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Breeders Brew
The Breeder’s Brew Podcast is for dog breeders who want to make informed, ethical decisions without feeling overwhelmed.
Hosted by Sara and Isobel, the Passionate Puppy Practitioners, this honest and supportive podcast unpacks the realities of dog breeding with clarity, compassion and practical know-how. Whether you’re breeding your first litter or looking to improve your current practices, each episode helps you navigate the journey with more confidence and less confusion.
Sara Lamont, the world’s first Canine Family Planner™, is a leading authority on home breeding. She brings decades of experience and a straight-talking, values-driven approach to helping breeders prepare, plan and parent each litter with care.
Isobel May Smith, the Canine Nutrition Coach©, is the only breeding-focused nutritionist in the world. She offers holistic feeding and wellness advice by simplifying the science to empower breeders to raise strong, thriving pups through nutrition that makes sense.
Together, they bust myths, share heartfelt stories and answer the questions you didn’t know you had, all in a relaxed, relatable way that makes even complex topics feel manageable.
Need more than just a podcast?
Sara and Isobel have launched the Brew Crew, a mentorship programme for dog owners ready to take their breeding seriously. Brew Crew members get access to fortnightly Catchup Calls, focused Spotlight Sessions, in-depth Breeder Briefs and the Taproom, a private space filled with downloadable tools, real-time support and a like-minded community.
Join today and gain instant access at www.breedersbrew.com/brewcrew
Breeders Brew
ABA 2024: Rising Star Winner - Adam Mayle
In this special solo series of Breeders Brew, Sara, the Canine Family Planner, takes the helm to introduce the Annual Breeder Awards (ABAs)—a brand-new recognition programme celebrating exceptional breeders and their commitment to responsible dog breeding.
🏆 This episode spotlights Adam Mayle, winner of the Rising Star Award, an accolade recognising breeders who are continuously raising their game, expanding their knowledge, and refining their breeding programmes.
🎤 In this candid conversation, Adam shares his journey from breeding German Shepherds to establishing himself as an ethical, health-focused Labrador breeder. Expect insights on:
✅ The importance of mentorship – How guidance from experienced breeders has shaped Adam’s breeding vision.
✅ Building a trusted reputation – From puppy contracts to WhatsApp groups and buyer references, learn how Adam fosters transparency and trust.
✅ The realities of breeding responsibly – From ovulation testing to endorsements, hear why ethics matter.
✅ Balancing work, family, and breeding – Managing a breeding programme while maintaining quality over quantity.
✅ Future vision for GaffaGlory Labradors – Breeding towards the ideal combination of show and working lines.
đź”— Where to Find Adam & GaffaGlory Labradors:
đź“· Instagram: @adam.mayle | @gaffaglory
🎧 Listen now for an inspiring conversation with an ambitious and ethical breeder!
📌 Helpful Links from the Episode:
🔗 Join the Breeders Brew Community on Facebook – A safe, supportive space for responsible breeders to share experiences and ask questions.
👉 Search Breeders Brew Community on Facebook and request to join.
đź”— Want to hear more? Have a question for a future episode?
đź“© Email us at podcast@breedersbrew.com
💡 Help us spread the word! If you found this episode insightful, please like, share, and recommend it to fellow breeders. Let’s work together to raise the bar for responsible, ethical breeding!
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Love the podcast? Get even more as a Brew Crew member → www.breedersbrew.com/brewcrew
Follow us @breedersbrew
Sara Lamont (00:25)
So I am flying solo for this series of The Breeder Brew. it's Sara, the Canine Family Planner. There is no Isobel on this special series because I am interviewing a series of people who are the winners of the Canine Family Planner's Annual Breeder Awards. So this is a new award-based recognition to breeders.
that I see face to face and I'm keen to open this up to be a global program. So hopefully moving forward, people will be able to apply themselves if they feel that they meet the criteria. But for now, just to get the ball rolling, I felt it was time that I should reward and recognise some breeders that I see in their skills and ability.
When I sat down and I pulled together my Three Pillars of Responsible Dog Breeding, which looks at the planning, the preparing and the parenting, it made me realise there's a lot of subsections and a lot of additional information that sits within each of those pillars. one of the reasons of the ABAs as I call it, which is the Annual Breeder Award, is that we look specifically at each of those categories.
