Please note that, after 25+ years, I have
retired from my breeding program. It has
been quite an adventure, filled challenges and a lot of
hard work. But, the rewards of producing quality
Labradors with intelligence and wonderful temperaments
has made it all worthwhile. I have produced
beautiful show dogs with correct "type", dogs who have
titled in hunt tests, obedience, rally and other fun AKC
events. Numerous puppies have gone on to be successful
service dogs, dramatically improving the lives of people
with handicaps and serious health issues. I'm
particularly proud of one, Romeo, who became a certified
search and rescue dog at 2 years of age, and went on to
find and save the life of an elderly man who had been
lost in the wooded mountains for 4 days shortly
thereafter.
Some of my puppies were placed with other breeders,
making valuable contributions to their breeding
programs.
I am proud to have had an extremely good record over the
years of good health, longevity and few genetic
problems. That is due to diligence to health and
genetic DNA testing, and a ton of research to stay
abreast of bloodlines that may be risky. In the
early days, it was much more difficult since we didn't
have most of these tests; all we had was OFA hip
x-rays and basic eye exams by an ophthalmologist, no DNA
tests at all. And, we had no internet, no web sites or
no-email to facilitate communications among the breeder
community and research, so we really had to work harder
to educate ourselves about health issues, genetics and
bloodlines to consider or to cull out.
But the majority of my puppies were placed with
wonderful families as beloved pets. Of course,
some became excellent hunters also, some therapy dogs,
etc., but most were destined to simply give and receive
an enormous amount of love. My greatest reward is
hearing the wonderful stories about these dogs from my
puppy families all around the country, how much
happiness they have brought to the family. I thank
these wonderful people for giving my "babies" so much
love and such good care over the years from the bottom
of my heart.
The other HUGE reward to this long career was the
opportunity to live with so many wonderful, loving,
beautiful, smart Labradors! Even as a single
person, I could never be lonely with this amount of
unconditional love surrounding me. I still love
every one of them, even those who have passed on and
those who were placed with families.
But now, as I got older, it was time to simplify my
life, and time for me to be near "family".
First, in late 2016, I moved to Colorado Springs, CO to
be near my son Erik and grandson Leo. Yes,
I brought some of my dogs with me ... the older ones.
Clarice was 12, Elmer almost 10, Berry almost 9, and
Buddy 5. Unfortunately, I got Covid in January
2020, was hospitalized for a week, sent home on oxygen
and meds. Covid changed my life, caused heart and lung
damage, and my health went downhill from there.
And my heart broke when I lost Clarice, then Elmer.
Thinking living at a lower altitude would help my
respiratory problems, and still missing Texas and loving
the ocean, I moved to Texas City, near Galveston, the
end of 2020. Buddy and Berry came with me, and
loved swimming and retrieving in the ocean. I was
less then 10 minutes from Galveston Bay. And I was
still able to get out for some great photography
outings. But then I lost Buddy to cancer, way too
young. My health went downhill and I was
hospitalized 3 times in one year. The last time,
Berry was deaf, not doing well, and so dependant on me,
that I had to put her down the day I went back to the
hospital. It was much kinder than making her deal
with my disappearing again for a week or more. She
was my last Labrador, so it was very traumatic, the end
of an era.
I'm now blessed with a amazing cat named Horus.
He's part Maine Coon, very smart, loving and beautiful.
He's becoming more and more like a dog every day and I
dearly love him.
I believe, when I myself cross that bridge, that I will
be overwhelmed by hundreds of loving Labradors, so happy
to see "Mom" again. Sigh ...
If you are interested in a puppy, and particularly were
hoping to get something from MY bloodlines, I can make a
couple recommendations to good breeders who are carrying
my bloodlines into the future.
This is a great place for Tealwood puppy families to
post pics & updates,
share and connect with other Tealwood families!
The girls swimming one evening
Jemima and Clarice taking the plunge
About Tealwood
For
20+ years, Tealwood's goal, through selective breeding
and careful genetic screening, has been to produce
correct Labrador Retrievers that contribute to the
maintaining the best of the breed ... in all three breed
colors, black, yellow and chocolate. Note,
we will not ever have the cross-bred "silver Lab" as it
is NOT a pure-bred Labrador Retriever. And there
is no such thing as a "white Lab"; there simply are
variations of yellow from almost white to fox red.
