Our History
Nixie got it’s start in 2016, when my mother and step-father brought home our first Pumi, Frida (Catskill Egri Estike). My mom had fallen in love with the breed at first sight, meeting an adorable Pumi puppy at an obedience trial I was competing in with my Papillon, CoCo. While we knew we wanted a show dog that we could have some fun with, we had no idea how much would later follow. Frida was our first AKC champion show dog and fulfilled our dream of competing at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. After completing all of her health testing, we started the search for the perfect pairing for her planned breeding.
We knew we had soundness in Frida that we hoped to complement with similar type in the male we chose. With a limited gene pool in the USA, we considered both dogs in our country as well as overseas. This is how we discovered Bissibingens Earl Grey “JoJo”, bred by Ann and Iren Johansen. We reached out to them to discuss pedigree, type, health, temperament, and all the many considerations one must factor into every breeding. JoJo was located in Norway, but with cooperation from his wonderful breeders and his owner, Linda Albrigtsen, we were able to collect and ship frozen semen to our reproductive vet here in Michigan.
From this breeding (2019), we produced only one puppy, Nixie Phantasia “Fig”, who has gone on to have an exceptional and influential career here in the United States. He has been an ambassador for the breed for the last several years, introducing many judges and fellow exhibitors to the outstanding qualities that the Pumi breed can possess. His friendly and outgoing temperament paired with his sound movement and breed type has been a positive benefit to the education of others across the country.
Fig has gone on to be the top Best in Specialty Winning Pumi in AKC breed history. He won the Hungarian Pumi Club of America National in 2025, was Best of Breed at the prestigious Morris and Essex Kennel Club Dog Show (2025) and was Best of Opposite Sex at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in 2026. He ended 2025 as the Number One Breed Ranked Pumi in the USA.
In 2025, I was able to travel to Perkata, Hungary for the Magyar Kutyafajták Centenáriumi Kiállítása (Centenary Exhibition of Hungarian Dog Breeds). This was an event to celebrate the Hungarian Dog Breeds that included historical artifacts and educational presentations, as well as a Hungarian Breed CAC show. I was incredibly grateful for the opportunity to meet and learn from historic Pumi breeders and to have the chance to see Pumi in their country of origin.
In 2025, I was able to travel to Perkata, Hungary for the Magyar Kutyafajták Centenáriumi Kiállítása (Centenary Exhibition of Hungarian Dog Breeds). This was an event to celebrate the Hungarian Dog Breeds that included historical artifacts and educational presentations, as well as a Hungarian Breed CAC show. I was incredibly grateful for the opportunity to meet and learn from historic Pumi breeders and to have the chance to see Pumi in their country of origin.
Also in 2025, I attended the World Dog Show in Helsinki, Finland, and was lucky enough to bring Fig along with me. Outside of Hungary, the Scandinavian countries have one of the largest and highest quality groups of Pumi in the world. At the Hungarian Dog Circuit Show, under Hungarian Judge Andras Vinnai, Fig was awarded 1st in the Champion class, second best male overall, and his Finnish Championship. At the World Show, he was 4th in the Championship class. I was able to meet some exceptional dogs and breeders at this event, as well as have the opportunity to present my own dog to fellow breeders overseas.
I have not done much breeding in my first ten years in Pumi, but have been educating myself to the best of my ability about the breed. In the breeding world, I believe you must first develop an eye for breed type before you can begin to develop a truly successful breeding program. You must decide what your priorities are in the dogs that you produce and what qualities are of the most importance.