The Lytles have shared their lives with numerous cats and dogs.

Many of them have gone on to await their humans at The Rainbow Bridge.

This page is devoted to the canines that are currently teaching the Lytles.

Curly one (Belgian Laekenois) Kiss (Winjammer's Barbwire Kisses) was recently diagnosed with lymphosarcoma. This is a malignant tumor that occurs in dogs, appears to run in certain lines and gets dogs at a much too young age.

While Kissy appears a picture of health at that time we are told it would not be long before she would fall ill! Indeed: less than 2 months after her diagnosis was made she moved to the Rainbow Bridge.

We are saddened as she was a sweet dog.

We have supported her and kept her comfortable until the end came. She was lovingly helped to cross to the Bridge by Carol Kurtyka, DVM who came to our house for this!

We are aficionados of the Belgian Shepherds: Tervuren, Malinois, Groenendaal and the rare breed Laekenois. It appears the pure bred dogs have numerous health issues to contend with.

We have decided not to breed our beautiful Belgian Laekenois Peer Var Letsage until he has lived a full life and not succumbed early to some horrible disease. We have already done all the health checks available on him ( he is CHIC certified) but there are still health issues that will crop up that you have no way of knowing beforehand. This lymphosarcoma is such a disease! Rare breed dogs such as the Belgian Laekenois with their small gene pool are very susceptible to such diseases. We the breeders need to be proactive and protect our beautiful companions by not breeding indiscriminately.

Peer's semen will be collected and only used at the right time, many years from now.

I urge you the reader to beware of indiscriminate breeding practices, whether you are a breeder yourself, or are about to  get a puppy. Study the breed, know all about the possible health issues and make sure the parents have had all available heatlh checks. Also inquire about the grandparents and even further back in the lineage.