russky-dvor@poodle.ru

My kennel.

Article from special kynological magazine "Poodle"

"Russkiy Dvor" kennel is situated not far from Moscow in picturesqe estate having the same name. Besides her work in the kennel Mrs Gubanova is occupied with great enthusiasm with her landscape garden which is extremely beautiful. A lot of different flowers, professional design, made by the owner herself, benches, little roads, decorative animals' figures, alpian hills - all this creates a very calm and pleasant atmosphere. The kennel's owner's energy and excellent taste are really admiring. And against this beautiful background - dogs. There are twelve of them in the kennel - eleven poodles and one german sheepdog - a male of excellent exterior and character named Jeskar Dailes. He is called to guard this big company.
        Mrs Gubanova acquired her first poodle in February 1986. It was a dwarf silver bitch named Jolly Tutsy Tos. But the kennel itself began with arrival in 1989 of silver dwarf male Silver Kolya of Twist Castle who performed a real revolution in breeding of silver dwarfs and toys. Kolya was bought in Switzerland in "Twist Castle" kennel out of two international champions - very famous Honki Tonki fom Orechers Hof and Bayu Breeze Wonder Woman. Kolya is a splendid show male and he confirmed it with great success at the 4-th National Russian Poodle Club Speciality Show where he became the Best Veteran in Show at age of nine years. His titles speak for themselves - Russian Poodle Club Junior Champion, Russian Poodle Club Winner, Russian Poodle Club Multichampion, USSR Champion. Today he is almost ten years old and is still in excellent condition and is used as a stud dog. And his fine rich coat and absolutely even silver color are really admiring. He became an outstanding stud dog with high prepotancy, farther of more than 250 poodles. Number of his campion children can't be calculated. Today we can see in the rings his grandchildren and grandgrandchildren and they are going on winning. Kolya is Multi Top Producer. By his farter's side Kolya has american toy lines and due to this he has influenced a lot on both dwarf and toy poodles breeding.
        But the base of any kennel is brood bitches. That's why the next step was the acquisition in 1991 of a dwarf silver bitch Silver Windsong of Twist Castle. She was acquired at the same kennel as Kolya and was born out of International Champion Silver Sisto of Twist Castle and Silver Victory of Twist Castle.Windsong is a very beautiful bitch with excellent character. She is Russian Poodle Club Junior Champion, 2хReserve Challenge for Russian Poodle Club Winner. "Dushechka" turned out to be a fine brood bitch - this is proved by her brood class "Elite" and Multi Top Producer titles. From her last litter out of Kolya Mrs Gubanova left in the kennel a dwarf bitch.
        Ludmila took a great interest in blacks and due to it rahter soon she brought a black dwarf male called Picadilly's Wonderboy, also from Switzerland. "Bantik" is out of a famous male Bordenberg's Makarony Maus and International Champion Picadilly's Prima Balerina. "Bantik"'s mother and father are toy poodles. "Bantik" is one of the first black dwarf males brought to Russia from abroad. The modern type of his head with long and expressive muzzle, small eyes, elegant energetic movements, excellent chest, correct joints, excellent temperament - all these he gives to his children successfully. He was used with 51 bitches and is the farther of more than 160 puppies. Among them there are such famous poodles as Vostorg Nochi Russkogo Dvora, Valet, Variaziya Belaya v Chernom Russkogo Dvora, Adelina and Anjelika iz Izmailovskogo Podvorya, Doroteya Russkogo Dvora, Hillary Businka Cherniy Kurazh, Don Juan Russkogo Dvora. Among his modern children we should mark Igrok iz Zimnih Grez. At International Dog Show "Eurasia-98" he became the Junior Winner and caused admiration of the world known judge Mrs Lizbet Mach. At "Eurasia-99" Igrok became Best of Breed. He is Russian, Georgian, Belorusian and Finnish Champion.
