My Team

This is the story of my kennels from the very beginning…

Elley was my first ever gundog (Springer spaniel) who got me out on the moors at the age of 17 beating. From the very beginning she taught me so much, we grew together. Eventually she gave me another Springer spaniel, Forest, again teaching me how to handle that drive and turning it into positive training, keeping them active and focused on you at the same time. I sadly lost her in 2009 but her character and drive live on in Forest, her son, and Lexi her granddaughter.

Forest is my black and white Springer, as I said bred from Elley. He is very special in every way, he is such a sweet boy and is always eager to please. Forest has always been driven but easier to switch on and off than his mum was! Forest eventually mated with Maisy giving me Lexi.

Maisy is my black cocker spaniel who was given to me at the age of two, making my team the three musketeers. three spaniels all under the age of 4 was challenging but anything challenging is experience. Maisy was a classy lady, perfect in her training but she was to classy to retrieve tennis balls or dummies, she wanted the real thing! Retrieving game came so naturally to her and that’s when it all came together for us. She was out in the field picking up and hunting hard, she was bred for the job who later on gave me two cracking pups Perry and Lexi.

Babs was my loyal black Labrador who I sadly lost in November 2018. Babs came to me age two because she was too timid to train. I put so much time into her and she gave me so much back, she was the sweetest, kindest dog I have ever met. Babs went everywhere with me, I shot my first brace of grouse with her by my side, there is so many memories with her. She also taught me a lot in my training as she was my first quiet lab, I’d always trained highly driven dogs. Babs taught me a lot over our years together which has allowed me to adapt myself to suit other dogs. Babs gave me two cracking pups, Grouse and Bonny which have turned into exceptional workers living up to their mothers name.

Perry is my chunky cocker spaniel who was bred out of Maisy, his father was a proven worker with trusted lines from a local keeper near me. Perry like his mum took to it so naturally, it’s what they are bred for. We did our basic training at home and by 14 months he was sat up alongside the team doing his job. Perry is by far the best dog I’ve had for marking birds his memory is unbelievable along with his nose. I trust him 100% when sending him out!

Lexi is my gorgeous little black and white sprocker. Being a popular cross I mated Forest and Maisy and decided to keep a pup back, knowing they are proven workers with background breeding I trust. I was excited to get a pup out of both lines. Lexi was the easiest spaniel I’d ever trained like her mum she took to retrieving so naturally but had her dads steadiness allowing it to all come together so naturally!

Bailey came to me aged five and lived to the grand age of thirteen working every day in the field. Bailey came with a lot of problems to fix but I took on the challenge. She made a fantastic dog who became a valued member of my team. Like other dogs I’d taken in with problems Bailey taught me ways to deal with these issues, especially in dogs of an older age where some might think they have missed the chance for change! Challenges teach me experience.

Bonny is my yellow Labrador, she is mother to Ruby and Maddison (my new editions). Bonny is like her mother in every single way, a kind and honest little dog with a heart of gold! Bonny likes to work as team, and it helps her confidence in the field. She loves the competition especially with her brother Grouse!

Grouse is my other yellow lab, there is a lot to tell you about this guy! He is my hero, his first season out I unfortunately lost his mum in the grouse season. So, come the pheasant season that year, grouse at the young age of 16 months was in the field with me. He just blew my mind. All the hard work at home paid off in the field and he made me so proud!

Madison and Ruby are my new editions to the team, daughters to bonny and granddaughters to Babs making them the 3rd generation in the kennels! They are both 7 months old. From the minute their eyes opened I knew Maddison was going to be a handful, but I wanted her. She is still cheeky and pushes my buttons but has really keen drive and easy to work with. Ruby unlike her sister is quite timid but we have been doing lots of one on one and she is becoming a lovely dog who loves to please just like her grandmother. I’m so excited to get these two pups out this season, that’s where the real training starts for me! I love to test them in situations proving they can handle the pressure of what’s expected of them out in the field.