And we oppose the "LabraDoodle", another cross breeding
that is NOT a breed and does produce any consistency or
breed true even in the first generation. It is
foolish for people to even consider paying the
ridiculous high prices these people are asking for their
so-called "rare" Silver Labs and LabraDoodles; they are
NOT pure-bred anything, they can NOT be registered with
any reputable registry ... they are simply "mixed-breed"
dogs like the majority waiting for free adoption in our
animal shelters and humane societies.
About Me
I fell in love with the Labrador breed over 50 years
ago
when
my father bought our first Labrador Retriever from the
Armstrong Ranch in Minnesota. In those days, there
was not the division between field/hunting (so-called
"American type") and show type Labradors (so-called
"English type") ... they all were the same "type" and
"temperament". A well-bred Labrador could excel in
both venues. My dad was an avid duck hunter, so I
grew up with a shotgun in my hands ... and was a pretty
good shot in those days! I trained numerous dogs
of my own to be excellent hunters, as well as
well-mannered family companions. In later years, I
was smitten with the passion to get into breeding and
showing my dogs, determined to produce some of the
finest Labradors in the country. I believed (and
still do) that a correctly-bred Labrador can offer the
best of all worlds. He can be a beautiful dog,
correct to the AKC standard, calm, easy to train,
well-mannered and a joy to have in the house ... AND can
be one of the best all-round hunting dogs in the world.
I have proven that, because I have produced many
Labradors just like that, and have testimonials from
many very happy clients.
I may be too soft with my dogs at times because I love
them
and
worry about their welfare and happiness. I devote
my life to them, make many sacrifices for them to make
their lives happy and safe. But, they DO know that
I am the leader of the pack. Their respect for me,
and devotion to me, is overwhelming at times!
Establishing yourself as leader is very important to
your dog's sense of belonging and confidence and safety
... pack animals NEED a leader, but one they can trust
to be fair, consistent and supportive. But, did I
tell you that I LOVE my dogs??? (Notice in the
picture above, with my "little boy" haircut, that I now
am "wash and wear" just like my Labs!
Tealwood's Breeding Program and Goals
Tealwood's concentration is placed on proper type
according to the AKC breed
standard (sometimes referred to as the English type),
intelligence, soundness and
that calm, loving, eager-to-please Lab
temperament that has endeared the breed to so many of us
over the years. My dogs, even the youngsters, love
to swim, retrieve, use their natural instincts and learn
new things, then come in the house and be calm, quiet,
well-behaved cuddly companions! The temperament
and intelligence make excellent candidates for family
companions, obedience/agility performance, and hunting
and AKC hunt tests; concentration on proper
conformation produces good-looking dogs and many nice
show prospects . . . or all of the above wrapped into
one.
We
do not bring the field trial bloodlines (the so-called
"American type") into our breeding program because the
majority of those lines these days are too high strung
for a nice family companion and do not have the proper
"type" and conformation in accordance with the breed
standard for Labrador Retrievers (here in the U. S. and
elsewhere in the world). Contrary to popular
belief among serious hunters, many of the Labradors from
"show bloodlines" have outstanding hunting ability
(often better than the field-bred Labradors since they
are more controllable and trainable); you may find AKC
hunt titles in their pedigrees up to the Senior and
Master Hunt Title levels.
I
pride myself on keeping that hunting instinct in my
bloodlines. Even though I am not currently working
at hunt titles on my own dogs, many of my puppy buyers
very successfully hunt with their dogs and others have
put Working Certificates and hunt titles up to the
Senior level on their dogs, one currently training for
Master Hunt Title.
I'm pleased
to have had two of my 6-month-old girls personally
selected and purchased to be seeing eye dogs in Madrid,
Spain; another puppy (sired by my Major) became
the #1 drug detection dog in the state of Arkansas at
under two years of age; a recent puppy was
selected to go into training to be a certified therapy
dog working in hospitals with terminal and comatose
patients, several others are foundation bitches for a
retired veterinarian's breeding program for service dogs.
My stud dogs have been used to sire litters for service
dog organizations, due to their wonderful temperament,
intelligence, focus and trainability as well as sound
health genetics. One is a diabetic alert dog ... a
difficult assignment. One of my puppies is doing
wonderful in his training for search and rescue work. Many Tealwood puppies have gone
on to be outstanding hunters as well as family
companions; all the others have gone on to be much
loved "couch potatoes" and baby sitters for toddlers!
