David and Helen Jones

Owning and breeding Curly Coated Retrievers since 1986

Est. 1989

In 1983 we moved to South Australia after many years travelling around the world and decided that we should fulfil a promise that we had made to ourselves when we were away, that was to have a dog of our own.

Our first dog was a German Shorthaired Pointer Labrador cross (Long before designer dogs were even thought of) named Dizzy after Benjamin Disraeli and Helen’s brother’s dog Ben (She competed at obedience trials under the name of Disraeli Mrs. Benjamin) and she came from Kangaroo Island in South Australia (In a cardboard box on the co-pilots seat of the local airplane).

We then decided to get a second dog. That same year, at the Adelaide Royal Show, we were captivated by the Curly Coated Retriever and not knowing much about pure bred dogs we were not able to find a breeder, we hadn’t thought to ask at the show. Time went by and we decided to find another dog anyway and keep looking for a Curly.

Often when a decision has been made events seem to take control of themselves. We found ourselves driving to the Barossa Valley one Saturday to see a six month old GSP (Sherepoint Michelle). Yes; we took her home that night and she just happened to have been entered into the Royal Adelaide Show that year (1984) and her breeders, Ross and Jean Bryant, Sherepoint Kennels asked if we would allow them to show her. Helen was all for it and who was I to pour cold water on something that, after all, was not going to change our lives. My comments whilst driving home were along the lines of “Be careful, we don’t want to get involved with people who breed dogs”. Not one of my better moments.

Helen commenced her showing career at the Royal (1984) and we recently passed the 27 year mark, owning and breeding Gundogs.

We were now in a position to find our Curly.

1986 saw us take delivery of Bosun; Blazeaway Black Rob a Curly Coated Retriever male from Blazeaway Kennels in Victoria.

We were well established in the world of pure bred dogs by now. Campaigning our GSP in the show ring and competing in obedience with both dogs as well as trying to make some headway at retrieving trials.

We continued these pursuits with Bosun and the girls and of course the time came when we knew that we were going to need more room when we realised that we had four dogs (yes another had come to stay for a while. Gidget; Blazeaway Wodaabe, we had her for six months from when she was six months old until she was just over a year old and campaigned her to her title) and we only lived in a house with a very small back yard so we moved to Cockatoo Valley, Barossa in  March 1988.

Where has the time gone?

Gidget came back to stay in 1989 when she was trained for retrieving and did not disgrace herself in retrieving trials, winning a beginners stake and that same year won Best of Breed at the Royal Adelaide Show.

It was time to have a curly bitch of our own and of course she had to be good enough to breed with.

Chippy, Blazeaway Sooty Stilt, came along in mid 1988 and she joined the others in our competitive pursuits.

We have to have a Kennel Prefix before we can breed?!

So we start thinking of one because, yes, we are planning our first litter.

We settled on Dizzyki as Dizzy came from Kangaroo Island “KI” as the locals call it. It seemed strange to some people at the time but  20 + years on we think it has found acceptance.

Chippy gave us our first litter in 1990 and we have since then followed a breeding plan that has made Dizzyki an established Curly Coated Retriever breeding kennel.

Since we started our breeding program we have produced over 50 show champions including 2 American and 1 New Zealand plus there have been several obedience titles obtained.

We have had over 40 litters to date with many puppies going to show and working homes but most importantly many puppies have gone as family companions.

Over the next few years we continued to breed with the Australian and New Zealand / English Lines available to us in Australia through other breeders.

In May 2005 we acquired a dog from NSW, Miamba Alinjarra, Geordie. Geordie was bred by Chris Hicks (Huntaway), under the Miamba prefix from English and New Zealand lines.

His progeny and grand progeny are proving to be very successful in South Australia and Interstate.

We then decided to import bloodlines from overseas ourselves.

After much research we decided to get a puppy from Cathy and Mark Lewandowski, Softmaple Curlies, Crogan NY in the USA. The puppy was born in May 06 and it was decided that he should stay in the USA until he had had all his tests and as this would entail growing up in the middle of a NY winter (up north near the great lakes) he should go to live in Florida with the sire’s owners, Jim and Paula Crosby (BackCast).

They named him Mowgli ( he was known for some time as No No Bad Dog) and looked after him for nearly a year before shipping him out to us.

Whilst in Florida he was shown and gained a major but did not have time to go on and gain his USA show title before travelling to Australia.

June 2007

Aus Ch Softmaple BackCast Traveler (Imp USA)

Mowgli

In June 2007 we imported a dog from Softmaple Kennels in the USA; a 1 year old liver dog called

Mowgli; to date he has sired 13 litters and we are very pleased with the consistent type that he has produced.

This year (2011) we won Best Breeder’s Team In Show, at the Royal Adelaide Show, with four liver dogs sired by Mowgli.

Mowgli’s progeny continue to win consistently at Breed, Group and Show level Australia wide; also in New Zealand and the USA.

August 2008 saw David in Wales visiting his family. Whilst there he took in some dog shows and met many Curly breeders and got a good insight into the UK Curly Coated Retriever. It was on his return that we decided that we should import a bitch from the UK.

Jan 2010

A Ch Gladrags Just Power of Love (Imp UK)

Justine (aka JP);

January 2010 saw us welcome our Welsh import to Australia from Gladrags Curly Coated Retrievers, Haydn and Gladys Phillips, Welshpool, Wales.

Justine has just turned 2 years old and has gained her Australian Show title, winning a Fourth Place in Group at the same time. She is a very exciting bitch and we have plans to breed with her in 2012.