Sadie
"GCHB Dare You To Stroke A Cheque JH RN DS BCAT CGCU CGCA TKI"
Sadie has and always will hold a very special place in my heart. When you evaluate Sadie you will find a lovely head with nice fill under the eyes and a strong muzzle capable of carrying a bird. As you move down you will see a nice lay of the shoulder and beautiful amount of bone. When you watch this girl move you will find she is a steady and efficient mover. She is a beautiful girl of moderate size and a lovely temperament to boot.
Sadie was my very first Flat-Coat as well as my first show dog. With the exception of a few shows in the beginning when she was handled by a dear friend I, myself, have handled her in every dog sport venue that she has amassed titles in. She has been a treat and sometimes a challenge to train but even on her worst day she has made me a better person and trainer. Everything she has accomplished has been with an amateur owner handler at the end of her lead and she has been incredibly patient with me along the way as we have learned together.
Conformation
At nine months old Sadie took Winners Bitch at a show in Howard County, MD for her first two points towards her Championship. After that she earned her first major win as Winners Bitch and Best of Winners under Judge Mr. Bradley Jenkins in a large entry of 18 FCR's. Following her first major she was awarded her first Best of Breed Owner Handler as well as Winners Bitch and Best of Winners in Raleigh, NC under respected Judge Mr. Douglas A. Johnson. She finished her Championship in total Flat-Coat style with a 5 point major (highest amount of points awarded at any one show). Her finishing show was in Bucks County, PA with a total entry of 39 FCR's and 10 out of 39 being unfinished bitches under Judge Mrs. Sheila DiNardo. She ended up finishing her Championship winning in 3 different regional areas at the tender age of 15 months old. We were completely over the moon and delighted with our girl. After she became a champion we knew that this was not the end of her show career but just the beginning. She got back out there in the breed ring a month later and her first weekend out she picked up 4 more points and a Best of Breed Owner Handler by going Select Bitch 2 out of 4 days in Richmond, VA under Dr. Gareth Morgan-Jones and Ms. Dyane M. Baldwin. The same show gave her her first 3 point major towards her Grand Championship. Once again Howard County, MD treated us well as we went Select Bitch 3 out of 4 days during a supported entry weekend. We picked up 8 more points towards her Grand Championship with another 5 point major included in the point count under Judges Mrs. Ruth H. Zimmerman, Ms. Peggy Beisel-McIlwaine and Mr. Christopher T. Moore. A couple shows later we attained our very first Owner Handler Group Placement, a Group 3 under Judge Ms. Linda Wozniak. In March, 2019 we decided to travel up to West Springfield, MA and were awarded Best of Opposite Sex over nice specials as well as Best of Breed Owner Handler under Judge Mrs. Sheila DiNardo and an Owner Handler Group 2 under Judge Mr. Norman B. Kenney. The next venture was the Tarheel Circuit in Raleigh, NC which we showed all 5 days and placed as Select Bitch and Best of Breed Owner Handler 3 out of 5 days. We left the circuit with 7 more points total, a 4 point major, an Owner Handler Group 4 and..... A NEW GRAND CHAMPION! Sadie became a multiple Owner Handler Group placing Grand Champion at 26 months to the day having won in 4 different regions. The true icing on the cake was her most recent accomplishment at Gray, TN. She showed like she had never shown before and was awarded an Owner Handler Sporting Group 1 which led to our fist debut in the Owner handler Best in Show ring. She came out victorious with an Owner Handler RESERVE BEST IN SHOW! Since she has been awarded three more group placements including a Group 2, 3 and 4. At the Richmond Cluster she was awarded Best of Breed in a beautiful lineup of FCR's for a five point major towards her Grand Champion Bronze. In total we ended Richmond with 12 more points and are now 35 points into the 100 needed for her GCHB at just 2.5 years old! To say we are proud would be an understatement. Sadie finished up 2019 by being invited to the National Owner Handler Series Finale show in Orlando, FL.. She was ranked number 6 in the country for NOHS. To top it off was awarded Best of Opposite Sex at the NOHS Finale after just having 11 beautiful babies not even four months prior. We attended the FCRSA National Specialty in FL this year and she was debuted as a veteran after not showing for nearly 3 years. As usual she stepped up to the plate and was awarded 4th place in her 7-9 Veteran class amongst competition from all across the country. I do believe her Veteran placement at the specialty has to be my favorite show memory the two of us have so far. Sadie has already attained her GCHB NOHS title. I could not be more proud of this sweet and sassy girl. I anticipate many more great things to come!
