About

Hunter’s Heart Brittanys is located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, next to the Rocky Mountains. Our Brittanys have great noses, and are a pleasure to hunt over (we mostly find grouse in the foothills). Brittanys are athletes and love to run! Their eagerness to please also makes these Brittanys great companions for families who enjoy an active lifestyle.

I am originally from Northern Ontario (near Sault Ste. Marie), where my parents were hobby breeders of huskies. While dog sledding is an amazing display of athleticism and teamwork, it just wasn’t the breed for me. My husband Gary had always hunted with spaniels. When we moved into our first house together in Calgary, we researched different breeds, and settled on Brittany Spaniels.

We were lucky: Storm, our first Brittany, was a great dog. Not surprisingly, when we brought Storm home, he thought our 5 pet ferrets were prey to hunt. We had to muzzle him for the next six months of increasing interaction with our pets, always supervised. While Storm continued to hunt birds, he learned to think of the ferrets as pack members. One of their favourite games was for the ferrets to hide in a rolled up blanket, and Storm would pull it around the house while the ferrets made their happy "book book” noises.

At first, Storm wasn’t allowed upstairs, including the bedrooms. He negotiated: mornings would find him peacefully sleeping at the foot of our bed.

It was Storm who inspired me to name our kennel “Hunter’s Heart”. His huge spirit never let me down, and he lives on in the many eager, freckly faces of his progeny.

I’ve never regretted my choice of breed or these dogs. Over the years, we expanded to the current pack of 5 Brittanys, and enjoy when guests like Tracker visit. It is a delight to watch Spirit hunt with her granddaughter Vite, yipping like foxes when they catch a scent.

As for my professional experience, I am an agility judge (AAC), a Canine Good Neighbour evaluator (CKC) and a member of the Brittany Health Studies Committee. As an educator with BSc (Biology) and MD degrees, I understand the science behind:
• the genetics of inherited traits
• anatomy
• physiology
• movement
• behaviour
• healthy pregnancy and
• caring for sick newborns.
This knowledge and experience helps me to breed and raise puppies so they have the best start possible, and to teach others how to work with their dogs and reach their maximum potential.

Chief is a hard act to follow, but his daughter Vite is working on it. We can't wait to see what the future holds for our latest litter of pups.