        The same as with the silver color Mrs Gubanova has acquired in Holland a dwarf black bitch named Russia Love Edition v. Foxmountain. "Russia" - a high quality bitch, she is Russian Poodle Club Winner and Russian Champion. "Russia" was bred to "Bantik" five times. The most successful litter was born in 1994 - Chernaya Melanholiya, Minherz, Myshka-Norushka, Chernaya Matreshka Russkogo Dvora. Melanholia (Russian and Belorusian Champion, Russian Poodle Club Champion, now waiting for International Champion Certificate) became the best black dwarf bitch at National Poodle Shows two years one after another - in 1996 and 1997. She gained " Russia Pride - 97" title (best poodle of russian breeding). In 1997 in Budapesht - CACIB and BOB. In 1998 at the World Dog Show in Helsinki she was the third in Champion Class out of nine bitches.
In 1991 as a result of a durable correspondence with breeder from Holland Mrs Winni v. Bovel an adult four years old white bitch was brought to the kennel. Her name was Blanch Bel Biju v.d. Molenvliet and she was pregnant that time. Mrs v. Bovel is the author of Bel Biju's first two litters in Russia.
        In 1994 a white dwarf male Marlon of Twist Castle was brought to the kennel. Marlon's mother International Champion White Fata Morgana of Twist Castle comes from two silver dogs. His grandgrandfather Honki-Tonki v. Orechers Hof is at the same time Silver Kolya's father. Marlon - Russian Champion and Russian Poodle Club Champion. Marlon gave several champions. A very successful mating was his mating with a bitch from "Zimniye Grezy" kennel Tomilla Adelina. Their children: Damskiy Ugodnik iz Zimnih Grez - Russian Poodle Club Junior Champion, Russian Poodle Club Champion, Russian, Ukranian, Bulgarian Champion, almost International Champion; Dama v Gornostayah iz Zimnih Grez - best toy bitch at "Eurasia-98", Russian Poodle Club Champion, Russian and Georgian Champion, also almost International Champion; very tiny Dikovinka iz Zimnih Grez, which is co-owned by Mrs Gubanova - 2хCACIB, Best in Show. Marlon's daughter out of Veros Mimoletnoye Videniye iz Zimnih Grez - a toy bitch Melkaya Monetka iz Zimnih Grez - is Russian Poodle Club Junior Champion, Junior World Winner-98. Monetka is owned by Ludmila herself.
        The owner left in the kennel a silver bitch out of the last mating of the silver couple and a young and very beautiful black bitch with "velvet" coat "Fintiflushka". She will soon be used as a brood bitch. The kennel's favourite bitch Chernaya Melanholiya Russkogo Dvora will also soon be mated.
        At the beginning of 1999 the owner gained two very much desired black dwarf puppies - a male and a bitch from Switzerland from kennel Superstar's, breeder Mrs Lizbet Mach. They have the same father - twice World Winner, International Champion and Champion of eight countries Fidel Full Fart Mikke. The bitch's mother is also World Winner. And the male's mother comes from two World Winners. The kennel's plans are to develop black lines and to establish a new one.
        We went to Kokoshkino village not far from Moscow where kennel "Russkiy Dvor" is situated to get an interview. Winter. Much snow. Clear air. Silence. A lot of many-coloured poodles on white snow. We are in "Russkiy Dvor" estate. Ludmila showed us conditions your dogs llived in. There is a special big bright room with a large window for dogs. Through a small door dogs go out of doors and come back as to the knock at the window. In the room there are small sofas and arm-chairs, spoilt by the dogs a liitle bit. A trimming table. A big glass in front of it to see the clip. On the walls - prizes and cups. A stand for each dog with a photo. During the bithes' period males are moved to another house. For pregnant bithes and puppies before four months there is also a special place. An excellently organized proffesional kennel. Everything is thought over to details with great love and care.
        We are asking Ludmila several questions. We believe our talk with one of the leading and experienced russian breeders will be interesting for you:

