OWNER | Miranda Schroeder
Breeding Healthy Labradors from the Heart
OHIO | 419.344.2774
OUR BACKGROUND STORY
The Love of a Dog Drove Us
WHERE
WE
BEGAN
Our love for this amazing breed started in 2005 with our first Lab, Louie. He was a college graduation gift from my then-boyfriend (now husband). We picked him up when he was just 6 weeks old! Louie was our first baby and he had what I like to consider a "superpower" because he always knew when I needed a hug. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I could love a dog as much as I did Louie.
Shortly after we adopted Louie, my brother called me one afternoon and said he needed to stop over to show me something. He pulled into our driveway, opened the door to his truck, and out jumped two beautiful chocolate Labs, a male and female. My brother had found them running through a cornfield, whistled for them to come, and they jumped right up into his truck. Despite being wet, tired, and hungry, these dogs were gorgeous, but oh, so wild! We watched the local papers for missing dog ads, as well
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as checked with local veterinarians and local shelters. Nobody claimed them. My brother kept the female and we kept the male, who we named Cooper.
Cooper was not exactly thrilled with us when we brought Gus home. However, it didn’t take long for Cooper to show Gus the ropes and how to behave in the house. IMPORTANT NOTE: It’s always a blessing to have an older Lab around when bringing a new puppy into the mix. I swear the seasoned dogs can speak to the pups and discipline them better than any human can!
My husband started to work with Gus and spent some time training him to shed hunt for deer antlers. It was at that time that I began to consider competing and showing Labradors, which was something that I had always wanted to do as a little girl, but my parents didn’t have the time or money to allow for that. It was a dream of mine that I had long forgotten about...until 2016.
Louie and Cooper were best buds. They loved to swim, fetch, run alongside the four-wheelers through the woods, get in trouble together, and snuggle. Louie was only with us for a few short years before he sadly passed away at the very young age of seven.
After Louie passed away, we never considered replacing him. Life went on with career changes and our family grew, but the emptiness of losing that once-in-a lifetime dog never really went away, so in 2016, we decided to add another Lab to our home: Gus.
Cooper & Louie watching over Emmie
My BEST boy, Louie
Gus' 1st day home!
WHAT
WE
REALIZED
WHEN
WE
SHIFTED
STARTLING REALIZATION
In 2017, our family moved into our current home in Delaware, Ohio, on 5 acres of land. During this transition, I decided that I wanted to move forward with my dreams and begin showing and competing with Gus. However, after doing hours upon hours of research, I learned very quickly that Gus did not comply with the breed standard for a Labrador Retriever. His general appearance, size, proportion, and substance are what jump out at the difference between the quality of Labrador Gus is compared to those that meet the breed standard. Gus does not have a dense weather-resistant coat or a thick otter tail (his tail is long, skinny, and curls), his height is above normal, and he lacks a proper top line and bone mass. The only thing there is no doubt about is his temperament. Gus has the classic Labrador temperament that makes everyone fall in love with the breed.
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It was based on this research that made me further realize that ALL of our Labs up until this point had actually been products of backyard breeders and did not fall within the breed standard.
That’s when I began my search to find a dog from a responsible and reputable breeder. I knew that I needed to find someone who would not only mentor and believe in me, but also help me to become a reputable breeder as well. That’s when I found Angela Rice from Bella Notte Labradors and Donna Powell from Rustic Ridge Labradors.
In addition to Angela and Donna providing me with my first show-quality dogs -- Archie and Scarlette, respectively -- they have been fantastic mentors to me. I am forever grateful for their trust in me, as it allowed me to follow my dreams to start Buckeye Valley Labradors!
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A PERSPECTIVE SHIFT
My first contact with Angela from Bella Notte Labradors was in January 2019. My daughter Emmie, my Mother, and I drove to Pennsylvania one weekend to meet Angela and her new litter of puppies. Angela and I discussed the potential male show prospects in the litter, but as soon as she introduced the "black collar" male to me, I knew he was coming home to join our family.
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Archie and I spent many hours in training classes and traveling a lot to dog shows together. He loved his one-on-one time with me and all the special treats during confirmation classes. He helped make a dream
that I have had since I was a little girl come true by becoming my first real show dog!
We earned our first AKC points together in March 2019, during our very first show at The Medina Kennel Club in Tallmadge, Ohio, where Archie took Winners Dog. That was such a special memory, as Angela was there to watch us in the ring and celebrate her first-ever Bella Notte Labradors points, as well. That day will always hold a special place in my heart.
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As the time passed, we continued to earn additional points towards Archie's championship, but we never had the opportunity to finish his title as Archie was retired from our program in December of 2020. He now resides with his new family just outside of Pittsburgh. They absolutely adore him and have spoiled him rotten, which means the world to me. Archie deserves that for everything he gave me in our short time together.
Beautiful Archie
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Many people never believe that they will ever find another dog that compares to that one special dog that touched their lives, but Archie was that dog for me. After my first Lab, Louie, passed away, I never thought any dog would ever come close to touching my heart the way Louie did. I was wrong. Archie impacted my life in ways that he'll never know. The time that I had with him is something I will treasure forever.
Having loved and lost some of the best Labs on earth solidified our resolve to provide the most healthy Labradors for families to raise, love, and enjoy for years to come.