My involvement with Rottweilers goes back many years to the early 1970's when I first met Pat Lanz of the famous Borgvaale Rottweilers. From very little I had an interest in animals of all shapes and sizes, my first passion was for horses but this soon moved onto dogs. As a youngster we had breeds of all shapes and sizes starting off with Labradors followed by a Bloodhound, Cocker spaniel, Lhasa Apsos and a GSP which gave me my first experience of the show ring. We bred a few litters of Cairns and showed them with moderate success in the ring. Whilst still at school I was introduced to Pat Lanz who was looking for someone to help her at the shows and in her kennels. Pat lived in the same village as my family. So started a love of Rottweilers that has covered many years and through many stages and changes in my life but has remained constant throughout.
Our first Rottweiler was to be a bitch of all Borgvaale breeding, bred in N.Ireland by Fred Warden, she was to go on to become Ch Nedraw Black Sunshine and be the best foundation anyone could ask for when starting a kennel. She is behind most of today's successful dogs in the ring and we are now seven generations on from her. Our kennel has always been very much a hobby kennel with only a few litters bred, this mainly due to my full time employment in the Police Force. My 30yrs years spent in the force has seen me serve 20years on the dog section and thus experience the true meaning of a working dog. I think it is this experience that has always helped me keep the true working heritage of our breed to the fore front in our breeding program and has led to us breeding some of the soundest moving dogs in the ring. Over the years I could not have done without the support of my mother who is a partner in the kennels and has always been the expert in rearing our puppies and producing the superb temperaments for which our kennel is known.
Joanne Johnson
Member British Institute Professional Dog Trainers (MBIPDT)