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Hi,
This is Susan Kasper and daughter, Charlotte Kasper. We are spending a wonderfully cozy Sunday together and decided to look up Killingsworth Labs because we have a beautiful Chocolate Lab named Reese. She is the daughter of Lilly and Ruffus, and was born in October of 2002. We drove from Long Island to the Methuen Mall to meet Lilly and her pups. We took home Reese and Moose (her brother who lives a couple of blocks from us.) They occasionally see each other on the beach and run towards each other like gladiators in combat only to be licking and kissing each other - it really is quite the sight!
As seasoned dog owners, we have never had the good fortune to be in the company of such a great companion until Reese came along. She is the most loving caring dog we have ever had, and is such good company and a total mush.
When Charlotte was afraid of a rain storm recently. Reese immediately jumped onto her bed and stayed there to comfort her and keep her company. It was only when Charlotte fell asleep did Reese jump off her bed to return to her own bed knowing that her job was done.
We continually thank Reese for being part of our family. Now it is time for us to thank you for making this union occur.
We are starting to talk about getting another family member for Reese. Please let us know about any chocolate pups or adults that you may have available- or blacks or yellows. Or what you may have on the horizon. Thank you so much. We look forward to hearing from you --
Sincerely,
Susan and Charlotte Kasper
Lido Beach, New York
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Hi,
I just wanted to let you know that my husband, Ben, and I “inherited”
Killingworth’s Coalyard (a.k.a. “Stuffy”) a little over a
year ago. Our friend, and Stuffy’s previous owner, Bob Gillie, passed
away last January at home. Bob’s relatives were unable to take the
dog, so Ben brought him home. After a week of not eating, Stuffy began to
recover and is now thriving. He’s down to 105 lbs and gets lots of
exercise in our sugarbush and tree farm in Lyme, NH. He’ll be 9 years
old on May 19th. Bob kept meticulous records and that’s how I found
out that he’s a Killingworth Lab. I also had to laugh when I saw his
mother’s name was “Mudpuddle”; Stuffy walks intentionally
into every ditch and puddle and earned the nickname “Mudpie” before
I knew about his mother’s name.
Having previously owned two wonderful Brittany spaniels (who lived to
the ages of 14 and 15 and whom we loved to death), Stuffy has been a breath
of fresh air to us. We are absolutely in awe of his temperament and personality.
He is also very intelligent and really listens to us when we talk. He
is one amazing dog and everyone who meets him falls instantly in love
with him (something about those eyes and that big head).
Thanks for providing Bob (and now us) with the opportunity to own such
a magnificent animal!!
Sincerely,
Deb Kilham
Lebanon, NH |
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I apologize for not sending a message sooner...including photos! Lily
is doing great! She is crate trained and just about house-broken (or we
are to her needs at least!. She is sooooo smart. It didn't take two days
for her to figure out the sound of the treat jar opening meant you had
to sit and if you ring the bell on the doorknob they take you out to 'get
busy'! The other girls, Dakota 12 and Jenna 7, have adjusted well (although
we think Dakota is still hoping she's not permanent!) but Jenna has found
a new pal and friend and they are having a
grand time. We are looking forward to her summer on the island, swimming
in the ocean~~ she'll just have a wonderful life. She is getting big,
her legs are so strong. I am attaching a photo of her first vet visit~~
you can see
how disturbed she was by it! The clinic staff love her (and your Jenna
Mae!). The other photo is our 'three' girls all sharing their big pillow.
Again, thanks so much for giving us such a sweet and VERY smart little
girl
lab.
Pam and Brad
Bridgton, ME |
| Greetings,
Thought you might like a couple pictures of Oliver taken the day before
his fifth month B day. We’re enjoying him a whole bunch.
He seems to enjoy us a well. Been doing some basic obedience. To say he
is catching on is an understatement. Especially when there are food rewards
offered. Been doing some beginning retrieving as well. He has lots of
fun. Waded into a partially thawed out pond today. He’ll have a blast
this summer.
He has the most “fun” temperament of any lab we’ve had.
Thanks,
Mark and Sandy Gagnon
Kennebunkport, ME |
Hi Darlene,
We just wanted to update you on Rufus (from Lily and Ruffous June 9). He
is an awsome dog. We have survived his earlier puppy days of eating everything
from rocks to shoes. He is now the most mellow and sweet dog in the world.He
is so good and gentle with children. He goes to work with Jason eveyday
and just loves riding next him. He has a great playmate Cedar who is also
a Lab. We just wanted to thank you so much for such a wonderful dog! Maybe
we will have to contact you again soon for another wonderful pup to add
to our family!
