Our Story....
tamihi became a flicker in my mind in the mid '70's when I was still in high school attempting to train a very stubborn beagle. I took several obedience classes and in the process met some very encouraging people in show dogs. One in particular, Cleo Laxton of Seafox Smooth Fox Terriers, was instrumental in awakening my love and desire to really "get into" the world of dogs.
It was then that I met my, at one-time husband, now ex, Dave, and the struggle began to pick out the breed that we would share our home with. I wanted a beagle, (of course), and he very much wanted a cocker spaniel. Well I really didn't want one of those as the only cocker I had ever known so nicely tried to eat my knee as a young child and I still bear the scars from that encounter. After 6 months of back and forth I graciously decided a negotiation was in order and so we decided to go with his choice BUT only if I could pick the colour and it HAD TO BE a show dog! Well I think if we both knew where that was to take us I think we probably would have gotten a beagle instead! (very big smile)
Now the search began. We spent the next 2 years talking to breeders and getting to know their dogs. At that time the temperaments in the breed were not the best and so many kennels were eliminated from our list because of it. Finally we met some very nice people in Calgary, Alberta from whom we got our first show puppy. She came with a guarantee to be show quality and wouldn't you know it - her bite went off and her teeth did not meet in the proper way. We found her a home and then went searching some more. This lead to our first imported cocker spaniel from the US. Her name was Midhope Moor Agnes Wickfield and she was a buff in colour. Meg became our first true showdog and the best dog I could have ever had to learn the ropes of the dog show world. She never did finish, as I quit showing her after sitting on 9 points forever, (you need 10 to get a Canadian Championship). It was really more a reflection of my handling skills than her quality.
Next we needed a kennel name and so the decision to pick out a name ended up becoming more of what the heck can we pick that the Canadian Kennel Club won't reject. After submitting 9 different names, (3 at a time), they finally accepted tamihi. This name has a long history with me and started out as being the name of the first all breed dog club I belonged to, then my dad started up a real estate company under that name. It is a local Indian name in my area and we have a Tamihi mountain, Tamihi creek, etc. The name means holy resting place. Back in the early '80's we got the required number of champions to permanently register this name with us.
I was very active thoughout the '80's with my cockers. I bred and finished several Canadian Champions in conformation showing and put obedience Companion Dog degrees on a few as well. I was a member of the Mid-West Cocker Spaniel Club of Canada for many years when I lived in Edmonton, Alberta and for several of those years was the secretary. I have also maintained a membership with The Canadian Kennel Club.
I took a break through a good part of the '90's , reorganized my life, and am now going full steam ahead back in the breed I have grown to love so dearly. I breed the solid colour cockers, blacks, black and tans and buffs with chocolates on the horizon. I do test eyes annually for inherited eye problems and have done some OFA hip x-rays. I do continue to educate myself about cockers and keep up to date with their health issues as well sharing back and forth with other breeders. It is only in this manner that any of us can really continue to improve the quality of these lovely dogs.
I always have and will continue to show my own dogs and, on occasion, other people's cockers. I have always tried to be available to anyone interested in this breed to answer any questions and to help in any way I can to make ownership of their cocker a wonderful experience. Thanks to my dogs I have met so many wonderful people throughout the world and cherish the friendships that have grown up between us and I am looking forward to meeting many more.
This is the dog that started my love of this breed.
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