Obedience
While Sadie gladly shows in the conformation ring I wanted to show that not only does she have the beauty but she also has the brains. In between becoming a Champion and Grand Champion Sadie showed off her obedience skills by earning her Canine Good Citizen(CGC) and her Rally Novice(RN) Title. As I said before she does most things in, what I like to call, "Flat-Coat style". During her run for her second out of three legs for her Rally Novice Sadie decided that she was no longer into participating in all of this "Obedience stuff" and decided to lay down and take a quick nap at one of her signs halfway through the course. The judge and myself got a good laugh and we continued on through the course and got a qualifying score, this is just another example of Flat-Coat shenanigans. Our run for our third and final leg for her RN title was quite a whirlwind since we were entered in not only Rally that day but also Conformation. As the show gods would have it we were due into the Breed ring RIGHT before our Rally run. We finished up in the Breed ring and literally sprinted over to the Rally building with seconds to spare before our turn in in the Rally ring, we finished up the course with a qualifying score and brought home our new Rally title. A few months later we decided to test for our Canine Good Citizen Advanced (CGCA)and Canine Good Citizen Urban (CGCU) and with a lot of practicing our good manners we were able to pass each test. One of the coolest parts of Obedience in my opinion is Trick Dog. Sadie had loads of fun showing off her shining FCR personality to the Trick Dog tester earning both her Trick Dog Novice and her Trick Dog Intermediate. Next up on the obedience docket will be working towards a Beginner Novice title.
Dock Diving
This sport has brought an immense amount of joy to our whole family! There is nothing better than going from the very formal and serious Conformation ring to the light-hearted and FUN sport of Dock Diving. It has put a smile, yes a smile, on Sadie's face many times and the icing on the cake was earning our Dock Junior title in just one day! What can I say, my girl loves her bumpers and her water! I highly recommend checking it out, your new pup will LOVE it! We hope to see you guys out there as we try for our Dock Master title as well as our Air Retrieve . As you can see our girl keeps us busy in many different dog sports at once and this is what we like to promote as a multi-purpose retriever. It is not uncommon to go right from one dog sport to the next on the very same day and I wouldn't have it any other way!
Field Work
Sadie LIVES to retrieve! She is a very stylish drivey dog. She earned her Junior Hunter title in the fall of 2021 and received many kind comments from the judges as well as other competitors. Sadie has an immense amount of heart and it totally shines through when you watch her in the field. I always say that she would run through barbed wire to get to her bird or bumper. After all, she was holding onto her bumper while having contractions with her first litter. We look forward to possibly working towards her Senior Hunter and her Working Certificate.
Stella
"GCH Flatline's Changing the Game RN BCAT TKN"
Stella is Sadie‘s daughter that I kept out of her first litter to Prince Charming. My partner at the time knew the moment she was born (she was the first girl and the second puppy out) that she would be the one that stayed. Of course I was skeptical but as they grew up and started showing their personalities more and more I knew he was probably right. Stella has a lot of her mom's tendencies and certainly has no lack of personality. Stella is very intelligent and a very athletic agile girl. Stella was the only puppy in her puppy class at the end of the hour that was still ready to keep learning and eager to do more. Sometimes her intelligence has landed her into some mischievous situations. She learned from a very young age that she could get away with a lot being so cute. I look forward to all the future has to hold for this spicy girl.