So there are awards based around these pillars, which is the Breeding Vision Award, the Attentive Owner Award and the Top Puppy Parent Award. But then what I also realised is that people need to be rewarded for their increase in ability, effort, skill set. So then there are also awards for the Rising Star.
the Breeder Excellence and Breed Mastery. So that gets us up to six categories. And then I thought it's not fair that stud owners are left out the loop because they are imperative to dog breeding. So then I added on additional category, which is the Supportive Stud Award, and then working so closely with Isobel the Canine Nutrition Coach.
We agreed that it would be amazing if she sponsored a Holistic Breeder Award, which is about adapting modern day practices and methodologies into people's breeding ethics and methods. So ultimately there are eight different categories that I've just run through and I'm super excited to introduce to you Adam Mayle who is the winner of the Rising Star Award.
So this is somebody that would be deemed not necessarily a new breeder, but somebody that's up in their game and continually learning. just generally has a really proactive mindset when it comes to breeding and improving on every litter that he's planned and creating. So yeah, you're about to hear, I shall press play in a minute on the conversation that we had.
which I think you're going to enjoy because Adam shares his journey from his early days in breeding to establishing himself as an ethical Labrador breeder. We talked through the grassroots dog breeding and the importance of mentorship and the realities building up a breeding program from the ground up. So you'll hear how Adam's transitioned from a German shepherd
Breeder to a health tested, Kennel Club registered, all single, all dancing as he puts it, Breeder of Labradors, how he's developed his vision for his bloodline and why having the right network and support system is key to his success.
if you're an aspiring breeder, this episode is packed with insightful advice from talking about ovulation testing, puppy contracts, endorsements.
WhatsApp groups and how Adam even uses puppy references to attract people and to build a wait list. So literally it's packed to the rafters and you'll soon find out Adam is a lovely, genuine, straight talking guy. He's actually the only male winner of the Annual Breeder Awards, which surprised him
from my clientele that I see, the majority are female rather than male. So he was shocked, he was surprised by that. So yeah, he's doing an amazing job with his Labradors. So I'm going to hit play now and I hope you enjoy the listen.
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (04:43)
I'm really pleased to introduce to you Adam Mayle who is officially accepting his award on this podcast, because that's what I've made everybody do, for the Rising Star Award.
I'm going to let Adam briefly introduce himself, basically just who he is, what dogs he breeds, how long he's been about But from my memory, Adam, and I've even had to do a quick look on my spreadsheets because I'm a geek. I think we first crossed paths in 2020, though I'm astonished it wasn't any earlier than that. So I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
Adam (05:26)
Yeah, nice. I think we probably crossed paths a little bit before that. We certainly had conversations anyway when you were HomeSan down in Shoreham. I think you ran some bloods, but maybe we didn't use the rest of the breeding services because I was doing a little bit with Cabs at the time. And then, yeah, obviously.
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (05:43)
Right, yep.
Adam (05:47)
as we've moved forward and I've upped my game and become a bit of a rising star allegedly, then yeah, I'm a regular now, so yeah.
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (05:56)
Yeah, so what do you breed? I don't even know whether you've had dogs all your life. So just a little bit about you, because I think some people seem to think when people breed dogs, there are certain like professional when actually half the time, and I've stolen this from you because of your football background, but you reference grassroots a lot.
And you're one of the reasons that I actually come up with the concept of the Annual Breeder Awards. And I've never told you this, but because you were always talking about your football and your coaching and you always referenced grassroot football. I thought, actually, this is what happens with dog breeding. I get to see the real life grass roots dog breeders that...
often get overlooked because they're either not breeding on a frequency or not breeding on a scale or don't they're not kennel club assured or they're not got a breeders license, blah, blah, blah, but actually they're real. They're the backbone of dog breeders in this country. So I've just bigged you up there massively. But introduce yourself, just introduce yourself. How long you've had dogs, what you're breeding now and then we'll go from there.
Adam (06:59)
Hahaha.
Yeah, okay, yes. I mean, I was very fortunate. I grew up with dogs. And we had some of my first memories. We had some really, really good dogs. Nice looking dogs. And I've always enjoyed that. Walking down the road. And people, people turn heads turning to look at your dogs. I have an awesome German Shepherd as a kid called Butch. He was all Kennel Club registered and all singing, all dancing.
