Hi, welcome to the home of Dunsfold Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, owned, bred and cared for by Paul Nichols, with help from my wife Linda Kelly, and kids Alexander (6) and Natasha (4).  We live in Park Orchards, a green wedge area on the outskirts of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

I purchased my first Cavalier in 1988.  I had grown up as a teenager with a beautiful Bearded Collie, a retired show dog who had been imported from the UK (NZ Ch Banacek Black Banner) and I loved their temperament and look.  I wanted to get into show dogs, but couldn’t imagine a house full of Beardies and sought out something more manageable.  I had loved the look of Cavaliers from dog magazines and old photos, and sought out breeders in Melbourne by going to dog shows and meeting people.  This was not easy as people are usually very engrossed in their preparations and showing!  I persisted and got to know people slowly.  I fell in love with the Sanquhar dogs of Beverley Laing based on Salador lines, but it eventually took 15 years to actually own a Sanquhar dog (which are now one of two main breeding lines I pursue) and 17 years to produce my first Champion.

Along the way I lived and worked overseas, moved to Canberra and back to Melbourne, got married and had two children.

The first dog I bought was “Cassie”, who turned out not to be a great show dog, because her mouth went undershot at 6 months, but a lovely tricolour with a great temperament.  She had one litter which produced a nice bitch who also had one litter, but I finally decided the lines were not high enough quality to pursue.

My second start was a nice bitch, “Chloe”, from a friend in Canberra of different lines, who had two litters for me.  In her first litter she produced heavily marked tricolours and nice blenheims, but all were a bit large for the show ring.  In her second litter, she produced a lovely tricolour dog (Dunsfold Wildeside) who won well from Baby Puppy to Junior, but grew a bit big for my liking, although he had a stunning coat and performed well.  By then I had a much clearer eye for the head type I was after, and decided also he was not going in the right direction.  One of the bitches from the first litter had one litter, but again produced plain headed pups.

In between these I purchased a ‘show quality’ dog, who turned out to have a slipping patella.  While he won well up to Puppy class with two Res CC and had a glamorous coat, I withdrew him from the ring and he wasn’t used at Stud.

Another new beginning came when Mary Anne Silvester (Marcavan) sold me a lovely small typey tricolour bitch, Marcavan My Madelaine, not a show prospect because she was too heavily marked but with a quality pedigree and breeding potential.  I showed her as a youngster to keep me in the ring, and to practice the ‘art’ of handling.  She had one lovely litter to Ch Dapsen Mr Xquisit, a successful stud dog with these lines, to produce another heavily marked bitch Dunsfold My Georgiegirl.  “Georgie” won Best Opposite Sex minor puppy at a Specialty Open show and had several class wins, until I decided her heavy markings were going to stop her from going on.    Georgie had one litter to Langrigg Magnum (co-owned with Merv Burgmann) to produce Dunsfold Ethereal, who had one litter by caesarean to Inverglen Pocket Rocket.  This litter produced all males and so the line ends there, as in my mind as boys have to be ‘something special’ to breed on with.

I entered the show ring with an exciting prospect, Langrigg Magnum who won 35 points towards his title (handled by co-owner Merv Burgmann), but this ended when “Chad” suffered a debilitating injury to his shoulder and while he lives comfortably, lost his free and easy movement.  I handled Chad to many Puppy and Junior in class wins, including a 2^nd place Minor puppy at the CKCS Speciality under Veronica Hull.

After several ‘starts’ in the breed and the good wishes and support of many Cavalier people, I hadn’t got very far – although I had a great network of ‘pet’ owners of Dunsfold dogs, and found great satisfaction in the care and training of my dogs at home.  “Chloe” was now at Novice level obedience and trialling.  Amongst others, David and Trish Fernleigh (Daventri), Lindsay Bolden (Carnwath), and Jenny and Allan Mae (Chalsmae) let me have pups to run on for the show ring or breeding which for one reason or another did not pan out as had hoped.  Mary Anne Silvester parted with a blenheim male (Marcavan Royal Affair) who has exemplary Ricksbury, Lorankas and LeChevalier breeding – but I gave him to a friend at 6 months because he was looking so ugly - now of course he is beautiful!  Fortunately, I still have access to show him and use him at stud, but he should never have left my yard.

Around this time (2001) Merv Burgmann was showing a lovely tri bitch, Inverglen The Town Tart, and he kindly offered me pick of litter from her mating to Buraba Party Time.  Cheryle McMillan’s Buraba dogs all started from her friendship with Beverley Laing and the Sanquhar dogs, particularly Salador Country Squire (Imp UK), so I was most excited by the possibilities.  “Saffy”, Inverglen April Mist (tricolour), was born and though she has some shortcomings as a show dog, I wasn’t going to let the chance slip by because of some minor ‘faults’ when she had so many ‘virtues’.  At the same time, Merv had a litter out of Ch Inverglan Tina Area, a Royal Melbourne BOB winner, jointly owned with Ryan Armstrong..  There was a lightly marked blenheim, Ryanz Angelica,  “Angel”, that Merv regarded as second pick and he said I should get straight round to Ryan’s as he wasn’t keeping her.  Mated to Inverglen Pocket Rocket, “Angel” has produced Dunsfold Pocket Protégé, my first Champion.  He is a delightful toy spaniel of whom I am very proud.  Mated to Miletree Distant Dream (Imp UK), “Saffy” has produced Dunsfold Dreaming On (Tyler), Best Baby Puppy Sweepstakes at the Canberra specialty (November 2004).

Around the same time (2000) I was back in Melbourne and in contact with Beverley Laing who was out of the show scene and had not bred a litter for several years.  She offered to let me show one of her dogs, with the prospect down the track of a litter or a puppies.  I just love preparing and handling dogs for the show ring, and so took on the sisters “Lacie”, a black and tan, and later a blenheim “Hetty”, Sanquhar Hetty Wainthrop.  Hetty was Best Exhibit at a Members Competition in 2003.   Hetty produced a litter for Beverley, and a litter for me on lease.  Mated to Ch Kabob Outta Reach (AI to imported Salador semen) Hetty produced Dunsfold Magloire, Best Opposite Sex Puppy at the Canberra CKCS Specialty in November 2004.  I have kept four bitches from that litter, and have two bitches from the earlier one (Sanquhar Celtic Glory, “Flicka”, and S. Celtic Grace, whom I now own on breeding terms, as well as “Lacie”, S. Black Lace.). 

In 2003, I convinced Beverley and Merv to come to Crufts and the UK Parent Club show with me.  We had a wonderful time (see ‘Stories’).  Merv brought back Miletree Maona (now an Australian Champion), and Bev brought back Miletree By Invitation (Bliss).  Sadly, Bev succumbed to cancer not long after, and I had the privilege to show “Bliss” to two Best in Shows and a Royal CC (see ‘Stories’).

After 16 years in the breed, I have my first Champion and handled and co-own a BIS winner – but it was not an overnight success! Breeding and showing Cavalier King Charles Spaniels is not for the feint hearted…it takes determination and a strong will, as well as a supportive wife and family…  I have often wished that someone would just breed and sell me a BIS winner – but the success is all the more sweeter for the journey. 

Enjoy your own journey with these beautiful companions.

Paul (with Linda, Alexander and Natasha)