Conformation
My previous partner and Stella achieved a lot with each other. We opted to show Stella in the Bred by Exhibitor class and it made my breeder heart very happy to see how well she did. She won her first major under Mr. Robert L Vandiver in Raleigh, North Carolina going Winners Bitch. She then finished her Championship completely from the Bred by Exhibitor class and received the coveted BBE medallion. She took a break from the show ring to become a mom to her seven beautiful babies that she produced from Niko. After maternity leave I decided it was time for her to come play in the conformation ring again. She certainly did not disappoint! Her first weekend out as a Champion she was awarded Best Of Breed for a five point major and ended the weekend with a whopping 19 Grand Champion points! She went on to earn her Grand Champion and is now halfway to her Bronze. Stella will hit the show ring again once she finishes raising this next litter.
Fast Cat
Stella has quite the high prey drive and has really taken to fast cat. Fast Cat is a timed event where the dog chases after a lure in a straight line to see how fast they are. Stella was clocked at 25 1/2 mph as her personal best. My dogs are known for giving people “firsts” and Stella is no exception. While the dog is supposed to chase after the lure sometimes handler error occurs and the dog is released before the lure takes off. I had a friend releasing Stella and I was catching Stella and Stella was eager to get to me and clocked her personal best without even “chasing the bunny” as they say. The Lure course operator found that very amusing as he had never seen that happen before. Needless to say she earned her BCAT quickly!
Rally
During COVID Stella worked on her manners and we decided to take advantage of the time off to earn her Rally Novice. We were able to submit our Rally runs via video. Stella was quite surprised to see that the back yard had been transformed into a rally course. She is very focused, even our horses in the background didn’t bother her. She went 3/3 and earned her Rally title quickly. I hope to get further rally titles with her in the near future!
Trick Dog
Stella lives her life as a trick dog. She is constantly ending up in situations that make me say, “How in the world did you do that?”. With that being said she had no problem getting her Trick Dog Novice title.
Niko
"CH Bubbell's Ah Boogie Woogie Dancer JH"
In 2021 I decided to take a leap of faith and import a Russian male FCR. When I sat down and mapped out goals for my breeding program one way to achieve those goals were to diversify our gene pool. I looked into several overseas breeders and found Olga Romanko of Russia. I had actually considered importing semen from Nikos father, Bubble. With COVID at its peak that was rather impossible so instead decided to import Niko. Niko is the epitome of the FCR temperament and is very typey. Nikos structure and natural retrieving ability should serve any breeding program very well in the future. It doesn’t hurt that he’s the sweetest, lovable and most goofy boy to be around.
Conformation
Niko had already made his presence known in the show ring before he even landed in the US. His breeder in Russia had already garnered a Reserve Best Puppy In Show with him before he was five months old. Niko is a striking, flashy boy with a stunning head. Niko has now finished his Champion title in just four weekends of shows. Two of his majors were awarded at Supported entries. His final points were a five point major awarded by Judy Gladson, a breeder judge. After some time off he was brought back out in 2024 and has now earned 10 points towards his Grand Champion title. I look forward to seeing what all he accomplishes in the show ring in the coming years.
Field
Niko is one of the most naturally talented retrievers I've ever had. He truly loves to retrieve anything and everything. Sometimes that may include a shoe or two. He has been started on ducks and is a natural. While we attended the FCRSA National Specialty in FL this year he was awarded a Judges Award of Merit in the Unsteady Singles competition with little to no training beforehand. When we got back from FL we hit the hunt tests and he earned his JH. I look forward to getting his WC in the near future!
Marsh
“CH Flatline's Stormin In The MOmarsh JH WC”
Marsh is the boy I kept from Sadie's second litter from Tycho, “GCHS Wingmaster Perfect Storm MH WCX HOF”. I Co-own Marsh with a fantastic owner on the west coast. This boy has been a joy to watch grow up. He has a marvelous temperament and is a very biddable retriever who is always looking to please. When I contemplated the pairing between Tycho and Sadie he was exactly what I envisioned producing. A handsome young man maturing into a lovely ambassador of the breed.
