Mar-Moye Labradors - breeding English style Labradors for over 35 years
Where does one begin? I guess my story is similar to many Lab breeders in that my parents had Labs when I was a child and it’s really the only breed I feel passionate about. I never could resist lying on the floor using my Dad’s hunting dog, Buddy, as a pillow and passing the time rubbing those ever so soft ears.
After college, I wrapped myself into my nursing career, until a friend set me up with a blind date. I never believed in love at first sight but when I opened my door and I saw Moye Daniel standing there, I knew I had just met the original “Mr. Wonderful”. Sorry ladies……… the rest are only imitations! Three months later we were married and that was almost thirty seven years ago.
We lived in my condo for several years but Moye wanted to
eventually move to the country. He knew I not only loved
horses, but Labradors too. As we discussed our dream of
finding land, he told me that whenever we finally were able
to build our new home, he wanted to own a black, a yellow
and a chocolate Labrador. (Labradors come in ONLY three colors)
In November 1984, we moved into our sweet country castle and for Christmas I gave Moye a laundry basket filled with three Lab puppies. That was the beginning of Mar-Moye Labradors. Like many kennels, the name is an off shoot of our names, Marion and Moye. We built a five run kennel with concrete flooring, a shed roof, attached igloos to the front of each and topped it off with a hand laid brick walkway and hanging baskets of flowers.
Our dog future wasn’t really planned, but we both enjoyed having the dogs swim in the pond and run as Allison, our daughter, and I took long horse rides across the surrounding fields. Eventually, we did have puppies. I guess my built-in love of caring for the living kicked in and I instantly loved having the babies. Fortunately with one of our early litters, a friend involved in showing, came to look at our puppies. One thing lead to another and the next thing I knew, she had me (and God only knows with which dog) at a dog show. I was petrified at first but it didn’t take me long to realize I needed a different type of Lab from what was sitting in my backyard. The English type - the correct type Labrador was what I needed. Again fate kicked in and we were able to purchase a two year old son of an English Import, CH Receiver Of Cranspire and CH Pine Valley’s Welcove Cremora.
We spent the next couple of years with limited showing and absolutely no success, but through wonderful mentoring, much patience and guidance, we began to be able to “see” the dogs and understand and appreciate their structure, their movement, their abilities, their talents and most of all their passion for people. We feel very blessed to have bred many wonderful champions in the conformation show ring, hunt test, obedience/rally and in especially in the hearts of their owners.
Today, I am an approved AKC judge for Labradors and enjoy the opportunities to travel and see Labs from all parts of the country. Although we have retired from breeding, I'll continue judging as long as clubs request me. And we look forward to going to participate in breed select Specialties.
When we did breedings, we used The Labrador Retriever Breed Standard as our guide, carefully selecting breeding stock that was not only structurally correct, but had all the genetic clearances necessary to assure ourselves we would be producing as sound a dog as possible. We were constantly striving to improve the breed with each breeding and have to admit, the breedings were done for us so we could have some young ones coming along to hopefully be able to show. Naturally we couldn't keep them all and we carefully selected families to provide our babies with their forever homes.
When we look back and see one of our earlier goals was to make the “cut” at a Specialty (and we still get just as excited today, when we do) and now to see all the unbelievable goals we’ve actually achieved, we know now, that dreams do come true! It is very difficult to share in such a short space, all our joys and pleasures these dogs have brought to us in the past 35 plus years, not to mention the wonderful and caring people and friends this hobby has brought into our lives. Just when we think it couldn’t get any better, it does. I guess that’s what kept us going! Thank you for visiting Mar-Moye Labradors. We hope you enjoy your visit!
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