Afunique history until the beginning of the new millenium

”My family chose the breed for me when I was just a little girl. A close family friend, leading Giant Schnauzer breeder, adviced my family to choose the dog matching the person: the mini version of the schnauzers would suit a 7-year old best. That happened nearly 35 years ago, and never have I even thought about changing my breed, the miniature schnauzer. One giant schnauzer male at a time always has a place in the house among the mini ladies.

My parents bred some litters of pepper&salt miniature schnauzers in the ´60s and ´70s. There was a time, when we didn´t have a dog at all, because of my mother´s allergies and my studies and career abroad. In winter 1989 I finally realized, I didn´t want to live without a dog – a miniature schnauzer.

In Helsinki International Dog Show 1989 I met the first black&silver of my life. It´s colouring matched my image of the schnauzer temperament so well, I just had to have one for myself.

Peacemaker´s Unique, the adorable Nyyti, came into my life. I´ve never been happier than the day I finally got her. I know exactly, how the new puppy owner feels, when he leaves my premises with his new puppy in his arms – eyes twinkeling of the overwhelming joy, yet a bit confused about all the advice and slightly worried about the well being of the tiny creature.

Nyyti filled my life. I measured everything by grams, seconds and millimetres. The fuss! I must admit, that as a more experienced dog owner, everything is a lot easier – the latest puppy grows among  and with the older ones.

We tried some obedience with Nyyti, but it never worked that well, she thinks of herself as half-human, at least.

I never lost the enthusiasm towards dogs shows since I was a child. I had so much faith in Nyyti and with a 100% objectivity I only saw her as a fine example of the breed. Hard work payed off, and Nyyti finished her championship at her veteran age. Nyyti also had two litters, all of whom are nice dogs and dear to their families, but of no breeding quality.

Mrs.Eija-Maaria Jussila, Peacemaker´s kennels, saw my great devotion to the breed, and gave me her most promising young bitch, Peacemaker´s Vitanova. Viiru fulfilled all  expectations about showing and breeding and is the foundation bitch of the Afunique kennels.

Nyyti is only 6 months older than Viiru and the power of the herd is divided between these two strong minded bitches. It makes the everyday life sometimes a bit tense, but these two are also very attached to each other and cannot live apart. Normally they just push and annoy each other, but when I was on a show trip for a couple days, they decided it was time to elect the next reign – Nyyti broke three front teeth of Viiru.

A crystal clear leadership is most important with miniature schnauzers. The intelligent dog leads the pack very gladly and easily, if let to do so. Especially in a dog family like mine, with a number of bitches accompanied by a dominant yet balanced minded giant schnauzer male, the human has to be logical in her leadership every moment. I strongly advice to think twice keeping strong bitches together unless their difference in age is enough. If they rank clearly, then it is pure joy to follow their lives. Then a younger animal would never dream of behaving badly towards the older one and the older has no need to stomp on the younger one´s rights.

I´ve been forced to let go of two dogs during these years. They just didn´t find their places in the stock and I found myself responsible for keeping the peace in the dog family. It was a pity, as it was to be a side line of bitches and the type was considerably good. All miniature schnauzers just do not cope with each other, one has to accept that.

At the change of the millenium, I had at home a descending bitch line of four generations plus Nyyti: Fin Ch Peacemaker´s Vitanova, Fin Ch Peacemaker´s Oonah Afunique, Fin&S&Rus Ch, Finnsieger Afunique Jalna and Fin&Est Ch Afunique Roma, of which Jalna and Roma were in breeding. The so called placement bitches are of great importance also: Fin Ch Afunique Klara and Fin & Est Ch Afunique Nanny and Fin&Est Ch , EstW-94 Peacemaker´s Ultima Thule. I´ve ”rented” Fin Ch Afunique Ingrid, Afunique Kajsa, Peacemaker´s Olga, Afunique Naomi and Afunique Vienna for breeding.

My line is based on a solid ground, I´ve used following males with succes: Ch Bartzaga´s Capitano, Ch Scedir Oliver Twist, Ch Ludvig vd Steinhaeger Heide, Ch Utopie van Maarheez´s Hof and Ch Vipper van Maarheez´s Hof. Out of own Afunique males the following have proven their quality in breeding also: Fin &Est&S&Rus Ch Afunique Greco, Fin&Est Ch Afunique Head and Tail, Int&Fin&LV&Est&S Ch FinW-98 Afunique Niklas and young Afunique Valentino.

Part of the dogs mentioned above have also been my most succesful show dogs. I´m  keen in showing and I do not depress easily. When I started my own breeding, I took an ethical stand on docking the tails and refused to amputate the puppies. About ten years ago it was a big issue in Finland and I was condemned by my fellow breeders rather hard:” We breed miniature schnauzers, you spoil our work.”

Puppy buyers without prejudice and my solid conviction made me keep on, however, with my breeding. I had a clear memory of the time, at the ´70s, when cropping ears was forbidden by the law in Finland and even then, as time passed, things cooled down and the schnauzer as a breed was by no means ”spoiled”.

Mostly encouraging was the succes of Ch Afunique Greco and Ch Afunique Jalna. Greco has even given a name to the ideal undocked tail. Greco and Jalna were pioneers in showing undocked schnauzers all over Europe and even in Russia. I´m so proud of championships of these two dogs in countries, where it is allowed to  show manipulated dogs. It is tough competition with a natural one.

In addition to all the opposition I´ve met Finland, abroad  I ´ve had my share of aggressivity, admiration, astonishment as well as reservations for puppies, too. In the home of the breed, in Germany,  they onced stopped the judging in two rings in an international show, because the judges didn´t know what to do with my ”non-schnauzers”.  After long negotiations we were allowed to compete, but an even bigger riot arouse, when Greco was placed first. The judge had to explain himself to the audience and adviced the people to cover one eye in order to see the good schnauzer behind the tail.

In the World Winner Show in Vienna nad Budapest the local TV and the press were all over Jalna and Greco – or to be honest, their tails. Once in the Tschech Republic I was asked, weather my Hulda was a cesky terrier, but I´m sure it was not just her tail, rather her slightly poor schnauzer image would have maybe made a fine cesky.

At the dawn of the new millenium the most succesful of my breeding was Int&Fin&Lt&Est&S Ch, FinW-98 Afunique Niklas of Fin&Est Ch Afunique Head and Tail & Fin&Rus& S Ch, Finnsieger Afunique Jalna. Niklas was judged BOB and BIS4 both 1998 and 1999 in the annual Schnauzer Special Show in Finland. He was Top Winning b&s male in Finland of 1998 and 1999, while her sister, Fin&Est Ch Afunique Nanny, was Top Winning b&s female of 1998. Both compete also in agility, which has a nice tradition in our dog family. Oona´s brother, Iiro used to have the highest ranking in agility for years in Finland. In obedience the Afunique family is represented by Afunique Kajsa.

I enjoy the Schnauzer Brain, the dog´s every-day activity and its independency. With every combination I plan, I try and balance to behold the social and open-minded nature without destroying the temperament and self-confidence. I have working dogs in two generations: Jalna and her daughter Roma, they bring their catch of mice in the living room. All of them are good guardians. When it comes to serious action, you don´t need to bother the giant, just let Oona out of the gate and she will finish the job. The special adaptability of miniature schnauzer is underlined during the demanding show trips through Europe and Russia, when I compare my breed to the others. My miniature schnauzer is happy weather at a hotel or in a tent, onboard a ship or a plane, as long as he is allowed to take part in the life.”   

Afunique story part II (coming soon)