Lovable Companions
Janet & Larry Dilger
19406 N County Rd 800 E
Ferdinand, IN 47532
(812) 893-0281
(812) 582-0682
email: janetdilger@gmail.com

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Why I Started the Ocherese
In 1973, I married a very understanding man. Never did he envision the challenge of being married to a woman who has a soft heart for four legged creatures. One of the first things I talked him into was the purchase of a beautiful little Toy Poodle. This dog was the joy of our first years of marriage. After two years of playful fun he went to heaven to play with all the children who missed having the pleasure of a dog here on earth. I am glad he went there, for one of those children is mine.

The next five years I spent my time trying to find the perfect breed of dog. I decided on the beautiful little Pekingese to fill my days- only to find that we as humans never think of what type of suffering we put our pets through when we try to make that perfect dog. At first I thought the problem might be my ignorance of how to care for these loving animals. I kept getting puppies that had all kinds of health problems. I started to talk to other breeders only to find out that everyone's litters were having some kind of inherited health problem. I started to wonder why we put these loving animals through pain for that one perfect puppy that so few of us get pleasure from. I did my homework, then decided to take the small dogs I loved best because of their mild tempers, beautiful coats, and intelligence, and produce a pet that everyone could enjoy. Never did I dream that the animal that I now hold in my arms would be so loved.

The Ocherese Beginnings
I took my beautiful Show Pekingese and bred them to a Tiny Toy Poodle. This mixture worked well except that I did not like the texture of their coats. To straighten this coat I wanted an animal that still had the mild temper of the Pekingese but also had a small face, long hair, and did not shed. During my search I looked over the Maltese, which happened to be the special ingredient that was missing from my perfect recipe. In the mean time I also had five children, so I wanted a dog with a coat that did not need a lot of care. To say the least, my job was cut out for me. I really loved long haired creatures, but could I produce this loving animal that I so longed for? To add to all of this I also wanted a beautiful sunset red color. My Pekingese had red in their background but I never seemed to produce a red coat. Well, God must have been looking to help me,for a dear friend of mine gave me a wonderful Maltese. My Pek-A-Poo came in season, and I had no one else to breed her with, so I used this very willing, lovable Maltese. The rest is now history. Yet like history, not all is told. The mysterious ingredient is a strict family secret.

I came up with this beautiful little creature. That had a gorgeous sunset red coat, and who laid in my arms on her back and completely trusted that I would never hurt a hair on her little head. She was right. In this litter I had a black puppy with little white feet and a white puppy. This is how I started with such versatile color variations. This was the beginning of the happiest and hardest time of my life.

It was after this that I became very ill. After years of being misdiagnosed, I started to wonder if all of my work with this breeding program would be for nothing. I would spend days at a time in bed. My sons started to help with the care of my canine friends. Not one of my dogs had puppies the whole time I was ill. Again the Good Lord stepped in. I was finally diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, Polymyalgia Rheumatica, and Sleep Apnea which all cause chronic pain. With treatment, I started to put my life back in some kind of order. I missed spending time with my dogs by this time, so each day I devoted as much time as I could to them. I loved just to study them and see how they related to different changes in their lives.

Lovable Companions
My breeding program started again, but this time I wanted to make sure that the puppies I was responsible for bringing into this world were very people-oriented. When my tiny babies are four weeks old, I start to spend quality time with them. This is how I create my truly Lovable Companions. Now I have a pet longed-haired that doesn't shed, is mild-tempered, very intelligent, and comes in the most interesting colors. The way we came up with the name OCHERESE is that OCHER is the color that looks like a beautiful sunset with a little red, a little orange, and a dash of golden tones. It describes my idea of the perfect color. The -ESE comes from Pekingese and the Maltese and their easy temperament. Their intelligence comes from that little Poodle, which has been proven to have the most knowledge.

Now you have the story of the little OCHERESE (between five and twelve pounds) that lights up more then a few human eyes, shows a lot of love to the young & old, and brings quite a few tears when it's time to go play with all the little children in heaven, mine included.

The Ocherese Home
OCHERESE were originally bred, and still are today, in the beautiful rolling hills of Southern Indiana in a little German town called Mariah Hill, not to far from the town of Santa Claus. They roam contentedly on the outskirts of this friendly and peaceful place, where Janet and Larry Dilger tend to their every need. Here their lives are made as carefree as a dog's life can be. The Dilger children- Amber, Brock, Brandon, Brad, and Bryce, lead lives that would have never been so filled with laughter if it weren't for the making of this little, gentle creature.

General Appearance
The OCHERESE is a toy dog covered from head to foot with a long mantle of soft, silky, non-shedding hair which may have a slight undercoat. This coat is of the texture that has little, if any, matting. They come in every conceivable color and even parti-colors. Their long, beautifully plumed, graceful tail is carried well over their back to either side. Their heart shaped ears are rather low set and heavily feathered with long hair that hangs close to the head. Their eyes are set not too far apart, are very dark and round, and have black rims that enhance their gentle, alert expression. Their body is compact with short, nicely feathered legs. Their gentle demeanor makes them a loving, well-mannered, and affectionate friend. They are very eager to learn, have great intelligence, and are totally trusting. The OCHERESE is sprightly in action and possesses the vigor to be a truly LOVABLE COMPANION.

-- Janet Dilger