Licensed breeders & Kennel club assured breeders.
Page to give you an insight into Silvestre Show dogs.
Page to give you an insight into Silvestre Show dogs.
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Our website is a window into the lives of our dogs and also our breed ethics. To learn about your breeder its always a nice touch to learn how we got into breeding and showing dogs. I am the creator of this website, Mrs Rachel Savage. I first put a website online in 2001 which seems like a lifetime ago now. It was before any other breeders in the UK had a website. It was very basic. I decided rather than just an advert it would be nice to see photos and it worked. Everyone got in touch said how lovely it was to see our dogs. Back in the day the only way to advertise a dog was in the newspaper. Now of course it's all online.
What was the first dog that I owned? In my family we had several different dog breeds from pedigree to cross breed. But at the age of 16 I brought my first pedigree dog. It was a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and he was utterly adorable. I had saved up my own wages as I was working and I paid for him and he was mine. I had a horse also and was used to looking after animals myself even at that age. I had responsibility of animals from the age of 10. I just knew how to look after animals and what I did not know I learnt from others quickly. The dog would come to work with me every day and at the age of 17 I was driving, and I would go to building sites to deliver materials and the dog came with me. He sat in a basket in the car and loved it. He was my little companion.
I mentioned I had a horse, and I would ride the horse twice a day. I went down our road and every day this great big grey dog belted up to a gateway and barked. With out fail he seemed to know the horse was coming. I had never seen a dog like it. It was massive, and I think bigger than todays Weimaraners. From that moment seeing it I wanted one. A year or two later I went to the local butchers shop and outside tied up was this large grey dog. I patted it and the owner came out and we had a chat, he told me the breed and I had never heard anything quite like it. I tried to remember the name and failed miserably. So It took me a while to know what the dog was. I decided I wanted another dog, and I was married by now and I remember picking up a free adds paper and looked down the classified adds and their was this odd name. Weimaraner! Yes this was the dog.
Fast forward now a few years and we had our first female Weimaraner, and my father said to me I must be mad. When I told him I wanted it to have puppies, he told me it was ridiculous and I would not sell them. I didn't know how to find a male dog, but I asked my vets who then told me that they had a lady come in with a litter of Weimaraners, and she would ask her if it was okay to ask where the stud dog was. They rang me back and they gave me a number which was Diane Clark of Scalene affix and she had a stud dog living with a Mrs White.
I remember after mating her my father saying you won't sell a single dog. I sold them at a ridiculous low price, and they went quite quickly and I learnt why! I was hundreds of pounds cheaper than anyone else selling them.
I remember after mating her my father saying you won't sell a single dog. I sold them at a ridiculous low price, and they went quite quickly and I learnt why! I was hundreds of pounds cheaper than anyone else selling them.
Fast forward again, and I had a bitch that I mated to a show champion dog, and I kept two puppies from the litter. I could not decide which was the best one, so I kept them both. I announced I wanted to show my dogs and it took quite a while to find out where a training class was. After a ton of mistakes I then found a class and the training began. I was hooked, and wanted to show my dogs.
Back in the day no health tests were being done on dogs, or hardly any. I decided to hip score my Weimaraners which I did, but I learnt not that many people did.
How did we come across the name Silvestre? This is our affix and it took 11 attempts to choose a name with the Kennel club as their were so many breeder affixes and we couldn't be near any of them. All our favourite names were refused and then finally we got Silvestre.
After several years I was not well, and struggling to show the Weimaraners and I did not know what was wrong with me. I realised that I couldn't stand the big dogs and wanted a smaller dog. We brought a Cocker spaniel which really didn't work as I had a Weimaraner who bullied it. My mother in law just lost her cross breed, so she had her. This actually was a life line for my father in law as she could detect when he had minor fits and she would go and lay beside him and they got to know when he was going to have an episode. We wanted another breed of dog, short coated, smaller than a Weimaraner. I suddenly saw Vizsla! I remember thinking what an awesome dog they were, so happy on the move and full of life. I watched this dog fly around the ring, what an awesome dog he was. Little did I realise what a dog he became as it was Yogi who won Crufts best in show. This dog took my eye on the side of the ring and I knew I wanted one of his offspring. I had two in fact, Scarlett was our first Vizsla and a Yogi daughter, then we had Chilli who was a Yogi son. Both of those dogs were some of the best dogs we have owned. They were the foundation of Silvestre Vizsla that you see today.
