About Me

Hi, my name is Penny Stephens, and I live at Barnsgold in Cornwall with my husband Brian, (who supports me tremendously in all I do with the dogs,) and my amazing Golden Retriever family. I have adored animals all my life, and have never lived without them, but Goldies are absolutely the tops for me. They are everything anyone could ever need for a complete life....loving, loyal, gentle, fun, welcoming, non-judgemental, and they love unconditionally. I always think that humans could learn much from them. They make superb Mothers, and know the true meaning of devotion to duty. I have some rescued Goldies, and I also breed.....very carefully. I take my breeding very seriously and do everything in my power to ensure the Mother and pups are cared for as well as it is possible to be. My pups are always born indoors, and I sleep in the whelping room with them for the first 4 weeks, partly to support the mother, and partly to ensure the pups don't get rolled on by her. My girls tend to have large litters, and therefore seem to appreciate the extra help I offer them. I absolutely adore my dogs.... they mean so very much to me. They make life complete for me, in a way that only they can. I like to think that by breeding these dogs carefully and putting so much into them, I am able to bring some of what they give me, into the lives of others. My aim is always to produce fit, healthy, well adjusted dogs who experience, and give many years of enjoyment to their owners. I am always happy to hear from anyone who has lost their precious Goldie and needs to talk to someone who understands the devastating impact this will have had on their life. Sometimes it just helps to talk to someone who has experienced the same feelings through their loss, and understands how heartbreaking it is. Equally, I love to hear from anyone who would like to discuss Goldies for any reason, or is maybe thinking about getting a puppy and needs some advice and support in this big decision. My Phone number can be found on my main Champdogs page.

Keweras Boys - Barney

Barney is 3 years old. He is a big baby really...but just wonderful. He is a large dog, pale cream in colour with a lovely full coat, and has tremendous dark pigmentation. Barney has sired many very beautiful litters, and occasionally pops into the whelping box to check on his pups' progress! He is such a big softy and buries his head in me for a cuddle on a regular basis. He adores his canine companions, and looks after them all like a mother hen! He can be very excitable, but in a lovely way. We are just so proud of him, and love having him as part of our wonderful family.

Keweras Boys - Tamar

Tamar will be 4 on Christmas day (2007). He is the most friendly and loving Goldie you will ever meet. He loves nothing more than sitting on my lap...or anyone's really!He even leaps on my lap when I'm on the computer!! He has sired many beautiful litters...and all have been large litters too. He adores his pups..and pups in general, which is somewhat unusual for a male dog, but which reflects his nature completely. Tamar enjoys cuddling up under the quilt in the middle of the night...and makes a great hot water bottle! He is a very much loved member of the family, and makes life a great place to be. He loves having visitors, so come and say hello to him if you are thinking of having one of his pups in the future. He will greet you with a toy, a very wiggly bottom and a lot of friendly dog talk!

Keweras Boys - Bili

Bili is 2 years old. He is a very special boy as he was born with a cleft pallette. He didn't have the skills to feed from his Mum, and therefore I bottle fed him every 2/3 hours day and night until he was six weeks old. I eventually got him onto soft solids, and he went from strength to strength. When he was 9 months old I took him to Newmarket, and had his cleft pallette repaired by Dick White, and my own vet Rob Kellagher, who flew up to assist. Bili is now thriving and enjoying pushing everyone else around! He is very much a 'people' dog, due to his hand-rearing, and stays close by your side when out and about. I am so proud to have got Bili this far, as at times it was touch and go, but he wanted to live and I wanted to help him..and between us we made it!

Keweras Boys - Chaz

Chaz came to me as a rescue from an elderly couple who were struggling to cope with a young dog. He has an incredible amount of coat and wonderful dark pigmentation. His head is very proud and handsome, and he is turning out to be a truly stunning dog. I am hoping to start his stud life with Maddie in the Summer of 2008, when I hope he will prove himself. He has already proved himself as a gorgeous, cuddly, sweet and loving dog - now we just need the pups! I adore this lovely boy and I am very excited about delivering his first litter and watching them develop into miniature Chaz's!

