Annaliisa Heikkinen

Finland

I have always had dogs in my family. When I was a child my father had spitzes and hounds, as hunting was his hobby and he was a field trial judge. My first own dog was a black Cocker Spaniel bitch Melissa of Zlazano bred by Mrs. Kangassalo. Melissa’s litter by the legendary INT & NORD CH Lochdene Kestila in 1969 was the first Mistyway-litter. During 1969-93 my mother Raili and I bred 54 litters under prefix Mistyway (American Cocker Spaniels, Cocker Spaniels, Tibetan Spaniels and English Setters).
Our American Cockers    placed in The Dog of The Year Competetion (all breeds) among the Top Ten: #3 1977 INT CH Sundust Patience, #8 1980 & #1 1981 INT CH Mistyway Saucy Red Tiger and #2 1986 INT CH V-84-86-87-88 Mistyway Sinful Simon. We have also owned the top winning Tibetan Spaniel -80-81 MULTI CH Zhangri-La of Zlazano and BIS-winning Cocker Spaniel INT CH Mistyway Flashy Flirt.
We were the first American Cocker Spaniel breeders to get the Finnish Kennel Club’s Vuolasvirta Award. I have also been awarded the Silver Medal of Honour of the Finnish Kennel Club and the Silver Medal of Honour of the Finnish Spaniel Association. I’m Honorary Member of the Finnish American Cocker Spaniel Club and Finnish Chihuahua Club.
Our first chihuahua was INT & FI & EE & RU & SE CH Crawford Quite The Best (born 1993). She was a 3½ lbs tricolour lc bitch with the greatest attitude. She was never used for breeding.
Our foundation chihuahuas were two imports from UK: FI CH Copymear Rainbow and INT & FI & DK & EE & NO & SE CH Copymear Classic Touch. We also leased INT & NORD & AM & CAN & FI & NO & SE CH Shorepointe’s Watch Me Burn from USA. With him we were able to enrich the gene pool of our chihuahuas. In June 2010 INT & AM & FI & EE & LV CH Shorepointe’s Blonde Ambition became a member of our    doggy family.  The last Mistyway-litter was born in 2021.
I was approwed to award CCs to American Cocker Spaniels 1983. I’m authorised to judge 91 breeds (in FCI groups 1 2 3 5 8 9)