Back in the day no health tests were being done on dogs, or hardly any. I decided to hip score my Weimaraners which I did, but I learnt not that many people did.
How did we come across the name Silvestre? This is our affix and it took 11 attempts to choose a name with the Kennel club as their were so many breeder affixes and we couldn't be near any of them. All our favourite names were refused and then finally we got Silvestre.
After several years I was not well, and struggling to show the Weimaraners and I did not know what was wrong with me. I realised that I couldn't stand the big dogs and wanted a smaller dog. We brought a Cocker spaniel which really didn't work as I had a Weimaraner who bullied it. My mother in law just lost her cross breed, so she had her. This actually was a life line for my father in law as she could detect when he had minor fits and she would go and lay beside him and they got to know when he was going to have an episode. We wanted another breed of dog, short coated, smaller than a Weimaraner. I suddenly saw Vizsla! I remember thinking what an awesome dog they were, so happy on the move and full of life. I watched this dog fly around the ring, what an awesome dog he was. Little did I realise what a dog he became as it was Yogi who won Crufts best in show. This dog took my eye on the side of the ring and I knew I wanted one of his offspring. I had two in fact, Scarlett was our first Vizsla and a Yogi daughter, then we had Chilli who was a Yogi son. Both of those dogs were some of the best dogs we have owned. They were the foundation of Silvestre Vizsla that you see today.
I was having many down days with fibro and I showed Scarlett as best I could do, and she did very well. I then bred her to Show champion Gladwills golden star gazer and kept 2 pups. Both pups were quite different to each other. Ruby and Amber and they were so naughty! But we were smitten with the breed. I gradually realised how much easier they were than a Weimaraner, just because they are more settled, more content in the home, and less destructive.
We then brought Chilli as we wanted our own male. I showed him and he won his show certificate of merit, the title sh.cm behind his name. He won best in show at The Royal norfolk show out of 956 dogs. He won his first RCC around 14 months. He went onto win a further 5 reserve tickets, then 3 Challenge certificates making him a champion. He was the dog in a million. He also won Best Veteran in Belgium two times.
I became good friends with Angie who is wallaroos gundogs and we started to go to shows together as her husband didn't show then and Darryl had lost interest in showing. We have spent many hours together on the road or in hotel rooms. We found common interest that we loved many breeds of dogs not just one. We would stand on the side of the ring and watch all sorts of breeds. I think it then for me became an addiction with dogs. ha ha. I wanted another breed. I decided with fibromyalgia that I could be in a wheel chair and maybe I should go for a small breed of dog. I stood outside the Weimaraner ring in Bournmouth and a breeder there of Pugs had a Weimaraner and she told me that she had been let down at the last moment and suddenly had a Pug puppy. I brought the puppy which was Frankie who was the foundation to my Pug line. Then I was walking in Sandringham woods one day and I came across a man with a fawn French bulldog. I didn't even realise they were so much money. It took me a long while to save up to buy one. Then I managed to buy one from Amanda Ellis and Bubbles was our first Frenchie and our foundation. Now as much as I love my small dogs today, I won't be a big breeder of them. The breed is in a mess, down to bad breeding. I am endeavouring to do my best and breed to healthy dogs only. Im quite prepared to not have another litter of either, but these are just a hobby to me. Because the expense in breeding them is so high it costs me money to have a litter. I do not see any financial gain from breeding Pugs or French bulldogs. The costs are high.
Darryl is a big dog man as he calls it. He is not a cat lover but loves the bigger dogs. He had wanted a Bracco Italiano for years, and I said to him that I couldn't physically show one as my body is so much in pain. If he wanted one then he must show it. He decided to come back to the show ring and he had Yennefer. Sadly Yennefer had a bizarre facial infection when she was young which left scaring so he couldn't show her. But she makes an excellent brood bitch and foundation for our first Bracco line. So I decided to import a boy so he had a dog to show. This is how Geralt came into our lives. Geralt is flipping fantastic! Movement to die for.
