Me & My dog featuring Caroline Campbell

“As a child I was always dog mad. My parents did all they could to stop us having a pet dog, and made every excuse possible. But when I went out everyday hunting for strays, they gave in. My first dog as a child was a crossbred black male called Sweep. My first Labrador I bought myself at 16 years old, I saved up for months so I could get a yellow bitch, eventually Candy became my new companion, she sealed my love for labs and lived to the ripe old age of 13. I left home at 19 to house share with my friend and she came with me, we adopted a small, crossbred bitch named Kizzy and they quickly became best friends. In 1994, I was diagnosed with lupus and found myself reading Labrador Retriever books and joined a few breed clubs. I would go and spectate at local shows and went to breed club shows. There was a litter advertised in the paper, I recognised the sire from the books I had read up on, he was a black dog from the Cambremer Kennel Sh Ch Cambremer Tom Sawyer. The dam was also black and was a working lab. I went to see the litter and came home with a black bitch and called her Cree. That’s when my show career started. I had never handled a dog or trained one for the ring, so I had to learn as much as she did. I signed up and went to ring craft classes in Bo’ness, before I knew it, I was hooked and my new apprenticeship began. The first few months I attended local open shows, which soon became my new weekend hobby, it kept my mind away from my illness and gave me something to focus on. There was so much to learn and take in and my eye became my main tool, I started looking at dogs in a completely different way.

Me & My dogs

By Caroline Campbell

“when I went out everyday hunting for strays, they gave in!”

I went on to get two yellow bitches, Brooke being the first, and a year on I got Braan. Both were from good stock and well-bred quality parents, but neither took the show ring by storm. This was when I realised that rearing a puppy for the showring was an art, and it was going to be my next apprenticeship. By that time, I had met various keen show people who became friends. I adopted a lovely yellow dog Antonine Harry Potter for Tullochmohr JW who became my dog of a lifetime and showed me a side to showing I never thought I would accomplish. This boy took me down south to compete at championship level, we went on to win our 1st at Crufts in 2004. Harry was consistently placed at champ shows and we went on to win a RDCC which was a dream come true for me, his father (Sh Ch Tullochmohr final edition JW) taking top honours that day winning the DCC. I bought a brood bitch in, Bonnie (Antonine Amarantine) and formed my own kennel, also securing a Kennel affix which is Binnaig (short for Binny Craig ) my first litter was born in 2008. When I was showing down south, I had seen a dog that I liked and he became the my first stud dog him being Sh Ch Rocheby Statesman.

“My dogs form my family and live indoors with myself”

From that litter I kept 2 bitches, Daisy who I proudly made up to a champion she then became SH CH Binnaig Wild Thyme, her sister Binnaig Star Anise won 2 Reserve Bitch CC’s both gaining their stud book numbers which gives you a life qualification to Crufts. I have went on to breed another champion a Wild Thyme daughter Roxy (SH CH Binnaig Just Blonde JW) in 2013 and another wild thyme daughter Lexi (Binnaig Atomic Blonde JW ) in 2015 who has won a CC and three RCC. From that same precious line, I have produced two dogs and three bitches and from them gained multiple top wins. Roxy’s son Mani (Binnaig Benavie JW ) went Best puppy in Breed at Crufts 2019 a huge achievement for my small Kennel. I have also judged across the UK, Holland and Germany. Away from the shows, I live a very normal dog owner life, I am very privileged to live and work on a large country estate near Edinburgh. It is a perfect location because it gives the dogs a lot of freedom and a super country life. My dogs form my family and live indoors with myself, we have trips to the beach and travel the length and breadth of the UK which they all enjoy immensely. Here in Scotland we are completely spoiled with the most beautiful scenery, beaches, hills and too many walks to mention. Some of my favourites being up the west coast. I happily holiday with the dogs and we have stayed all over, be it for a show or just a break. Although the show calendar is active all year round I feel the winter season brings a calmness. I love frosty nights, and travelling south in the early hours of the morning when there’s a beautiful sky, it is an absolute delight to see all the stars, and there is just something so special about it. I tend to cook and read more through the winter months. The constant garden duties have halted and the dark nights bring more opportunities for relaxation for myself and the dogs. There is nothing better than lighting the fire and watching or reading something interesting. The snow is the dogs favourite and brings hours of fun without the dirt. For me, the moment a puppy has its first experience with snow is priceless.”

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