Fernbriar Cardigans actually began with a girl & her dog - Mackenzie, who wanted to show AKC Jr. Showmanship & Agility, & Handsome, our first Cardigan. Dogs have always been a part of our life. Diana grew up on a dairy farm SE of Rochester, where her family raised & showed registered Holsteins in both 4-H & MN Holstein Association shows. She also participated in the 4-H dog project, training the family's purebred Rough Collies for obedience competition.
In 2003, Mackenzie's love of dogs expressed itself as a desire to try her hand at competitive dog sports, like agility & Jr. Showmanship. However, all of the current family dogs were mix-breed rescues. We started by researching which breed would best suit our family - Diana's experience with the herding breeds, along with the desire for a dog known for its excellent temperament & the need for a size of dog suitable for Mac's size, led us in the direction of the Cardigan. We were not disappointed with our choice - the Cardigan is a combination of athlete, companion, & clown who loves its people & truly wants to be a part of the family.
We take our responsibility to our breed very seriously. Our dogs are all members of the family - everyone can be found most nights sleeping on somebody's bed, most often Mackenzie's. When we do breed litters, our goal is to achieve dogs of quality conformation with excellent temperament & health. We are happy to have people come to visit Fernbriar & meet the crew here, to get to know our breeds up close & personal. We are also happy to provide reference contacts from those who live with members of our extended family.
We require that all prospective owners fill out a questionnaire, so that we can learn more about their lifestyle, preferences, experience, etc - this allows us to make the best possible matches between puppies (or adults) & owners. All pet puppies are homed with a limited registration & spay/neuter contract. We almost never place show prospects, but would only do so with a co-ownership agreement.