And then you move forward. I've been married. This is second time round. Cause I like wedding cake. But yeah, first time round, my first wife, she weren't having it. She weren't a dog person at all. So I suppose from moving out with my parents to being married the first time round, not owning a dog. then second time round, obviously with Sophie, it's a bit of a joint passion. She had a dog actually when I got with her.
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (07:39)
You
Adam (07:59)
Missy who was a Staffy cross Mastiff We never did anything with her of course. Soph had rescued her and we just sort of had her into old age. And then I think looking for puppies and shopping around for dogs, I kind of had this idea that it might be a nice experience as a family with kids and that to breed my own dogs. So we started
We did a little bit with Frenchies when I was with Cabs, did a little bit with Pugs, myself and Soph, just gaining a little bit of experience. And then we sort of settled on the German Shepherds for a time. So we did some German Shepherds. But again, that was when I sort of probably first came on your radar.
You know, you talk about grassroots, obviously, your sort of Premier League, and I think at the time I'm looking, fighting my way into the conference, do you know what mean? just listening to some of the advice of what you was sort of telling me. And yeah, so we sort of cut our teeth doing sort of, they were classed typically as Alaskan shepherds, so they was probably...
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (08:44)
you
you
Adam (09:04)
Seven Eighths German Shepherd with a tiny little bit of Malamute in there. I don't mind admitting it, wasn't a Kennel Club affiliated or anything like that. And as we started rising through the leagues, we went Labrador, we sort of did a little bit of research, KC registered, health tested, Embark panel. This is all the coaching and the mentoring obviously from yourself.
made the connection with Di over at Wylanbriar and yeah I think the rest is history. We've had two really good litters and tellingly we haven't been able to produce enough puppies to satisfy really extensive waiting lists so yeah it's been quite a shift, quite a rise but ultimately I think the Labs I walked Kaci around, she's a great dog.
everyone seems to love her, she's very versatile but I think the big thing I found with Labradors is the Lab people, you know, typically they're such a diverse breed so you get your real die-hard wax jacket wearing, outdoor pursuits man, but then you get your sort of active families who are just looking for a nice family member so there's a real diverse range of people, the appeal's massive, obviously people have their preferred colours, we're dealing black at the moment but my...
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (09:58)
Mm.
Adam (10:13)
my keeper from the recent Litter's Chocolate Carrier as well. And we just roll forward. I feel like I've got a bit of a vision now that I want to... My dream lab, if you like, and each breeding will be bred with a purpose to ultimately realise the end game and potentially dip our toe back into a bit of Ring Craft or something like that. And you just see where it goes, really.
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (10:34)
Yeah, I think you raise a really valid point about obviously the Labradors are the most popular dog in the country, followed by the French Bulldog. And unlike a French Bulldog, a French Bulldog has one purpose, which is basically companion dog, but they've got a bit terrier in them. So they can be a little bit switched on. But as you say, with the Labradors, the attraction is actually a really...
wide varied range of people, as you said, from people that actually want to work in Labrador, they like even agility, any kind of dog sports you could do with a Labrador, because they're happily just get engaged and jump in to somebody that just wants a family dog. So yeah, it's good that you have that ability and that skill set to be able to attract all of those people and talk to them differently because obviously,
different puppy owners. Well, I see a big difference between my Bulldog people and my Labrador people. And yeah, being able to communicate on all those different levels, I think is a really good skill set, which you obviously have because as you say, you've got wait lists and you couldn't fill them even if you wanted to. So it's good to see that progression.
Adam (11:45)
I was going to say I think this time, know, just on what you've the point you've just made, I've had people come into me for puppies who could probably teach me a little bit about Labradors because they've been invested in the breed their entire life. And I've had people come into me as a family to buy their first pet. So yeah, they're very different conversations and you know, the experienced people that come to you that
really done their homework and know the breeds. They're great because you learn from them as well and you never stop learning. Just because you bred the dog doesn't mean you can't learn anything more about it. We're never going to know everything. So yeah, it's great.
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (12:21)
But that's I think that's testament to your attitude. That's obviously your mindset. You you have a growth mindset where you're willing to take on information from people that are more experienced than you. You haven't got an ego to go, well, no, I bred these pups, so I must know everything. So I think that's just a testament to you. And that's a role that I try and fill in. And like running Home Scan that I learn all these different bits of information from all these different breeds.
