Who is California Drents?

California Drents is the oldest active breeding program of Drents in North America, having whelped its first litter in January 2017. California Drents is not a volume breeder, but it is passionate about breeding for health. The Drent is a generally healthy breed, but there are some recognized health issues to consider when making breeding choices. I don't compromise. I will not use a dog in my breeding program with an orthopedic issue, like elbow dysplasia. I will not choose a pairing that will result in puppies affected with von Willebrand Disease, which necessarily requires advance genetic testing. Some breeders rationalize different choices as somehow necessary or harmless. I strongly disagree. Breeders owe it to future generations of the breed to produce the healthiest pups possible. Puppy buyers expect no less. Read more here.

My name is Marc Gorelnik, a former physicist, a trademark attorney, a volunteer with several marine conservation and sportfishing organizations, and a breeder of the Drentsche Patrijshond. Having left the big law firm life in 2012 in favor of a law practice from a home office, I began the search for a canine companion. I researched a number of breeds and strongly considered the English Pointer, the German Shorthaired Pointer, and the Brittany Spaniel. In the course of my searching, I fortuitously learned of the Drentsche Patrijshond. I was able to visit a few in San Diego - thanks to Kurt Krasne. I was sold. Unfortunately, there were no active breeders in North America at the time, so I had to look further afield, to the Netherlands, the Drent's country of origin.

The first Drent to come into my life is Claire (Jazz Judy v.d. Kouterman). She came from a Belgian breeder that was living in The Hague in Holland. I picked her up in September 2013. She was a handful as a puppy, which is typical for a Drent, keeping me on my toes. She grew into a sweet and enthusiastic companion and I became a champion of the breed. Owing to the lack of breeders, I began to consider breeding Claire. I undertook her health testing. Everything was great: excellent hips, normal elbows, healthy eyes. However, her genetic testing revealed that she was a carrier of von Willebrand Disease. Because she was a carrier (one copy of the gene) and not affected (two copies of the gene), she would not be expected to exhibit any bleeding issues. Nonetheless Claire could pass on the disease unless she was bred to a male that was "clear" of the gene that causes von Willebrand Disease. None were available in the United States. Again, my search turned to the Netherlands and Belgium.

In the fall of 2016, Claire and I traveled to Belgium. She was bred to Ferron, a beautiful Drent. On January 6, 2017, a lovely litter was born, two girls and four boys. They went on to families around the United States. Exactly two years after that first breeding, Claire returned to Belgium to be bred to Kiet. On January 6, 2019, two boys and five girls arrived. I kept a male from that litter, California Drents' Yosemite, call name "Sam." Sam has received higher honors in dog shows than any Drent in North America. He was the first Drent to receive a Certificate of Merit from the American Kennel Club. He is the only Drent from North America to receive a Certificat d'Aptitude au Championnat International de Beauté (International Championship) from the Fédération Cynologique Internationale. Sam also earned Champion titles from Belgium and Luxembourg.

I did not breed Claire a third time. In 2024, I returned to the Netherlands to bring home Viburnum Indy v.d. Nettelhorst, call name "Rose." She is everything one could want in a female Drent. She is smart, sassy, and an "excellent breed example" according to the most recent Dutch judge to evaluate her. She has good hips, normal elbows, healthy eyes and is "clear" of von Willebrand Disease. She cannot produce any affected puppies and could produce a litter of clear puppies if bred to a clear male. Rose has earned her Junior Hunter title from the American Kennel Club and is on the verge of earning her AKC Certificate of Merit.