I've had dogs for most of my life, but the Labrador is my one true love. We're not a kennel, but a household that consists of canine as well as human family members. Ask any visitors to our house and they'll tell you that if you want a seat or a place by the fire, you'll have to move a Labrador first.

Originally I didn't show or work our dogs, with a young family I never had the time to spare and now, with the number of grandchildren rapidly increasing, my days are still quite full. I had, however, been to shows occasionally, purely as a spectator and thoroughly enjoyed them. That all changed when eldest grandson Ashley started handling Martha, then Will in their first shows.

I firmly believe in the need to ensure that any Labradors (or any other breed, for that matter) that are bred from,  have the relevant health checks carried out before any litters are produced.