Keweras Girls - Maddie

Maddie was 5 in January. She has had 2 beautiful litters, and is a superb mother. Her first litter was by caesarean section, due to the fact that all 8 pups were on one horn of the womb...a relatively unusual situation. Thankfully both she and all the pups survived. Two boys from this litter have gone on to become very handsome and successful stud dogs. One of her girls (Tekka) remained here with us. Maddie has since had a lovely litter of 11, and had a natural birth which was wonderful. She can only be described as a superb dog...fit, healthy, loving, comical and very much the head of our canine family! I hope to have pups from her with my new boy, Chaz, during July/August 2008

Keweras Girls - Tekka

Tekka is 2 years old and is a poppet. She had her first litter of stunning pups in November 2006, and was the world's most protective mother. We expected her to allow her Mum (Maddie) to share the task of raising her young, as they are very close, but she would simply not allow anyone except us near them, until they reached 5 weeks. She nurtured and cared for her beautiful pups as an experienced mother would, and I am so proud of her. She is very pale cream, and is extremely pretty. She has a truly loving nature and is a joy to own. Tekka should produce my first litter of 2008. If they are anything like her last litter, I can't wait to see them! Choice of stud not yet decided.

Keweras Girls - Tillie

Tillie is 2 years old and had her very first litter in November2006...which turned out to be a huge litter of 12! She too was a superb Mother, and has made me extremely proud with her endless devotion to duty. Tillie is completely soppy, turning upside down at every opportunity for a tummy tickle. She is mid gold in colour, and has produced some beautiful pups..with a little help from Tamar! She is a very special girl, has a very sweet and gentle nature, and is a delight to own. She has just had her second litter of pups with Tamar - 10 this time, and is again proving to be the most devoted and wonderful mother. I am so very proud of her.

Keweras Girls - Kizzi and Tira

Kizzi and Tira are sisters. They are full of mischief! Tira sustained an injury to her muzzle after her Mother 'over disciplined' her at 2 weeks old, and has been left with a blocked tear duct and slightly uneven face. It certainly doesn't detract from her very loving and mischievious nature though. Kizzi was sold from the litter, but came back to me, and I decided to keep her. She is slightly paler than Tira, but is equally mischievious! Kizzi loves giving kisses, and hugs you round the neck with her paws. She is a darling, and will hopefully make a very devoted Mum to her pups when the time comes. Kizzi had 6 absolutely stunning pups in July 2006 with Tamar. She was a truly lovely Mum to her babies, and kept them spotlessly clean and well fed at all times. Tira wasn't quite ready for mating when her turn came, being the less mature of the two, so hopefully she will have matured enough by the time her next season arrives...we'll see!

Keweras Oldies and Rescued Goldies - Molly

Molly is 7. She came to us at 10 months from a family in Plymouth where things weren't working out for her. She was very nervous at first, wetting the floor and fearful of eating her food, but all that is way behind her now, and she is the happiest most loving dog imaginable. She chills out every day to some calming music with her feet up in the air...very comical. She is the world's greatest swimmer, and is extremely reluctant to get out of the water once in! We just love her to bits.

Keweras Oldies and Rescued Goldies - Gemma

Gemma is 7. She had several homes before eventually ending up at Barnsgold with us. She was grossly overweight at 42 kilos when she arrived, but I have got her down to approximately 32 kilos, and she is so much happier for it. She is such a sweetheart...having little conversations with me when she thinks it's time for a snack. She slotted in with my other dogs as if she had lived here forever. We love having her in our home. She will live her days out here, and never know anywhere else as home again.

Keweras Oldies and Rescued Goldies - Ria

Ria is 9. She was one of the dogs included in my former partnership, who has stayed on with me. She is very special to me, as I experienced my first puppy delivery with her. I was in complete awe of her as she had pup after pup, and just got on with it...no fuss, just sheer devotion to the survival of her young. Ria is an extremely pretty girl, and loves nothing more than having her tummy tickled every day. She loves it here at Barnsgold, and we love having her as part of our beautiful family.

New Additions - Tegan

Tegan is my new addition to the Keweras family. She is now 6 months old, and is already a typically cuddly Keweras family member. She is a lovely dark girl with a beautiful light flash on her head. Her Mum, Tillie did a wonderful job of raising her, and her 11 litter mates. I look forward to watching Tegan develop into a fully grown member of our incredible family. She is very much loved already. She is her father's daughter, being almost the mirror image of Tamar in her ways and behaviour. Two Tamars...............not too sure about that!!

Typical Keweras Puppies

Here are some Typical pups from the Keweras Household:

Gone but never forgotten - Honey

Honey was my first ever Golden Retriever. She was the most amazingly devoted dog you could ever wish to meet. She used to help carry the shopping in from the car, running in and out of the house excitedly for the next bag. When she went for her walk, she would wait until she reached a certain point and then insist on carrying her pooper scooper home! She once ran right across the cricket pitch from the pavillion with a large bottle in her mouth to give my husband a drink...then ran all the way back to me with it. Honey became unwell at a very young age, and was finally diagnosed with lymphoma when she was 2 years and 5 months old. She was so ill that I did the only thing I could for her, and had her put to sleep. I have never stopped missing her, and doubt I ever will, but I am able to smile about the very special times we shared, which are firmly fixed in my heart and mind., and always will be.

