"Dark Star" is not a kennel, but rather dogs living as an integral part of my family: the dogs are first and foremost family pets! They follow me around the house or yard assisting in chores, they participate in family functions, evening and weekend activities. They travel with me not just to dog shows, but on vacations, and they take turns sleeping on my bed - well, one or two at a time, and hopefully no-one snores!

I was always a ‘doggy' person: I was the girl in the neighborhood who took everyone else's dogs for walks, brushed, and trained them! It seemed a natural progression to dive more fully into the dog world, and in the 40+ years I've been involved in the purebred dog fancy I've enjoyed the camaraderie of the dog shows, obedience trials, therapy training & visits, hunting and field work. I cherish the personal rewards of making a positive impact with a school-child or a nursing home/convalescent facility resident while doing pet assisted therapy visiting; and thoroughly enjoyed raising litters of puppies - knowing that I would hand to excited families precious bundles of fur. Such are the rewards for this labor of love!

Even with the small number, I have done well enough with dogs that I have bred and/or owned. I have been an exhibitor and breeder for 40+ years (I started with Labradors in 1977, and then became interested with the Cavaliers in 1986), and I have bred and/or shown dogs to points and grand/championships, therapy dog certification, CGCs (AKC's Canine Good Citizen), agility, rally, obedience, and field titles. I belong to several dog clubs, and was a 4-H dog leader when my children were younger. I have placed puppies for family pets, obedience, show, field, agility, Junior Show, and 4-H, as well as dogs which have graduated from Guide Dogs for the Blind (with the Labradors, as the Cavaliers are too small!), Canine Companions for Independence, and therapy dogs in private practices, schools, and for volunteer pet therapy.

While the temperament is very important, so is the health. I'm not a gambler (not unless the odds are in my favor!) so I do health testing on the dogs (especially important with when planning a litter) to increase the probability that the puppies will be not just cute, correct, and happy, but also to be healthy, and I have the puppies checked and screened in an age-appropriate manner, as well as micro-chipping the babies before they go to their new homes. Mother Nature can throw curve balls to all of us, but winning the game is more likely if we start with healthy players! In short: I breed for a good temperament (it's a critical issue for me), correct conformation, and sustained good health. I want the whole package!

Being a dog breeder is a hefty responsibility; one entailing not just bringing puppies into the world, but involving oneself in the advanced planning and welcoming of puppies that are healthy, typey, and with suitable temperaments. Our puppies are born in the master bedroom, and raised in the kitchen/family room, and always with time and attention lavished upon them. They are very well-socialized, and therefore they are happy, confident, and loving; it's a good combination of genetics and nurturing.

One of my jobs as a breeder is to know the personalities of my puppies so that I can match them with prospective buyers, and to do that I spend a LOT of time observing and playing with my puppies (such a tough job!), and, while doing so, learning about them as individuals. Knowing the temperaments has been a critical component in successful placements over those years. (Sadly, there are many breeders that do not socialize their babies, nor do health testing. Scary, isn't it?)

My children are Colin (35), Kyle (32), and Brittany (30), and their spouses. Between the three couples I have grandkitties and grandpuppies: there are three cats, one Labrador, and 6 Cavaliers! That's the condensed version... Please visit our webpages* - dive in and snorkel the dogs' and family's pages - meet everyone!
*I'm still updating the website, it's an ongoing project!