So thats pretty much how I progressed from one breed to another and here we are. But in that time also my passion lead to a lot of learning about other aspects of dogs. Which you can read below.
I also realised the dogs became a lifeline for me, I go on about not feeling well, but they make me get up each day, and force myself to walk when my body doesn't want too. In some ways I feel better than 5 years ago. Maybe its because you come to terms with it. I have help now to show the dogs again, which is going to be such a help to me. I can wash dogs get them ready, and do all the important training, but I just need some help in the ring now. Darryl has decided that he will help me and this means we can show the bigger breeds again.
We had a few years gap of owning Weimaraners, but then I got the chance to have a Weimaraner and I decided Im not dead yet, and why not have the breed we started with. So that's how Piper came back to our kennel. I think we will only have just the 1 Weimaraner because after having Piper I realised I couldn't show her. Darryl prefers the bracco to show. Luckily Pipers breeder will take her to shows and show her for us.
Not only did I enjoy showing but I got into judging dogs too. Ive judged many breeds of dogs. I have not pushed myself to get to give Tickets yet. I may do yet, but I worry about my illness and not being able to fulfil a judging appointment.
I decided to do a course in collage about animal care and dog grooming, this should of been a 3 year course but because I had been in the dog world for donkeys years I pretty much knew how to answer most of the scopes quickly. We covered diet, parasites, transportation of animals, grooming dogs, how to care for dogs, how to use disinfectant properly and so on, and hours of health and safety in the work place. I gained 2 A levels, NVQ 2 and 3. I am in the process of saving up for a new course which should be interesting. Its the only proper course on dog breeding, but its not cheap. So far my breeding this year has not been able to pay for the course. Everything I have ever earnt has gone back into my dogs. I have run it as a hobby.
I also went on a training course to micro chip animals and this has been a great asset since the law on microchipping came in.
I have attended endless seminars with the Kennel club. Also health seminars and a behaviour seminar. I also did a first aid course in dogs.
We then brought Chilli as we wanted our own male. I showed him and he won his show certificate of merit, the title sh.cm behind his name. He won best in show at The Royal norfolk show out of 956 dogs. He won his first RCC around 14 months. He went onto win a further 5 reserve tickets, then 3 Challenge certificates making him a champion. He was the dog in a million. He also won Best Veteran in Belgium two times.
I became good friends with Angie who is wallaroos gundogs and we started to go to shows together as her husband didn't show then and Darryl had lost interest in showing. We have spent many hours together on the road or in hotel rooms. We found common interest that we loved many breeds of dogs not just one. We would stand on the side of the ring and watch all sorts of breeds. I think it then for me became an addiction with dogs. ha ha. I wanted another breed. I decided with fibromyalgia that I could be in a wheel chair and maybe I should go for a small breed of dog. I stood outside the Weimaraner ring in Bournmouth and a breeder there of Pugs had a Weimaraner and she told me that she had been let down at the last moment and suddenly had a Pug puppy. I brought the puppy which was Frankie who was the foundation to my Pug line. Then I was walking in Sandringham woods one day and I came across a man with a fawn French bulldog. I didn't even realise they were so much money. It took me a long while to save up to buy one. Then I managed to buy one from Amanda Ellis and Bubbles was our first Frenchie and our foundation. Now as much as I love my small dogs today, I won't be a big breeder of them. The breed is in a mess, down to bad breeding. I am endeavouring to do my best and breed to healthy dogs only. Im quite prepared to not have another litter of either, but these are just a hobby to me. Because the expense in breeding them is so high it costs me money to have a litter. I do not see any financial gain from breeding Pugs or French bulldogs. The costs are high.
Darryl is a big dog man as he calls it. He is not a cat lover but loves the bigger dogs. He had wanted a Bracco Italiano for years, and I said to him that I couldn't physically show one as my body is so much in pain. If he wanted one then he must show it. He decided to come back to the show ring and he had Yennefer. Sadly Yennefer had a bizarre facial infection when she was young which left scaring so he couldn't show her. But she makes an excellent brood bitch and foundation for our first Bracco line. So I decided to import a boy so he had a dog to show. This is how Geralt came into our lives. Geralt is flipping fantastic! Movement to die for.