- Please tell us in detail about your kennel's policy. What do you look at when you are choosing a dog?
- I try to get poodles of show and breed class, competitive at shows of any levels. A dog must correspond to the standard in details. I should pay attention not only to the pedigree of dogs but also to their parents' health. I want to get simultaneously in one dog excellent brood quality and show temperament. It is very pleasant and very prestigiously when your dogs win, but it is also very good if dogs born in my kennel are in the head of the ring but not the first. Фенотип, health, show character. It would be desirable that appearance of "Russkiy Dvor" dogs and dogs recieved from my stud males is easily recognised. It means that specialists could guess taking a look at the dog: “Oh! this dog is out of ...” - and call the name of my stud dog (brood bitch)/.
- And what would you say if in Russia they begin to examine poodles on PRA and Dysplasia?
- I am not against it at all. I will check all my stud dogs and bitches. Nobody but me will take care of my kennel's reputation. And my puppies' health is one of the basis of my kennel's flourishing.
- Do your views on breeding at the moment you began and now differs?
- Of course. At the very beginning it was some kind of amateur's breeding. We recieved what we managed to recieve. We were almost uneducated, excluding very few of us who could visit dog shows abroad and those who could use special literature in foreing languages. There was a terrible lack of knowledge. We didn't go abroad, didn't see results of foreign breeders' work. Now I am already an experienced breeder. I consider the initial principal of my kennel's structure correct enough.
- Are you going to work further with silvers? "Kolya" and "Dushechka" are already not very young.
- It's my burning question, my great problem. My friends-breeders convince me that I should keep on breeding silvers in my kennel. But I prefer to work with blacks. In Moscow they have almost stopped breeding silvers and I am afraid that everything I have made for this colour will vanish. Who will do it for me? So I have to work with silvers too. I have left in the kennel a silver bitch from the last mating of "Kolya" and "Dushechka".
- Are you planning to work basically with blacks?
- Yes, I am. Many poodle fanciers say: “These old lines, we are bored to death with them,”- and so on. This is about my Picadilly's Wonderboy. But let them try to beat my old lines with their "new" ones. A prepotant male is a very serious thing. My new black puppies are to establish a new line in the kennel.
- There are white poodles in the kennel. Are you going to work with them too?
- My kennel began to work with white poodles rather long ago. The beginning was aqcuisition of white dwarf bitch Blanch Bel Biju v.d. Molenvliet. Now there are two white toy bitches out of Marlon in the kennel. I am planning to leave one more dwarf bitch out of him. I am extremely satisfied with Marlon's children. But I have only two hands. I can show maximum four dogs at one show on condition that somebody helps me. I just can't make more than I can. I can't keep in the kennel unlimited number of dogs. I must save silvers, work with white dogs and develop blacks. But only two hands for all this. I must take care of everybody, feed everybody and be nice to everybody. Nobody will do my work for me. Today many russian kennels are based on the principal of "joint ownership". This is something like miniclubs in the main club and the breeder guides and owns dogs which don't live with him. And I have eleven dogs in my house and the same amount as co-owner. It is so easy to have one male or one bitch. "Joint ownership" kennel and my private kennel are absolutely different things. I think that our efforts, our everyday work, our expences can't be compared. That kennel's owner who doesn't grow puppies himself, doesn't sell them (it's the most difficult thing) himself can't be called "a breeder". This year I have decided not to take part in the breeders' competition for the title "Best Kennel of the Year", as I can't compete with these "joint ownership" kennels.
- How much time do you spend on your hobby every day? Describe your working day?
- Breeding is not my hobby, it;s my way of life. Hobby is my my frogs collection and my collection of poodles figures from cut glass and non-coloured glass. Hobby is my garden, my business.
- Do you have your own business?
- Yes. Not so long ago I decided to try myself as a businesswoman. It's garden animal sculptures. In Russia nobody do this now. Animals figures of different sizes are made of special materials and are added to the landscape design of the garden. It is a very modern trend for private estates. In future I would like to open my own salon of garden animal sculptures and to name it "Russkiy Dvor". But let's come back to the question. If everything is in order, all dogs are healthy, there are no litters, my working day begins at about eight o'clock in the morning and ends at the midnight. Under the word "care" I mean everyday control of each dog's condition that is examination of eyes, ears, work of bowels, colour of urine. Cleaning, feedinng, going for a walk, dogs' entertainment, personal contact with each dog, taking care of each dog, ring training for youngsters and so on. Any kennel consists of this routine work for 90 percent. And if I have puppies in the house I call it "Animals TV show 24 hours a day". That's why I prefer not to leave dogs alone often or for a long time. Though I have an assistant if I am not at home at the moment. And as a result of my hard work you can see a wonderfully presented poodle at the show. Of course I spend not all my time with dogs. My complicated garden, my house and business also need a lot of time.
- What do your family think about your way of life?
- My son is a grown-up and independent young man, he has his own house and is bringing up a parrot. My husband understands me very well. He himself is very far from breeding, but he loves our dogs very much and even has some favourites. My kennel is kept on his means. Breeding of pure breed animals is always unprofitable and I could hardly over cover all expences on the kennel. In order not to go aside from pure breeding there should be another source of income to cover all costs.
- How many dogs are there in your kennel? What do you think what is the maximum amount of dogs in private kennel?
- In my kennel there are eleven dogs. Four of them are almost retired. And I am also a co-owner of seven silvers, nine blacks and one white bitch produced by the kennel. The optimum amount for me is eleven-thirteen dogs. If you have more dogs in the kennel, you dont't have enough time for individual contact with each dog. But each dog needs lova and care.

