Dachshunds Mini-Long, Long-Haired and American Cocker Spaniels.
WHERE QUALITY COUNTS
time after time…
A Dog is the only thing on Earth,
That loves you more than you love yourself!JOSH BILLINGS
ZARCREST breeds primarily Mini-Long Dachshunds, Long-Haired Dachshunds and American Cocker Spaniels, they are based in the UK and have won many accolades over the years with their show dogs.
Our guardianship is simple, to breed the very best within the guidelines of the UK breed standards.
This is our passion originating from a family hobby and not a commercial enterprise, we strive that the health and welfare of that passion are the very best it can be, with our emphasis on quality and not quantity.
Currently, we have 6 Champions living at home excluding our Group Winners, Group Placed Winners, Puppy Group Winners, CC Winners, RCC Winners, double European Titleholder, American Cocker Speciality Junior Winner and Benelux 2018 Junior Winner.
We are also proud to have bred and co-own WELSH TOP DOG 2018
We do occasionally have puppies or older dogs available to permanent loving homes, please check out our litterbox page or our blog for up to date information.
We hope our pages inspire you to bookmark our site and return.
Thank you for visiting us.
- Family Hobby
- Three Generations
- 51 Years Experience
- Producing Top Winners
- Health Tested
- Home Reared
- 24/7 Aftersales
- Advice Given freely
RECENT ADVERTISEMENTS
TESTIMONIALS
We were made very welcome when we made the trip from Guernsey to North Wales to collect our first Zarcrest mini dachshund dog who is now 5. The house was full of gorgeous dachshunds of both sizes and we could have easily come away with more than one! Our boy has the best nature of any dachshund we have ever owned including those we bred ourselves. He is a pet and doesn’t do shows but is a very important member of the family. We were delighted to have the chance to acquire a Zarcrest bitch as his companion last year and they are both wonderful characters. The information and feeding plans provided with the puppies was top drawer and we have always felt we could ask anything if we needed to.
Ruth & Andy Guille
Zara’s Dachshund’s are pure quality, all the dogs have such a good nature about them, I have had no issue with any of my dogs which I have got from Zarcrest Kennels, they have never been any medical issues, they are a solid good natured and happy puppies that grow to be just Fantastic companions, I did not go down the show route, although my dogs are more than qualified to do so. I personally would not go anywhere else for my Dachshunds.
Before any pups are sold ALL would be owners are strictly vetted, and if you are one of the lucky ones who does secure a puppy, then you have a 7 day week help line so to speak if you require any advice or if you are having problems, their knowledge is second to none. You will get regular communications in your first couple of months to see how your puppy/dog is growing and to make sure you are happy with your companion.
Tom O’Sullivan
I can recommend Zarcrest most highly, they are breeders of the highest calibre.
We have had two Dachshunds from them and have been delighted with both dogs.
I know if there are any problems or concerns, helpful advice is only an email or phone call away.
Bill and Val Harris
We would like to thank Zara & Will for making us most welcome at their home, both when we went to see the litter and afterwards, all the dogs were very welcoming, it was just like being at home.
As the miniature dachshund is a new breed for us they have both been there with plenty of advice and also help at the shows when our breeds have clashed and we are proud to call them friends.
Steve and Anne Ham (Bamjoeh Saluki’s)
BREED INFORMATION
Dachshund's Breed Facts
How the division of sizes evolved in the UK – information provided by retired canine breed press contributor and ‘Breed Specialist’ Mr Jeff Crawford (Voryn)
1935 – The Miniature Club was formed – original weights suggested for dogs to be exhibited was 12lb – reducing to 11lb the following year.
1948 – Separate Registers were granted by The Kennel Club for Longs & Smooths with suggested ideal weight of 7-9lb, with a limit of 11lb.
1949 – The first set of Challenge Certificates (CC), were granted for Miniature Longs & Miniature Smooths.
1959 – The Wires separate, with a 12lb limit.
1967 – The Wires were brought into line with the other Dachshund varieties.
1977 – The Crossing of the coats ended.
1992 – Recessives could no longer be registered
1986 – The ideal weight of Miniature Dachshunds became 10lb, but no prizes should be awarded to a Miniature over 11lb.
Apparently in the 1950’s some exhibitors can still remember classes for Standard Smooths under 18lb, & some top quality stock being shown!
Despite our ideal Standard size is 20-26lb – the weight is going up and up! – 34lb or more.
