Winterglen Labradors is the realization of many childhood dreams of mine.  I was born and raised with Labradors, starting with my Dad’s field bred Labradors in the late ‘70s and the tradition continued throughout my childhood.  One of those dogs was Katie, who was followed two years later by her son Cooper.  While I don’t recommend breeding a litter because you want another dog, as we did, or because you want your children to experience the miracle of birth, or for the many other reasons people do, that experience was one of the most remarkable ones of my life. 

Cooper was “my” first dog.  Cooper bonded strongest to me, despite the fact he was a family companion.  Cooper and I started taking obedience classes and reached a level of training that prepared him for Novice Obedience competition.  We never did compete, as high school soon took over as the dominate social aspect of my life.  All the while, Cooper was by my side as my loyal and steadfast companion.  He is the main reason why I have continued this love affair with the Labrador breed.  I haven’t found any other breed so worthy of my devotion.  While there are other breeds I admire and hope to have one day, Labradors will always reign supreme in my life.
 
 I had aspirations of attending dog training school and would need a fresh pupil for this endeavor.  Along came Colby, a black male from field/show stock.  With Colby, things started to really take off.  He was the dog who I stepped nervously into the show ring with for the first time in 2002. His show career ended almost before it began, as he didn’t enjoy it at all!  Colby did enjoy obedience and was my first dog to acquire a Rally Novice title, followed soon by a Companion Dog title.  And that was just the beginning.
 
Dogs and Labs especially, are my passion.  I believe their role in our lives is something truly special and a tremendous blessing. No matter what their “job” is, whether a beloved pet or a trusted service dog, a dog in one’s life is one of the greatest gifts.  I hope that though my involvement in my many activities, this shines through to others and I can help them along in the journey.