We live and work on our life-long dream of a small holding in the centre of the Solway Plain, just north of the Lake District in Cumbria. After a university career in animal behaviour and welfare, what was once taught in theory is now applied in practice. Emma specialised in clinical animal behaviour, and now works with our local vet practices as a dog behaviourist, solving behaviour problems. The decision to breed our Labradors was born out of this experience, and we breed one litter a year, specifically to raise happy, healthy dogs well suited to all the adventures of being a valued family pet.

We were so impressed by our first litter, that we kept Jude, and you can meet her to give you an idea of the sort of dog our puppies will become. Plus Emma will provide you with life-long behaviour and welfare support should you need it.

Our puppies have been specifically bred to be good family pets. Their parents are extensively health-checked and selected for their excellent temperaments; and the puppies have been carefully raised and socialised to give them the best possible start in life.

Mum, Stella, is a superb dog: loving, trusting, eager to please, and can be taken anywhere. She has passed the full range of health tests required by the Kennel Club, and has proved to be an excellent mum. Stella’s KC credentials can be found on the KC website under her Kennel Name Ponchatoula Primrose.

Dad, Dennis, is from Wendy Anderson’s Skyhead kennels. Wendy is a very experienced breeder and has been a great support, helping match the right dog for Stella and our aim of breeding confident, sensible family pets. See www.skyhead.co.uk. Dennis has tested clear for over 20 heritable conditions, ensuring that all of his and Stella’s puppies will be free of such problems. Dennis’s KC credentials can be found on the KC website under his Kennel Name Pasturedene Snipe.

The puppies have been carefully raised on our smallholding, and so are familiar with both home and outdoor environments. They have been taught to sit quietly on your knee, and understand that all four paws should be on the ground when they interact with humans. They have a reliable recall, and are learning to toilet in designated areas. They are confident, curious, and playful, and their individual personalities are starting to emerge. We have taken great care to avoid any distress or over-excitement as we carefully socialise them to the life they can expect as family pets.

Jude, the puppies older sister, has been a kind and loving tutor to her younger siblings – even teaching them how to play fetch! Her input has helped the puppies learn appropriate interactions with older dogs, and with each other when Jude intervenes in their squabbles.