Il Grandi Bianchi is a breeder from the Maremma scheepdog.

It all started with taking a Maremma as a familydog with the possibility to start breeding in the future for a litter, this has grown out to be a serious undertaking. Out of love and admiration for the breed and of course for my own Maremma named Zoë, I started to read and inform myself what it all ment to become a professional breeder. 

After getting to know the rules for a pedigree from the Kennelclub and because of my membership with the breedclub got to know their rules aswell for breeding, started it to become a breeder with the first requirement. The requirements are 2 showresults from atleast VG (very good) and that the dogs hips are x-rayed and that the outcome would be HD-A, B or C.

First official show is in September 2006, the championshipclubmatch from the breedclub. The result was a VG and the 3th place, very happy with this result beacause it was the minimum showresult that was needed. We could go on further. Registered for 2 more shows. Jou never know what the judge is going to say about your dog. 

November 2006 to Amsterdam, the Winner. This show was a bit more serious than the clubmatch. Through the advice that I got from a member of the club about the line that I used to show her and the clothes that I wore, I adjusted myself for Amsterdam. Dressed neatly and bought there quickly a showline and a band to hold my number. She got an E (excellent) and the reserve championspoint. Went home full with pride with one remark that the judge gave me was that she was a little bit heavy which had an effect on her movement. Nice so that means a diet. The next day I went to the pet shop to buy good  dietfood aspecially for dogs with an overweight. We had only 3 weeks to gain some result, so special food and very few dogcandies or other delicous treats.

December, up to Wijchen, for the 3th show. The judge was pleased and gave her an E and gave her aswell the BOB title (Best of Breed). For the first time we entered the ring of honnor, neither one of us had experience in that. She was totally imprested by it, completely hanging in de line and very low by the floor she went through the ring. It was as if she wanted to scream, I WANT TO GET OUT OF HERE. Unfortunately we can leave the ring just as fast as we entered it.

As we both got the showvirus I registered us for more shows. She finds it by now so nice that we do 2 or 3 shows a month. And still she is stands very impatient, frolicing from the livingroom to the frontdoor on the morning we have to go to a show. 

Because of the good results fromthe shows I decided that it was about time for the next step to make breeding possible. The HD-photo. Mailed the breeder (Peter and Rhoda) if it was also possible to do it by there vet, they were after all content with him, and they would check it with their if he could do it also fot the Netherlands (they live after all in Belgium), no problem. I called the vet and made an appointment . On Saturday 16th of June 2007 we left to visit the vet. We arrived a little bit early but that wasn't a problem. She didn't realize that she was at the vet, sniffing around very relaxed. Making the x-ray wasn't so bad. After taht we visited Peter and Rhoda, chatting and drinking something before driving back home. Zoë could spend some time with her mother Ela and sister Lucca. About a month later the result from the x-ray was known: HD-A, super no more obstacles to go further.

On advice from other breeders whom I spoke to at shows, I started to apply for a kennelname. They told me if you can get a kennelname you should do it. OK, than I wil download the applicationform. And then, you can fill in a maximum of 5 names on that form, what they advice you to do, so that they can go on when a name has been rejected and it will cost you that way less money. Five names, sounds easily, but I wanted it in the Italian language, after all that were the Maremmas come from. I went to the shop to buy a simple Italian dictionary (looking back it would have been better if I bought a good one, because that one would have prevented a grammar mistake in my kennelname – it had to be i Grandi Bianchi instead of il Grandi Bianchi). Plenty of ideas but when you look at the translation  it didn't sound as beautyful as I hoped, so it took me quite a while to find 5 names that I liked. Eventually I found 5 names and send in the applicationform and then you just have to wait on which name you can use.  Already after 2 months I received by post my kennelregistrationcard, and yes it was my first choice that was approved.  With that I could finally start with my website. At this moment the definitive logo for the kennelname is being made by a drawer from only animals but till that time I use a photo from Zoë, Lucca and Ela as logo.

In the meantime I have been searching for the appropriate male dog for Zoë and started to follow ringtraining so she would follow better and went easier through the showring. I prefered a male dog with HD-A or B rather not a C. And than your choices for a male, which was already small, increases even more. One first agreed and suddenly withdraws while your waiting for their papers, while another male dog has been castrated and others have minusses that you don't want to combine with Zoë or their pedigree isn't complete which means that the puppy's would be registered in the appendix. Or the male isn't x-rayed and/or hasn't been to shows and their owners are not willing to make that happen. So finding the appropriate male isn't that easy, it was more difficult then I ever thought it would be. Eventually we found one. Quintano from Eline Jagtenberg and has just like Zoë championtitles. Another male that I have seen would be getting a new x-ray, and may'be that he would be suitable for the puppy that I want to keep myself out of this first litter. Now everything can be prepaired for the litter. The breedingrequest has been filled in and all the enclosures have been added and mailed for the approval from the breedclub. Have to buy all kinds of stuff and partly borrow it from Peter and Rhoda. On 20th of January I received an email that the breedclub gave their approval for Zoë and Quintano. Exciting.... that's what it all will be for sure. Any way we succeded in winning a few championtitles before Zoë becomes a mother. It's a fine thing to give to the pups.