I started off back home in my native Newcastle breeding, rearing, schooling and training dogs for the fiercely competitive independent circuit. I was lucky to have been taught by Dinky Armstrong the basic ins and outs of “the dogs”.

Leaving Newcastle in 1995, I moved to my present property in Monasterevin, County Kildare and set about building it up to become one of Europe’s leading breeding establishments.

The property boasts single kennelling for up to 50 dogs. This allows each brood and sapling the freedom of their own space. On top of this I have 3 individual whelping sheds, which allow bitches all the quiet and privacy she needs when having her pups.

There are also 7 puppy runs where pups between the ages of 6 to 14 weeks can freely learn to express themselves. These are close enough to the main house that they can be watched but still feel independent.

The back of the property has 10 individual paddocks roughly 200 yards long by 30 yards wide housing between 2 and 7 puppies (depending on age) from the ages of 14 weeks to 12 or 13 months old. These paddocks all have a brick built house, which has a bed and additional space for shelter.