A Short History

I can't remember a time when dogs were not an important part of my life. "Doggy" was the first word I spoke and they have been my passion from the beginning. I first began showing at age 13 when a very kind Collie breeder took me under her wing. As a young adult, I raised and showed Bloodhounds and Beagles for a number of years.

When Vince came into my life, with his passion for hunting and all-things-outdoors, it became clear that sporting dogs would be a necessity. Vince loves to duck hunt the cold, tidal waters of the Washington coast. A strong swimmer that can handle the frigid waters and strong currents is needed. After a lot of research, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever seemed to fit the bill perfectly. After meeting with several local breeders we purchased our first Chesapeake Bay Retriever puppy in 1993 and our love affair with this loving, loyal, protective and smart breed began.

My addiction to dog shows did not end in the sporting dog ring. Through the years I have been lucky enough to handle several breeds including Collies, Dachshund, Afghan, Chihuahua and Japanese Chin. Handling an American Bulldog took me to rare breed shows as well. At one rare breed show on a beautiful fall day in Seattle I saw a red and white dog moving across the green, green grass and my heart skipped a beat. Again the research began along with a couple of trips to Ireland and the Irish Red and White Setter joined our lives. Their zest for life and great humor is infectious. Vince looked forward to the challege of training upland bird dogs that would hunt with a bit more finesse than the Chessie's "crash and flush" method.

Dogs and I have come a long way. I am never more contented then when I am sitting on my couch, an Irish Red and White Setter's head in my lap and a beautiful brown Chessie curled up at my feet.