Sarah and Jason Wiggins
White Plains, NY |
|
Roxy is doing extremely well she has had an unbelievable start to the
fall hunting season. She has three fantastic flushes on grouse and I continue
to train her on quail and pigeons .Roxy also thinks she is the queen of
the Mt. house pond we have a hard time getting her out she loves to swim.
Craig Hilburn
Point Pleasant, PA |
|
I just wanted to report that Bessie is doing really well. She had a serious
swim in a little lake in the Berkshires on Monday and fetched a stick
over and over and over... she is really beautiful and calm (ok, there's
an upholstered chair with a missing corner that might disagree!!!) and
a huge star on West 81st Street where I live across from the Park. On
Monday next she will be cleared for takeoff and be able to go to romp
in Central Park for the first time. She (and I) can't wait. She's a real
beauty, and as smart as anything on four legs has ever been. I love her.
So do all her myriad fans in the neighborhood. Thanks so much for a great
pup.
I feel ridiculously lucky!
Bridget Potter
New York, NY |
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Darlene,
Mizzen is everything, and more, I thought we would get from a Killingworth
puppy. She's beautiful, smart, full of personality, and extremely lovable.
She settled down in her crate after the first ten minutes and rode comfortably
home. We have three wagging tails here so all seem to be adapting to a
different environment. Thanks again. She's a wonderful puppy and we hope
to visit you at The Perennial Inn. It sounds great!
...........
Darlene,
Just wanted you to know what a spectacular puppy we have with Mizzen.
She has become best of pals with Kala, the one we thought might be too
jealous. They now constantly play together and are inseparable, and she
is very, very smart. What joy to watch them! Hope all is well. Cheers,
Roxanne Leighton
Best, Roxanne Leighton
Isleboro, Maine |
"I have wanted to share a story about Harley and what
a blessing he is to our family.
Two and one-half months ago Harley was waiting at our front bay window for
his "Daddy" (my husband) to come home. I was in the kitchen when
I heard a horrible crash. My husband was hit by another car. His car was
totaled and he was injured. As the ambulance took my husband away, Harley
looked at me like he understood exactly what was happening.
The next day we brought my husband home and positioned him on the sofa in
our living room. I told him to tell Harley "ouch" if Harley started
jumping too much or getting too excited--Harley understands what ouch means
and he stops doing whatever he is doing when you say "ouch".
I left Harley out of his kennel and he was so glad to see his Daddy that
he raced to the sofa. My husband seeing this enthusiastic 85# plus pup heading
his way started saying "Ouch, ouch, ouch!" right away. Harley
stopped mid-run and immediately assessed the situation.
Harley began by sniffing my husband from top to bottom. He carefully lingered
over the rigid brace as if he was checking to see if it was positioned properly.
After he thoroughly checked everything out, Harley carefully placed his
front paws on the sofa. He proceeded to lift himself up and repositioned
his left paw on the back side of the sofa next to my husband's leg.
Then Harley very gently and carefully stretched his body up without touching
his "Daddy" and began licking my husband all over his face. My
husband was completely immobilized due to his injuries and was sputtering
a bit under all that affection. It was such a beautiful picture I wished
I had had my camera with me so I could capture it.
Over the last two and one-half months my husband has gone through some intense
therapy to regain his ability to walk and perform other functions. Harley
has been faithfully at his side. One of the after-effects of the accident
has been the loss of vision in my husband's left eye. With a blind spot
on his left side he would run into things. Harley sensed this and would
use his body to guide his Daddy away from things as they walked through
the house or the yard.
I can tell you that Harley is priceless in our eyes. He is such a sweet
and loving puppy and I wanted you to know how thankful I am that you picked
such a wonderful dog for us.
Sincerely,
Karen Mojecki
Harrisburg, PA |
|
"She's a truly wonderful pup. I think she's already bonded to me.
What a joy..... She's such a
darlin'...Sam's doing extremely well. We already had a visitor this morning.
One of the police officers on my shift stopped by and Sam put on a little
show, doing some backyard retrieving culminated by a jump into her pool!
