I have enjoyed spending time with dogs since I was a kid.  Our family dog was a Beagle who I named Schroeder.  Several of my friends had Labrador Retrievers as family dogs, and I enjoyed playing with them.  I was certain I would want a Lab when it was time to get my own dog.  

My first Lab puppy was chocolate in color, and I named her Nestle.  Nestle had a big personality, and the breeder was concerned she might be too much of a challenge for a first-time owner.  I promised her we would start Obedience classes and was glad we did!   I made lots of new friends in the neighborhood through Nestle. She went sledding with the kids and was a great traveling buddy on ski trips, hikes and beach trips.  When Roger and I were married she was in our wedding party.

We moved to the Triangle in 1999 and added 3 more dogs to our family over the years.  We adopted Jordan, a white GSD mix, soon after 9/11.   Jordan and I took some Rally Obedience and Agility classes at Bon Clyde just for fun.   We got a black Lab puppy, Tucker, in 2006, and our Obedience trainer suggested I enter him in a Rally trial at DKC. Having never competed before I was so nervous when we entered the ring.  It was raining hard, and just as the judge told us to proceed a drop of water fell from the ceiling onto the mat in front of Tucker.  He dropped his head and focused on the water drop instead of me.  I thought we were done, but we managed to finish the course and qualify.  We took several classes at DKC that were a huge help. Tucker and I earned his CD title, Rally Excellent title and a UKC CD.  I have been a club member since 2023 and have enjoyed meeting other members and volunteering in various club events.

Now I have another black Lab, Roxy.  Roxy and I have participated in different Obedience and Rally classes at DKC since she was a puppy.  I can recall many proud moments over the years with my dogs.  The most recent one was Roxy earning her CGC.  Because of her excitable behavior, “meet and greets” have been challenging.  I was thrilled when she passed on the first try!