About Us
That's Cowboy, and he is our first Beardie and the dog that literally changed my life! Before Beardies, we had rough Collies (and that's just because I loved Lassie when I was a little girl). Each year we attend the Detroit Kennel Club show (one of the last remaining benched shows in the country) and in 1996, I saw my first Beardie. I contacted Mary Billman (Fox Lane) and got on the waiting list for a puppy. Mind you I told Mary that I just wanted a "pet". That pet is now Fox Lane's Your Cowboy Song, CD RN NA OAJ NJP CGC TDI. By the way, those titles qualified Cowboy for a Versatility Award from the Bearded Collie Club of America last year! In 1997 Checkers joined us and in 1999, Sunny became Beardie number three. In 2003 we bred Sunny and had a litter of seven puppies. As a puppy, Chase, worked his way into my heart and he has never left. Zoe, CH After Dark Seventh Star, NA HIC is a cute little brown bitch that I co-own. All our dogs are owner handled, and I have taken them in the conformation, obedience, rally, and agility rings. We even managed to attend a few herding events and get down and dirty, something they especially love. You can see, these dogs keep me very busy!
In addition, I'm an AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Evaluator, and a training instructor. My husband, Jack, built a grooming room in our basement so all the grooming is done right here at home. Jack loves the dogs as much as I do and sometimes refers to himself as the "unpaid kennel help". Over the years he has developed quite an eye for dogs and I think he may have aspirations of becoming a breed judge. In fact, he has been known to take a few laps around the conformation ring and come out with a some nice ribbons.
I'm so thankful that Cowboy came into our lives, since he has introduced us to a brand new world filled with many friends and wonderful memories.
Jack and I are both members of the Bearded Collie Club of America In addition, in the past, I have served on the Board of Directors, co-chaired of the Historical Committee and was a member of the Health Committee.
In February of 2011, the American Kennel Club invited us to join the AKC Breeders of Merit program. Members must meet the following criteria:
- Having a history of at least five years involvement with AKC events
- Earned at least four conformation, performance or companion event titles on dogs they bred/co-bred
- Be a member of an AKC club
- Certify that applicable health screens on are performed on sire and dam as recommended by their breed's Parent Club
- Demonstration of commitment to the AKC registering 100% of the puppies produced
Warm regards,
Maryann Szalka
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