I am proud to be the friend and guardian of such fine animals. I started this wonderful journey of retriever training as a hobby after working with pointing breeds for years. I was drawn to retrievers…specifically Labrador retrievers…by a friend who had personally trained his own retrievers for years. The manners, intense retrieving desire, and heartiness of these dogs fascinated me. I purchased a pup and began training my first retriever and became instantly hooked. I set out to title my own dogs before ever taking in another person’s dog(s) for training and was successful in that endeavor. I worked with various other pro trainers for a couple of years and drew much wisdom from them as well as from the many videos and books I digested. However, the best training I received was from the fine animals placed in my care. Careful attention to watching them interact with one another, how they responded to my training techniques, and the advantage of taking in a few finished dogs taught me more about Labradors than any books, videos, or other people ever have.

I have successfully campaigned dogs in many different venues. I still enjoy the diversity of each different venue I run. From hunt tests, to field trials, to various other events I am happy competing in each one as long as my dogs are running. Lately, I have settled more in the field trial game. However, I still run hunt tests occasionally and try to support my home club, the Tallahassee Hunting Retriever Club, whenever I can.

Over the years, which have been relatively short compared to many of the veterans of the sport, I have met many wonderful people. People who I probably would have never had the pleasure of meeting outside of this sport. Further, the places where I am privileged to train and compete are some of the finest, most beautiful places in this country. I am certainly grateful to the landowners who unselfishly lend their parcels for our use.

God has truly blessed me with a group of wonderfully talented dogs and equally wonderful owners. I thank God first and foremost for allowing me the opportunity to be a part of this sport. I also thank the owners who have placed trust in me to care for and to develop the skills of their retrievers…I hope to never let you down with my efforts.

Finally, I want to say how wonderful it is to have a wife and daughters who are very understanding and supportive of our retriever endeavors. My wife Susanna and daughters Hannah, Alex, and Bailey attend some of the close-by events and as the girls get older I am sure they will be more visible at the events.

Keep an eye out for Team Tremblin Earth at an event in your area and please feel free to contact us about our programs any time.