Kei-Rin Kennel

Are they "just show dogs?" Do not be fooled by all the pretty pictures of pretty dogs, these dogs are our companions first and foremost. And they hunt too! We believe that it's equally important to be a healthy, structurally sound, and temperamentally stable member of the family when the day is done. Unlike other breeders, we do work with non-performance homes. We believe "pet homes" deserve pretty dogs too. Many of our homes are hobby hunters looking for a dog they can take out on public land with little training and bring home some birds. Plenty others just want to enjoy a healthy beautiful dog to chase squirrels and snooze on the couch.  Kei-Rin Kennel (pronounced "KEY-rin") started as a dream of Pam's nearly forty years ago. Growing up, her Yorkie has been shown by its breeder, and upon marrying her husband Randy, she knew she wanted to get back into dog showing, but with a dog that Randy would enjoy hunting with as well. That's when he introduced her to the American Water Spaniel, a breed his parents and grandparents had been breeding since the 1930s! Coincidentally, Pam purchased their first AWS from Paul Bovee, who had dogs from George Kozak and Leon Stafford if you looked far enough back in pedigrees. ​ Kayla is Pam and Randy's youngest child, and is the other half of Kei-Rin.  Kayla fell into dog showing by default--one of the kids had to go to shows if Pam was going to be leaving!  When Kayla was nine, a family friend offered Kayla a chance to co-own and show an English Setter by the name of Flo, Ch. Set'r Ridge's Quest for the Gold.  Several years later they acquired Billie- Rock Rainbow Blues Holiday and we were hooked.  Billie came from Deb and Ron Springer, and she laid the foundation for Kei-Rin English Setters. ​ Randy and Pam's sons Nick and Nate share in the love of dogs and actively participate in hunting with both breeds. Living in northern Wisconsin, in the Roughed Grouse Capitol of the World no less, our dogs are able to get out of hunt all fall and winter! Nick's dogs are used as part of his guiding business; so they are out nearly every weekend during Grouse season putting up hundreds of live game every year.  Throughout the spring and summer, we occasionally run our dogs in hunt tests and field trials but this is admittedly not our focus. We know that our dogs have purpose bred drive and ability, and even though most of our pet owners do not compete in field events, we know many are used every fall in pursuit of real game and they are irreplaceable.  ​ Kei-Rin dogs are consistently dominating the show ring in both breeds. Kei-Rin dogs have been Best of Breed at National Specialties, the National Dog Show, and Westminster Kennel Club multiple times over the years.  Recently, a Kei-Rin setter by the name of Hank became the 14th EVER in the breed to earn the status of DUAL CHAMPION (field and show championships). His first litter has already added several more Dual Champions to the breed's ranks.  ​ At the heart of it all is our deep rooted passion for bettering the breeds we so love.  We breed only health tested and clearance carrying dogs, backed by a health guarantee and buy-back policy.  Our dogs are companions, so temperament is extremely important to us. We raise each litter in our home, usually in our bedrooms to start, socializing them to as many new experiences as possible before they become yours.  We will have already begun crate training, house breaking, grooming lessons, first innoculations, and deworming before you pick up your puppy. Our females typically have 2 or 3 litters before being "retired," and each breeding is carefully planned to improve upon faults and solidify strengths within our pedigrees.  It is important to us that you do your research and find a breeder who works for you. Sometimes this means sending homes to other breeders and sometimes this means waiting on a list.  The perfect puppy doesn't always come at the perfect time, and perfect timing doesn't always result in a perfect pet if you aren't prepared and informed.   ​ Breeding dogs is our hobby and passion, but this is not a business. Please understand that we receive many requests and have to screen each one before proceeding. Even then, it is our sole discretion who we place our puppies with. Please understand that this is not a corporation, but a labor of love. Sometimes patience is required! ​ If you have read the contract (below) before we speak, bonus points to you! We love seeing our dogs in performance and show homes, however, the most important factor is witnessing you prioritize the arrival of your new family member and demonstrating a solid knowledge (or quest for knowledge) of the breed you plan to acquire. ​ Price should not be a determining factor in your decision but to set some perspective, our litters start at $2,000 and can be as much as $3,00 if using a frozen semen breeding, etc.   You will be required to initial and sign a contract and send a deposit (minimum $500) once you have been confirmed for the wait-list. Please do not send a contract or check until you have been instructed to do so.