Family and Dogs
I was actually born at a dog show... Well my parents made it to the hospital but we were far from home with a truck load of dogs. So I was raised with dogs as my friends, playmates and confidants.
As a child I competed in Jr. Handling competitions, showing any dog, any breed, I could get my hands on. Often ending up with dogs being shown by other handlers. At 15 I won the Canadian Jr. Handling competition. I traveled to Crufts in England to represent Canada in the International Jr. Handling Finals. While there I had a wonderful time with my mother visiting family and enjoying the many many breeds being exhibited. I also came third in the competition, being the first Canadian to place.
I took a short break from Dog Showing while attending the University of Western Ontario. While at university I spent a year in Australia on exchange at Griffith University in Brisbane. I could go on and on about Australia, I had such a wonderful time and met such wonderful friends, but instead I will just say that I would go back in a heartbeat if the opportunity arose!
After University I began working full time for my mother in the family business. Jennifer has bred Golden Retrievers for over 45 years and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels for about 12 years. She has also been a professional handler for almost as long as she has been breeding Goldens. While working for my mother I was the manager of her kennel, caring for the dogs and puppies, interviewing potential puppy owners and keeping things organized. I also traveled to dog shows with my mother to act as her assistant. While assisting my mother I would care for the show dogs, groom them, and often show them when she was busy.
Eventually my mother had some knee problems and showing was not as easy for her as it once was; this was when I became the main handler. I continued to manage the kennel while traveling to dog shows almost every weekend. During this time I had the opportunity to show some beautiful dogs. I have won a Great Dane speciality, and a few Golden Retriever Specialities, including the National with my mother’s dog! I have also won a Shih Tzu National Speciality. Lewis my Manchester Terrier has won many BIS and was number 3 Terrier in Canada for 2006 and number 2 Terrier in Canada for 2007, he has been number one Manchester Terrier both those years. He made breed history placing in the group at Devon, which put him in the top 10 Manchesters in the US with that one win. When we went to Westminster we got a JAM. Thank you to Tina Sandford and Kathy Baer for letting me have such an outstanding dog! In 2011 Lewis qualified for the Eukanuba show in Florida. At 7 years of age he received an Award of Excellence.
In June of 2007 I brought home my daughter from Haiti. Tatum has been such a wonderful addition to our family. I am so grateful to everyone at God’s Littlest Angels for such an amazing little girl. A year later my partner Tony and I bought a house just around the corner from my mother. In late 2010 we completed building a small kennel. I have also branched out on my own, no longer working for my mother. While intimidating, this has been the best move for me and my family, allowing me more time to spend with my daughter and my dogs.
If you are interested in hiring me to show your dog please feel free to contact me. I would be happy to discuss options and choices. I do teach handling classes periodically and newcomers are always welcome. Currently I am working at improving the Golden Retriever and the Standard Manchester Terrier by breeding my dogs very selectively. You can see pictures of my dogs and some of their pups on this site. If you are interested in a puppy please email me to inquire about availability.
