Wendy's Background

When I was seven years old and my sister was nine, we joined forces to successfully wear our parents down with incessant begging for a family dog. Happily, two English Springer Spaniel puppies joined our family as a result. After enrolling in the Snohomish County 4-H dog program, my sister and I began learning the basics of training and caring for our dogs and looked forward to competing in the Evergreen State Fair each August. I have extremely fond memories of my years in 4-H and now volunteer in several areas of the Snohomish County 4-H program.

I was introduced to the world of showing purebred dogs by my grandmother, who bred and showed St. Bernards under the Gwilt kennel name. I eagerly anticipated my tenth birthday because then I would be old enough to compete in the junior showmanship classes offered at dog shows. That year, my parents surprised me with the best birthday present I ever received: a show-quality Springer puppy! The furry bundle I quickly named Rosi grew up to become Am. Can. Ch. Phylwayne's Rusti Rose, C.D.

I worked diligently on learning how to train, groom, condition, and breed my show dogs. Thankfully, my early mentors were also wonderful teachers in the dog show game: Gary Zayac, Cherrie Spring, and Denis Springer. Gary and Cherrie are still a vital part of my continuing education; Denis sadly passed away in 2003 and will forever be missed. With the support from generous people in the dog show world and a lot of hard work on my part, I was able to enjoy much success as a teenager in the conformation and junior showmanship rings along with realizing several achievements in my first attempts at a breeding program.

In 1989, I graduated early from high school and worked for Denis Springer full-time as a professional dog handler's assistant. Over the next ten years as I was attending college and establishing my career, I continued to help Gary and Cherrie at the dog shows since my dogs were retired at that time. The day that my husband and I closed on our first home, I called Cherrie to let her know that I was finally ready for my own show dog again. Cherrie immediately invited me to come down to see a precocious three-month old black and white male Springer puppy. Needless to say, I wasted no time in driving down to pick him up and that puppy is now my beloved Stanley (Am. Can. Ch. Ridgewyn N Belvoir Runabout).

Garrett and I soon adopted a playmate for Stanley, a field-bred Springer named Patches, followed a year later by Stanley’s half-brother, Wally. I soon returned to another favorite breed - the American Foxhound - and Galfox was formed.

My goal with Galfox is simple: to breed and show healthy and beautiful English Springer Spaniels and American Foxhounds. Our dogs are family members who are loved and spoiled; I look forward to a successful and exciting future with them.