You may notice that my website is a little different from some.  First, I write about myself in the first person.  None of this "Kristin did X" or "Kristin thinks Y".  I prefer to tell you directly what I think, what I do, and why.  Trust me, there is no one here writing about me!  Secondly, you will not read phrases like "At Aegis, we believe" or "All Swissies at Aegis..." on my website.  There is no "we" here.  And Aegis is not a place, nor is it a philosophy.  It's just a word used in the registered names of the Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs bred by me, to help identify their roots and where they come from.  Aegis is not accountable to anyone.  I am.  Let me also be clear that I do NOT operate a "kennel."  My dogs are my cherished pets and friends, they live in my home, sleep on the bed, come to work with me, etc.  I would never keep more dogs than I could provide with that amount of love and attention.  That said, I do show my dogs and will have a litter of Greater Swiss Mountain Dog puppies on occasion, but only to preserve and improve this breed.  When my Swissies are retired from the show ring or whelping box, they continue to live with me -- I value them ALL equally as my friends and companions.  My love of dogs and interest in this breed is driven by passion, not profit.  That has always been the case, and always will be.

Although a relative "newbie" to Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs, the last 35+ years of my life have been dedicated to the sport of purebred dogs.  I was so fortunate to have grown up in a family that bred, showed and loved Old English Sheepdogs. With our first OES, we made all the mistakes a first-time puppy buyer can make.  We did have the wisdom to join our local OES club after the fact and quickly learned Alfie was NOT show quality (sadly, with crippling hip dysplasia and a nasty temperament, he wasn't even pet quality). But we were bitten by "the bug" and shortly thereafter acquired a beautiful female who would become the foundation of our kennel, London Fog OES.  I soon became my Mom's right hand, sharing the responsibility of exhibiting, breeding and caring for our dogs. I had my first "big win" at age eight, with Tiffany (Ch. London Fog's Touch of Class, left) at a huge breed match in Ohio.  I competed seriously in both the juniors and breed rings, while volunteering for our local club in Pittsburgh, PA, and assisting with the breeding and raising of about fifteen litters of puppies. From my Mom, I learned the importance of carefully screening puppy buyers, and that temperament and health should never take a back seat to what might win in a show ring. I was always a studious kid, but the dogs were my life and they were even instrumental in helping me get into Princeton University (when my counselor called to check up on my "status," at the mention of my name she would usually hear something like "Ah yes! The girl who wrote all about her dogs!")

It was never about the wins, but I shared some pretty memorable days with my Sheepdogs.  We did not overdo it on the show circuits, but we did get to as many Nationals as possible.  That, to me, is what breeders do -- go to National Specialties to see how their best stack up to the best in the country, to evaluate breeding stock, and share good times and knowledge with fellow fanciers.  The 1981 National Sweepstakes in Michigan brought me my most thrilling day at a show.  I handled my 12 month old puppy Annie (London Fog's Love Ya Tomorrow, top left) and won the HUGE 12-18 month bitch class (35 puppies) and went on to BOS in Sweeps.  What a thing to share with your best friend!  Throughout college I bummed rides to shows with friends in the New Jersey area when I could.  During my freshman year, I was fortunate enough to get to the OESCA National in Virginia, where I finished Richter (Ch. London Fog's Seismic Force, top center).  That was definitely a high point, just surpassed by winning the Veteran Sweeps with Richter a decade later when he was 12 1/2, at the National in my hometown of Pittsburgh, PA (top right).  He made me and many others cry that day.  After college, I moved to New York City where I shared the next ten years of my life with my best friend -- Ch. Tolkien's Ragtime Bilbette (below, left).  I finished Gina with big specialty wins, but it was my life with her outside the ring that I will remember most.  She was a once in a lifetime dog and companion and I will miss her and all her alpha bitch quirks forever.

After Gina passed away, I began to think about a change of breed. While I had mastered the art of grooming the OES, I wanted a more "honest" dog with nothing to hide. I found that in the majesty of the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, and I acquired my Swissy puppy, "Axel", in April 2004.  By the time I'd shown Axel to his championship, though he was still a puppy, I knew I'd been bitten by yet another bug. In September 2005, the cutest bug of a Swissy puppy -- "Moxie" -- came to join us.  She is everything that I believe a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog should be, and then some.  I had also hoped to find another female from a particular bloodline that has proven to be very healthy and chock full of the breed type and soundness I so value in this breed.  Nature didn't cooperate, as there were no females in Kathy Spencer's (Alpenglow GSMD) repeat Alli x Blaze litter.   But one of the boys in that litter was just too good to pass on, and so "Bowie" came to join us from outside Houston, TX.  Bowie rocketed to his championship the day he turned 10 months old, was the #3 ranked Swissy in the country (#1 Owner-Handled) in 2008, and finished 2009 as America's #1 ranked Swissy in breed points for 2009 -- the first GSMD to accomplish this owner-handled.  To date, I have bred and raised two litters of Swissies, which has given me great joy but is also an awesome responsibility, one that doesn't end when the puppies leave for their forever homes but continues throughout their lives.

Over my 35+ years in dogs, every single one of my dogs have been entirely owner-handled throughout their show careers.  This not only adds to the relationship and rapport I have with my dogs and those that I show, but I find I learn much more about my dogs by showing them myself.  It makes me more aware of their faults and their virtues, which in turn makes me smarter about how I choose to breed, areas I need to improve upon, etc.  Most of all, showing as an owner-handler, I know that my dogs' wins and losses are honest.  They have nothing to do with the face at the north end of the lead.   Until recently, I also offered my handling assistance (gratis) to people new to the breed and helped put championships on many Swissies who were not my own.   Then, in July 2009, a Swissy bitch I was handling for a friend killed one of my 6-week-old puppies.   Sadly, it happened just two weeks after she finished her championship, two days before she was scheduled to go home.  I bear the responsibility (and subsequent guilt) for allowing this dog into my home, and I live with the nightmares of holding a tiny puppy in my hands as it bled out, because of that decision.  I feel even greater guilt knowing that the bitch was subsequently bred, an endeavor no doubt legitimized by the championship I put on her.  Consequently, I have made the decision to show only those dogs that I, at the very least, co-own and believe are worthy of breeding.  Although these dogs are incredible, beautiful companions who have enriched my life, I know very well the heartbreak of Swissy ownership, most recently when my beloved Axel lost his battle with epilepsy in a violent, tragic end.  There is no feeling as helpless as watching your dog seize to death before your very eyes.  Unfortunately epilepsy is a very REAL problem in this breed, one that is often spoken of in hushed whispers if it's spoken of at all.  More often, these dogs are swept under the carpet like dirty little secrets, which breaks my heart even more.  Axel will never be forgotten, as you will clearly see as you explore this website.  The risk of epilepsy exists in ALL pedigrees, so no breeder or owner is immune. That does not mean that all breeding are equally risky, but unfortunately there is little to no cooperation among breeders these days, and many are left to fly blind when making breeding decisions.  The situation will only get worse, until all breeders own up to the epilepsy they're producing, and we can get a handle on which dogs and pedigree combinations present the greater risks. My Swissies reside with me Redding, CT.  I make my living as the Vice President of Marketing for a national pet care company.  These dogs can be expensive to care for, to show, to breed, and I would NEVER expect my dogs to support themselves, let alone me.   My Swissies are a hobby.  My profession is Marketing.  And I personally will NOT do business with people who breed dogs as a source of income, depend on revenue from puppy sales to put food on their table, etc. I truly love these dogs more than I thought possible. They really are a gift to us all.

Kristin Krumpe Redding, CT  06896

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