The story of KaiserStaffs...

...begins in the summer of '95. My daughter took in a stray she found wandering on Cleethorpes beach. The dog had no tag, no collar and no ID so she took her home to make enquiries as to her owners’ whereabouts. I can still remember the first time I saw her, I was peering through the window of her front room when she jumped up at the window and started barking! I was with my old Jack Russell (JR) and they were both giving as good as each other. She was called Tyler then.

I used to visit them often and grew fonder of the dog each time. It soon became clear my daughter wanted the leave the area in search of somewhere more exciting – London! What was to become of ‘Fatty’? Fatty is what I called her because she reminded me of a little pig that big head and rounded body. She came to live with me and we soon became inseparable. She never left my side, waited beside the bath (and toilet) for me and slept on the end of my bed! One day I came home from work to find her sprawled out on the bed gasping for breath. I scooped her up and drove to the vets where she needed an emergency hysterectomy to save her life! It was Pyometra, an infection of the uterus, that is a good enough reason to spey your bitches.

The years went by, we had many holidays together in Devon and the New Forest. We even went to see the eclipse in ’99 and she waited for me when I was struggling up the hillside to get to the top. She was always by my side, my best friend, always there for me. I idolised her.

One sunny day in ‘03 we were in the garden and she just collapsed. I took her inside and gave her a drink; she could hardly walk and wouldn’t eat. I rang the vet and made an appointment; I knew it was the end. Taking her on that final journey was the hardest thing I have ever had to do and I vowed I would never have another dog again as long as I lived. I will never forget her and I want to include her in all that we do now because it’s all because of her. My love for this loyal breed will endure until we both meet again on The Rainbow Bridge.

Sleep peacefully Fatty you are forever in our hearts. x

When Poppy turned 2 years old we decided to have her mated. I wanted another puppy and my Daughter Rowan wanted one of her pups. We chose Sid (Bridletown Slashdotcom) as the stud. I did so much reading and research during the pregnancy which went very smoothly. I was so proud when Poppy gave birth. One of that first litter, Lily, still remains in the family. She lives with my daughter Rowan and is the gentlest sweetest natured girl you could ever meet. She is 2 years old now and a little treasure. However, my first experience of breeding was not without tragedy. The one boy was black and white pied, a real stunner. We called him Kaiser from the minute he was born because a Kaiser Chiefs song was on in the background during the birth. Unfortunately, little Kaiser didn’t make it through the first night. We were all so devastated to lose him. We have called our kennels KaiserStaffs after the pup we lost and although our first attempt at breeding was traumatic I realised that this was the only thing I wanted to do – raising, showing and caring for Staffys; devoting my life to this wonderful breed.