Among my goals for the near future is to train one of my
own tracking dogs and get involved in local search and
rescue. With intelligence, trainability, good
noses and a loving temperament, these Labs can
accomplish almost anything.
All
breeding stock is OFA certified on hips and elbows, eyes
cleared annually and conscientious effort is made to
eliminate other genetic defects such as epilepsy,
cardiac problems, allergies, EIC, etc.
Puppies and
occasional adults
are available to approved pet and/or show homes and
breeders. No puppies are placed without careful
screening, no puppies are sold wholesale, to puppy
mills, brokers or other irresponsible breeding programs.
Normally, you need to place a deposit and get on a
waiting list before the litter of puppies is born;
the earlier the better, especially if you have a
preference for a particular color and/or sex. Deposits
are NOT refundable if you change your mind for any
reason and do not purchase a puppy. A deposit is a
two-way commitment; I agree to hold your place on
the list for purchase of a puppy and you agree to
purchase the puppy. The exception is if I do
not
have a puppy of your specifications (color, sex, etc.)
from the litter of deposit for you, I will either refund
your deposit or you may opt to transfer it to an
upcoming litter. That will be your decision.
Stud
service is available to approved bitches.
Lifestyle at Tealwood
Believe it
or not, all my own dogs live in the house! I want
them to live a good life and be able to "hang out" in
the house, snooze by my feet and follow me around ...
not spend their lives as "kennel dogs".
Every
puppy I keep (or get) is house and crate trained.
In groups, they rotate to the large grassy play yards
and concrete runs from morning till evening. When
in Wisconsin, there were retrieving trips to the pond when weather allowed;
now, In Virginia, we have the pool.
My boys all run together in a group, sometimes up to 6
boys from youngsters to oldsters ... so congenial that
I've never had a fight. Girls are grouped together
based on age and personality. And they all have
time to "hang around" the house with me, snooze, chew on
nylabones, etc., so they can be with family just like
pet Labs. Most sleep in their crates at night,
some have special "bed" privileges! Nice calm,
well-behaved dogs deserve this life-style. I just
accept the fact that I need to spend a LOT of time
cleaning the house to keep it livable for ME and 10+
dogs!!!
Puppies are
whelped in the house, then moved to a heated
indoor/outdoor kennel facility
at
about 5 weeks where they have more play space and
learn to use a doggy door. They have a grassy (rarely
snowy anymore) play yard area with playground equipment and lots
of different toys. Pups are handled and monitored
daily for health and personality development, well
socialized, properly vaccinated, de-wormed, vet checked
and guaranteed. If any need special attention,
bottle or tube feeding or medications, I do everything
within my power to help them survive and have a chance
at a wonderful, healthy life. House training is
very easy with my puppies, partially because of their
wonderful genetic temperament, partially because of the
way they're raised and socialized. By the time
they are ready to leave, they are already doing almost
all their "business" outside, and will try to find a way
out when they get to your home. I am always
available for questions and consultation and love to
stay in touch with my puppy "parents" ... many of us
become like one big extended family over the years.
Since we moved from Wisconsin to Virginia in October
2010, we no longer have the pond you'll see in a lot of
pictures. I just couldn't find property with or
conducive to a pond here that I could afford. But,
Labs NEED to swim, so the alternative was to put in a
swimming pool. Although that project
became a nightmare for almost a full year, we finally
are enjoying a nice pool ... a great way for the dogs to
do what they love and stay cool in the hot summers.
I'm also exploring nice lakes/ponds to visit, and we'll
take occasional trips to the ocean. OK, I
obviously love water too, and swimming with my dogs, or
just watching them have so much fun, is great therapy
for me! I cleared and securely fenced a huge dog
yard and built a 20x30 kennel room, connected to my
house/garage via a breezeway. It has
indoor/outdoor runs that can open up to the dog yard,
has heat, A/C, ceiling fans and constant music. I
replaced the carpet in the family room with nice
terra-cotta look porcelain tile; it looks great
and I don't have to worry about any dog or puppy
accidents. My office is right off the kitchen and
family room so, no matter what I'm doing, the dogs can
hang around me and live a life almost as good as what
they have in wonderful pet homes. Did I tell you I
LOVE my dogs???!!