So thats pretty much how I progressed from one breed to another and here we are. But in that time also my passion lead to a lot of learning about other aspects of dogs. Which you can read below.
I also realised the dogs became a lifeline for me, I go on about not feeling well, but they make me get up each day, and force myself to walk when my body doesn't want too. In some ways I feel better than 5 years ago. Maybe its because you come to terms with it. I have help now to show the dogs again, which is going to be such a help to me. I can wash dogs get them ready, and do all the important training, but I just need some help in the ring now. Darryl has decided that he will help me and this means we can show the bigger breeds again.
We had a few years gap of owning Weimaraners, but then I got the chance to have a Weimaraner and I decided Im not dead yet, and why not have the breed we started with. So that's how Piper came back to our kennel. I think we will only have just the 1 Weimaraner because after having Piper I realised I couldn't show her. Darryl prefers the bracco to show. Luckily Pipers breeder will take her to shows and show her for us.
Not only did I enjoy showing but I got into judging dogs too. Ive judged many breeds of dogs. I have not pushed myself to get to give Tickets yet. I may do yet, but I worry about my illness and not being able to fulfil a judging appointment.
I decided to do a course in collage about animal care and dog grooming, this should of been a 3 year course but because I had been in the dog world for donkeys years I pretty much knew how to answer most of the scopes quickly. We covered diet, parasites, transportation of animals, grooming dogs, how to care for dogs, how to use disinfectant properly and so on, and hours of health and safety in the work place. I gained 2 A levels, NVQ 2 and 3. I am in the process of saving up for a new course which should be interesting. Its the only proper course on dog breeding, but its not cheap. So far my breeding this year has not been able to pay for the course. Everything I have ever earnt has gone back into my dogs. I have run it as a hobby.
I also went on a training course to micro chip animals and this has been a great asset since the law on microchipping came in.
I have attended endless seminars with the Kennel club. Also health seminars and a behaviour seminar. I also did a first aid course in dogs.
When the law changed on breeding dogs, I applied for a license and was granted it. I have a 5 star license. Which is the highest standard. Its not easy as there are a lot of spread sheets involved. Many hours of unnecessary paperwork. Now several years in I can see the system is greatly floored. It could be made so simple but Defra have made it as clear as mud and people are not reading it correctly. It's very sickening that we have to jump through hoops yet during covid there was an explosion of pet breeders which are not licensed. The only ones that are penalised greatly are the ones that are honest and have the license.
What have we achieved in the show ring?
What most people strive for a start is to qualify for Crufts dog show. What an honour it is to take your dog to Crufts and show it. If you can win a stud book number it means your dog is qualified for Crufts for life. So you do not have to qualify it each year. It is quite an honour to gain one. It is won by winning a CC or RCC or a 1,2 in Open class in Vizsla. In french bulldogs its a 1,2,3 in open.
The following dogs we have bred have won their stud book numbers.
WEIMARANERS
Silvestre Shotokan - Stud book number
Wrainamere Renaissance of Silvestre - Stud book number
Silvestre Last Tango with Silberliss - stud book number. LUX.CH. BEL, CH, DUTCH. CH. JW winner.
Silvestre Romulus was a Czech.CH and he just about achieved his German CH status, which was a real bonus as this is where the breed originated from and he had tons of complimentary comments from judges in Europe. He also went on to win field trials, did blood tracking, and learnt to how for Wolf. Sadly he was taken too young as he had interception of the bowel. This is where the bowel telescopes inside itself which then causes infection and death. He is forever in our hearts. His owner Eva was wonderful owner.
VIZSLA
Shelseivad Gingers Gift to Silvestre - Stud book number
Silvestre Ruby Slippers - Stud book number.
Roughshoot Exhibitionist at Silvestre - Stud book number & 1RCC
SH.CH.Bitcon Skymaster with Silvestre SH.CM - Stud book number 3 CC and 5RCC. 1 CAC, 1 CACIB, 2 Best Veterans Belgium.
Silvestre Shake Yr Booty - Stud book number
Silvestre Oh Behave for Shelseivad- Stud book number 1RCC, 2 Best Veterans.