Dogs in the garden

- How much time do your dogs spend out of doors?
- It depends on weather. If the weather is good they walk as long as they want.
- How do you feed your dogs?
- Two times a day. I combine natural and dry food. In the morning it is always rice, meat, a little bit of vegetable oil and carrot. In the evening I give slightly soaked dry food. I use only professional dry food. Premium class. Different for dogs of different age. I give vitamins and supplements to young dogs and puppies. The breeder should understand it very well how to combine natural and dry food in order not to cause lack or surplus of some components. My dogs eat fruits, nuts, eggs (not everybody). Once a year all my leading dogs are made biochemical blood test.
- How many litter a year do you have?
- I myself had in fall three litters. At the beginning of 1999 there were already three litters in the kennel and by the end of the year I am planning to mate three or four bitches. In 1998 - 6 litters, in 1997 - 6 litters, in 1996 - 2, in 1995 - 2. And beginning with foundation of the kennel there were 35 litters and 108 puppies.
- How much shows do you usually visit with your dogs per annum?
- About eight. I important for meto show my dogs at " Rossiya" and "Eurasia" international shows and at the National Poodle Show. For example, Lena Avdeeva from "Zimniye Grezy" kennel visit much more shows than I do. She strives for a full set of titles for each dog. I am surprised at her energy. She is a fine woman. What about titles and shows I am not very vain. It's pleasant to win but I don't consider it the main goal of visiting dog show. It's quite enough for me to get on the ring for each dog what I have planned and going to further comparison is already difficult for me physically. I feel very tired.
- Your new blacks from Switzerland have long (not cut) tails. What do you think about the prohibition to cut tails?
- Neutrally. At first it was very unusual, but now I even like it. I would prefer there is some interpretation in the standard concerning this problem. If there not any interpretation in the standard as it is now each judge will decide for himself, basing on his private opinion. But it's really strange that they make tatoo on puppies' ears at quite conscious age but prohibit to cut tails at 3-5 days when a puppy doesn't feel anything yet. By the way the dew-claws are extracted. I can't find any logic here as concerns humanism.
- What do you think about using hairspray when prepare a dog to the show?
- Quite positive. When it is within reasonable limits, a poodle with sprayed coat looks very beautiful. And dogs are with hairspray only several hours. After the show we always wash our dogs. But what concerns other methods of influence on colour and texture I consider them absolutely unacceptable. This is a fraud of judges and breeders. A breeder may use a coloured stud dog for his kennel if he doesn't have any information about his colour problems.
- And one more question. How do your poodles get along together and with your german sheepdog? Are there any leaders among your dogs?
- My Zheskar is on good terms with all poodles. Even puppies can play with him, go inside his mouth or run on him. He allows them everything and if he is in bad mood he just goes away. During all year he lives out of doors. Poodles have their own leader. At first Tutsi was the leader, then she was removed by Kolya for a long time, and then Melanholiya became the leader when she was three years old. She is a hooligan girl.
- Thank you very much for the interview. We wish you, your family and your dogs all the best.

January, 1999.