My love affair with Labradors started twenty five years ago when I worked as a nanny and met Toby, the most wonderful black lab. He lived with me for nearly a year whilst his family’s home was being built - and I was hooked!

Soon after, Duke, a ten month black lab was given to me by friends who couldn’t cope with his destructive teeth! For over seventeen years he was my constant companion and introduced to me to a variety of doggy pastimes. Obedience at pre-beginner and beginner levels, agility, (I have to say, twenty five years ago it was a different sport than it is today!), novice gundog training and even the show ring - well, we entered a local Exemption Show as complete novices and managed to win Reserve Best in Show. Duke’s love of life and total loyalty for so many years left a massive hole in my heart which could only be helped b another Labrador.

At the time, I couldn’t even contemplate getting another black lab so I decided to find a chocolate bitch. Five days after he left, I went to look at a litter of chocolate puppies, very sensibly not taking enough cash with me so I had to take my time and not buy the first one I saw. Yeah, right! I completely fell under the spell of one of the puppies and spent two hours finding a bank so that I could take her home with me immediately! Milly arrived and completely took over the household. She is still the love of my life and without any fuss is the matriarch of the household, keeping the others under control. Unfortunately her hip score of 68 meant there was no chance of breeding from her, so she takes her place as step-granny to all of our pups.

When Milly was ten months old, a regular visit to the vet ended up with me bringing home an English Springer spaniel who had been thrown out of a car and needed a home! Moses, (well he had been abandoned), was about eleven years old, half-blind, half-deaf and the size of a house, soon fitted in to the household and gave us three and a half years of companionship and fun.

After we lost Moses, I spent time looking for another choccie lab bitch as I still wanted to breed a litter. This was when Mabel joined the family. I didn’t know then how she was going to completely change my life. When she was thirteen weeks old we joined our local dog training club to socialise and teach her how to behave. One of the other puppy owners showed her dogs and she persuaded me to show Mabel. And, as they say, the rest is history!

Nearly five years later, (and many thousands of pounds poorer!) I have successfully competed with both Mabel and her daughter Matilda at countless Championship and Open shows. Our successes include a second with Matilda at Crufts 2006! Obedience training hasn’t been forgotten either. All three of my dogs, Milly, Mabel and Matilda have passed their Bronze, Silver and Gold KC Good Citizen Dog Scheme Awards.

Mabel has had two litters and, her daughter, Matilda has just given birth to her first litter. Mabel’s two litters were sired by Show Champion Lougin Loomis and Matilda’s litter was sired by Show Champion Llanistinan Llewellyn.

All of my dogs have wonderful temperaments and with their sound construction, excellent hip and elbow scores and both Kennel Club eye tests and Optigen eye tests, I really do all I can to breed happy, healthy puppies. I have recently become a Kennel Club Accredited Breeder and strongly support all of the breed Health Schemes.

Millabel puppies really do make wonderful family pets.