~ Breeding Philosophy ~
"Quality is an expectation of all my breeding stock. There are no exceptions to this rule, and no deviation from that standard. I actively practice, promote, and support the preservation of purebred dogs, and I strongly urge and encourage others to do the same".
While I wrote this as a breeder of the Papillon breed, you can easily apply it to the Affenpinscher breed as well. Crisanda's breeding practice has always been to keep dog numbers down and manageable so that our dogs remain a vital part of our family. Whether they are Papillons or Phalènes, the selection process in what ultimately stays at Crisanda is stringent, with quality foremost in our selection process. We breed from only the best that we can access, and soundness and breed type are a must. If it isn't pretty or sound it simply doesn't meet the standard we have for our breeding stock. The lovely Papillons and Phalènes shown throughout my website, whether they are babies or adults, are just a sample of the quality we seek in our small breeding program.
I had always dreamed of a Sire or Dam of Distinction award,but that was a dream that was never meant to be. I came close with one lovely bitch, Ch Ken Mar Painted War Party DOM, who produced eight lovely champions for me, but she fell short by two of the needed amount for a Dam of Distinction! It was a bummer but not much one could do about it. I simply don't have large numbers in my litters as most of the time my females only have one or two puppies a litter, so ten is a hard number to get to sometimes. I certainly don't keep all the lovely puppies I breed just for the sake of putting a title on them. I sell most as sold to loving forever homes in spite of the fact many of them could have been champions. My Papillons are members of my family first and they are a part of our daily activities. They are ALWAYS show dogs second. Now don't get me wrong a beautiful show dog is what any breeder strives for and I am no exception, but my breeding program is very limited with only a handful of litters a year if I am lucky. We don't have Best In Show winners here, nor do we have the prettiest, or best Papillons out there in Papillons today, but in my book that's ok, because I feel and know that I am in this breed for the right reasons, taking the time to breed the best dogs I can with the best lines I can access, while taking the time to listen to others, play fair, and treat others with respect. That stands for a lot in my book!
Crisanda is NOT a breeder of companion/pets Papillons & Phalènes. Frankly, we breed with the best dogs & kennel lines that we can access and nearly all of our dogs finish their American AKC championships quickly in "respectful" competition. I breed Papillons & Phalènes from some of the top lines in the breed today, that can competitively hold their own in any conformation ring, but because I can't keep them all and due to my stringent spaying/neutering requirements for all puppies leaving my home, they must be considered "pets", whether they are show or pet quality. My commitment to this breed and to the puppies I bring into this world is that NO Crisanda puppy will EVER end up in a puppy mill or bad breeding situation, and that is why I seldom sell a puppy intact and they are usually altered before they ever leave my home. I seldom, if ever, am contacted about people wanting a show prospect (most like due to my rural location) so I usually don't have that situation to deal with, however, I believe in educating and mentoring newcomers to this breed to this breed and will consider a "discussion" about beginnings and selling my non-contracted lines/show prospects on a co-ownership to well researched homes, or to people I know have been in the breed for some time, and with whom I am familiar.We know how hard it is to get a good start, with good lines, and good foundation dogs, so helping others who may want to carry this breed forward in to the future should be something every Papillon breeder nurtures and explores with a newcomer. When we are gone or are no longer breeding who will become the breed's next ambassadors? Who will carry on after us if we remain rigid and selfish? If we are not willing to share and teach them then who is? Who will make them the breeders of great Papillons in the future? The backyard breeders? So who really are the ones hurting the breed and who really are the ones helping our breed? Have we left our breed in good hands? The future will tell....