She just loves visitors! Sam's pretty much at home in the crate now. Only
about one minute of whining last night...Sam went to the porch door yesterday
and told me she had to go out. She's so intelligent, Darlene. Yesterday,
I was watching a show on Animal Planet about dogs, and Sam keyed right
in on the sounds and images. In fact, she sat down and looked a little
apprehensive when they showed a pack of dogs running and barking. So I
toggled back to the Red Sox game. Sam has no interest in watching baseball...How
are the other dogs doing (besides Bella) doing? I know I'm not an expert,
but you've done a remarkable job producing these fine dogs. I feel very
privileged owning one...She's really bonded well to me already. A terrific
dog...What a sweetheart she is. Very intelligent as well. No adjustment
problems...She kept jumping into her swimming pool with no water in it,
so I filled it with about 6 inches of water. Did she love it! And the
hose with the water coming out of it! She loved that too!...Sam's super-enthusiatic
about water. More than any of my dogs. I brought her to the beach, and
she plunged right in beyond shoulder-depth, which means she was swimming
for a few seconds. I quickly redirected her to shore, but she kept wanting
to swim. Imagine -- 9 1/2 weeks old!...Are the other pups in this litter
as fantastic as Samantha. What a wonderful puppy. smart, intelligent,
beautiful, and loves the water. She impresses everybody I show her off
to. But really, you, Daisy and Hilton really produced a marvelous dog
in Samantha. I hope the other "adopters" are just as pleased
and impressed...."
Click Here for the expanded adventures
of Sam
Jack Samek
Woonsocket, RI |
|
"Nearly 20 years ago, I purchased a black lab puppy from Milos Forman
in Warrnen Ct., whose staff told me that the line...that produced the
puppy was a Killingworth (Thunderson, I believe) and that Lorraine Robbenhaar
in Washington Ct. was the facilitator and breeder. To say that this was
the most marvelous dog I ever had would be an understatement."
Jack Smith
Glastonbury, CT |
|
"I want to let you know that Baxter is doing just great. He's a
wonderful pup and lots of fun. He slept most of the ride home from Maine
on Christmas Eve and adjusted to his new home right away. Baxter is a
content and loving puppy that draws plenty of smiles and laughs from all
us. After about 3 weeks he fully learned to do his business outside and
had very few accidents prior to that. It amazes me how well behaved he
is at such a young age. We have since started Puppy Kindergarten and Baxter
enjoys his Friday night out to socialize with the other pups at school.
Thank you to Gracie and Rufus for producing such a wonderful puppy."
David Jigarjian
Westford, MA |
"just wanted to tell u just how wonderful moose is...what
a complete mensch.....he is so super with jack.....jack is a little pup
chewing biting annoying....cant wait to take them to the beach..one more
month.....just wanted you to tell mooses mom (Lilly) what an amazing animal
he is really ...thanks"
Jamie Cohen
Long Island, NY |
|
"She is an absolute delight. What character! She could not be any
better. She is so well behaved and such a good little pup. We arrived
at the air cargo loading dock within 1 minute of her delivery from the
plane, paperwork and everything could not have gone smoother. She was
in great spirits and what a cutie. We took her home and introduced her
to our 5 year old male Moon. For about 5 minutes she was a little timid
and reserved. But that was all, within a half hour she giving him all
he could handle and they were both having a great time. As I told you
I lost 2 Labs within a few months of each other due only to age and Moon
misses not having a companion, but not any longer. We went for walk down
by the stream on our property and she jumped right in. Then they played
non stop until bed time but you could tell they were both pooped out,
we just don't play like dogs no matter how hard we try. We put her in
a new big crate in the same room with Moon for the night. I was pleasantly
surprised she did not cry or mess her cage. We took her out first thing
this morning and she did her business. Before I came to work she had already
taken one of Moon's toys from him and would not return it. Also I play
ball with Moon every morning and evening and Tankur was out there casing
the ball with every effort she could put into it. I believe I have received
just what I had hoped to..I am glad I found your Kennel."
Biff Jones
Parkton, MD |
"I have known Lorraine since we were very young (Kaytlin
my sister is now 21 and used to be in the baby seat during breedings in
Washington Depot in the 1980’s). We have trusted the Killingworth Line
for the entire history of our girls since then. Even after I moved to the
West Coast, I still have not found any dogs superior to Killingworth Labradors."
Dayna Begley
Twin Bridges, MT |
"I have a bitch out of Lily and Rufus (2001 litter),
her name is Killingworth's Seraph, we call her Sera. I can't tell you how
much we have enjoyed her. We have had labs for 20 years but her temperment
is the best that we have had. She is so calm and happy. She loved her crate
from the second we picked her up, of course she prefers our bed now. She
is the happiest dog that we have ever had, she is happy from the minute
she wakes up until she goes to bed. She has been an Angel Dog (Therapy dog)
since she was 9 weeks old. She was officially certified on her first birthday
but was visiting from the beginning. Who can resist such a georgous chocoalte
dog. She loves to show but only has one point."