Gone but never forgotten - Pebbles

Pebbles came to me aged 8 years. She was in a mess, and very overweight at 46.4 kilos. From the minute she set eyes on me we bonded in the most incredible way. She never left my side, not even when out on free runs in the field with our other 3 Goldies. I got her weight down to 32 kilos which gave her a whole new lease of life. Wherever I was, she was and vice-versa. She became ill at Christmas in 2004. At that time Bili (my 'cleft pallette' pup) had just been born. I chose to call him Bili because it means 'Pebble' in Cornish. Pebbles lost her sight at the end of her life aged just 10, but still ran across the field to me - such was her trust of me. I discovered that she had a tumour of the spleen, which was leaking blood into her abdomen...hence the fact that she had 'blown up' inside. She was too ill to go on, and I had to do what was right for her, and end her suffering. Pebbles was exceptional, and will, as with Honey, never leave my heart or mind.

Keweras Pedigree Names

Tegan - Keweras PenTegan
Barney - Dogmersfield Barnsgold of Keweras
Tekka - Dogmersfield PenTekka of Keweras
Kizzi - Dogmersfield Summer Sun of Keweras
Tira - Dogmersfield Pebbles Pride of Keweras
Bili - Dogmersfield Bilienn of Keweras
Tamar - Kennelridge PenTamar
Maddie - Ventess Pennys Perfection
Tillie - Herelsa Tillie
Ria - Dogmersfield Xsara
Molly - Bombshell Beauty

Keweras Hip Scores and Eye Tests

Barney - Hips: 3:3 Clear Eyes
Tira - Hips: 3:3 Clear Eyes
Kizzi - Hips 3:3 Clear Eyes
Tekka - Hips: 4:5 Clear Eyes
Tamar - Hips: 5:4 Clear Eyes
Maddie - Hips: 5:4 Clear Eyes
Tillie - Hips 9:9 Clear Eyes

Keweras Name Meanings

Wherever possible I try to use Cornish names/words for all the dogs. Here are some with their meanings:

KEWERAS - FULFILLMENT/PERFECTION

Tekka - Finer/More Beautiful
Tegan - Lovely little thing
Tira - Land/Come Ashore
Tamar - After the River Tamar (Cornish is 'Tamer')
Barney (Barnsgold) - Named after the house.
Bili - Pebble

Our Occasional Lodgers - Hattie

Hattie is wonderful. She loves me to bits, and her owners can't mention my name at home, because she gets SO excited and rushes about looking for me! She has toys that I have given her for birthdays/Christmas etc., which I'm told are her firm favourites! Hattie is Tillie's Mum, and therefore Grandma of my previous litter of 12. She came to stay now and again while her owners were up in Sussex househunting. Hattie has now moved to Kent and I miss her terribly. Her owners Jo & Nigel are wonderful caring people, and it is thanks to them that I have my Tillie, whom I love very much. I have enjoyed having Hattie to stay, and allow her to get away with all sorts of things that simply aren't permitted at home - which I think she has enjoyed! The door is always open to her in the future if she needs a place (with a bad influence) to stay!

Our Occasional Lodgers - Kelly

Kelly is a very lovely Goldie who comes to stay when 'Mum' and 'Dad' go on holiday. She slots in with the others as if she's never been away. Her very favourite thing is a tennis ball, and she has accumulated a good stock of them now. She enjoys her time with us, (running madly around the field, and getting spoilt rotten along with the others,) and we thoroughly enjoy having her to stay. We expected to have her for a month at Christmas, but her owners did not go ... so I was rather disappointed as I love my cuddles with Kelly! Kelly has now moved in permanently with us since her owners emigrated in October 2007. She is now Keli and regardless of the spelling of her name, is as lovely as ever and a pleasure to own.

Our Occasional Lodgers - Connie

Connie is Tillie's litter sister, and Hattie's daughter. She comes to Barnsgold very regularly to stay while Mum goes up to London to visit relatives, and sometimes goes away on business. Connie loves it here at Barnsgold, and leaps out of the car at an amazing pace once she realises where she is! She is soon to have a new companion in the form of a pup from Tillie's litter - her neice. The pup will be called Ruby, and we all hope that Connie will enjoy having a constant canine companion once again, having lost her beautiful sister, Eva, to cancer during the Summer of 2007. I am expecting to have Connie to stay in March 2008 and will enjoy seeing her after a long time, while I have been tied up with my latest litter of pups.