And sometimes they can cross breeds and they're applicable to everybody. So I try and like be the conduit of that and expose everybody to that information because as you say, it raises the benchmark for everybody, everybody breeding and the puppy owners get a better puppy. So I think that's a huge testament to you. And obviously part of why you got the Rising Star award, which just goes to show because I mean, we're in 2025.
Like we say, Rising Star we're five years in. So it just goes to show, obviously these awards didn't exist before now. So I'm sure you would have got the award earlier if it did exist, but it just goes to show that breeding to achieve good breeding can't happen overnight. Like everything takes time. You can't cheat time. think when it comes to breeding, it takes as long as it needs to take. And for you to get into the mindset of.
You you like your Labradors, you're to do all your health testing and you've mentioned Di Stevens. Again, she is the winner of Supportive Stud Award. And I will be interviewing her later on in the series. But again, she's another, you've obviously found another great mentor because she goes over and above as a stud support. Hence why she won her award.
Adam (14:12)
first Di experience with the Rocks Litter. I mean she weren't in the country but she got such a good team of people around her. I think I came to you and I'd primed Di to say, look, I'm going to be honest, I had just got back from holiday myself and she'd come in while I was in Turkey. But I think I messaged Di in the morning to say, look, she won't be.
but I'm just putting it on your radar, we're gonna run bloods and you're like, she's a mate immediately. So then, yeah, well, I know, I'm back to go to Di's and she orchestrated all of that. yeah, she's brilliant and yeah, she sort of, I don't know what she doesn't know about Labrador's, I think worth knowing, I suppose. So she's always been really helpful and really pleasant to deal with. Yeah, she just makes stuff happen.
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (14:53)
Yeah, but you say it helps. know people that have planned to use a stud dog and then the dog's not available because they're on holiday or they're away and, and allsorts It just goes to show having the right team around you. Di's built a team. You've built a team. Like for me doing your ovulation testing to, to your stud dog that you need that support to try and do it on a one man band. Yeah. You're probably going to make your life really difficult. You say you, you were hot off the press coming back from holiday yourself.
and yet you still got your bitch covered. It was a success, it worked, you got the pups, they landed and off you were running.
In regards to your journey so far, what do you think has been one of your biggest achievements or your biggest growths? What was challenging that you got over or just, yeah, real sense of achievement or some aspect of dog breeding?
Adam (15:43)
I'll be completely honest with you. I think everything's milestone for me. if we take it right back to, I'd say the start of the purple patch that I find myself in at the minute would be buying my first KC registered from health tested parents dog in Kaci. I think that was a big milestone.
I don't know, think I'll walk around a little bit different with her knowing that she's all singing or dancing. I think the chest is out a little bit further and you know what mean? That was a milestone. And then I think you've got a vision and an end game. So then you get to, I think we went southern canine imaging and we got the hips and elbows done. So then that's a big tick. She passed them.
I think you give me details for an eye clinic and just when you see it all coming together and you get to that point where you're like, right, I've got a record now that this dog, I'm better in the breed if I breed her. When you talk about ethical breeding, yeah, you just, you feel good. And yeah, like I say, just to get that journey whilst you're enjoying owning a dog that's quite happy to jump in a river as much as she used to go for a walk around the block on the lead.
Yeah, it's just been a really good journey, do you know what mean?
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (16:58)
Yeah, they are a versatile breed. I found it quite hard finding a Labrador. I know the ins and outs upside down of a Bulldog. So I found it quite difficult to start at the bottom of the rung of the ladder looking for a Labrador. I literally felt like a newbie. And I remember you saying to me, yeah, yeah, I'm going to get a Labrador. And then two minutes later, the Labrador is there and you picked a good one. So I think
I don't know, you must have some kind of, I don't even know how you found her, what channels did you take? How did you, yeah, how did you seek out a good breeder to make such a good buy in your first foundation bitch? Because many people don't.