We all have to start somewhere and we can't take credit for the hard work of others, however some people do this very thing. A breeder who does not acknowledge and give credit to the breeders that are in the pedigree of a dog's ancestry is a breeder who lacks wisdom, respect, and will not advance in this breed very far. A dog's pedigree is full of numerous breeders who were dedicated and worked hard to refine and sculpt their pedigrees to get to the dog you have standing before you today. What one must be aware of with this breed is that it is difficult, very difficult, when it comes to purchasing intact stock for breeding, especially dogs with top kennel lines. In fact, it is nearly impossible to access most top kennel lines. The lines that consistently produce a lesser quality animal always seem to be available to anyone and everyone, but these lines simply don't meet my standards. Most of what these "breeders" consider a show quality specimen, I consider to be a pet. This always falls back on a person's inability to determine what is a pet, and what puppy is worth keeping. These pedigree lines won't produce, because they can't. Just because a dog is a champion does not mean the dog is worthy of reproducing! People miss this important element, and thus to many generations of poorer quality dogs (champions or not) have been used for "foundation" breeding dogs, diminishing the lines ability to produce Papillons or Phalènes of quality. I simply won't use these lines. When it comes to that, I am done breeding Papillons & Phalènes as I simply will not lower my standards just for the sake of saying I breed Papillons.
The lines I use, and try to repeatedly access, have been known for their ability to "consistently" produce quality stock. These lines consistently produce, sound, typey, pretty, elegant dogs generation after generation. So needless to say, getting started in this breed is next to impossible, comebacks very difficult, and accessing top lines and quality dogs nearly impossible. It would be very easy to fall into using poor breeding stock that shouldn't be used for breeding. Some of us are in this for the long haul, but the vast majority of people wanting to get started in "breeding" Papillons simply don't have a clue what they are getting themselves into! It truly is a very difficult breed to be in today if you want to do it right, and good dogs and good pedigrees do not come easily. Acquiring quality pedigrees to breed quality Papillons and Phalènes is challenging at best, even for PCA members that have been in the breed a 20+ years. I have always set high standards for my breeding dogs so I find the search for quality animals incredibly frustrating. In spite of what seems like an impossible challenge, my passion for this breed drives me to continue to try in spite of the odds, with some small successes. Today, I continue to use Papillons & Phalènes from some of the best kennel lines in the breed today. Simply put...it's a daunting task at best because I refuse to use mediocre lines or dogs in my breeding program.
So with the above said, we all must claim our "start" from somewhere and someone, and without hesitation I must give full credit and my deepest gratitude to the Papillon & Phalène breeders whom so graciously entrusted me with their lovely dogs or pedigrees. In a time when it is nearly impossible to access other lines, these unselfish breeders assisted me with acquiring the quality of Papillon & Phalène I desired. I certainly have the deepest admiration and respect for these breeders for sharing these lovely, wonderfully bred, Papillons and Phalènes with me. The suitable quality of my dogs and their impressive pedigrees hold great promise for Crisanda, and I have only these breeders to thank for that. I commend, thank, and respect each and every one of you for sharing these quality dogs with me!
I would like to acknowledge and thank the late Pearl A. George of Kvar Papillons for her friendship, trust, mentoring and wisdom. After the death of her beloved husband Monte, Pearl gifted two lovely Kvar Phalènes to me, never once questioning the security of her pedigrees. Pearl never passed judgment, and willingly gave and shared of herself, unlike so many other Papillon breeders, especially those that claimed to have known her the best. Pearl was not a closed minded individual and she was clearly receptive to all, open to teaching and mentoring any one who asked questions of her. She couldn't have been more different as she was what a true mentor and ambassador to the breed should be and it is the breeders like Pearl who will be remembered, not those who tally their titles. I miss her. I would like to thank Alzalea Alvarez for her trust in me with four of her lovely Affens.
I would also like to thank,
Pat & Chris Jones (Wingssong),
Paula and Kevin Ray (Marquis),
and Karen Murad (Krystal).
And finally, last but not least, I would like to thank Carolyn Mills of Ken Mar Papillons for Ch. Ken Mar Painted War Party DOM "Feather" the bitch that made the difference in what I breed today.
The beautiful Papillons that grace the pages of this website took over 30 years of pedigree research, skill, knowledge, heartache and dedication, and as a result Crisanda is able to produce lovely, typey Papillons today.
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