Name: Kattis Lundgren
Birthdate: 8th of March, 1982
Hometown: Örnsköldsvik, SWEDEN
Residence: Idbyn (on a farm about 10 km north of Ö-vik)
Occupation: Processoperator at Domsjö Fabriker

Dog qualifications: Qualified agilityinstructor, first level to becoming a mentaltest/evaluation "figure", been to several lectures on canine behaviour and health, trained and competed (the last part more or less active) dogs since 1999, been involved in the local working dog club in some committees and also been in the board of national breed association. I help out at local competitions and shows a little now and then.
I am in the board of the Swedish Belgian Shepherds Breeding Association - Local Club (AfBV-MNLO).
I am studying the Swedish Kennel Clubs "study course for breeders", and has also done the breeders study course of the Belgian Shepherd Breeding Association here in Sweden.

I grew up in a family who loved and embraced most animals, in particular cats and dogs. I’m the “little one” of the family, having two older siblings. I was always very emotionally connected in our pets. I believe the animals had a great eager to invilve in me too – or maybe they just had no choice. *LOL* All of the dogs and cats that lived with us found my room the natural resting place – the nights without fur in my bed are countable. De dog breeds I grew up with were Roughhaired Collies and Belgian Shepherds/Tervuerense Herders.

My first own dog came to be a Nederlandse Schapendoes, Ghetto was born in 1998, and I bought him at the age of 16 after decided that I needed the presence of a dog again. A couple of years had then passed since our Tervueren travelled to the other side of the rainbow. Ghetto is still going strong, alert and spirited – he is still up for anything I feel like doing, for example competitive obedience training. I devoutly wish that he will be around for a long time.

Ghetto is definitley my “once-in-a-lifetime-dog”. He is undeniably special, and we have a strong bond between us that words can not do justice. He understands me and reads me like an open book, and I do the same with him. Trust and affection are some of the words that come to my mind. When I need him, he is always there with his dark pepper grains under heavy tuft. This does not mean that we always have the same opinion on everything, believe me – he’s got a very stong mind of his own!

Since Tervuerense Herders moved into my heart in early teenage, and refused to move out, I simply had to introduce this breed to our little pack again. In 2002 little puppy Tarass moved in and took our breath away, left both me and Ghetto standing with mouth wide open and terror in our faces. *LOL* But I have not regretted having Tarass in our lives. To this day he is my little baby, and in my opinion he is a wonderful creature who keeps my emotions well up to date! Blood, sweat and tears mixed with lots of joy and laughter dominated our three-four first years together. He is now a dream to live with. Surely he is a Tervuerense Herder in all aspects, but the one thing he has tought me is that he cannot become the best he possibly can if I do not accept him for the Belgian Shepherd that he, in fact, is.

When it comes to my interest in our beloved canine companions, it is without limits. I wolf down all knowledge I can get in my strive to “know it all”. Genetics, breeding, health, canine behaviour, learning ability, mental attributes... well, I simply cannot get enough! I am obsessed with pedigrees and can sit by my computer for hours and hours tracking down individuals, families and bloodlines – god bless the internet! But, the worst thing is, the more I learn... the more I come to realize that I know nothing at all!

In the future I would love to breed both Schapendoes and Tervueren, I love both breeds tremendously – and I want to get in there and do my part to preserve and affect the future dogs of these breeds too! I have quite strong opinions in how I believe that the Schapendoes and Tervueren should be when it comes to behaviour, personality and looks; this by trying to interpret facts about their origins both exteriour- and interiourwise. I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by breeders and dogpeople with great skills, and I am very grateful for that. They continuosly make me develop and share their experience and knowledge in a generous way. My opinions do change and develop as good as daily, I was very quick to make up my mind earlier but now I have come to the insight that nothing is either black or white in the world of domesticated canine – there is a whole lot of grey in between as well.

During the fall of 2007, my kennel prefix Ghedoes was approved bt the Swedish Kennel Club and the FCI. I applied fo the name in preventative purposes – but it is still a couple of years until the first litter will see daylight at my house. Mostly because I do not have a breeding female yet (ha ha ha) but also because I feel like I have so much more to learn before I’m ready to do a good job in breeding. The name itself is simply the beginning og Ghetto and ending of Schapendoes, and I have used the name for several years as webalias on forums and discussion boards. It feels like it represents me in a good way.

I have been devoted to Schapendoes since 1998, the year when I got Ghetto. To count the years of love for Tervuerense Herders (there was a gap of nine years without one in my home though) I would have to go back to 1993.

If You want to get in contact with me, do not hesitate to send an e-mail to kattis@ghedoes.com!