Adam (17:38)
So use the tellingly use the Kennel Club puppy search facility for the probably the first or second time ever in me life. contacted the guy he was four or five hours away. I've never shied away from traveling for the right thing. Give him a call got a really good handle on him and his motivation because that typically
For me, alarm bells ring if you breed dogs but you've got no interest in keeping them, then why are you breeding them? So he breeds a litter when he needs to add numbers to his, I mean, he was spaniels and retrievers, so he was very much into the outdoor lifestyle. So he had dogs to send the birds up and dogs to bring them back. So he would only breed when he needed to add numbers for himself. And then you look and you think, well,
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (18:20)
You
Adam (18:28)
If it's good enough for you, then I'm sure it's going to be good enough for me. Obviously it all stacked up, health tests from the parents. So I went with my gut instincts and just went with it. I do have a fairly sort of stand behind my conviction, I suppose. I'm a bit like Del Trotter, you know what I mean? I'm always prepared to try and just throw me out in and have a go, I suppose. And yeah, it's worked out really well for me.
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (18:57)
What, I'm assuming she wasn't endorsed or did you have to then have a conversation with him to lift the endorsements?
Adam (19:04)
No, she, she, it's interesting the endorsement thing. She wasn't endorsed, no. So I didn't have to lift the endorsements. I think I've been doing and having conversations with a number of people about endorsements. I know you're a big advocate for it. I'm starting to come around more to that. I've always tried to make life easy for other people, but I do think maybe as a duty of care, perhaps I should start endorsing, making sure
we agree a set of circumstances or criteria that have to be met for me to lift the endorsements and that would be obviously making sure that they've done the health test into the same level that I have with Kaci I suppose, but that might be a conversation for another day.
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (19:42)
I think what you'll find because you're one generation in, haven't you, with your kennel name, which is Gaffaglory, I think the more generations you go in, the more you want to protect it because the more you know how much hard work it's taken to build that. And then I think that's when the idea of endorsements looks more and more appealing because you don't want somebody else to mess it up. And it's got your name all in the background.
Adam (19:49)
Yeah.
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (20:09)
So I think endorsement attitude definitely comes with investment into your bloodline. Yet equally, I do know many, many long established kennels that haven't endorsed and they've basically said, no, I vet my people, I know they're good people. I wouldn't be selling them the dog if I didn't trust them to have the dog and to have the dog's best interest and welfare, even if that does mean breeding. But like you've just alluded to, I like to endorse because
it's my way of mentoring somebody to the breed and to breed safely and to the highest benchmarks by me setting some basic criteria. So that's why I do it. just like, yeah, like, like everybody has to start somewhere, like we just said, but if you're going to breed it, you need to know the seriousness that it should be done with, as you say, with all the health testing. so I'll help you do that. mean, some
breeders have got a little bit cheeky and they start charging to lift the endorsements, which I think is a little unfair and shouldn't really happen. But I guess that's why you should read your puppy contract before you take your puppy, which that's the question. Do you do a puppy contract?
Adam (21:20)
Yeah, first time ever this litter, we've done puppy contracts. Yeah, absolutely. I'll be completely honest with you, every litter I've had, I've kind of evolved. I think you caught it, didn't you, when you were here chipping the pups? The puppy packs, I had them all printed on a tote bag and at this time. And just these little touches, I suppose, if you're charging, you know, decent money for pups.
But you look after people the right way. mean, I'll be completely honest. No one has ever questioned my pricing. They've all sat on a group from the minute they paid their deposits. They got like a terms of sale contract at that point. But it was reflecting only the deposit amount rather than the full payment. And they've sat on a group and they've had updates from Kaci whilst they've been on the group.
We've had the puppies and we've kind of posted weekly updates there because you've got eight families on there. rather than send everyone individual stuff, it's all gone on there. nothing but compliments from the people that have taken the puppies. They use it as a facility for those more inexperienced owners, you know, for asking questions and taking a little bit of guidance.
I was using it just as a place to put photos they'd like to share. We got one for each of Kaci's litters and you know one would be quiet for a while and then first birthday come round and everyone posts a photo. So yeah I don't know I've completely forgot what your question was there I've just gone off on a tangent.