INT.CH. Karaszy’s Falco Peregrinus at Silvestre - Stud book number 1CC & BOB & INT.CH. Several RCAC, RCACIB, CACIB, CAC.
INT.CH.BEL.CH. Silvestre Ace - Stud book number
Silvestre Captain Morgan among Campione - Stud book number and 1 RCC. Castrated and retired.
Silvestre Blazing Saddles - Stud book number 1 CC and 5 R.C
Silvestre Whoo Hoo - Stud book number 2021.
Silvestre Fortune N'Glory - Stud book number 2022
FRENCH BULLDOG
Silvestre Orlando's Magic - Stud book number and 1 CC and 1 RCC.
CC & RCC & CAC & CACIB & JW winners
Show Champion Bitcon Skymaster with Silvestre ShCm 3 CC’s & 5 RCC. 1 CACIB,1RCACIB, 1 CAC, 1RCAC, 2 Best Veterans
INT.CH. Karaszy’s Falco Peregrinnus At Silvestre 6 CACIB, CAC’s, RCAC’s, RCACIBS
INT.CH. BEL.CH. Silvestre Ace, 4 CAC’s Belgium, 1 CAC France, 3 CACIB Belgium, 1 CACIB France, RCAC and RCACIB.
Silvestre Orlando’s Magic 1RCC, 1CC
Silvestre Oh Behave At Shelseivad 2RCC, 2BEST VETERANS IN SHOW
Silvestre Captain Morgan Among Campione 1 RCC
Silvestre Blazing Saddles, 5 RCC. 1 CC
CZECH.CH. Silvestre Romulus CAC’s Germany, CACIB’s Germany, 4 CAC CZECH, 4CACIB.
LUX.CH. BEL.CH.Silvestre Last Tango With Silberliss JW, CAC’s France, Belgium, Luxembourg,Holland.
Silvestre Fortune N'Glory 4 CAC, 3CACIB BEL/Holland, 1 RCAC, 1 RCACIB BEL.
STUD DOG OFFSPRING TITLES
INT.CH & BEL.CH.Carnlochan Morning Star
RUSSIAN.CH. Karaszy’s Golden
I am proud of all the dogs who are shown and have achieved great things. Im also just as proud of Spice who is a fully qualified Search and rescue Vizsla for West Sussex.
Mortimer and Delilah are now Scent dogs and have done so well. They have also had their first man trailing experience.
Im proud of all the pets sitting at home in front of the fireplace, and dogs who are working dogs, dogs that have done working tests or field trials, agility, pat dogs. Your all as important as my champion sitting in front of the fire place. Each dog has a special place in our heart and always will do.
KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH US
Of course you do not have to keep in touch with your breeder. The breeders job is kinda completed the day you take the puppy home, but we aren't like other breeders. We love it when you send us photos or videos, we love it when you take time to update us about your dog. Or on social media keep in contact with us. Please remember that if you do not keep in regular contact and then suddenly contact me 10 years later I will not know who you are. Part of my illness is a poor memory, so I wont remember everyone. But if you do keep in contact every now and then we love it! If you want advice during your dogs life, we will give it.
Sadly dogs do not live forever and I must point out to you that when a dog is 7 it is classified as a veteran. The downward to old age is 10 years happens then. Dogs have such a short lifespan that middle age for them is when we are in our 60's and 70's when the body may not work as well, that cancers can appear, and other problems. I really wish dogs could live for ever, but they can not. The hardest day is when you have to put your dog to sleep, your loving companion which has shown years of love to you is gone. The world feels empty. You can not every replace that dog, but you can own another and make new memories with that one. I have had dogs which you can never replace. Another reason we said after Stanley that we couldn't own another male Weimaraner, as he was perfection in a package. He died of old age, his back end went weak, and he couldn't support himself. The kidneys failing, and we had to say goodbye. He was 10 years old when he died. I have always said get any dog to 10 years and you have done well, and every year after is a bonus. Im dreading the day Chilli goes and he is now 11 1/2. I can not replace him at all, he was the one in a million dogs. The best show dog ive ever owned. From the day we picked him up at 6 weeks of age to now, he has lived with us in our bedroom. He has his own big basket and he sleeps in there every night.