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My
name is Antoinette Harpestad and I am Miniature
Schnauzer MAD! I
have tried to put together as much information
regarding Mini Schnauzers as possible, without
being too boring - so I hope that you will find everything
enjoyable.
The
Harant Clan - as I call us, is still very much in the making
and also in the selective process. But I
am in no hurry - as there is so much to learn
about this wonderful breed and also taking time
will help me to get a mental picture of what I would
call the IDEAL...
I
have always had a deep passion for dogs.
The first dog to ignite my passion was a Doberman
male called Apollo - the pride and joy of my
existence. At the age of 7 - I trained
him, fed him and last but not least groomed him
[okay, so not much to groom here - but he got
groomed!]. Apollo fascinated me with his
intense expression and he watched my every
movement. Sadly we had to re-home him, due
to his over possessiveness of me - no person
could come near me without Apollo's approval -
and that was NOBODY! He saved me from a
good few hidings. From
the Dobes, I moved to a new working breed - the
GSP's and Greyhounds. At the age of 17, I
became a member of the Amateur Greyhound
Association, and became very involved in
training & amateur racing. And boy,
can the hounds move with grace and elegance with
enormous power and speed. I will always
appreciate a dog which is in peak physical form
- it does not matter what breed or size.
The
first Miniature Schnauzer, I laid eyes on was a
Salt & Pepper bitch by the name of
"Gita". Although a pet dog, she
captured my heart and I knew that this was the
breed for me. It is a breed which is not
only beautiful but intelligent too. I have not
been involved for very long but I must say that
it has been the most amazing 2 years. The
Miniature Schnauzer is a sturdy, robust nearly
square dog with a keen expression and alert
attitude. Need I say more... They are huge dogs
in a small body. neat enough to be a town dog
and hardy enough to go to the country. I JUST
LOVE THEM.
My
thoughts on the breed standard can be clinched
in a sentence and taken from The
Miniature Schnauzer Club, A breed booklet - by
Peter Newman -
"You
can Show what you like, Breed what you like,
BUT
you should judge according to the breed
standard"
Before
closing this little intro - I would like to
mention 2 very special people:-
The
first is my dear friend - Cherry Foss of Noreg
Miniature Schnauzers, who I would like to thank
for all her help and imparting her vast
knowledge of this lovely breed to me. It has
been a pleasure to be able to prepare and show
the Noreg Miniature Schnauzers, this last year.
I hope that we shall have many more years to
dedicate our time to this enchanting breed.
The second person, I will never forget - is my
friend the late Doris Nicholson - whom I only
knew for a short period of time. I met
Doris at my work place and spent many a day with
her grooming and being taught how to groom. I
still smile today as a lot of her rock solid
grooming techniques remain a foundation for me.
Rest In Peace my friend.
All
photos featured on my pages are taken by Frank
Leroy, Joan Whittingham, Reinette van Reenen - and are copyright to
them and myself. Frank, Joan &
Reinette - thank you
for allowing me to use the photos.
I
do hope that your visit here has been enjoyable
and that you will be back again. The site
will be updated from time to time, so do come
back again to see what is on the go here.
Antoinette
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