Meet Agria Breeder Ambassadors 2022

Tell me a little bit about your involvement within the dog world?
Ashlie and Julie have been active within dog showing for over 20 years. Julie comes from a Championship obedience background and previously ten years before that. Adam has been involved in the dog world since meeting Ashlie at University 9 years ago. We basically live, breathe and sleep dogs. Julie and her husband owning a Kennels, Cattery and Grooming Parlour and Ashlie the UK distributor of Always Your Friend Pet Care products.

Ashlie and Julie are CC judges in Pomeranian. Julie is Secretary of The Pomeranian Club. Ashlie is Secretary of the Japanese Akita Inu Club and runs the Pomeranian Club Rescue for the UK. Both serve on those and the Hungarian Pumi Club and the Portuguese Water Dog Club committees. Adam is The Hungarian Pumi Club treasurer, JAIC webmaster, and the Pomeranian Club committee. We may be busy but wouldn’t have it any other way!

What breeds do you have currently?
Pomeranians are our main breed, but we also have Portuguese Water Dogs, Japanese Akita Inu, Hungarian Pumi, Cardigan Corgis and Standard Long Hair Dachshund.

What breeds have you had in the past?
In addition, to the above we started in obedience with Border Collies and Golden Retrievers. Then moving to showing with Belgian Shepard Dog Tervs and Groens. We started in the toy breeds with Papillons, before settling on Poms, and have bred Affenpinschers also. We have also had Samoyeds.

Will you be showing at Crufts this year?
Yes, we have 15 dogs entered this year over 3 days, so you may seeing us running around.

What is Crufts like for you?
Crufts is always MANIC, between showing, helping on various Discover Dogs stands and working as a Agria Ambassador it keeps us busy. But then again, we don’t like not being busy.

What is your experience with breeding?
We have bred various breeds for over 20 years and have met many highs and lows. Pomeranians are known at the heart break breed, and they’re not given this name lightly. However, no matter the lows of breeding and unfortunately there are many, the highs and the striving to better our lines towards the breed standard, showing these dogs under our affix, doing well and breeding dogs that we love gives us the push to continue.

If you could have another breed of dog (not what you currently own) what would it be and why?

Julie would say a Borzoi, Ashlie would say an American Cocker Spaniel. But Adam sums us all up that we can firmly say we are happy with the breeds we own, and over the years we have owned enough breeds.

What is your favourite thing to do/see/buy at Crufts?
The epitome of Crufts is Best In Show, and we love watching it every year. Otherwise, it would have be to see the Discover Dogs stands every year full of all the KC recognised breeds, and watching the Flyball really gives me tons of respect for other canine disciplines.