MY  STORY AS A DOG LOVER

My name is Rossano Oeyangen; I was born in Genova on March 26 of 1957.
I spent the first three years of life in Acqui Terme. At that time my first companion was the hunting dog of my grandfather, a German hound, Pucci, who shared with me those days strolling on the threshing floor or by the river, discovering the world.



Surely I got  a kind of imprinting; actually, growing up, dogs of any kind have been my stronger passion. Except in two period lasted a few years, I have always had a dog at my side.

The second dog, an  English cocker spaniel mix, was my real first dog; infact I had to share her with my grandfather who used her when  hunting, but she choose me as friend and chief of the pack.

At the age of 32  I happened to come into possession, almost in a magical way, of  a puppy of cane da pastore Maremmano-Abruzzese
(Maremma and Abruzzes sheepdog) : although she didn’t have pedigree, her father was a handsome male, offspring of one of those kennels who were born with the boom of the breed, in the '70-'80s and than vanished into thin air, while her mother was a rustic bitch taken from a shepherd  in Tuscany's Maremma.

I hesitated  accepting that gift due to different reasons: my work and my study ; I was living in a flat and, besides I have heard  all the stories about the madness of the Maremmas (as those dogs are usually called).

After a few months I was happy with  that gift that was perhaps the best I have ever had. The Maremmano-Abruzzese may not be an easy dog, but it is surely  a fascinating one.

Birba, that was the name chosen by the child of a friend of mine, proved to be a fantastic big dog: certainly not a dog to become national champion, but typical and balanced.

When Birba got the right age, I took her at one of those beautiful meetings that were held once at the estate of  Donna Anna Corsini in Renacci Val d'Arno, where she obtained the Certificate of Typical and consequently, the Pedigree as a 1^st generation LIR.

Birba was  checked officially  for  hip and elbow dysplasia and found healthy. I looked for a good male trying to get my first litter.

Second hit of luck: I had been reading some very good articles on the breed, written on the magazine Work Dogs by Dr. Myrta Chiappani Gelpi, who was a popular breeder owner of the kennel “della Fornarina”.
She had finished activity but still had beautiful dogs and I ask her for a male.
She fascinated me with her character similar to that of her dogs and a real passion, respect and seriousness in breeding this magnificent breed and the small Bolognesi.  
We became friends and I am happy that we still are.

The Italian Champion Beffardo della Fornarina  mated  Birba , but unfortunately she turned out to be sterile.

Than I had, in stead of the second mating, a puppy: Asia della Fornarina, who become a beautiful bitch, with healthy hips and elbow, with a very strong , exceptional character .

Meanwhile I got married and with my wife Antonia, had two daughter, Petra and Arlene.
I tried to mate Asia twice, with a male not exceptional, but with a good genealogy and a very sweet character, but in vain. For the third mating I choose another male with an endless series of CAC, CACIB and championship in different European countries, with a balanced, but dominant character.
Unfortunately two pups  were born dead and Asia had to be operated for hysterectomy.
Fortunately she recovered quickly and healed completely.


After some years, in 2001, I decided to try the breeding again; Birba was old and Asia too.

I was introduced to another very nice person: Dr. Silvio Stramacci who breeds Cani da Pastore Maremmano-Abruzzesi with his family in Tarquinia, under the kennel name  “del Melarancio”.

And so came  Achille, 100% del Melarancio bloodline, and after a few months Novella del Melarancio.

I had  them too both officially x-rayed and they were found free of hip and elbow dysplasia , both also passed TMC (Morphological  Character Test), which unfortunately is no longer recognizes by ENCI.

I would have mate Novella, but because of my job it is very difficult to find the time to brig the female, at the appropriate time,  to the male which may live many miles away.
Apart from that not every breeder agree, as Dr. Myrta Chiappani Gelpi did, to accomodate the female for some days.



So my first litter was an inbreeding between half brothers: the same father, Orobianco del Melarancio, and two different mothers, Bannita del Melarancio and Ira ( the latter bred by Dr. Tavolaro).
From this litter we kept Asia ( in honor of my first Asia) and after a few months I got, as stood fee, another female: Clivia della Fornarina.

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From Clivia we had another litter, again of an inbreeding combination to the bloodline “della Fornarina”.
We kept Berenice, who is now almost old enough to be checked for dysplasia  and from which  I expect great things.

In the meantime  I bought a beautiful rustic male that, unfortunately turned out to be seriously  dysplastic  and therefore not suitable for reproduction.
Luckily Leone has no major problems in walking and running; he even jump to grab pears, of which he is very fond, from the tree.

Some years ago my two daughters asked for a  dog small enough to be kept on their lap, as the Maremmano-Abruzzesi were somewhat oversized for this purpose.
At that point I did what I almost never do  and I imposed my choice: it would  ave been a Volpino Italiano (Italian Spitz), another “unfortunate” breed, because it is little appreciated, despite its many qualities.

So, Brenda came (bloodline Antica Etruria) and soon after Picodellamirandola della Genzianella ( in an easiest way called Enea) with which we began another adventure.

Seven puppies arrived from their mating; from this litter we kept Ambra who, mated with Sapientino dell'Antica Etruria, owned by our  friend  Odilia Piscedda, gave birth to five puppies.
From this litter we have kept two females, Bora and Beatrice, to continue breeding and select the Volpino Italiano too.

I cannot define myself as a breeder since the number of litter in these twenty years have been very few, but the quality of the breeding choices, I believe may be valuable.

In august 2009 I submitted the request of affixe to ENCI in order to give some formality to my commitment; from the 22 January 2010 our kennel is named “OEYANGENS”.