About Linamia

About me: My first lab, obtained in 1974, was acquired as a companion and hunting dog for my husband. He needed training, so we took him to obedience school. He and I eventually earned a CD and CDX. In 1981 I decided to get serious about breeding and obtained my first show dog from Campbellcroft Labs. This puppy grew up to be CH Campbellcroft's Cara CDX JH WC. She was my first champion, my first brood bitch, my first field trained dog, and my bosom buddy co-pilot for 14 years. She supervised my move to Wisconsin in 1986, where I became a professor in the Biology Department of Ripon College. I taught genetics, cell biology, immunology, vertebrate zoology and several other subjects for 25 years and retired in the spring of 2011. Currently I am a Professor emeritus teaching as an adjunct and doing research on sea urchin genetics.

About my kennel name: The term “linamia” comes from a utopian novel by Austin Tappen Wright called Islandia. This classic novel, written before WWII and described as “life-changing” by many reviewers, has been reprinted and is available from Amazon.com. It describes an imaginary country in which the relationships of a person to other people and to the environment are more important than monetary considerations. It influenced my philosophy of life so much that I took my kennel name from it. In the Islandian language invented by Wright, “amia” means the love that exists between friends, and “lin” means strong. “Linamia” therefore refers to those friendships that persist through physical separation, life changes, differences in circumstances, politics, whatever happens. It is what I know that Labradors feel for the people that belong to them and what I wish for all my Labradors.

About my dogs: My Labs are all from conformation lines that have proven they can work in the field. All of my dogs are house dogs. With limited time and resources for showing and training, I have owned and/or bred 6 conformation champions, two AKC Master Hunters, five Senior hunters, at least 16 Junior hunters, and at least 20 obedience/rally titled dogs. I prefer to sell to families where the dog will be a house dog and companion rather than a kennel dog. I also have bred 9 certified service dogs and one certified seizure detection dog. In a litter sired by CH Ashlyn's Egan of Linamia CD JH, 5 out of 7 dogs because Leader Dogs.

About my breeding goals: My goals are to reproduce the best qualities of the Labs I knew 30 years ago in California: athletic, soundly built with smooth effortless movement, moderate bone, well angulated in front and rear, with a harsh, water repellent coat and sweet expression typified by CH Lockerbie Brian Boru, who figures prominently in my pedigrees. I like a little more length of leg and less coat than some of the top winners have today. I dislike the overdone heads, round eyes and ponderous movement that have crept into our breed. I expect my dogs to be able to work in the field, to earn obedience titles with a minimum of training and not to forget their manners when they leave the ring. I most admire breeders who have produced Champions with Master Hunter titles.