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At the outset, as I was trying to capture info from long-standing Chihuahua breeders my interest in this species was growing deeper and deeper. So I decided to ask FCI (the International Kennel Club Federation in Brussels) for my recognition as a breeder, with DI RIO GALERIA as my affix.

Moonshine del Mercurio was proclaimed Italian Champion in 1995. He had a prestigious English-line (from CH Happyvalley Viceroy and Juarez Paquita) pedigree.

I bought my first long-coat girl in 1996, Dacharella’s Hellf Angel, the daughter of CH Dachidas Abracadabra and Dachidas Angel Footstep. She was a very nice puppy, but I never showed her, as I was dying for Chihuahua puppies, despite she had become a wonderful show dog.
My first puppies were born on 31st May 1997: Brivido Nero Di Rio Galeria, whom I kept for myself, became European Junior Champion and Barone Rosso Di Rio Galeria, whom I gave Mrs. Siirka Liisa Nyyssonen of the Shamaanin Kennel in Finland, who became Finnish Champion.

During those years I was touring the world for first-class Chihuahuas. I bought De Gozette Dacota, my first champion, and De Gozette Di Rio Galeria, who was a 3-month old female.
It is really hard to describe how happy I was when Dacota was shown at the International Show in Catania, Italy, in September 1997, when he qualified CAC, CACIB, BOB, BOG Res. under Judge Bianca Tamagnone. He soon gained many important acknowledgments: Italian, International, Italy's 1998 and 1999 Social CCC Winner Club Champion.

La giovane femmina è oggi Campione Italiana, Internazionale, Slovena, Sociale CCC 1999, Top Dog in Italia pelo corto 1999 ed Europea 2000.
The young female is now Italian, International, Slovene, Italy's 1999 Social CCC Winner Club, Italy's 1999 short-coat Top Dog and Europe 2000 Champion.

I bought other subjects in Italy, in other European countries also in America, South Fork’s Jelly Bean in February 2000. This marvelous subject was already an American champion, a dog who has given me great satisfaction both in terms of breeding and in terms of showing. He produced innumerable National, International, European and World champions. Later I bought from Mrs. M. J. Held other subjects that gave me many satisfactions and with which I often won BOG, BIS and European and World championship.

It the beginning, it was very difficult for me to grasp all the intricacies of this world, as the only things giving me the impulse to participate was a deep love for dogs, a great desire to improve them and a vivid interest in genetics, which I have developed through a specific study of the subject. I wasn't born a dog breeder, nor of a dog-breeding family, so I have had to gradually teach myself all the tricks of this fantastic trade. In so doing, I have had to face countless difficulties during my journey into this wonderful world, and I have always tried to stay in it with the necessary expertise and without getting carried away by favourable circumstances.

All major breeders have accepted me and I have always managed to establish pleasant and fruitful relations with them. At the moment I’m member of technical breeding commission of Club Cani da Compagnia, Vice-president in the Italian Society Yorkshire Terrier (SIAYT)  and to the ENCI (Italian Kennel Club) Member of the Committee Italian races.

Francesco di Paola Nuzzo, Music Velvet Kennel, has been collaborating with me constantly and actively from nine years for Chihuahuas selection. Together we produce and show our subjects as best as we can.

Also Francesco has a passion for this race, because of his love for beauty, caused by his studies. At the present he is Member  of Club Cani Compagnia ( Club goup 9 Italy), He has founded Kennel Club Colosseo (Rome kennel association) of which he is member, too. He organizes International Dog Show of Rome.

Our  kennels have boasts over 500 championship in The World titles Since 1995. years of selecting Chihuahuas, trying to eliminate all possible hereditary and genetic disorders, testing studs and females before reproduction for ERP(PRA) and rotular displasia.

I have highly selective breeding concepts, and I select dogs not only by morphologic typology, but also by character and nature. I also make sure my dogs have the typical expression of the species, and their heads and bodies are well-proportioned and correctly-shaped.

I try to breed the right subjects for a long-standing career in the major shows, and I have obtained several acknowledgments with subjects I gave out in Italy and abroad and with subjects I have kept for myself.

It is a hard work everyday, but the results are really worth the trouble.

      Paolo Tartaro & Francesco di Paola Nuzzo