History of "WATERSHIP"

Watership Kennels

History of "WATERSHIP"

We are frequently asked why we choose the name WATERSHIP.

When I was young, our family bred cats. British shorthair to be precise. One in particular was our first cats "Mittens". She was a grand old girl and lived a VERY long life... from 1966 to 1988!

We showed her on occasion which is where I picked up the showing bug. Her "exhibition" name was "Waterdown's Ship Santa Maria". Obviously an early influence.

In the mid 1970's I started collecting rabbits. My collection contained various rabbit figures from around the world. Then in 1979, a movie was released that set the stage. It's name???? Watership Down.

Based on a novel by Richard Adams, the story is about a group of rabbits that leave their warren to find a new place to live. A fitting description of my life at that time...I was exploring the "world" to find a place I felt I belong in.

Also in 1980 while in Toronto, I met a couple walking two unusual spaniels. unlike the Cockers that we were considering to buy, these dogs were bigger, heavier and I learned carried natural instincts.I learned they were Field Spaniels...a WATER breed.

This meeting left a strong impression in my mind. Unlike many other spaniel breeds, these were almost a "natural" dog. The more I researched, the more I wanted to know this dog.

Destiny it seemed, was the path. A water dog in my rabbit decor home with my Waterdown's Ship Santa Maria cat!

So in 1980 "Watership" was born.

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