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (22:45)
No, no, no. Yeah,
No, no, that's fine. It was about your puppy contract. So it's it's interesting because some people get a bit angsty about paperwork. And I think it's the fear they have about it makes them maybe look more professional than what they deem themselves to be. But I think what you've just highlighted is that it actually just gives real good clarity to the situation to them buying a puppy.
to managing expectations. So to me, I love a bit of paperwork, as you know. because I know that you can have two people walk away from a conversation thinking they understand what they've agreed to, but they're two different people with different perspectives, different understandings. And I would never wanna have a dispute or fall out with somebody just because.
neither of us understood what each other meant. So I'm all for, I love clarity, I love it in black and white, I love it that I say to my people, if you don't agree with something or you're not sure or you want me to explain it, then now is the time to do it because I'm not here equally, like I've taken deposits on pups and then I'll give them a full refund. Because if, I haven't got the right number of, I haven't got the right sex and if I haven't got enough dogs.
I'm not, I tell people, I'm not here to run off with your money. Like the reason of that was just so you knew this terms of the puppy sale and there is no sale and I'm not here to rob you. So here's your money back. The whole point is that I get quality people and that they're invested from the beginning. But it's good that you, I don't have WhatsApp groups. I have WhatsApp sort of chats, but I don't put all my people together.
And so it's good that that works. Do you find the conversation continues long afterwards or is it just say, does it die off after a while and then come birthdays, it pops back up and... No, do you get offended if someone leaves the group?
Adam (24:37)
Yes.
Well,
so I've been completely honest with you. No one's ever left any of the groups. I don't get easily offended. I've got to be open. I think there's, yeah, I mean, the first group, was, you get different characters. So I'd imagine there's some people that are very rarely look at it, have got it constantly muted. And then there's other people. I mean, we had a puppy who went to Jersey, he got flown in like a private.
you know, like aircraft from Shoreham Airfield over to Jersey and his owner, she posts pictures almost weekly and that, mean, that's fine. I always, because now we can react on WhatsApp and you don't have to reply. So, you know, you can just sort of stick a heart or like something. And yeah, so I encourage that. I don't hound people if they don't post regularly. That's absolutely fine. But obviously this time around.
We've done the Lab breeding or the last lab litter so we was going for this one. I think I said to you that I was going to do things slightly different this time because what I didn't want to do is almost be selling puppies like two or three times. Once people were in, they were in. So that was why I bought the contract in. Sort of put in there that you paid in deposit for this. If I can't give you this you will...
that you will get a full refund, no problem. But you were asking people to give you a significant financial investment. So at that point, I encouraged people to come to my house, meet Kaci, meet myself. So they weren't just throwing money over the internet without knowing where it was going. And I also went on the group of people from the first litter and said, look, it might be nice if I had some like references from people that had puppies from me.
previously so you know you can talk about the quality of the dog if you're happy with the dog the quality of the experience dealing with me and yeah everybody bar one and that wasn't they didn't give me a reference they just never gave me their number or permission to pass it round to people but they're not an active participant on that whatsapp group so that was fine but yeah I mean six out of seven puppy owners all said yeah let's
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (26:41)
Yeah.
Adam (26:46)
let's talk you up. So then I had people that was potentially going to put a deposit down on this litter saying, I've spoken to several people that have had puppies off you previously, all have sung your praises, like where do I sign? So that worked really well.
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (27:02)
Nice, that's good. That's a nice touch about, yeah, just giving references and yeah, giving people that confidence to, yeah, like back up your reputation that you're developing. So that's a nice little touch because that in itself, a lot of people wouldn't do. So I didn't know that you did that. So I'm impressed.
So where do you see yourself in the future? Where do you feel your bloodline's going to develop? Because you said you've got Kaci and you've kept a female. What's the plan moving forward?
Adam (27:32)
Plan moving forwards. I need to be slightly better at, like, sort of pushing dogs out and keeping them within the program. Obviously, you can only do what you can do in the house that you have. So, I'm going to get to a situation where we need to sort of, we need to push, like, one or two out, keep them in the program, but put them with, like, people that I trust locally to keep them involved.
But my vision is Kaci is, I was recommended from a size point of view, is absurd to me, because he used to have shading, was like a ten stone Akita But everyone said, oh yeah, get the working because they're a little bit smaller and that much more biddable, so easier to train. I'll be honest, I was really intimidated. I thought a working lab was going to wait me for breakfast in terms of exercise, demands and all that. But it just wasn't like that.
I think for me, Kaci's lovely. My vision is to add more bone, blockier heads and breed more to the show type but try and keep the biddable nature of the working in there. So I'm kind of playing around with percentages and I will let you know when I find what the perfect percentage but beauty's in the eye of the holder. We all look for different things, don't we? So I'm just breeding to what I believe
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (28:49)
Mmm.
