My life with dogs...
Photos: Ulf F. Baumann
I have been raised with dogs. When I was born my parents owned a black English Cocker Spaniel. Her name was Carmen. My father went hunting with her and most likely this dog influenced me that I still like dogs with long ears that much!
But my first dog wasn't a Cocker Spaniel. After Carmen died my father started with German Hunting Terriers. After a few years he started breeding them. As you can guess my first dog was then
a Terrier from the first litter my father bred in 1981 "Asco vom Glücksborn". I was present at his birth. As I had already some practise in training the mother of this male "Jule vom
Saukamp" Asco was in the end a good hunting dog. He passed several hunting tests.
During that time I was active at the German Master Tracking Test of the "Deutscher Teckelklub" (German Club for Dachshunds) and I met in 1982 Dr. Gisela Franke from Berlin. She was
participating with a bitch from her Kennel and got a 1. Prize at this Tracking Competition.
A year later we met again at this competition. And again a Dachshund from her Kennel passed the test with excellency. My decision was clear: I wanted a Dachshund from this Kennel.
1984 Dr. Gisela Franke gave me "Buschka vom Wilden Eber". She was a once in a lifetime dog and foundation bitch of my Kennel "vom Kaufunger Wald". I had with Buschka lots of successes at different trials and competitions. She passed the most difficult Tracking tests of that time in Germany. 1986 she had her first litter at Kennel "vom Kaufunger Wald" after "GS 83 IACH 85 Hannes von Helvesiek". He was a great Sire at that time. I kept Ambo, Amsel, the girl went to another home. She had her own litter later on and was even a Winner!
After a few Dachshunds I had a Brandlbracke and a Beagle. Both passed their hunting tests.
Because of my living situation I have been after that for about 10 years without a dog. When I got another job and was able to settle down, I had again the desire to own a dog. As I lived at that time on the fourth floor of an Apartment building I decided to look for a male, as breeding was no option. But which breed?
I didn't want another Dachshund. My parents had continued with Dachshunds after my old Kennel name with the I-litter. I decided to get a bigger dog than a Dachshund. I wanted to work with the dog as I did in the past. So I checked out work with rescue dogs at the local group which were active with rescue dogs. I was quite impressed but I also figured pretty quick that my heart belonged to the gun dogs. I could not deny my upbringing. So I started to look for a "reasonable" gundog breed. "Reasonable" means to me that the breed is not a Long distance hunter like Terriers for example. I was also looking for an eye-catching breed. I do love Setters but they were too big. I remembered the stories my parents told me about the English Cocker Spaniel "Carmen". She wasn't a long-distance hunter, was pleasing and an easy to train dog. I wanted such a dog!
I started to look around for English Cockers on the web. And I came accross Websites of English Spaniel breeders. Never in my life I had seen an English Springer Spaniel before. But if only half of it what was written on those websites would be the truth, the English Springer should be a fabulous dog! It didn't take long and I found a litter with puppies. From this litter I got in the end "Wild Boar Hunter's Clark".
After a three years the long-term dream to own a house at the Country side came true. As a passionate breeder which I remained in my heart, it was now possible to start breeding again. I searched
for Kennels, studied lines, read stud books and finally decided to import the first bitch from Sweden and a year later from Norway. Another year later a Field Spaniel moved in with us. The
foundation for the Kennel "vom Belauer See (FCI)" was laid.
Personally I am fascinated by the different Spaniel Breeds. I think it is a pitty that hardly any breeders are dedicated towards the rarer Spaniel Breeds. Even in their Country of origin Great Britain some of them belong to the vulnerable breeds! Therefore I decided to put some effort into the rarer breeds to contribute that they will be kept as a breed!
Throughout the years I have been able to build up a good network with other breeders and dog friends around the world, especially in the Spaniel World. Many years I have served in different Breed
Clubs from several assignments as helper, Organizer of Working Tests, serving as Secretary, on different boards and last but not least as President of the Jagdspaniel-Klub e.V. in Germany. Right
now I am enjoying very much that I can dedicate my time only towards my own dogs and my kennel.
You will find more Information on the Kennel "vom Belauer See (FCI) and my goals in breeding in the section "About the Kennel".
Spaniel-Kennel "Vom Belauer See (FCI)"
Ulf F. Baumann
Sønderlundvej 7
6430 Nordborg
Denmark
ulf.baumann@springer-spaniels.de
fon +45 31 663078 or
fon +49 (0)160 9049 2873
