Sur le Delavan Kennel
Illinois

Sur le Delavan Kennel is a small family own kennel in Central Illinois that is committed to continuing a strict breeding practice that only improves the traits and temperaments that took generations in Europe to achieve. We are using only the highest preforming dogs from France, Ireland, Spain and the United States to improve our stock. We have a strict breeding plan that focuses on the entire dog.

We breed dogs that are:

- proven in natural hunting, retrieving ability, field trials and show rings
- proven in health (all breeding dogs have hips certified prior to breeding by the OFA as GOOD or higher)
- proven in correct conformation and have been classed as C1 Excellent by a French judge
- proven in temperament and soundness that is fit for the home and the field

We are not willing to take short cuts in breeding. While other breeders are using dogs that carry the Ay gene (that produces the Sable coat pattern) and hiding that fact by only breeding orange and white dogs, we won't. We take the extra time and effort to find dogs that are clear of the gene. All of our dogs are proven in hunting fields and competition across the country and over seas. While others have excuses for why their dogs are not titled- ours are. Every Sur le Delavan Kennel dog has field and show titles. We have no place in our kennel for average hunting dogs. It has taken us many long years to achieve these goals. We researched, tested, hunted and selected only the best Epagneul Bretons from around the world to build our foundation pedigrees. If a dog passes the screening and has all the traits that are absolutely necessary in order to give us the genetics that we want in our breeding dogs, they then can be welcomed in to our breeding program.

What does that mean for the clients? It means that the puppies from Sur le Delavan Kennel have a great chance to inherit these same outstanding traits. Leading to great hunting dogs, trialing dogs, show dogs and family pets. This has been proven by Sur le Delavan Kennel by producing more UKC field champions and grand-champions than any other kennel in the US. We have also produced more dogs with both a show and field title than any other kennel in the US. All puppies from Sur le Delavan Kennel are UKC and AKC registered and 100% French Brittanys.

It is very import for us that each of you visiting our website know that we are hunters first. Our dogs travel across the US every year hunting Sage Grouse, Huns and Sharptail in MT, Ruff Grouse and Woodcock in MI, Pheasant in IA and Quail in GA. Many times we get questions or comments from interested clients that we arent looking for a trialing dog or a show dog. We just want a good hunting dog. There is no other way for us (or anyone) to prove to you that our dogs are good hunting dogs than to put them in front of judgment in different parts of the country on different wild game. We win out West on wild sharptail and hun. We win in the Midwest on wild pheasant. We win in the South on wild quail. A great trialing dog will equal a great hunting dog. Just because our dogs do great in the show ring, doesnt mean we only produce show dogs. It means we produce great looking hunting dogs!

We welcome you to visit our farm and see our dogs for yourself. If you don't see the information you are looking for on our website, please feel free to contact us by email or give us a call.

Epagneul Bretons: AT HOME. IN THE FIELD.

Clint, Suzanne, Will and Annabelle LaFary