ABOUT US & OUR DOGS
Learn more about Darkwater Blues, our breeders, why we love Blue Picardy Spaniels, and why we think you'll love one in your family, too.
ABOUT DARKWATER BLUES
Darkwater Blues is owned and operated in Neustadt, Ontario by Steven Schmidt and Pam Polfuss-Schmidt. It is a culmination of over 25 years of owning, training and competing with our dogs.
Our constant search for dogs of excellent breeding, exhibiting longevity, good genetic health and excellent temperaments led us to the Blue Picardy Spaniel. We feel this breed offers the best of all worlds: a high drive to please and perform, the loving temperament desired in a family companion and a beautiful look that is a pleasure to have at the end of the leash. Our dogs are registered with the FCI, UKC and CKC.
We are very excited to be planning our first litter of these lovely dogs. Please contact us for information or to get on our waiting list.
ABOUT OUR FAMILY
Our family has been heavily involved in all aspects of canine competition for over 25 years. We have competed with our Labs and Flat-Coated Retrievers throughout North America in hunt, obedience, agility and conformation and have had a lot of fun and met a lot of life-long friends along the way. We were fortunate to connect with Barry and Pauline Harrison of Fishercreek Flat-Coated Retrievers many years ago. As one of the Top Flat-Coat Breeders in North America, Barry and Pauline were kind enough to provide mentorship and advice as we decided to establish our own breeding program. We look forward to continuing this relationship as we bring our healthy, happy and fun Blue Picardy Spaniels to the world. We believe in breeding for health and temperament first. All of our breedings are carefully researched to ensure genetic diversity (as broad as possible in a small breed) and we thoroughly research all the lines we use to screen for potential inherited health issues. Our breeding dogs undergo hip, elbow and eye testing and our puppies come with a guarantee against genetic hip, elbow and eye issues. All of our dogs are raised in our home with plenty of interaction with people, other animals (our house cat is a popular playmate) and a variety of situations to ensure we deliver healthy and well-adjusted puppies to all of our furever families. Placing our dogs in homes where they’ll be properly cared for is a top priority of ours.
ABOUT THE BREED
Origin
A long-legged spaniel with setter characteristics, the Blue Picardy is a versatile sporting dog with a reputation for locating and retrieving game under the most adverse conditions. The first French spaniels had their beginnings in the Middle East when French knights travelled to the Holy Land accompanied by their pointers and hounds, which interbred with Arabian Greyhounds. Over time, the spaniels of France separated into regional types. Picardie, France, was a paradise for hunters of waterfowl and, at the end of the 19th century, British hunters and dogs came to hunt in the area’s marshes and moors. When the British quarantine was put into effect, many English hunters boarded their setters on Picardie farms. Consequently, Picard spaniels were crossed with blue belton English and Gordon Setters and the Blue Picardy Spaniel was the result.
Temperament
The Blue Picardy is a docile dog with a calm demeanour. Patient, well-mannered and very adaptable, it gets on well with other dogs and animals. Though noted for being both gentle and playful with children, the Blue Picardy will always announce the presence of strangers and is ready to defend his family if the need arises.