Erin Wollam-Berens
Lincoln, Nebraska |
"Yes, very happy is an understatement! Our children
have always said that our animals 'live on the cruise ship,' and the Princess
certainly knows that she is in First Class. She is doing very well during
the night. She has
her crate, but we leave it open so she has the run of the Kitchen and can
go out during the night through her doggy door. She also has a bed outside
the crate, and she seems to go back and forth between the two...I am working
with her in retrieving training daily, and she is finding it great fun...She
certainly has the brains, and will be very easy to train. Of course, that
also means that she will have the ability to manipulate and outthink us
most of the time..."
Art and Carroll Pulis
Wickenburg, AZ |
I have to tell you though he has been really fantastic!!!!......he
cried the first night in the crate but really that was it!.....I put him
in when the kids go to bed at 8:00 or so (by then he is just exhausted),
I take him out at 12:30 or so and he goes right back to sleep and gets up
at 6:00 or so......he naps a handful of times throughout the day which is
great as the kids just adore him and keep him extremely busy!!!....he and
I are very close as we spend a lot of time together....he's very smart as
he follows me when I call, he stops when I say stop, he's great with all
the kids.....the only problem there is that my daughter who is 3 absolutely
loves him to death, she just spends all day loving him, but she is the smallest
person around and he jumps up on her and bites her clothes etc......he's
just having fun as he gets so excited but she panics.....it's all innocent,
she just has to learn to get him to stop
and not panic.....so he's been a dream....again, he a really special guy
who I'm really getting attached to!
Terry Haggerty
Mill Valley, CA |
"Zeke is doing great. We absolutely love him. He is very
smart and has a sweet personality. We thought he was going to be depressed
when Sandy left, but if he was, it was only for a short while. He's growing
biger and bigger. He loves his crate and he's doing really well"
Deb |
|
"He is such a sweetheart - a very happy boy"
"Today Adam is 12 weeks old and I have to tell you how wonderful
he is doing. It seems that he has been with us always. He is totally housebroken
(thanks to my older labs) and he is growing in leaps and bounds. I think
he
is going to be a very big boy. He is very independent, smart and sweet.
I love him so much and he knows that he is my special boy. I want to thank
you for picking him out for me. I took him over to the horse show today
and
could have sold him five times. He is a great ambassador for Killingworth
Labs. I have given your email address out to a number of people. Thanks
again, Adam is a great addition to our family."
Cheryl |
"I just wanted to give you an update on Abby. She is a
beautiful dog, and so well behaved. She sleeps in her crate every night
without a cry, her first night here was not bad at all, she really has adjusted
well."
Jim and Melissa Wallach
Southington, CT |
"Thanks for such a wonderful doggie! :)"
Glenn & Rachel Reeves & Jesse
Portland, ME |
"I am the proud owner of Killingworth's MaCalastair (Macky)
from the litter sired by "Clipper" born in May last year. He is
my second Killingworth Labrador. I have neglected to write to Lorraine with
a progress report, please pass on my apologies! Needless to say Macky has
grown into everything I expected and then some. He is the most perceptive
and intelligent dog I have ever owned, a wonderful friend, thanks to great
breeding."
Jeremy Maxwell |
"My first Lab was from Jenny and Roland Morehouse in Indiana.
The breeding was from Killingworth's Moroje Windfal out of CH. Kupros Spartacus
with a grand dam out of Ch. Clemmsen of Killingworth. "Carly"
was energetic, always willing, playful and possessed of all the characteristics
of a great lab. I would like to get a puppy from your lines because Carly
was such a great dog and your lines have the appearance that I seek."
Janice K.
Charleston, IL |
"Pluto came from Champion field trial bloodlines, was
an excellent retriever / swimmer, was very intelligent / good problem solver,
and extremely athletic without being hyperactive, not at all gun shy and
very gentle & loving...Pluto's grandfather was CH Killingworth's Black
Brant."
Robert Olsson |
I wanted to write and first complement you on such a wonderful
collection of canines!...and am especially taken with Lilly! I am a chocolate
breeder myself here in Canada, and really admire her type - it is what I
most prefer and consistently try to produce...She is a special girl...congratulations
on successfully carrying on a great tradition of fine specimens.
Yours in Labs,
Lisa Brown
Copperstone Reg'd
Ontario, CANADA |
"In 1988 I bred my chocolate female Hannah with Killingworth
All-Decked-Out a.k.a. Dexter and had a great litter of 10 pups... As a matter
of fact you decided to purchase one of my pups, a chocolate male whom you
named Flintlock. Well my puppy Kala [ Flintlocks sister ] just passed on
this summer and I'm looking to add to our family again. I've never forgotten
Flintlock because he was such a big easy-going boy and would love to have
one just like him."
