Breeder

Kennel Twi'leg is located at Oulu in northern Finland, and the breeder is Annukka Tyni, who has been in dog hobbies for a long time. The Mittelspitz breeding is a small-scale, and litters are born about once a year. I want to keep the number of own dogs reasonably small, so  trusted cooperative homes for female dogs enables the continuation of breeding.

Background

Enthusiasm for dogs was born in my childhood, and I could classify myself as a second-generation dog enthusiast. I took part in the first obedience competition with a long-haired male German Shepherd owned by my father when I was only in a primary school children- that's how all started.

 

My father's hobby was to train dogs and compete in a dog sports. Later he worked as a judge. In my childhood, I wanted to take part in dog sport competitions and dog show events with my father, because the events felt nice. First hobby dog came to me when it was possible to buy a dog after graduating and getting a family. The choice of breed was obvious: a German Shepherd. 

 

I have had the privilege of owning several great German Shepherds over the years. My hobby has mainly been tracking and obedience with German Shepherds. I have also participated to dog shows with my dogs. My opinion is that it is important to have a quality grade for dogs, even if the breed is not a traditional show dog breed. 

The last German shepherd passed away in May 2022. Since then, the house is inhabited by the  two lovely Mittelspitz, who has been keeping the dog's place in the house and is about to become the kennel’s two different breeding lines.

About the Mittelspitz Breeding

As a breeder, I want to keep the breed as original as possible as well as I want to strengthen the health of the breed. My own dogs undergo official health examinations and I encourage families of puppies to check their dog's health officially at the vet.  When choosing breeding dogs, I pay attention to the temperaments and health of dogs. All the dogs I use for breeding have been widely health tested. The PEVISA program has been introduced to the breed as of 1.7.2023 and the goal is to start improving the hip joint (HD) health of the breed. In skeletal examinations, many Mittelspitz have a result of C (on a scale from A to E) for the hip joint, which is due to the low on the structure of the acetabulum. As a breeder, I have decided that a C-hip females should not be excluded from breeding if the reason for the result is a low acetabulum and not, for example, incipient osteoarthritis. A good gut health, good skin, mouth, eye, heart and ear health, and an ideal companion dog character are also essential parts of a dog's health.

I am interested in the behavior and feeding of dogs so I have read a lot about these topics and  also participated in various courses whenever possible.

At Twi’leg kennel, the dogs are fed by Finnish dog food, and we only offer Finnish chewing products and training treats.

 

I want that my breeding dogs are brave, active, cheerful and friendly- a reliable friend and pet. The dog must have a balanced nervous structure and be suitable for family life with children. A good mittelspitz can be trained, is greedy for food, can be motivated by either a toys or treats, and is not too heavy in structure. An easy everyday life is guaranteed by the fact that the dog is not resource-aggressive and don’t pee or poop inside after the puppyhood. Our females are sterilized at the end of the breeding career. With this, I want to guarantee a stress-free and healthy retirement after litters. Retired females works as nannies for litters, if the dams of puppies allows that. Nannies meets the puppies when they are old enough for that and the mothers are no longer stressed about it.

 

A good mittelspitz  is an easy friend to keep with on holidays with the family and the dog enjoys this. Mittelspitz is a very attached to its own family and adapts very well to being a friend of a cat. 

Where are You Boys?

I consider it important that the vitality of the breed remains strong. That's why I aim to select slightly older dogs as breeding sires, which are in good health, active, and capable of continuing the lineage at a higher age. For an inexperienced female, I always choose a male that already has some offspring and good results in health examinations. For a female that has had puppies, a male with no litters yet can be used as a breeding partner.

 

I'm interested in getting to know the 'backroom boys' of the breed, who may not have been prominently showcased. If you have a registered, health-tested, breed-standard male at home that, in your opinion, could be a suitable candidate for breeding, please don't hesitate to introduce your dog. I'm making breeding plans for several years ahead. Contact information: kennel.twileg(at)gmail.com