and I had been talking on a phone and when I founded out she was going to mate her bitch with Steadlyn Totalizer I booked tricolour male from that litter. For me tricolour is the true colour. Though I have mixed up with the brown and grey ones...

From that litter I got Taneli, Witchmoor's Just a Gigolo, who has been more than I ever could dream. He may not be best looking, but with heart of pure gold he will be my loved one. Thru Taneli I got involved with Steadlyns that really showed me what collies can be.

Witchmoor's Just a Gigolo

When I was picking up Taneli, Marja had "foster" litter at home. Somehow I purached tricolour girl Nelli, Dewmoor Calendar Girl, from that litter. I had been thinking about getting bitch and having litter or two. I knew Nellis background and did like the way she looked. She was placed on breeding terms but although she was cea- and hd-free and had CC-q from shows, I did not bred her because I was not sure about her temperament. Later on my guts have proven to be right.

Taneli grew up and in some point I started to dream about new female. That time I run into Kaarina, kennel Downmoore, who was planned to mate her beautiful Steadwyn Dawn of Love. I managed to book blue female from that litter. When litter was born, Marja helped me to pick up the one that might be just right. That one Marja picked up was Lempi, Ch Downmoore Flame of Fame.

Dewmoor's Calendar Girl

With Lempi I had high hopes, both showing and breeding. In show scenes she got what I hoped and became Int Fin N Ch. What comes for breeding, one does not always get what one wishes. She had only one litter, male and female puppies, by Ch Hawk'Eire's Spirit O'Barksdale. Male suffered water head and was forced to put to sleep, female unfortunately had 0/1 elbows and was sold as a pet. That time I thought I would get another litter out of Lempi, that's why her only daughter was sold. Unfortunately I did not success with my plans.

Lempi continues to be The Grand Lady of the house and leader of the pack. I will be forever grateful to Kaarina for letting me to have Lempi as well to Marja for picking her up from that litter.

Ch Downmoore Flame of Fame

In some point I joined the local club and soon became trainer for puppy and obedience groups. Although my own ones have just good habbits and that's all. I kept training others couple of years but then studies, work and my own dogs started to cover more and more time.

Maya, Downmoore Angel of Mine, came to us two years after Lempi. She was most sweet and beautiful puppy to look at but unfortunately her temperament was not the best one. Maya was afraid of everything and projected that by biting. After stucggling year with her and watching her to be scared of everything, I made the hardest decision and let her go. Even if one is pretty as a doll, it does not justify us to keep them for our own pleasure.

In Maya's case name proved to be token and she is my angel.

Downmoore Angel of Mine

Same time with Maya my parents wanted to have litter out of their westie bitch Wenla, Mer-Las Natural Lady. Somehow I got involved and there it was, my first litter. One male, four females. Sire of this litter was Ch Donut's Captain Carlos. Male I had been looking for a long time. From this litter my parents kept one bitch Essi, Hawkfield's Dalwhinnie. And as a demobilized one male, Otto Hawkfield's Knockando, returned back to me.

Hawkfield's Dalwhinnie & Knockando

I never mated Wenla again, but her daughter Essi had her first litter in 2006 containing only one female. She had been reserved years ago so nothing was kept home from this litter. Hawkfield's Dailuaine is doing fine as family pet.

Hawkfield's Dailuaine

At the end year of 2007 I found my self as an owner of another Downmoore. This time sable bitch Downmoore Pearl of North better known as Päärynä (Perry in English). She's from bit different lines than my previous ones, father being Corydon / Rokeby lines and mother being imported from Canada. Now I just wait and see how she turns out.

Downmoore Pearl of North at 12 weeks of age

For the future I do have plans. I always have plans, it just happens to be that future and I seem to have different opinions how things should go, so it is more like wait and see what comes.

For every litter that I breed, there is always a reason and main purpose is to get stock for my self for the future.