when
my father bought our first Labrador Retriever from the
Armstrong Ranch in Minnesota. In those days, there
was not the division between field/hunting (so-called
"American type") and show type Labradors (so-called
"English type") ... they all were the same "type" and
"temperament". A well-bred Labrador could excel in
both venues. My dad was an avid duck hunter, so I
grew up with a shotgun in my hands ... and was a pretty
good shot in those days! I trained numerous dogs
of my own to be excellent hunters, as well as
well-mannered family companions. In later years, I
was smitten with the passion to get into breeding and
showing my dogs, determined to produce some of the
finest Labradors in the country. I believed (and
still do) that a correctly-bred Labrador can offer the
best of all worlds. He can be a beautiful dog,
correct to the AKC standard, calm, easy to train,
well-mannered and a joy to have in the house ... AND can
be one of the best all-round hunting dogs in the world.
I have proven that, because I have produced many
Labradors just like that, and have testimonials from
many very happy clients.
and
worry about their welfare and happiness. I devote
my life to them, make many sacrifices for them to make
their lives happy and safe. But, they DO know that
I am the leader of the pack. Their respect for me,
and devotion to me, is overwhelming at times!
Establishing yourself as leader is very important to
your dog's sense of belonging and confidence and safety
... pack animals NEED a leader, but one they can trust
to be fair, consistent and supportive. But, did I
tell you that I LOVE my dogs??? (Notice in the
picture above, with my "little boy" haircut, that I now
am "wash and wear" just like my Labs!
We
do not bring the field trial bloodlines (the so-called
"American type") into our breeding program because the
majority of those lines these days are too high strung
for a nice family companion and do not have the proper
"type" and conformation in accordance with the breed
standard for Labrador Retrievers (here in the U. S. and
elsewhere in the world). Contrary to popular
belief among serious hunters, many of the Labradors from
"show bloodlines" have outstanding hunting ability
(often better than the field-bred Labradors since they
are more controllable and trainable); you may find AKC
hunt titles in their pedigrees up to the Senior and
Master Hunt Title levels.
I
pride myself on keeping that hunting instinct in my
bloodlines. Even though I am not currently working
at hunt titles on my own dogs, many of my puppy buyers
very successfully hunt with their dogs and others have
put Working Certificates and hunt titles up to the
Senior level on their dogs, one currently training for
Master Hunt Title.
are available to approved pet and/or show homes and
breeders. No puppies are placed without careful
screening, no puppies are sold wholesale, to puppy
mills, brokers or other irresponsible breeding programs.
Normally, you need to place a deposit and get on a
waiting list before the litter of puppies is born;
the earlier the better, especially if you have a
preference for a particular color and/or sex. Deposits
are NOT refundable if you change your mind for any
reason and do not purchase a puppy. A deposit is a
two-way commitment; I agree to hold your place on
the list for purchase of a puppy and you agree to
purchase the puppy. The exception is if I do 
Every
puppy I keep (or get) is house and crate trained.
In groups, they rotate to the large grassy play yards
and concrete runs from morning till evening. When
in Wisconsin, there were retrieving trips to the pond when weather allowed;
now, In Virginia, we have the pool.
My boys all run together in a group, sometimes up to 6
boys from youngsters to oldsters ... so congenial that
I've never had a fight. Girls are grouped together
based on age and personality. And they all have
time to "hang around" the house with me, snooze, chew on
nylabones, etc., so they can be with family just like
pet Labs. Most sleep in their crates at night,
some have special "bed" privileges! Nice calm,
well-behaved dogs deserve this life-style. I just
accept the fact that I need to spend a LOT of time
cleaning the house to keep it livable for ME and 10+
dogs!!!
at
about 5 weeks where they have more play space and
learn to use a doggy door. They have a grassy (rarely
snowy anymore) play yard area with playground equipment and lots
of different toys. Pups are handled and monitored
daily for health and personality development, well
socialized, properly vaccinated, de-wormed, vet checked
and guaranteed. If any need special attention,
bottle or tube feeding or medications, I do everything
within my power to help them survive and have a chance
at a wonderful, healthy life. House training is
very easy with my puppies, partially because of their
wonderful genetic temperament, partially because of the
way they're raised and socialized. By the time
they are ready to leave, they are already doing almost
all their "business" outside, and will try to find a way
out when they get to your home. I am always
available for questions and consultation and love to
stay in touch with my puppy "parents" ... many of us
become like one big extended family over the years.
