About Me

While I have had purebred dogs since I was a child (we had Samoyeds, Standard Poodles, and Australian Shepherds), I fell in love with Swissys in 2005 when I started work at the American Kennel Club and attended several dog shows. I couldn't take my eyes off the Swissys, and I fell in love with their personalities. After countless hours of research, I began my search for the right dog. While I was interested in conformation showing, I was more focused on finding a dog that could do everything - drafting, weight pull, obedience, rally, tracking, pack hiking, etc.

I met the sire to my first Swissy at a dog show after he completed an agility run in Concord, North Carolina. I had seen him win the breed that day in conformation, and I found out later that he had also competed in obedience just before going into the agility ring. His name is Keygan, and since his owner wouldn't let me take him home with me, I kept in touch with her regarding future breedings to her lovely boy. About six months later, Keygan was bred to the lovely Deme (owned by Judy Brown-Fletcher in Indianapolis), and I was chosen to receive my beautiful boy, Grainger. About a year and a half later, I added Grainger's half-sister (who has the same dam, Deme) Oakley to our family.

Grainger was my work companion every day at the AKC, and he traveled with me all over the southeast and beyond for dog shows, draft trials, weight pulls, and vacations. He was an amazing companion and a great working dog - very goofy and silly and loved to make me laugh, but when it was time to work - he was all ready – earning titles in conformation, obedience, rally, drafting, and weight pull – making him an official Versatile Greater Swiss (VGS). He truly was an all purpose dog! Unfortunately, he started having seizures shortly before his six birthday and after two years of a hard-fought battle with idiopathic epilepsy, I let him go in December 2014. My experience with Grainger and epilepsy has made me a better breeder, a better dog owner, and a better person. Losing him has been devastating, and I will continue to raise awareness for canine epilepsy - especially in Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs - and will continue to help others as they help their 4-legged friends deal with this awful disease.

Oakley is my foundation bitch - she's a big girl with an even bigger personality. She is the definition of striking, vigilant, agile, and confident. She lives with a wonderful family in Durham, NC and looks after their kids with the most gentle nature. She earned her CGC at six months old and also participated in conformation showing, weight pull, and drafting – both by pulling kids around and helping with yard work. I cannot say enough good things about this girl, and I am so pleased that every dog I am breeding goes back to her. As of August 2021, she is almost 13 years old and still doing well. One look, and you'll fall in love. She may even grin at you.

I now have 4 generations of Swissys and am planning to continue with this amazing line of dogs that have not only incredible temperaments, but very good health history and longevity. I truly breed for myself first and foremost, and I carefully plan each breeding, taking health and temperament very seriously. My dogs live in my house, sleep on my bed, and share my life. I only keep 3-4 at a time, and because of that, I don’t breed very often.

I will only provide referrals to other breeders that meet my own standards for breeding and raising puppies. If I wouldn’t get a dog from them, I won’t refer you.

We now live outside of Charlotte, NC, but I am originally from Charleston, SC. Prior to moving to the Charlotte area in 2015, we lived in Raleigh where I was the Director of Operations for non-profit AKC Companion Animal Recovery, where we worked to reunite pets with their owners through permanent identification (via microchips) and recovery services. I am an active member of Lakeshore GSMD Club and Southbound GSMD Club and serve as the Treasurer of Southbound. I'm actively involved in Canine Epilepsy Awareness outreach, and I call some of the most responsible breeders my friends. Swissys are not only a hobby for me, but a true passion of mine.

I hope to leave the breed better than I found it by being active with my dogs in showing and performance events and breeding for the qualities I find most important - temperament, health, and conforming to the AKC breed standard rather than public opinion or what happens to be winning at the time.

I believe in transparency, complete disclosure, and making breeding decisions that allow me to sleep well at night. If you're chosen to get a dog from me, we will be friends for life.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions: Contact Me