In his novel Travels With Charley John Steinbeck observed that "we do not take a trip, a trip takes us" - such has been our own travels with Charley, the first of our Labrador Retrievers.  

After over 30 years in an all-female household shared with wife Fran; daughter Amy; four Old English Sheepdogs - Abbey, Leah, Rose and Grace; one Rottweiler Diva and one Burmese Chelsea, Ian as head of the household made a stand. His pet of choice was a black Labrador - yes, it had to be black, it had to be male and he was to be his mate - there were to be no shows, no trials - his dog had to be a real dog.

The young Operculum Mr Charley filled this no-nonsense bill to a tee: family-reared, he proved a robust rumbler loving nothing better than hunting and fishing! His exuberant, expansive personality had the family hooked on the breed within days of his arrival; within weeks we all knew that we would always need a dog of the Charley variety; it only took a few months before Gunnislake Tippler Meg joined us! For Charley, it was love at first sight, she was a real living doll, so Dolly she became! < Fran and Flirty Gertie, Tullamore, 2007.

By May 2004, the women of the household convinced Ian to allow his dog to enter the Labrador Specialty Show under the English judge Mrs Wiles who gave us what was to become our kennel name in her critique of Charley's first - and almost last - ring appearance:

"Happy black, well developed for his age with powerful hindquarters (all the better to jump up and paw your designer jacket with). Would benefit from a little more ring training (Read: absolutely out of control!)."

In the August of 2005 we took Charley and Dolly on their first show circuit around the outback discovering a whole new world that was all about dogs. You'd arrive at what looked like a ghost town out in the middle of nowhere and then... ... ...around a bend, the show ground or the racetrack would appear with hundreds of set-up caravans, dog trailers, show tents, cabanas and even Winnebagos - such was Tullamore, Trundle, Bedgerabong, Ganmain, Coolamon, Condobolin, Peak Hill, Parkes... ... ... > Amy and “God Dog” Misty and her puppy, 1980.

We started Dolly and Charley's show campaign in earnest in May 2006 and Charley gained his title by August of that year at a very-Charley sought of place - Bedgerabong. Ian and his dog celebrated with the B'bong locals over a few cold ones in the dust and the heat at the outdoor bar overlooking the tractor-pulling comp.

Only months later in December and in stark contrast to Charley's ocker 'shin-dig', Dolly gained her title with a stylish eleven point challenge at the prestigious ACT Ladies' Kennel Club under a New Zealand judge. Her "capital" win was celebrated in style with champagne and strawberries at the Erskine Park Christmas Show.

As 2006, the Year of the Dog came to an end it was time to launch the Happyblack Kennel. We felt Dolly had the hallmarks of an excellent foundation bitch with her sound qualities reflecting Elizabeth Gent’s almost 50 years of solid Gunnislake breeding behind her.

In trying to formulate our ideal Labrador type we felt that the Gent’s outstanding imported show boy Australian Champion Eneleon Tigers Eye would not only compliment Dolly’s type but give us a quality all black litter! Dolly proved true to form producing a “text book” litter of six lovely black puppies on the 8 May 2007.

Happyblack Spruce Bruce (“Bruce”), Happyblack Flirty Gertie (“Gertie”) and Happyblack Sassy Lassie (“Molly”) have remained within the family and all have already embarked on a successful show career. Happyblack Fancy Nancy (“Milly”), Happyblack Swanky Franky (“Digga”) and Happyblack Studly Dudley (“Buster”) have all landed in “good paddocks” pampered as family members on comfy sofas with parks, golf courses, beaches and even trout streams as their playground!

Sassy Lassie traveled the furthest afield to tropical Queensland where our beautiful Molly, besides being shown, has also started obedience training and has, with great aplomb, introduced her owners Margaret and Emma to the exciting but exacting skill of Junior Showmanship.

Our goal now is to continue to enjoy our Happyblacks and to remember that whatever our journey may bring and wherever our travels take us, we always take the best dog home….