The Curly is a hunting dog for the person who likes variety: ducks, pheasant, grouse and a dog who can also be a companion to children and a family friend. Though he is designated as a retriever, the Curly is also an outstanding upland game dog on pheasant, grouse, quail, etc. Curlies are currently being hunted throughout North America, and are used extensively for hunting in New Zealand (where they are the hunting dog of choice) and Australia. Many, if not most, of the people hunting Curlies are family-oriented who just want a dog that hunts and can be a companion so hunting Curlies is rather a silent revolution.
Exceptional swimmers, which revel in the water, these powerful and tireless hunters excel on all game. Exciting to shoot over, yet they are a delightful family companion. Self-confident, steadfast and proud, this active, intelligent dog is a charming and gentle family companion and a determined, durable hunter. The Curly is alert, biddable and responsive to family and friends, whether at home or in the field. Of independent nature and discerning intelligence.
We at SoftMaple have been active in showing and breeding pure bred dogs since 1979. Active in Curly Coated Retrievers since 1993. We do not earn our income
from the sale our puppies. For me raising a litter is a very rewarding, time consuming and expensive passion. We are breeding for healthy, sound, highly trainable,
versatile dogs without compromising the correct structure and breed type set out in the standard.
SoftMaple bred and or owned Curlies hold over 100 titles to date in conformation, field, obedience and agility. Most SoftMaple dogs go to loving companion
homes, or to personal hunting homes and are never shown. Titles do not make the dog, nor do they make a dog great. We are more interested in producing healthy,
cherished companions, than having our primary goal to put letters before a dog's name.
Early puppy stimulation, as well as continued puppy socialization are key in our breeding program. We stress temperament and health. Our dogs are family
companions, first and foremost. We are only interested in finding homes for our puppies in which potential owners are genuinely committed to loving a Curly for its
life-time, be it a pet, show, or hunting companion.
We as breeders are caretakers of the future of the Curly Coated Retriever. Breeding just to fill a demand for puppies can damage a breed for years to come. Not all dogs are worthy of being bred. Having a Championship title is not a good enough reason to breed a dog. There are many judgment calls that a breeder has to make according to their own conscience. There is no perfect dog, and unfortunately, no perfect breeders!
Breeding dogs is a labor of love. Their health and well-being is of primary importance. We check Hips (OFA, or foreign country of origin hip score equivalent) Eyes
(CERF)and Cardiac (OFA). Puppies come with a contract covering replacement of puppies that do not OFA, do not CERF, or do not pass Cardiac testing.
Since a dog is a living creature, we can not guarantee that the dog will not have any problems. We do our best to check the health history of the parents, grandparents and siblings. We study pedigrees and dogs to help make informed breeding decisions. No one has yet bred the perfect dog. We will stand behind our dogs if there is a problem.
The pups are raised in the home. We use the Bio Sensor method of early puppy stimulation. We temperament test our puppies at 7 weeks of age. As we know the personalities of the puppies better than anyone having lived wiht them since birh, we try to match each puppy with the appropriate family for its needs. Every pup that leaves SoftMaple goes with the condition that if for any reason you cannot keep the dog I will always take it back, for whatever reason.
A curly is not for everyone. They are a strong willed, challenging, intelligent dog. We screen our prospective puppy buyers. Your not just buying a dog from
SoftMaple, your joining a family. We ask you questions, and strongly encourage you to ask us questions. Anyone looking to add a Curly to their home shouldn't stop
at just contacting one breeder. We encourage you to talk to as many breeders as you can.
Mark
and Cathy Lewandowski
8282 Soft Maple Road
Croghan NY 13327
