ABOUT LINNET

You’ll know its Linnet because she’ll have her head stuck between your legs so she can rub her ears!

Linnet was “made” for me by Thor Jakobsen of the Hempths Kennel in Stavanger , Norway . She was picked by him and ran on until I finally made it over to see her in September 2004 when she was 17 months old. I have to say that finally seeing Linnet in the flesh was such a relief as ...and Thor knows this .. she didn’t take a good picture !
We arrived at Thors place as it was feeding time .The words are you ready were said as this whirling dervish was released from her kennel. She briefly said “ hello” but then ran back to her kennel waiting to be fed , when it didn’t arrive quick enough she ran back greeted us and then ran back to wait in her kennel . She did this several times until it finally arrived!! Linnet still eats her meals as though it could her last.
Out on a walk later that day she did the same running backwards and forwards to greet us each time as though she had met us for the first time. Wierdly enough that‘s exactly how she greeted me this morning as I entered the kitchen. She’s a different dog these days although her daughters Clemence and Myrtle take the same pleasure in just “running”
Linnet finally arrived in England in October 2004. She first stayed with Gemma Knight as I had a litter of Border Terriers at the time and didn’t want to introduce a strange dog to the house. She quickly paired up with Gemma’s Ferris and continued her love of running, usually after someone elses dog! She arrived in Belper later in the September and continued as she had at Gemma’s ruuning after other dogs and touching things that didn’t belong to her .The running after dogs luckily is now just an occasional blip her daughter Clemence has now taken over her mantle. It is unique to these girls as my other dogs wouldn’t dream of doing it!.
Linnets first show in England was The Flat coated Retriever Society Championship Show in April of 2005. Under Brian Izzard she qualified for Crufts 2005 . She remained in the cards throughout the year winning Best Graduate in Breed under Bob Allen at the URC and a lovely big cup to boot.
She finished 2005 well by going Best bitch In Show at the The Southern Flat coat Society show under Val Orme and then winning Reserve Best in Show to Seymours Best in Show.
At Crufts 2006 under Ruth Barbour she won an excellent Graduate bitch class handled by a very proud Thor!
In July of 2006 Linnet had her first litter, sired by Rainesgift Seymour. She gave birth to 13 but sadly lost two puppies in the first week however she reared 3 dogs and 8 bitches. She proved to be a fantastic mother even feeding Renns pups which had been born two weeks laterwhen she got the chance.
Her pups have gone on to do so well for her Rainesgift Hucklebery Finn and Rainesgift Classic Affair have gone on to win their Junior Warrants. They spent 2006/2007 swopping places with each other in the show ring .Rainesgift Bree Vandekamp , Rainesgift Clemence and Rainesgift Fleur de Lis have gone on to join their brothers in Qualifying for Crufts 2008 and N.E.F.R.A Pup of the Year.
Linnet spent most of 2006/2007 out of the show ring although she Qualified for Crufts at URC. She will hopefully back in the ring this year as I feel she still has a lot more to do.
She is a lovely dog conveniently blonde at times. Linnets theory is if she can’t she you then you can’t see her either.Which is great should she wish to sneak off either to the Bowls club clubhouse for sandwiches or the back of Morrisons Supermarket. The look on her face when she’s “busted” is priceless. She has proved a good retriever with game steady very soft mouthed and quiet .Linnets best retrieves and proudest moments however have been ,the underpants she retrieved from the riverbank the day after Lyric picked up a live duck from the same bank .The look on her face was just fantastic, she was just as proud of those underpants and he had been about his duck ! Just last week Berrie had found a lovely new red football and as I was in the throws of telling her just how wonderful it was and how clever she had been to find it I could see Linnet out of the corner of my eye and she clearly had something she didn’t want the others to see . Very reluctantly she brought it over to show me, hanging from her mouth was yes you guessed it ... a wrist watch, obviously ! She very quietly and gently carried it all the way home and took it straight to her bed! It’s little things like this that make Flatcoats like no other !

FEBRUARY 2008