About our Home, Gwinn-Dell Ranch
About us:
Our home is in the West Hills of Salem, Oregon where we share our lives
with a large variety of animals. I started showing dogs as a small child
have been involved in breeding and showing dogs since 1959.
Starting with Toy breeds, I got my first Golden Retriever in 1967.
I bred and competed with my Goldens for 33 years.
My husband, Don and I started in Irish Wolfhounds in 1980. We love competing in
obedience and we have put numerous titles on our IWs with scores in the
190's. Wolfhounds can work well and earn good scores!
We show in conformation and have been successful there too. One of our
champions had 8 titles (Am\Can Champion, UCD, Am\Can CD, CGC, TDI, CRT)
and is the only IW to earn a Carting title. Our first love in competing is
agility, which we do with our 3 Xoloitzcuiontle, Border Collie, and Golden.
Our dogs are companions and family members first; show dogs second. We
breed for brains, beauty, temperament, and soundness.
In our non-dog lives, Don retired as a police captain at the Oregon Police
Academy after 42 in law enforcement. I retired after teaching high school
English for 33 years. This allows us to pursue our animal passion full-time.
Along with showing, I have obedience classes and have also been heavily
involved in Dog 4-H since 1966. In addition, I worked as club leader for the
county's Guide Dog group for several years. I have turned it over to one of my former
4-H puppy raisers who started with me at age nine. Animals, especially dogs,
are my life and luckily I have a patient husband who shares my love of animals.
Barbara Barbara & Ceallachan
Don Don and granddaughter, Isabelle
Our kennel name was chosen when I was a child. Our kennel was named after my childhood home, which we owned from 1963 to 1997. We showed and bred Chihuahuas and we lived on Gwinn Street. From Chihuahuas to Irish Wolfhounds -- hmmmm! A popular stable in the area was Glendale Acres and I modeled our name after it. We chose the name in 1963 and it has represented many dogs since.
About our Home, Gwinn-Dell Ranch