About Blyss Kennels
In 2003, my late husband, Bob Dwyer, and I had the opportunity to purchase a borzoi and enter their world, and that of showing dogs in conformation. His name was Lara’s River of Dreams, “Casanova”. The details of his life are available here. That was the beginning.
Additional borzoi and a great passion for the breed followed. The website celebrates each of our dogs and documents the efforts with which we pursued both excellence and joy in our kennel.
However, in March 2011, Bob died suddenly. Although not the first tragedy to befall, that one had the greatest impact, setting into motion mandatory changes for the kennel. Being alone with four borzoi, “Tresor”, “Mikhailya,” “Paris” and “Casanova,” I had many difficult decisions to make. I left my majestic house at the top of the first ridge of the Watchung Mountain behind. First, I found a loving home for Tresor with local, dear friends, assuaging that pain considerably. Then I settled in an area of town that was previously farmland, so it was on flat land, something very different from our heavily wooded property on the Watchung Mountain’s first ridge. The house I picked out for us had been newly renovated to be a charming country cottage with a deck and a fenced back yard. In December 2012, with heavy heart, I abandoned Blyss House with my three remaining borzoi, “Casanova,” “Mikhailya,” and “Paris”. The next morning on their first walk, the neighbors all came out to meet the borzoi! They were welcomed by all and made their first friends.
I know they loved it here, brief as their time was. We all lived together in one rather small space. However, I have learned change is constant and that did not pass me by again. It was during this first year, the summer of 2013, that both Casanova and Mikhailya passed away. I wished they could have stayed longer to enjoy this lovely home I selected with them in mind. Paris, always the gentleman borzoi, remained for another year, until June 2014, and again there was another and final sad good-bye.
I have noticed that since Bob died, I have spent a great deal of time writing in Blyss Blog. View my writings online here.
Lorene with Mikhailya, Casanova and Paris reminisce, muse, and weep about my
experiences with my borzois as if they were an old, trusted friends. I also speculate about
borzoi, the breeders, the shows, and the future of the breed.
Blyss Blog is where the current news of Blyss Kennels can be found, complete with new
stories and photographs. This will be the last updated Home Page unless I acquire future
borzoi that will revitalize my kennel. There is always the hope that I can have a borzoi
from the line of Mikhailya’s one puppy, the Champion Dog who has accomplished so
much here in the USA before he was imported to Japan for the Belisarius Kennel of
Kyoko Ozeki Hirai. There, “Magnus/Max”, became a Best in Show (BIS) winner, and a
producer of BIS throughout the world. Mikhailya’s death in July 2013 in no way
diminished her winning star and breathtaking beauty that live on through them.
Regarding the Blyss Borzoi, consisting of Casanova, Mikhailya, Paris and Opal, we also
had a beautiful Labrador retriever named Ebony who was rescued from a shelter in PA,
and for a short while owned a show Lab puppy. We decided we could only do justice to
one breed so the puppy was sadly returned to her breeder. Ebony of course remained
with me as my personal companion dog, a dog that never left my side. After all of my
dogs passed on, I contacted a close friend, Frances Wright of Bibikov Borzoi, for another
borzoi, “Jelly” who made me very happy for the four years I owned her. She became a
personality on Facebook, in my home town, and on Meet the Breeds, which she attended
twice. Jelly passed away in 2019 and I believed I would not be getting another dog.
However, in my grief, I became very weak and depressed. I decided to acquire a Silken
Windhound, and in January 2020, Ms. Mary Childs delivered her GR CH Wind ‘n Satin
It’s My Party, “Kensey”. I was the luckiest person in the world to have her, and she has
been by my side ever since.
I know someday, even Blyss Blog over which I toil so assiduously will no longer exist. I
know I should create a Facebook Page, a more current and popular medium, for greater
longevity! And I can only hope for the self discipline to become a real author and create
a book from all of these stories and experiences which have impacted me so strongly. I
have set a high barre for myself, I know. If not, I fear that all I am or have been will have
been irrelevant; even my “foot-print” in cyberspace will disappear forever. Those things
sadden me because I really have nothing I want to say other than about Blyss Kennels. I
have no interest beyond it, or no one to whom I must explain it. I want to thank my
readers whom I know visit in large numbers and to whom I am grateful. Blyss Kennels,
my life, has been the best of me, has taken the best of me, has been all of me. In my life,
Blyss Kennels had the most of my heart.
Interested people are always welcome to contact me and I welcome messages.
Lorene Connolly