The journey towards excellence is a difficult one.  

We have chosen to breed only the best we can.  Along the way, there is heartbreak when the dream of attaining our goal is not realized.  We have bred and purchased dogs along the way, hoping to improve the breed.   There aren't any perfect dogs so we must assess what our standards are and only keep the dogs that fit within them.  The truth is....you can't keep them all.  To keep our kennel manageable we must make decisions about which dogs to keep and which dogs to place.  This is the area that is most difficult.  We spend two years loving, caring, training and hoping these animals will make the grade.  They are tested at the age of 2 for hip (OFA), elbow (OFA), heart, thyroid, and eye problems (CERF and Optigen).  Each dog intended for broodstock must pass all these tests  along with excelling in temperament, trainablitliy, and structure to stay in the breeding program.  The attachment that develops between our family and the dogs we raise is strong.  Our hearts break every time we place a dog that did not fit our standard.  These older dogs are occasionally placed in pet or hunting homes.  Although these dogs do not fit our breeding standards, they make fantastic pets or hunting companions.  This page is dedicated to those dogs that were initially chosen for our kennel but are now living with others.

International Champion

Aldebarans Eleanor Roosevelt CGC

Born:  February 17, 2003

Ellie June 22, 2004 at 16 months old

Canine Health Information Center: CHIC # 20779

Optigen A1, CERF 1/2005

OFA hips excellent, and OFA elbows and shoulders normal

Ellie is now owned by Ed & Kristin Powell, and their daughter Emily.  What a wonderful home for Ellie!  Ellie is the queen in her new home and even has her own girl! 

Ellie received her International Champion title in Cloverdale, British Columbia March 6, 2005!  Ellie was first in the Bred-by-Exhibitor class for all four shows.  In addition, Ellie received a 1st in group placement and a third in group placement.  All in all she received 4 medallions which you will see once we upload her pictures.  Way to go Ellie!

Ellie with her Canine Good Citizen certificate!

Ellie completed her CGC test on June 22, 2004 at the age of 16 months.  The test was held by the Walla Walla Kennel Club and the Blue Mountain Humane Society at Fort Walla Walla.  It was a beautiful day and Ellie was great!  What a dog!

March 20, 2004, at 13 months of age, Ellie was awarded Best of Breed and First in Group at the Walla Walla Kennel Club AKC Sanctioned B/OB Match!  Way to go Ellie!  

Ellie at 8 1/2 months (10/27/03):

Ellie finished her obedience class in October.  Ellie has been very easy to train.  She loves learning new things and especially enjoys the hotdogs she gets while training.  Ellie is a very happy girl, wagging non-stop. 

"Ellie at 8 1/2 months"     (10/27/03)

12 1/2 weeks  (5/16/03)

"Ellie in the kennel"    

                             "Ellie using the Bella look"                 

"Side view of our new star!"

The day Ellie was chosen.....8 weeks!

"Ellie", 8 wks

This is my favorite lab picture of all time!

"Can we have Quail for dinner?"

"Sunbathing at 8wks"

Have you ever seen a lab develop?  Go to our "Diary of a litter" page and see Ellie as puppy "Pink".  On that page you can see her from birth to 8 weeks old.

Barkly is now owned and loved by Jim and Sally Buchanan-Rojo.  Barkly is now living with the family that had puppy "green" from Bella's litter.  Unfortunately their puppy had complications during a spay and died at the age of 8 months.  This was devastating for all of us.  When the time came to place Barkly in a loving home, Jim & Sally Buchanan Rojo were the first people we thought of.  They were overwhelmed that we thought of them and are honored to own Barkly.  Barkly is VERY happy living in his new home and especially loves popcorn time.  Barkly no longer has to wait in line to get his popcorn!  

Barkly is the son of CH Cameos Brigadier General (you can see Barkly's sire at http://www.cameolabs.com ).  Barkly is black and carries yellow (Type II  BB-Ee which is By).  He has clearances on his eyes (CERF), hips (OFA good), and elbows.  Barkly is an Optigen B (carrier of PRA) dog, and has been removed from our breeding program.  Barkly has not been used at stud and he will be neutered.  This decision has been heartbreaking for all of us.  Although some breeders will use Optigen B (carrier) dogs and mate them with Optigen A (clear of PRA) dogs, we will not unless we are down to the last dog in our line.      

Barkly's accomplishments

In May of 2003, Barkly got his Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certificate.  In August he received his Working Certificate (WC) and in October he earned his International Champion title in Cloverdale, Canada.  Here is what Mrs. Margaret Jones, a Judge from Canada had to say about Barkly, "This dog is an excellent representation with the essentials of the breed.  The overall impression:  strong, robust, short coupled.  Coat: correct texture, water resistant.  Head:  good head, wide back-skull.  Bite: scissor, full dentition.  Eyes: correct dark color and shape.  Ears: correct set and shape.  Chest: deep, good brisket.  Front angulation: good layback, good length.  Back angulation: good muscling, well let down.  Top line: strong neck, short loin strong.  Tail: correct otter tail carried correctly.  Movement:  Clean and sound."