I am Gill Pavey and I have owned and shown Dalmatians since 1996, in the UK until 2004 and now in Ireland. My showing career started in 1970 with a Beagle but was short lived as my mother decided I was hopeless and took over the handling!
"Granardal" is the Affix (kennel name) which I now use with both the Irish Kennel Club and the UK Kennel Club. The name was devised by taking the town where I live, Granard, then adding "al" for Dalmatian.
Although I am in Ireland, one of the dogs came from the well-established "Leaveslake" kennel in Lancashire, England, and I am grateful to Alan and Linda Talbot for letting me have Diva who has an excellent temperament, is a great character and mothers me! Taz came to me as a two year old from Northern Ireland, see his special page for details. They have been joined by Dizzy, from Taz and Diva's first litter born 1st May 2010.
I am involved in showing and all three dogs have had some success in the ring, although I am only currently showing Taz and Dizzy. However, the dogs are pets first and there is nothing better than to have them snuggle up with me in front of the TV in the evenings, they are quite lazy at heart!
I live in the middle of an Irish bog with no close neighbours and the dogs have their own, safely fenced paddock of a quarter of an acre next to the house to run and play in as well as daily road work on the lead, satisfying their need for plenty of exercise and fun.
Diva loves playing with Taz (who thinks she is a brat!)
Here is Dizzy as a baby... ahhhhhhhhh!
All content © Gill Pavey 2008-2012