I have been doing my "Meet the Breeder" column
for five years. In those five years I have tried to sit down with some of
the top breeders throughout the country. In the Golden Retriever lines one
name bubbles to the top. That kennel is Jackie Merten's Top Brass
Retrievers of Elgin Illinois. Jackie's Top Brass Cotton was the only Golden
Retriever ever to win the National Amateur Retriever Championship. Topbrass
Cotton won the nationals in 1985 when he was seven years old. Cotton lived
to be over sixteen years of age and sired forty litters, so his blood runs
deep in Golden lines.
Ellen, Ron and I went down to see Jackie last July. We
sat with her and talked dogs for an hour or so. Jackie and I have also corresponded
many times by e-mail (she has a great web site). She and her husband have
a nice place just outside of Elgin, though the city is looming in on her.
But they only spend the summers in Elgin. In the winter they move and train
in Madison, Florida.
Jackie has been working with Golden Retrievers since 1968.
She got involved with Goldens when she became interested in obedience. Goldens
have been known to dominate the obedience ring and Jackie started with the
dog of choice. A few years after she was working in the obedience ring she
attended a field trial and has been hooked ever since.
Jackie has come a long way since 1968. She is one of the
elite of the Retriever Field Trial people that tour the country. A few of
her titles include: American Amateur Retriever Club-past-President, National
Open Field Trial Club-current Board member and Chairman of the 1998 National
Retriever Championship, Golden Retriever Club of America - past Board member,
Golden Retriever Club of Illinois - past Board member, Midwest Field Trial
Club-past Officer. She is currently active in various Retriever Clubs in
northern Illinois and Florida.
Jackie is also good friends with Mary Howley of Candlewoods
Kennels of Madison, Wisconsin. Jackie calls Mary her younger friend. Mary
is one month younger than Jackie. Many of you may remember I did an article
on Mary Howley a few years ago. Both ladies regularly compete against each
other at the local and national level. In fact Jackie has missed only one
national amateur retriever trial since 1983 when one of her dogs was having
pups.
Jackie raises field goldens. That is extremely important
when you are looking for a hunting companion. If you're looking for something
that will look nice next to a fire and needs a brush put through it every
few hours Jackies dogs are not for you. But if on the other hand you are
looking for a Golden that will do that 1000 foot retrieve and start looking
for the second bird you dropped. A dog who's coat and brain is designed
for the field; Topbrass is your source.
With Jackie's dogs you get the benefit of thirty years
of professional time and effort. She breeds: hunting, hunt test and field
trial dogs. She breeds for trainability, desire, marking and intelligence
coupled with a stable temperament.
All of her dogs are OFA'd and CERF'd so you know they should
be physically sound dogs. All of her pups are raised in a home environment.
They have the genes to be champions yet are raised to be family and gun
dogs.
Jackie puts her pups through motivational playtraining
and retrieving exercises, so by the time you pick up the pup it will be
well on it's way to being trained. Jackie also exposes the pups to loud
noises to find out if there will be any problems with gunshyness.
Before buyers pick up their pups they will each be examined
by a vet. The dew claws will be removed, the pups will be wormed and their
first shots given. Each pup will come with a health guarantee and will of
course be AKC registered.
So are we talking strictly field trial dogs here? Far from
it. Jackie sells many more dogs to the average hunter than the trial circuit.
She has had various service dogs come from her litters including seeing
eye dogs, which calls for a calm controllable, trainable dog. She also has
had dogs working search and rescue. You'll even find her dogs in the agility
ring. So if you're looking for a great all around Golden look no further
than Topbrass Retrievers.
So how much do these wonder dogs cost. Not as much as you
would think. The male or female pups run $750 to $1000
Give Jackie and Joe Mertens a call. They summer in Elgin,
Illinois and winter in Madison, Florida. Winter: Route 3 Box 193, Madison,
FL 32340 PH # (850) 929-7502 / Fax # (850) 929-7504
Advertise with us for only $5 per month,
you will get your own 20 word ad on your own page we will set up on our
site (example), a link to your own page (if you have one) and the same ad will
run in the print version of Bird Dog & Retriever News. Larger ads are
also available. For $200 a year we offer a full web page (example).
Just email us your ad and a billing address, we'll do the
rest. Come visit our mall below
Copyrights Bird Dog & Retriever News March 1998
Do not reproduce or retransmit in any form
Maintained by Dennis Guldanpublisher@Bird-Dog-News.Com
Bird Dog & Retriever News, 563 17th Ave NW, New Brighton, MN 55112,
Ph/Fx 612-636-8045