It was love at first touch.

I used to be very skeptical of the Poodle breed and never paid much attention to them. However, everything changed once I met my friend’s brand new toy poodle puppy. When I held this ball of fluff in my arms, my heart melted and time stopped. Its unbelievably soft, silky hair felt magical. I couldn't stop petting the puppy and running my fingers through its coat. It was like meditation. That experience could be described as love at first sight– or more precisely, at first touch. I knew my next dog would be a toy poodle.

I have always been ambitious and serious about my involvement with dogs. My first dog was a working Rottweiler female named Fredda Fon Valenchtein, imported from Germany as an adult in 1990. Back then there were only a handful of Rottweilers in Ukraine. I poured my heart and soul into working with her, showing in conformation across the country as well as achieved high levels in Obedience and protection training. We also had successful offspring that finished with champion titles at shows of various ranks. My priorities were always intelligence, a high degree of trainability, human orientation and a healthy, strong anatomy in dogs. I never thought that one of the decorative breed could win my heart.

When I decided to find my own poodle puppy, I knew I would be looking for a show prospect poodle – with a classic black coat, from champion parents with great pedigrees.

For eight months I had been looking high and low – reaching out to numerous dog clubs and searching through the entire internet. One day, I saw a video of a black puppy running after her owner. I immediately contacted the seller who happened to be the breeder as well. And that's how I met Trutti, my favorite dog and the foundation of my breeding line.

At that time, we were living in Ukraine. When Trutti was seven months old, we moved to the USA. It took time for me to learn how to navigate the new system with all the rules and standards of the American Kennel Club. On top of that, learning the English language was also hard for me, so it was a double challenge. But I was still eager to present my dog at a dog show because she had grown into an amazing representative of the breed. Not sharing this treasure with my new country would have been a crime. Trutti’s show career started when she was two years old.

I will never forget our first day at the show, how we met professional handlers and how it all went. There was a lot of excitement and adrenaline. We didn't win the first place, of course, but that was the beginning of a journey that led us to success. It laid the foundation for new opportunities, new friendships, and great victories.

Since I learned to do everything including show grooming by myself, our journey to the top took about a year and a half. During this time, I mastered grooming and handling, bought all the tools and equipment, and created a schedule for shows and training. I also established very warm relations with professional handlers and poodle breeders. My hard work and persistence allowed me to hone my skills and achieve excellent presentation. We completed Champion and Grand Champion titles as a result. And that's how the story of my kennel begins.