Adam (28:53)
is my ideal Lab and it'd be interesting to see how many people up on board and agree with me or how many people think I've gone too far the other way.
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (29:01)
Now, I think you're, you're always attract people as long as you can communicate what you're doing, you will always attract those type of people that want that. Because I agree with you, like with Spice, my lab, I don't want to know bigger, I like the size that she is, but I would like her a bit more stocky, a bit more bone, but she's really pretty head, really pretty headed, pretty faced. that's what I think some breeders
struggle with, they can't articulate what they're doing. So then they don't naturally attract people because they're not telling them what they're doing. But I think you've naturally, like you've just articulated that so well that you know what the plan is that you'll always have people on that journey with you. And it's great to hear that you're building your own team and your own network of people because yeah, just think breeding can be quite isolating and to try and yeah, you'll just end up with hundreds of dogs.
And then I always worry that people start compromising on their welfare because you can only exercise so many dogs in a day. You can only give them so much love, care, attention. So I think it sounds like you've got a really clever plan of expanding, but without running yourself into the ground as well, because you do have a full-time job, don't you? And family and kids and a wife. So you've got to be sensible.
Adam (30:21)
One of my daughters is mad for it, so it's nice because it's kind of like a shared passion. Sophie, as you know, sort takes one for the team and she'll get involved and get around dirty Yes, we do make a decent team, but obviously...
You've got to keep the numbers right, like you say, welfare is key. But also if you're trying to set high standards, I've always been told this, everything you do, if you attack it too head on and you think the way forward is quantity over quality, then what starts to happen is, you know, I could have eight Labradors here and make it work, but who wants to just make it work? You spread yourself too thin, not one dog gets like all of you or as much of you as they need. You end up with sort of like...
you know problems like between the dogs and stuff like that and also you've got to I kind of look at Kaci as being a little bit of a matriarch like she she's the bitch that I've stood behind that set me on the journey and I want to continue to to share the relationship that I've always had with her because I mean you know dogs dogs in the right circumstances in the right sort of chemistry your dog will always be your best friend you know the number of times I've gone
gone out with the hump and said I need to clear my head and you've got someone there with a waggy tail who's happy to do 10 miles with you. You can't put a price on that can you?
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (31:45)
Yeah, definitely not going 10 miles. Do you remember the Labrador?
Adam (31:49)
I have done, I've cycled and she'll run alongside the bikes. We're very lucky, we've got a downslink. So the lead goes on the handlebar just while we go through the new housing estate and then we're out on a downslink. Yeah, I mean, I think probably the furthest she's run is about 15 miles next to my bike and a slight light work for Kaci She come home and she's still pulling. So, yeah, she's great.
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (31:52)
Well...
That's
good, that's good to hear. Right, so what would be your one piece of advice, tip or lesson to share with a dog owner that's new to breeding?
Adam (32:26)
If you're not sure ask. I mean I've been very very lucky. Let's make no bones about it. I've been very lucky. I'm surrounded with with good people. You know you've blown a little bit of smoke up me on the podcast so I'm gonna sort of afford you your respects. And that's you've always been great news for me. You are very good at like you say being the conduit between between studs and all sort of manner of
dog stuff, think, you know, pausing the pool, the things that I've learned through you and the people and the connections that I've made, yeah, I've been very fortunate. But yeah, I mean, I'm very lucky. I have like a little, like, oh, I'm not sure what to do here. I'll reach out and I can ask you the question. And I think, I don't know, without sounding like I'm putting words in your mouth, I think you'd probably invest a little bit of time in me because you know that I listen and I act on it.
and I'm not wasting your time nicking precious minutes out of your day while you explain stuff to me and then not actioning it, you know? yeah, just if you're not sure, ask. And if you ask and someone's good enough to give you the time, then make sure you listen and you act on it,
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (33:34)
And just to add to this, because I know, well, as far as I know, you're not on Facebook. So this is an interesting one because there are a lot of whelping Facebook groups and people are asking in those channels. But what then concerns me is the quality of the responses that they're getting. So it's interesting because you've managed to still build.
those relationships without those platforms, which many, I think, question whether it is possible or not, but it seemingly is.
