My name is Jane, and together with my husband, we have three children aged 21, 17, and 12, four dogs, three cats, two rabbits, and chickens. Over 27 years ago, our first dog joined our family, and our love for dogs has grown each day since that first day.
Feeling unhappy as a nurse, I decided to follow my dream and focus on animals. I attended many dog workshops and courses from experts like Turid Rugaas, Sally Askew, Anne Lill Kvam, Suzanne Clothier, and more. I also completed a 1.5-year program in England with Sheila Harper at the International Dog Behaviour and Training School (IDBTS). I ran my own dog school for many years, organizing workshops, lectures, and training programs through my business. After working with dogs for about 12 years, I stopped around 12 years ago. We have had our own dogs, including three Shar-Peis, a Dogue de Bordeaux, and a Komondor, before our current four dogs (a Basset Fauve de Bretagne and three Golden Retrievers, with the youngest being bred by us).
How Golden Retrievers came into our lives. After a long period with just one dog in our family, we decided in 2017 that it was time for a second dog. We didn’t know which breed to choose and wanted to make this decision as a family. We attended shows, read books, visited websites, communicated with breeders, visited them, and observed training sessions. This helped us narrow down the list of suitable breeds until we concluded that a Golden Retriever was the perfect fit for us. Their sweet, social nature, enjoyment in working and activities, adaptability, and versatility quickly made us fall in love with these golden four-legged friends. Ten months later, our first Golden joined us. Olijf (Inspector Marple van ’t Keijserhof), an oh-so-cute and easy-going girl. We couldn’t have wished for a better match. We soon realized we wanted another Golden, and just before Olijf turned two, we got the news that a puppy was available for us. Truffel (Stunning Sevilla from Double Gold) joined us in the spring of 2020. Due to her beautiful appearance, stable and easy-going nature, strong work ethic, and excellent health test results, we decided, in consultation with Truffel’s breeder, that she could become a mother. Her first litter was born on April 30, 2023. We are very grateful for the guidance of Sandra Britsemmer and Wico v.d. Linden throughout this process. You can read more about our vision here.
With our dogs we follow Gundog training and Balance and Coordination. Our golden girls accompany us everywhere, whether for day trips or vacations. We are incredibly fond of our dogs and feel very fortunate to have them in our lives.
