History

My name is Jutta Sohlman and I live in Salo, Southern Finland.

To me showing is a rewarding game but breeding is my true devotion. I want my dogs to live in the house with the family (well, actually the ones at home do sleep in my bed) and never want to forget that the main purpose of a companion dog is to be a companion. Temperament and health issues are therefore always there to consider first when evaluating if I'm going to breed a litter or not. I breed only in a small scale and pursue quality over quantity.

I am a member of the Finnish Kennel Club, Finnish Dog Breeder Club (Sukoka) and Finnish (and Swedish!) Chihuahua Club. I also serve as a member of the board and the treasurer of The Finnish Chihuahua Club.

The story behind the curtains

My interest in showing dogs begun as a little girl’s dream back in the 80’s. I had absolutely no idea what it takes to create a champion or even more, but I just knew that was what I wanted. We had a couple of dogs in the family when I was a teenager, but to be honest they were more of pet quality. I had more passion than knowledge by then and my parents didn’t really understand anything about dogs, not to mention showing them.

I started learning when, at the very mature age of 17, I happened to see a photo of a succesful bichon frisé breeder’s group in one of those numerous dog show magazines I used to read all over again. I called the breeder (two or three times actually…) and managed to persuade her to give me one of her younger bitches in co’ownership. That’s how I met Ms Jaana Hellsten of Leeward’s bichons frises. She was my first mentor, who taught me so many things about handling, grooming and picking up the promising ones of the litters. Thank you Jaana, without you I guess I would have never become a breeder at all.

Later there were many others, devoted breeders from Finland and different countries, with whom we shared many inspiring conversations and knowledge. Just like many others, I have met some of my dearest long-term friends in the dog world. It would be unfair to try to name everybody, but I’m sure you all know who you are.

I have had the privilege to own some fabulous imports and learn so much from their breeders, for example Ms Mia Berg from Frittmi’s bichons in Sweden, Ms Wivi-Anne Olsen from Petit Ami’s bichons in Norway and Ms Joanne Rubin from GloryB bichons in USA. Some of my breedings have also been exported and become succesful with talented breeders like Ms Tina Hamann Dam from Bichon Star’s in Denmark and Ms Irene Ferrato and Dr Arturo Gabbi from Venetian Moonlight in Venice .

For about twenty years I was very active in showing and breeding bichons and many of those years serving as a board member in our breed club. I have never had a big kennel, all of my dogs have always lived in the house with us and there has been a very limited amount of litters, 1 - 2 per year, sometimes not even every year.

However, there was a time - when my kids were smaller - that I started getting tired of having dogs. Everyone knows how much there is work to do with them, especially having a breed with high maintenance coat.

As a small scale breeder I also got some very unpleasant disappointments concerning health problems in some litters and started questioning if breeding is rewarding for me any longer. That’s when I decided it’s time to quit. I gave up with showing and breeding and spent almost a decade without having a dog in my home at all.

It felt like all those memes; my house was clean, I had more money, was able to travel easily and to sit in the toilet alone… But something was missing.

I knew I needed a companion, true furry friend, someone with less demanding coat care than bichons. That’s when I got my first chihuahua. And you know what? Once a dog show maniac is always a dog show maniac. Once a breeder is always a breeder. I got hooked again, almost like there never was a break at all.

History

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