As a note of interest –
In Germany – Recessives could not be registered as long ago as 1924!
In Germany – The Long Hairs are still retrieving from water, and are very good at it! – more of a gundog type.
Dachshund's Breed History
The Dachshund breed of dog has been seen in illustrations that are dated back to the 15th century. It is known that this breed was created for a specific purpose.
The German foresters had to find a way to control a varmint known as the badger, from ruining their master’s hunting parties.
The badger was a nasty tempered predator that had its den underground.
What the foresters were looking for was a courageous dog that had a body slender enough to fit down the burrow, sufficiently lithe to manoeuvre into the den, and tenacious and strong enough to fight the badger to the death.
What they came up with was a remarkable dog that defined “form following function”.
The word dachs means “badger”
The word hund means “dog”
So the word Dachshund is interpreted to mean “badger dog”
Dachshund Health Predispositions
Dachshunds generally suffer few health problems providing they are kept well exercised and fed a healthy, balanced diet. On average they live to more than 12 years old.
Because they are a dwarf breed there is an increased risk of back problems. Always ask about any history of back problems when buying a puppy. Problems are best avoided by keeping the dog fit and not allowing it to become overweight, or to run up and down stairs which put extra stress on the back.
Mini Long, Mini Smooth and Mini Wire breeding stock whould have been tested for Retinal Degeneration (cord1 mutation PRA) which is an inherited condtion causing degenerative disease of the retina, resulting in viusual impairment, or blindness. Mini Wires should be tyested for Lafora Disease which is an inherited form of epilepsy.
Always consult a Vet if you have any concerns about a puppy you intend to purchase, or health problems with an older dog.
Further information is provided on the breed health website.
American's Breed History
Spaniels, earlier referred to as “Spanyells,” have been around for centuries. This is a large and diverse group of dogs, dating back to the 14th century or perhaps even earlier. Spaniels of all types historically have been bred to hunt, either on land or on water, or sometimes on both. The American Cocker Spaniel is the smallest of the recognized Spaniel breeds and also is the smallest member of the Kennel Club’s Gundog Group.
American Cockers, and English Cockers, were bred specifically to flush and retrieve game birds. In fact, their name probably comes from the “woodcock,” which is a bird that they apparently are especially proficient at hunting.
During the 1800s, English Cocker Spaniels were imported to the USA and Canada in quite some numbers by bird-hunting enthusiasts, who valued their exceptional skills at flushing and retrieving woodcock, pheasant and grouse.
English Cockers were accepted for show competition in England in 1883, and were given breed status in England’s Kennel Club Stud Books in 1892.
In the early to mid-1900s, the American Cockers began to diverge from their English counterparts. American breeders interested in showing Cocker Spaniels competitively in the conformation ring began breeding them down in size, which also made them especially suitable as family pets.
The Cocker Spaniel soon became the most popular purebred dog in America.
Hunting enthusiasts resisted the trend towards breeding petite Cockers. In 1935, they formed a separate breed club for the traditional English Cocker Spaniels, called the English Cocker Spaniel Club of America, which remains today as the parent club for that breed in the United States. The AKC formally recognized the English Cocker Spaniel as a breed distinct from the American Cocker Spaniel in 1946.
The enormous popularity of the American Cocker Spaniel had its benefits for the breed but also brought some unwelcome consequences. Commercial puppy mills and other unscrupulous “breeders” began breeding Cockers indiscriminately, without attention to the health, temperament or well-being of the parents or their puppies. Fortunately, responsible fanciers of the American Cocker Spaniel intervened and continued promoting high-quality examples of their beloved breed.
Today’s American Cockers by and large are the endearing, energetic, affectionate companions that made them among the most popular of all purebred dogs.
American Cocker Health Predispositions
The American Cocker Spaniel has an average life expectancy of between 12 and 15 years.
Breed health concerns may include
- allergies
- autoimmune hemolytic anemia
- cancer
- cherry eye
- cataracts
- ectropion
- entropion
- glaucoma
- progressive retinal atrophy
- corneal ulceration
- keratoconjunctivitis sicca
- ear infections
- hemophilia
- hepatitis
- hip dysplasia
- elbow dysplasia
- patellar luxation
- chondrodysplasia
- hypothyroidism
- patent ductus arteriosus
- pulmonic stenosis
- endocarditis
- dilated cardiomyopathy
- intervertebral disc disease
- epilepsy and an assortment of dermatological (skin) disorders