Judges:

Flatcoated Retrievers: Mr. Brian Moran 🇮🇪

Working class all breeds: Mrs. Gail Patterson 🇮🇪

We thank the judges for appreciating our dogs & thank you very much volunteers for organizing a very smooth and comfortable show. Facilities were very good – clean toilets and plenty of waiting room space. Full carpets in the ring was also nice for the dogs and the speaker in mainring was very informative with correct breed knowledge. My compliments to the Belgium staff here.

It has been a busy spring for team Flatastic. For me personally having 4 dogs is enough to keep me busy – all deserve their fitting care and attention.

Here are the latest results from our breeding.

Work:

Flatastic Bowtruckle “Daisy” Brugsprøve DK

Flatastic Fwooper “Penny” Clubdiploma C – 2x WT C

Flatastic Glumbumble “Leo” Basic Course Obediance 2

Show:

Flatastic Billywig “Bryce” FRC exterior assessment Excellent & Zeeland Outdoor show Very Good junior class males.

Flatastic Bowtruckle “Daisy” Roskilde CACIB show DK VG, VG & Excellent junior class.

This coming weekend we are headed for the Clubshow of the Dutch flatcoated retriever club – we will share the results of that later.

Two weeks ago I received the phonecall all Flatcoated breeders fear the most.. a lump in the adrenal glands in one of our offspring. A few nervous days followed and there it was – the diagnosis histiocytic sarcoma. No cure possible and the life expectancy from a few weeks to months.

Within a few days I visited my friend Frans to see Jason and say my goodbyes in case things would be speeding up. He had already lost a lot of weight and the powerful energy that his radiance had was for sure down for at least a third. Heartbreaking for me as a breeder – to witness the fate of him but also the sorrow of those who he has now left behind. Today – almost 10 kilograms lighter than his normal weight – Jason was spared more suffering.

I would like to pay my thankful respects for the courage of my friend to say goodbye at the right moment in time. We are of course shattered with grief and hold a deeply felt compassion for the heartbreak of his owner and his family.

Jason passed today 21st of May – 1 day before his 6th birthday.

I would also like to honor him with a short description and some of my favorite photos.

Jason was named after Jason Mamoa “the Aquaman” – his grandeur charisma and appearance but with a very sweet soul was his trademark. From early puppy age he loved to explore and investigate and running far distances and carrying huge wooden logs during walks was daily routine. He took a lot after his mother – especially how he walked – proudly strutting around. During his younger years I had the pleasure of seeing him every week at training.

We wish all the strength needed for Frans and his family for grieving their loss and are thankful for all their care for this special boy.

We are deeply shattered ourselves for this loss – Jason has a special place in our hearts.

Run free beautiful soul – run after those rabbits in the forever hunting fields and foremost thank you for being here – although it was far to short a time.

The inspiration to the name Aquamarine Acceptance:

Acceptance is associated with the color of aquamarine, a combination of the green of compassion and the blue of consciousness with a little more green than blue because openness to our experience often means openness to our pain and suffering of the heart.

After a busy winter helping my friend in the North of Netherlands with her litter – it was time to take a lovely break out of everyday life. What better choice than a trip to France – joining the training camp of Hondenschool Lek & Ijsel at the well known place of Moulin d’Achat.

With a lovely group of Flatcoated, Toller, Golden and Labrador retrievers we enjoyed a lovely 3 days of training under the guidance of Rob Dings & Elvira van Burken. Far casts, over waterways with diversions and distractions, blinds in a forest and we were playful with a large foxskin dummy.

Here are some of the beautiful photos kindly taken by Barbara Geers:

Thank you Rob, Elvira & all participants for a lovely mini holiday.

Thank you also staff at the Moulin.

The past week was a busy one with lots of gun dog stuff. First we had a cold game workshop on the 29th of March with the youngsters of the Beast litter and friends and in the afternoon the Aura litter and friends.

Thank you Hondenschool Lek & Ijsel for a lovely day & thank you Lenie for hosting us.

Today 4th of April 2026 Daisy and I attended the unofficial Working Test of Yvonne van Houten & Petra Ritzeveld together with two of Anita Lauwer’s former trainees. A special event as it had been a year since my dear friend passed.

As the WT was far away from our home we spend the night before in a hotel – celebrating our love for Anita – her good heart and all the fun moments we had with her.

Flatastic Bowtruckle “Daisy” came in on 5th place 🥳

We were also chosen to be “judges choice” of the day.

Thank you Yvonne & Petra & all helpers and judges for a great day.

