About Cookie
I was raised on a farm in Maine with 11 siblings. I learned early in life I had the eye and touch to train and teach animals.
It all began with draft horses. We competed all over New England and Canada bringing home many first place prizes.
I was invited to participate in the 1976 bicentennial celebration with a pair of our draft horses putting on a demo daily for a week in our nation's capital. This took place on the lawn in the park between the Lincoln and Washington Monuments. It was filmed by the Smithsonian Institution and is on display there.
After competing at the highest level with draft horses, I decided to try my hand at training standard bred racehorses. I acquired a stable of 5 horses and went to the winner's circle many times. I was offered a position in Pompano, FL to continue training for the stable during the winter months but with children and a husband wedded to Maine, moving to FL was not in the cards.
The rest of the story is that I went to the dogs!
My first experience was on a hunting trip with a great old golden, named "Sam". She had never been formally trained but what a great hunting buddy! With her walking the roads of the Great North Woods she flushed my first ruffed grouse. I will always hold that memory close to my heart. I was hooked.
For over fifteen years, I've been breeding Golden Retrievers and since 2007 Flat-Coated Retrievers.
Currently, I am:
President, Pine Tree State Golden Retriever Club
Member, Golden Retriever Club Of America
Member, Northeast Flat-Coated Retriever Club
Member, Owner Handlers Association
Please feel free to contact me for referrals for your next Golden or Flat-Coated Retriever.