Sanna Koponen

Finland

I live in Naantali, a small coastal town in Southwest Finland, close to the city of Turku. My everyday life is closely connected to nature – spending time outdoors and being active with my dogs is not just a hobby, but a way of life. The surrounding archipelago, forests and open landscapes are places where I feel most at home, and where the natural qualities of a dog can truly be seen. My journey in the dog world began in the early 1990s with Poodles. I was granted the kennel name Trucker’s in 1995, and my first litter was born in 1997. Over the years, I have bred Poodles in all size varieties and in the colours apricot, red, black and white, as well as Cirneco dell’Etna. Today, only Cirnecos live at my home, while my Poodles live in co-owning families. Breeding has always been a long-term commitment for me, combining passion for the breed, responsibility, and the goal of continuous improvement across generations. I am actively involved in breed and kennel club activities. I serve on the breeding committee of the Finnish Cirneco and Italian Greyhound Club, and I am a board member of Ulkomuototuomarit ry. In addition, I work as a regional instructor and as a kennel advisor in the Southwest Finland Kennel District and microchip identifier, and DNA sample collector for Finnish Kennel Club. Through these roles, I aim to support responsible breeding and contribute to the development of the dog community. Over the years, I have participated in a wide range of activities with my dogs, including dog shows, obedience, rally obedience, agility, track racing, lure coursing, hunting-related activities and tracking (MEJÄ). Each discipline has deepened my understanding of structure, movement, and working ability. Currently, my activities focus mainly on showing and running sports with my Cirnecos, where the breed’s natural movement and original purpose are best expressed. My breeding work has been recognized with several awards: in 2022 I received the Vuolasvirta Award from the Finnish Kennel Club, in 2023 the SUKOKA Breeder Award, and in 2025 the Breeder Award of the Finnish Sighthound Club for my work with Cirneco dell’Etna. These recognitions are especially meaningful to me as they reflect long-term dedication to the breed. I qualified as an FCI judge in 2019. My first breed was the Poodle, with which I began my dog hobby in 1991. Today, I am also licensed to judge Cirneco dell’Etna, as well as several breeds in FCI Groups 5, 6, 9 and10, in addition to some non-FCI recognized breeds. As a judge, I always look for health, balance and overall harmony. I value dogs that are moderate, true to their breed standard, with correct temperament, breed-typical movement and proper coat quality. I am particularly interested in the original purpose of each breed and believe strongly that a dog should not only be beautiful, but also functional. This principle guides both my judging and my breeding philosophy. In my judging, I aim to evaluate each dog both as an individual and as a representative of its breed – always respecting its background, purpose and essential characteristics. At its best, a dog is a harmonious combination of structure, movement and temperament.