Congratulations Caroline & Dorothea with your first certificate but most of all for being great sports and being such attuned handlers for your dogs. I am so proud of you.

During the MAP of the Flatcoated Retriever Club on the 14th of March 2026 Lieuwe Bosma & Flatastic Platinum Alignment “Gurbe” obtained their first MAP A diploma.

Congratulations Lieuwe & Gurbe

The DNA tests of the litter from kennel Tricksywood’s came back with results of the paternity: Gurbe is the father of all the puppies. So double congratulations to this great boy from our Aura litter.

Saturday the 7th of March 2026 Jacquelien Trijsenaar and Flatastic Fwooper “Penny” came in on a 2nd place at the WFRG dummy exams CDD.

Penny has grown to be a beautiful, smart bitch with loads of working will and technical skills. Her passion is contagious and she is just the funniest little girl who will talk back if asked. Penny is from our Beast litter.

Huge congratulations Jacquelien – well done you 2!

Nowadays having a Flatcoated retriever reaching the age of 10 years is worth celebrating. Rumi had a day out in the sun – helping train her grandson and she was spoiled with a good juicy bone.

We are very happy to have our Rumi – founder of our kennel still with us in good health. We pray for some few more good and healthy years.

Happy birthday Rumi & also happy birthday to her Flow of Spirits siblings 🥳

Today the first steps continuing our breeding have been made. Daisy had her ECVO and GONIO eye examination.

Kaspar joined her for moral support as he is the “cool cat” at the vet.

Daisy was very calm during the examination and she had compliments from the vet.

Results:

ECVO (except distichiasis) free

Gonio free

We are very happy with this result. Now we continue the health examinations. Her DNA test for CA is on it’s way..and somewhere before summer we will have the HD and ED done.

Beforehand of all the examinations we practice the medical handling procedures for our dogs to have as little stress as possible. Also maintaining a trusting relationship with them provides feeling secure even in new situations.

The Netherlands are experiencing a growth in the goose population and some provinces have adjusted the numbers of regulation. It is to be honest hard to keep up with and whilst bird flue has closed hunting in the south – the north is in full damage controle season. I was kindly invited to join 2 colleague hunters in the North last week and did not hesitate to join. The cold and biting wind and frost adds to the physical experience – a part of hunting that I appreciate very much.

4 o’clock out of bed

5.20 departure from home with all necessary gear and dogs

8 o’clock late arrival (due to bad weather and nasa nap)

8.30 hours almost finished setting up decoys and hut

11.00 o’clock stopped hunting, all dogs out of car, walk the dogs and load up all stuff in car

Sometimes people ask me why I like to kill animals. I am always a bit surprised by the conclusion hidden in the question. There is no joy in killing an animal or witnessing suffering of any living being.

So what is the joy about?

To put it shortly it is the joy of touching homebase of being human. Stretching my own skills, working hard, showing up with everything I can or learning to be able to..

There is joy in developing craftsmanship, learning about the field, becoming one with the field, making the right decisions, learning to hunt with a balans of the heart and moral. Being a good co-hunter, allowing others to have a chance. There is joy in sharing the meat we have worked so hard to obtain, there is satisfaction in eating what I have harvested myself. There is love for the good work of a well trained dog. There is love and respect for the skills of others more experienced than myself. I find it very special to know that as long as we humans exist – we hunt to survive and practicing these skills allows me to be in contact with the strength of something essential of being a human. Evenly so when I grow my own vegetables. I am proud of these skills and it makes me feel strong and competent to be able to.

Apart from that I do feel emotionally connected to the suffering of the kill – it makes me want to do it as effectively and painless as possible. And I can feel really disturbed if I do not manage to do that.

Having seen how the bio industry works – I can assure you – eating game from the wild is the most animal friendly way to obtain meat. So again there is the heart included.

The Netherlands are overcrowded by geese. The government pays out large amount of damage compensation for farmers – money we can much better use to improve health care and education and/or nature conservation.

Apart from that the meat of a goose is good enough meat to use as a food source. Maybe not the most delicate taste – but it makes perfect everyday hamburgers, stews and smoked snacks.

Our very cold morning in the North left me cold to the bones but with a feeling of thankfulness and strength. I am a hunter’s daughter, I am a hunter. I am a child of Nature and the Nature in me is of her. To me this is the most exquisite lovestory.

Thank you Piet & Lieuwe ♥️🤍💙

And thank you Lotte & Gurbe. Very proud of these two great workers – a 500 m mark with tracking in these conditions is really remarkable.. Flatcoated retrievers of my utmost liking