Conformation
Marsh earned his Championship before he was even two years old! Following in his mom's paw prints he had already been awarded an Owner Handler Group placement at under a year old! Marsh was completely owner handled and will likely be taking a break from the show ring to fit some hunt tests into his schedule.
Field
Field potential is the main reason I kept another boy when I most definitely said I was not keeping another boy. I had high hopes that this litter would produce some nice working dogs coming from a JH Mom and MH Dad. At 7 weeks old this boy was proudly holding a duck and at 10 weeks old he was retrieving a live crippled Mallard. To say I was impressed with his natural field abilities and excited for his potential in the field world would be an understatement! Marsh has been hard at work with his other owner in CA and has earned his JH and WC. Look for this guy in a field near you soon!
Shak
“CH Flatline's Hips Don't Lie”
Shak is my second generation of Flatline and my Sadie granddaughter. She was my Pink collar puppy from my Stella and Niko litter. When she came out she was the most quiet perfect little angel and stayed that way until about 8 months old. She is now 2 years old and completely full of herself just like the rest of her pack! I no longer find myself saying that she was dropped off by the stork as her quiet demeanor has worn off and her true vibrant dramatic colors have shown through. Not to mention she is the spitting image of her father and embodies what I had hoped to produce with this pairing given the overseas influence. Shak inherited her father's beautiful headpiece and thick coat and her mothers spunky personality. When I was picking from the three girls her sweet expression won me over as she looked up at me just as her Grandma Sadie has done for the last nine years. That was it… I was hooked.
Conformation
For such a young girl Shak has already made quite the splash in the show ring. I took Shak to Louisville, KY in March to compete in the 4-6 month competition and she knocked it out of the park. The Louisville shows are among the biggest shows I've ever been to and the environment is quite overwhelming. She handled it like a pro and we came home with a Puppy Group 2 and 3! She is a natural in the show ring and was awarded a 4 point major her first weekend out at only 10 months of age from the Bred by Exhibitor class against beautiful bitches. Shak was shown in Doswell and was awarded another 4 point major going Best of Breed from the Bred By Exhibitor class over her Mom and her Grandma! To say I was tickled would be an understatement. She went on to finish her Championship quickly and with 4 majors. I can't wait to see what's in store for this young girl next.
Chaos
"Dare's Voodoo Child With A Wicked Flatline CGC TKN"
Chaos is my delightfully sweet and loyal boy. He has one of the most lovely heads I think I have ever seen on a male Flat-Coat, one-piece, strong and masculine well capable of a day spent carrying birds. As you go down his body he is complete with a rock solid top line, beautiful bone, strong rear and steady movement. As for his temperament it is priceless, sweet and goofy but also ready to settle to a task when asked just like an FCR should be.
When Chaos joined the family I had the intention of taking him under my wing as my next project. I started out training him but he immediately gravitated more towards my partner at the time and so I relinquished my "dibs" on him. I am so very glad that I did because he already has a handsome amount of bragging rights with his person.
Obedience
With Chaos being very bonded to his people he has been a true gem to train. Of course he started out with a basic Obedience class (Puppy Star) to get him socializing in a safe setting while learning his manners. He did wonderfully with Puppy Star and after graduating from that we continued to work with him at home and decided to get him Canine Good Citizen (CGC) tested and he passed first time around. On the very same day we decided that it would be good to end on a fun note and decided to test for Trick Dog Novice and that was a breeze for him! This guy is such a people-pleaser I have no doubt whatsoever that he will go very far in his Obedience career. It is a true joy to watch him interact and connect while working towards a Rally title!
Dock Diving
Chaos has been practicing his love for water at our local veterinary's office indoor pool with his other best buddy Sadie! When Sadie was out getting her Dock Diving title last year he was just a wee one and not quite ready for the jump! When he got his chance it didn't take him long to fall in love with it. He now has his Dock Novice and is one leg away from his Dock Junior.
***Update***
Chaos joined a wonderful experienced FCR family in Yorktown, Virginia while still being co-owned by us. We were lucky enough to be able to visit with him often. He has now crossed the rainbow bridge💜