… a little crazy, living in the here and now, active, always travelling, whether on the water or out in nature. We love enjoying the good things in life and always have new ideas.

Our passions are sailing and hiking, especially our Pfoten Tours hikes with dogs. Wherever we go, our dogs are always with us. That is an absolute must.

But how did our life with dogs begin?

In 2002, we took in a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy from a friend. That is how our first Bernese Mountain Dog, Elli, became part of our family. She was our loyal companion for many years. Another Bernese Mountain Dog followed, and later our Great Dane, Aislinn.

After some time, we realised that our next dog should have certain characteristics.

We were looking for a dog that did not shed, was active, athletic and curious, was medium sized, weighed no more than 15 kg, had a friendly and outgoing personality, and was robust. The weight was particularly important to us because we spend a lot of time travelling by boat and sometimes need to carry our dogs across other boats.

So we started looking for a breed that would suit our lifestyle and meet these requirements.

We soon discovered the water dog breeds, and the Spanish Water Dog initially caught our attention. As there were no breeders nearby where we could meet the breed in person, we continued our search online. This eventually led us to a breeder of Italian Water Dogs in Viersen.

Before we knew it, our East joined our family. He had everything we had been looking for. And so, in the end, it was an Italian!

Only a few months later, our breeder Micha took East to his first dog show, and many more followed. East impresses judges with his friendly and open nature. You can find more information about him below under East Alfredo.

It soon became clear that we would also love to welcome a brown Lagotto girl into our family. We had been so impressed by the loving way East had been raised that we knew she would once again be a fiore della mela, but this time from a different female in the breeder’s pack.

Over time, the idea of learning more about dog breeding continued to grow.

Our A litter has now grown up, and raising the puppies was a truly wonderful experience for us. Every moment was special, and it was lovely to see how happily and eagerly the little ones interacted and worked with us.

We put a great deal of time, dedication and love into our little Nuggets to give them the best possible start in life.

You can find all further information under Our Breeding.

What does breeding mean to us?

Breeding is something very special for us; it all starts with waiting for her heat cycle. We eagerly anticipate each week and each day... then comes day one of her heat, and we're incredibly excited because now it's time to have her progesterone levels checked regularly and wait for the day of mating. The mating takes place, and we worry beforehand: will everything go smoothly? Will the stud dog we've chosen perform the mating?

After mating, you're relieved and happy that everything went so well. But then comes the 28-day wait for the ultrasound appointment. The days drag on until it finally arrives. The certainty – pregnant or not?

The feeling of pure joy when you see the first ultrasound image is indescribable. With the A-litter, I shed a few tears because the tension just melts away when everything has worked out.

Then begins a time unlike anything we could have imagined.

Love, security, and familiarity in the first few weeks. A dog who is a devoted mother, and we can't get enough of her puppies.

After the first few weeks, you can already do so much with the little ones: play, do the first exercises, and above all, give and receive lots of love!

For us, this time is so full of energy, love, and happiness that I can hardly describe it.

It is pure happiness to be able to do such a responsible job with love and dedication and to give so much to the little ones - to make families happy who receive a wonderful little creature from us.

And we can call the puppy families friends. Yes, 18 weeks of shared experiences shape us and make us grateful!