Elsie

What can I possibly say about Elsie, other than that she is utterly, unapologetically perfect?

Elsie was given the name Marcasite Heart’s Desire in quiet tribute to the owner of her sire, who lives in Canada.

When I made the decision to breed from Peggy, I knew I was searching for something truly special, not just a puppy, but a legacy. It quickly became clear that my stud options here in the UK were limited, so over several years I built a relationship with Deborah Foster of Violet Standard Poodles in Canada. In time, she very kindly agreed to allow me to import semen from her beautiful boy Kareem, formally known as BVISS Can.Ch. RBIS BBE Int’l Ch. Violet Skies N A Noble Knight VA RI CGN RATN ATD RE NS PCD CD TDROM/AM RATN CGC TKA RATI RI RE.

Heart’s Desire is the name of a town in Canada, and it felt entirely fitting. After all, that is exactly what Elsie was.

Elsie was shown lightly as a youngster and gained a 2nd placing in her class at Crufts 2024, which I was absolutely thrilled with, as well as a Reserve Best in Show at one of our local Open shows. However, it soon became clear that the show ring was not where her true strengths lay, and she was retired from showing quite quickly. I have always believed in listening to the dog in front of me.

Instead, Elsie has turned her focus to obedience, attending classes regularly and throwing herself into learning with enthusiasm. She has achieved her Kennel Club Good Citizens Bronze award, has a number of trick dog titles, and I believe she has reached the highest level of all my dogs to date. Along the way she has also done a little modelling, most notably for Forthglade and Sabre Pet Foods, as well as appearing alongside the Duke of Richmond at the Goodwoof Festival.

At home, Elsie is wonderfully easy to live with. She is equally content racing across Dartmoor with the wind in her coat as she is curled up on the sofa, simply happy to be wherever I am.

If all goes to plan, Elsie will hopefully have her first litter in spring 2026, and I very much look forward to the next chapter of her story.