Although I have had dogs all my life and did a little competitive obedience with a Cocker Spaniel in my early twenties, I didn't start seriously showing and breeding until 1990 when I was given a blue Chow bitch on breeding terms. I showed her with some success and was bitten by the bug.

Blue was followed by a red bitch (Tina), also on breeding terms and a fawn dog (Paddington) that was placed 3rd in Junior Dog at the first Crufts I attended as an exhibitor.

Blue was a reluctant mother so was retired after 2 litters but Tina was an excellent brood and loved having puppies. From her first litter I kept a red dog (Teddy) that achieved his Junior Warrant and Stud Book number before retiring.

I kept several bitches from Tina and bred on from them too but all I have left from her line now is 1 red bitch unfortunately. I also have a red bitch that I imported from Australia and a red bitch from Karen Salter's Towsuchet kennel, which I am now starting to show.

In 1992 I started looking round for a smaller breed for my daughter to show and decided on the German Spitz. So Lily joined my kennel, soon followed by Koko. I have bred 2 Champion Mittels and Koko has her Stud book number and one of her daughters has a RCC. I have also had a CC and RCC in Kleins although I no longer breed them.

In 1996 I purchased a Norwegian Buhund puppy (Chelsey) and showed her with some success but she didn't grow big enough so I decided to teach her agility and we achieved some success. Chelsey had 2 litters and I kept 3 of the first litter, 1 bitch got a CC and the other got a CC and RCC and the dog won the RCC at Crufts handled by my younger daughter who also competed with him in Agility.

From the 2 nd litter I kept a bitch that also wasn't big enough for showing but does well in Agility, and is, in fact, Grade 5 now and has her Bronze Agility Warrant.

At the moment, I am hooked on Agility and compete with a Buhund, a German Spitz Mittel and have just started a young Border Collie. I also am training 2 Mittel pups who don't care for the show ring at the moment.