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My name is Olga. I live with
my family and my dogs in a quiet Boston suburb. Briards are my
passion and are an integral part of our family life.
I first got introduced to
the Breed in the summer of 1998 when I have decided that my life
is finally organized enough to make space for a dog.
I always loved large
breeds, so the size was a given, but I had no idea what large
breed would appeal to me and work for my family. There was also
one fly in the ointment when it came to getting a dog – my
husband did not want one. He owned a dog before for almost 19
years and when he had to put her down (she was very sick) it was
so painful for him that he swore off all dogs forever. I,
however, wanted my own dog to love in my lifetime and kept
researching different breeds while trying to talk my husband
into buying a puppy. Finally he grudgingly agreed to get a dog,
on one condition: he had to really love the breed. |
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From that point on he proceeded to reject every breed I
suggested: one was not smart enough, another shed and smelled
too much, one was too small, and another was too large. I
probably could have eventually talked him into something, but
the problem was – I was not in love with any particular breed
either.
Until one day, we met a Briard and everything
changed. After one chance meeting while walking down New York’s
Madison Avenue, we both knew which breed had to be part of our
lives.
I had my answer and now I had
to find my dog. I went looking for a breeder. In my search I
talked to various Briard owners a few Briard breeders. Everyone
had a different approach on dealing with potential puppy buyers.
There was one breeder though that impressed me immediately: she
struck me as particularly honest, caring, direct, knowledgeable
and no-nonsense. It was Liz Kenitz. I felt that I found the
breeder whose choice of puppy for me I could trust. She must
have felt a similar cense of trust with me, because 8 weeks
later she sold me my perfect puppy on my word, without any
written contract (something Liz never does with strangers).
While I immediately knew that I had found my ideal Breeder, what
I did not realize at that time was that I had also found an
ideal mentor and friend, and an ideal business partner. That
was then….. |
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Nine years passed…. With
Henry’s and now also Boston's offspring growing up I
suddenly found myself facing a new adventure. I did not simply
produce a few litters; I became actively involved in the lives
of all the puppies produced by Henry and his son Boston and even
the lives of some of their families. Somehow along the way,
without ever really intending it – I really became a breeder.
Last year Liz and I started talking about breeding Anka and a
few other “kids” that I co-own and now I had to decide how I was
going to proceed in the Briard world. What will my kennel name
be? Before, when Liz asked me if I thought of a kennel name for
myself, I always jokingly answered that I’m basically a Boston
Chapter of Briardale. Now, that Liz and I again began making
future plans, the kennel name decision came to me quite
naturally. I asked Liz to officially expand her kennel into
Massachusetts and to my delight she agreed. Briardale of
Massachusetts was born and had its debut as a Kennel on this
site.
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