Jacqueline Guarino Smith |
A Tribute to CH Clemmsen of Killingworth
CH Clemmsen of Killingworth (Eng/Am CH Lawnwood Hot Chocolate ex Stonewood
Killingworth Katie) is the only chocolate ever to win the Breed at Westminister.
Conceived behind a hanger at the Oxford, CT airport (Jan Churchill had flown
in with Eng/Am CH Lanwood Hot Chocolate), he was whelped on Lorraines's
birthday, September 7, 1979 during a hurricane. (No power for 3 days, pups
whelped in front of a huge fire in the fireplace for heat)
Despite his dramatic and somewhat inauspicious beginnings, Clem proved to
be a real winner for Lorraine. A devoted companion and fishing partner,
he is behind all Lorraine's chocolates and some of her blacks, and produced
several foundation bitches for others, including the outstanding CH K Clementine
(Sue Ostermuller). Lorraine writes, " Clem was a wonderful companion
dog - very pleasant and tractable. He was a great fishing partner - never
jumped around in the boat!"
submitted by Chaplain Vikki O'Hara, M.Div |
A Tribute to Killingworth's Tristan
Killingworth's Tristan (Hennings Mills Brown King ex Bounty Brant's Riverroad
Chic). At the age of 8 months, Lorraine donated Tristan to the Connecticut
Department of Environmental Protection with the understanding that she would
keep the registration and possibly us him at stud. A superb tracking dog
trained in evidence recovery, venison detection, and tracking persons, he
replaced an unreliable GSD dog as partner for CT Conservation Enforcement
Officer Peter Begley. "Tres" and Officer Begley were constant
companions, at home and at work, throughout their career together, during
which the team was often recognized for their outstanding work in tracking
and apprehending poachers and "deer-jackers." (Deer-jacking involves
the illegal hunting of deer at night by blinding them with lights.)
In 1995 Officer Begley and "Tres" were also awarded the "Medal
for Meriterious Service" for ". . . rendering service beyond the
ordinary course of duty with perservance and timely judgement. On October
23, 1994, the Granby Police Department requestion the assistance of Officer
Begely and Tristan in investigating a series of crimes which had recently
taken place in which property was stolen during break-ins of several vehicles.
With heavy rain making the investigation and search a difficult task, the
team was able to recover the majority of stolen property and solve a major
crime, and were also instrumental in the apprehension of one of the suspects
who had fled on foot and was believed to be armed and dangerous."
After donating Tristan, Lorraine did not see him for about a year. When
she did see him she said, "I just about collapsed. He was absolutely
gorgeous. He has a beautiful head, a beautiful dark eye, and a gorgeous
top-line. He has a found front and his hips and eyes are clear. He has all
the qualities of a top-notch champion Labrador Retriever" . In addition
to his career as a canine detective, Tristan became one of Lorraine's outstanding
stud dogs, producing, among many others, her current outstanding chocolate
stud dog, Killingworth's Rufus, JH, WC."
submitted by Chaplain Vikki O'Hara, M.Div |
A Tribute to Killingworth's Aelred
Sired by Killingworth's Rufus, JH, WC, Killingworth's Aelred was selected
by Lorraine to work as a therapy dog and was sold to Chaplain Vikki O'Hara,
Director of the Angel Dogs Animal Assited Therapy Dog Program at Madonna
Rehabilitation Hospital in Lincoln, Nebraska. (The 7th largest rehabilitation
hospital in the nation.)
From the age of 9 weeks Aelred has grown up in my office and has been socialized
extensively in the hospital setting. When he's not working he is asleep
under my desk. Aelred is the most extraordinary Labrador I have evern known.
Lorraine and I have joked that he was mature from the time he was born,
but it's true! He's just 2 years old now, but since he was less than 6 months
old has had full run of the house when I'm not home and has never gotten
into trouble. He adores people, "lives" to come to the hospital,
and instinctively knows how to work with our therapists to help patients
achieve their rehabilitations goals. When he was 8 months old a therapist
asked me to have him lie down on the floor where she was working with an
18 month-old child who had experienced a stroke as a result of shaken-baby
syndrome. The child was completely withdrawn, had come to us on a ventilator
to breathe, and wouldn't initiate any movement on her own. Although Aelred
was not old enough to be certified at that time the therapist saqw a first
spark of interest in the child when Aelred walked by. Aelred lay down on
a mat and, unbelievably, the child began to reach for the dog. Before long
she had her fist in his mounth and was tugging (hard!) on his ears. The
whole time he was completely still, except for his tail wagging with delight!
Aelred precipitated a breakthrough in this little girl's treatment, and
after this session her recovery accelerated beyond what we had imagined
possible. He continues to work his miracles every day!
submitted by Chaplain Vikki O'Hara, M.Div |
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