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Hello, and welcome to the website of Cymraeg Ci Cardigans.
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This website is dedicated to my dogs and my kennel, but here is a little bit about the "two-legged" behind it all. I am Christine Vandersmissen Sonberg. I am originally from Norway, today I live with my belgian husband Gert Vandersmissen in a beautiful village in the region of Antwerp. |
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I got my first dog in 1992, a boxer named Rogneruds Franco. I bought him as a house dog and companion, but as it turned out that he was a very beautiful boxer. This is how I got introduced to the show world. I traveled all over Scandinavia together with his breeder and he gained some wonderful results such as Boxer o fthe year in Norway in 1994, 1995 and 1996, Norwegian winner, Swedish winner and Nordic winner. |
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My professional dog career started in 1998, when I graduated as a teacher / instructor from Scandinavia's leading dog school; Oslo dog school. From then on I worked full time with dogs and dog training, as well as keeping on educating. I have had obedience classes on all levels from puppy to high level competition, agility, working dogs and handling classes, also giving theoretical classes about training and animal behaviour. I have also worked as a dog handler for movies and TV comercials. In 2001 I became manager for the biggest department of the Oslo dog school companty, and I was involved in the development of the school and the instructor / dog trainer education.
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I have competed within the Schutzhund program on a international level for the past five years. My highlight so far was the World Championships in 2007, where I got 5th place with my GSD Hasko von der Mohnwiese, also receiving the price of honor for being the best woman in the world! |
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18 years ago I started showing dogs. I got the opportunity to work with some of Scandinavia's most respected breeders and with some of the best dogs Scandinavia has had to offer.During these years I have shown 14 different breeds (and still counting), and have gained some wondeful results, such as: National and International champion titels, world Winners and Crufts winners. I have learned from the best, and am now trying to take all aspects in to my own breeding program. |
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Dog related
education: -level 3 trainer / instructor -Graduate 2 in Etholoy -Graduate 1 in Learning Psychology -Anatomy -Medicine: Level 2, 1st aid -Medicine: Level 1, special field: teeth -Mental testing for working dogs -Professional training of dogs for the military -Motivation and reinforcement -Study of wolf behaviour -Nutrition on dogs |
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My husband and I have
always had a great passion for the shepherd breeds, and this was
actually the reason we met in the first place. When we got together in
2004 we decided to "join forces" and go on with our passion
for dogs together. We have two FCI registered kennel names: Kennel
van de Biezenhoeve (working line GSD and Belgian Malinios) and
Cymraeg Ci (Cardigans). Kennel van de Biezenhoeve is a pure working
dog kennel, where we strive to produce true working dogs with a
healthy construction, that are suitable for any kind of work, such as
the Schutzhund and IPO sport, obedience, SAR, military- and police
purposes. Dogs from our kennel are certified police dogs,
international competitors within the Schutzhund program, certified
military dogs, certified SAR dogs and many have been used in other
people's breeding programs. |
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Today we give seminars all over the world, teaching people about dog training in general and the Schutzhund sport on all levels. We also cooperate with two K9 police departments in the US, providing them with about 30 trained police dogs a year. |
| Kennel Cymraeg Ci started out as a "I just want 1 Corgi as a mascot and to go to a show every now and then".. but quickly evolved to be my number1 hobby. I absolutely adore this versatile breed, not only because they are beautiful, but because they have everything I want in a true shepherd. They have a great spirit of life, a funny character and lots of silly ideas. This "little" breed fills our lives with laughter and joy and we can't imagine what life would be without them. |
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 Cymraeg Ci Golddigger & Phi Vestavia Goody Goody Winning BOB & BOS in Norway. |
I try to
breed Cardigans that fit in MY picture of what a true Cardigan is. I
want Cardi's with an outgoing and positive character, with a sound and
healthy anatomy and a Cardigan that represents type and beauty. I don't believe in selecting breeding stock because of show results, I believe in picking the stock for the right reasons, and showing the result. This does not mean ONLY in the show ring, but also on the obedience- or agility field, or just on a Sunday walk in the park. |
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Well.. that was a little bit about me.. Enjoy the real puropse of this website: THE DOGS!!
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Christine
Vandersmissen Sonberg
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WUSV World champioships 2005, Gert, 
