Our History
What Drives Us
Here at Watercolours Kennels we specialize in Aussies. The breed is so engaging and sweet. The goofy personalities are great as companion or service animals. We show all our dogs to keep the best possible standards. We do both conformation and performance and our dogs excel in both.
We have sold puppies for service, show and companions as our dogs are great in any post.
As the breeders of these lovely dogs, we feel that temperaments are essential even more so then health if you can’t live with your pup then the health tests are of no help. We are not a large kennel and between a couple people we only have single digits. I have shown and trained animals for over 40 years. Showing horses, dogs, cats and rabbits. Having national and international wins each year we showed.
We carry to this program a new thrill which for us is the performance part of this dog sport. We finish our dogs in conformation and then the real fun starts as we show agility, rally, obedience and much more.
All our dogs are tested vigorously and we stand behind every pup we produce. We only breed when we are looking for our next pup whether that is for show, performance or service. We only take four reservations at a time so we can work with every owner to make it the best possible experience for all involved.
As partners we all bring a interesting and vital part of the program together. I have shown my whole life and dedicated many years to breeding the best possible animals. I am not in my “twilight” years and for a change I want to specialize in performance and hopefully have some of the top performance dogs in Canada.
Our other partner has always been involved in obedience where she worked closely with a service animal on the field. Now this is a new challenge to do both conformation and performance. On her first dog she put three legs on her pup in one weekend.
To see our past all you need to do is go to one of our gallery pages and there you will not only find Aussies but some of our past champions and show animals.
Working together brings a new joy to the sport and I am looking forward to seeing you at the shows.
Watercolour Kennels
Breeder’s Manifesto
I am a breeder…..
My food receipts for a family of 4 is less than a ¼ of my dog food bills each month.
My water bill has doubled.
My electricity bill has tripled.
It is I, a breeder, who when my fridge quit, saved the dog meds and let the food go bad.
My feet find the way to the kennel before I have even grabbed a cup of coffee in the morning and the kennel is my last stop before bed.
While my friends are on a cruise to the Bahamas and my family meets for Christmas, I am home delivering puppies.
I haven’t had a real vacation in 20 some years, but maybe soon. All plans are made around heat dates, whelp dates, vet dates, shipping dates and dog shows.
I shower and 10 minutes later I smell like a dog and am covered in paw prints.
My clothes are all stained with fecal matter, urine, afterbirth or bleach.. if I get a chance to get a way for a dinner with friends.
Most of my friends breed dogs.
Who else can you call at 3 am for support?
Who else has the experience I sometimes need, the meds I sometimes need, or just an uplifting word I sometimes need?
Who else would understand how it feels to have invested hours and hours in a weak puppy to lose it? Or the joy in investing hours in one that lives?
I have slept on the floor beside a litter until the crucial 2 weeks have passed. I have bottle fed a litter of 12 … feeding every 2 hours and it taking 90 minutes to do for weeks at a time.
I have learned to be proficient at micro chipping, vaccinations, fluids, bottle feeding and tube feeding.
My vet knows me by first name.
My vet takes her time to teach me what she knows, because she knows I care.
I am a breeder.
It is to me that 63 days takes on new meaning, still excited by every new life.
It is I who delivers all my pups, towels and heat pads on ready – happiness and sadness sometimes intermingled.
Even though it increases my work load, I look forward to the 12 day stage when eyes open, and puppies begin to emerge from the helplessness of newborns.
Puppy breath, a first bark and a heart of exploration.
I am not uneducated, unemployable, illiterate or lazy as some Animal Rights folks would imply of breeders.
I am a conscientious lover of animals and I have found my niche.
I am a breeder.
And although I feel no shame there is a part of me that feels the need to hide from powers that could come to invade my home and take my dogs .. maybe for
.. finding a mild infraction,
.. a leaf in the water dish
.. a kennel not yet cleaned for the day yet
.. a rash I am home treating?
I feel I should tell the kids and friends to hush, do not tell others we are dog breeders, and I wonder when did breeding puppies go into the same secret place as criminal activity?
I am a breeder and I am not cruel, dumb, uncaring or criminal.
I am not raking in money while sitting on my butt.
Every penny I make I earn through blood, sweat and tears.
My greatest joy is a healthy puppy and a wonderful home. The cards of thanks and the pictures of my puppy with its new family is the fridge, benefits of my efforts.
I am an animal lover, nurse, midwife, heavy laborer, customer service representative, photographer, website designer, secretary, marketeer…
AND I am a breeder.