Adam (34:08)
Yeah, I mean, so I've never really been one for Facebook. I've got a personal Instagram account. I put a mismatch of like the patchwork of my life on, suppose. I did set up a GaffaGlory one. I've never really promoted it. It doesn't have a huge following. Um, but yeah, I mean, all the time that you're utilising the right people, doing things the right way. Yeah. I've pushed in the last
18 months, two years maybe pushed out what 16 Labrador puppies that are all fully health tested, registered and seemingly have 15, 16 families that are happy to give a reference to the quality that I breed to, the sort of buying experience from me. So yeah, I think using Di has been great.
you know, we've paid a stud fee, she does the marketing through her website. Her reputation is key to all of this, I suppose, because people can't wait to get their hands on a Wylanbriar Labrador. So, yeah, I'm just very fortunate and I utilise people and I like the thing that they utilise me. And it's all a network. If one of us are winning, we're all winning, aren't we?
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (35:32)
Yeah, I think you've got a really good mentality there. I don't know, you seem, you come across as, yeah, not competitive. Obviously you take what you do seriously, but you definitely have like a natural demeanor or aura about that you want everybody to do well. So I think that is obviously a good reflection of yourself and your wellbeing and obviously why you attract.
Yeah, people in that same sphere, I suppose. So, yeah, carry on doing what you're doing. So I've just got a quick fire round to just a few questions that should be short answers or short enough answers, probably more than one word in most instances. But I'm going to start now. So in one word, describe your first litter.
Adam (36:23)
Interesting.
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (36:24)
Okay, in one word describe your most recent litter.
Adam (36:29)
Banging
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (36:30)
Nice. Puppy waitlist, are they soothing or stressful?
Adam (36:37)
Soothing.
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (36:39)
Breeding Mentor, yay or nay.
Adam (36:42)
100 % YAY
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (36:44)
Good. Ovulation testing, yay or nay?
Adam (36:48)
100 % yay
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (36:50)
Yay. And then the final one, in one word, how would you describe dog breeding?
Adam (36:58)
Unreal.
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (36:59)
Brilliant. Right. Thank you ever so much for your time. It's very much appreciated. I'm sure the listeners have a lot to take away from this. So Adam, point people in the direction if they want to find out more about your Labradors. I think you've kind of alluded, it's Instagram.
but what's the handle and yeah, if that's your preferred method for them to contact you, then yeah, please share it.
Adam (37:25)
Yeah so I'm just adam.mayle which is M-A-Y-L-E or I've got the Gaffaglory which is G-A-F-F-A with glory yeah. The more people are on there the more active I'll be but I'll tend to rain it in because I'm aware that I don't have a massive following you know.
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (37:46)
Yeah, to be fair, my Bulldogs is such a small following, but the engagement is so high. I feel bad not to post stuff. So I don't think it's always about numbers. People get carried away with like, it needs to be big numbers and big numbers. But I think as long as the people that following you are engaged in what you're doing and why you're doing it, then then that's all you need. Like if I'm sure if you had all those people in one room.
Adam (38:08)
I'm go-
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (38:12)
it would be a little village hall that you're booking. So that's all you need, isn't it? Like you said.
Adam (38:16)
I've got to
it to you because it's what, Canine Family Planner LaRoyal, Mymeld and all the other projects. think I've had the little black book for dogs and like, yeah, but it's insane. I mean, your sort of energy for what you do and the fact that you're so far in and you're still as passionate, more passionate than ever. I mean, I've seen you.
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (38:24)
You
Yeah, yeah.
Adam (38:44)
I've seen you sort of win, lose and draw if you like, but you always keep smiling and keep moving forwards. Yeah, you keep doing what you're doing.
Sara - Canine Family Planner™ (38:52)
thank you, thank you. Right, that's it. We're out of time. So thank you for your time and any details will be in the show notes, people. See you later. Bye.
Adam (39:03)
Cheers, Sara See you soon. Right on, bye bye.
Sara Lamont (39:08)
I love that Adam kept the football analogies going all the way to the very end. I couldn't join him with any because I don't really know that much about football. don't officially know the offside rule, so I can add in to the expertise that he did. I hope you've enjoyed that interview with Adam. There are more to come as you know, because there are more awards to be dished out.
So stay tuned for the next episode. Otherwise, I'll see you then.