As a child I dreamt of owning a
Dobermann
– I was brought up on a farm in Sussex, England with a very busy pack of Jack Russells, Border Collies and retired racing Greyhounds. I longed for the black and tan, regal and aloof dog that I had seen in the movies. When I moved to
South Africa
, my illusion was shattered with the arrival of Hysand Viceroy, a.k.a. “Toby the Doby” in 1998 – a big brown boy with a wonderful sense of humour; he was a complete clown and possessed a fearsome bark that belied his gentlemanly ways. His good looks as a puppy were spotted by the late Tony Williams – who was an International Best in Show judge. Naively I ventured into the ring in a pair of cut-off jeans and a skimpy T shirt and won the class – I never was sure whether it was my conformation or Toby’s that won……, but Toby became a SA champion at 18 months of age and I thoroughly enjoyed competing with him and learning the ropes. His greatest achievement was Reserve Supreme Dobermann 2000 and in the same year he reached the top 25 of all breed dogs in South Africa. I was not to know back then that the purchase of Toby as a pet and companion would lead to an all-consuming passion for the
Dobermann breed
.
Toby was the foundation of
Haverhill Dobermanns
– thanks to my dear friend and mentor Hymie Leibman (Hysand Dobermanns) I was given two beautiful bitches by imported USA CH Cara’s Skeeter of Hysand and in 2003 I bred my first litter of 5 puppies. I kept one bitch from that litter “CH Hysand Leila” who died at 10 years of age; I miss her dearly. Since 2003 I have continued to enjoy breeding, showing and training my Dobermanns, helping new owners get the best from their puppies and competing in various working disciplines. Now that I am retired, I plan to do so much more! In 2014 I imported two bitches from Europe to improve on my breeding stock – Novika from Elite House Dobermanns in Poland, and Eckeen Veram from de la Villa Valiano Dobermanns in France. In 2016 I imported another French girl; Lalique Gaios Campo di Gaia. I am delighted with all of them – I think that they will all contribute to the quality of Dobermanns in South Africa.
Haverhill is a beautiful property situated inland of Durban , KwaZulu-Natal , on the East Coast of South Africa. We have over 8 acres of indigenous trees and grassland, with 4 acres of fenced paddocks and camps for our dogs to run freely around. All the dogs live inside our house, none are kenneled, although they are all crate trained and are happy to spend “quiet time” away from each other on a routine basis. I breed my bitches selectively once a year, and take great pride in ensuring that the puppies are kept in the best possible environment for their health, and their physical and mental development. We use the Bio Sensor/Super Dog Programme which consists of early neurological stimulation exercises done from days three to sixteen of the puppy’s life. Our puppies leave Haverhill temperament tested and socialized, completely healthy and ready for their new lives ahead.
