About Us

Jean Freeman 

My friends, Steve and Sue Luter (Luterville Labs), announced they were having a litter in 2012, I knew it was time for another dog. Steve picked a big yellow pup out of the litter for me and he couldn't have been a better fit. I began training Niko for hunt tests and he turned out to be highly intelligent and easily trainable. Not surprising since his grandfather is the great GHRCH UH Hunters Marsh King Elijah MNH QAA. With the early help of some talented friends and resources such as Steve Luter, Ernie Hawkins, Tim and Patti Doane, Renee Schulte and the Great Lakes Hunting Retriever Club, we completed Niko's HRCH in his 2nd year, his UH at 2.5 years and his Master Hunter title in 6 consecutive passes. Niko's intelligence and willingness to please made up for many training and handling errors I made as a first time trainer at this level.

I kept a male dog, Deke, out of the next litter from Luterville Labs. While Deke has a very different personality from Niko, he is an exceptional retriever with endless drive. He holds Hunting Retriever, Upland Hunter, and Senior Hunter titles. He is also a talented scent work dog holding both UKC Superior Nosework Champion and Elite Nosework titles.  

Cedar came along after I met Carolyn Elam (Blazing Red Kennels) at the Michigan Flyways hunt test in 2016. I fell in love with her dog Flame and several of the young Flame dogs she had on her truck at the time. My female, Cedar, is a daughter of the great dog,  UH GRHRCH GMPR Blackpowder's Blazing Red Flame MH MNH QAA , and a Granddaughter of GRHRCH Ima Rock Star who sired  GRHRCH Magnolia's Hammerin' Hank MH MNH5, the 2017 and 2018 UKC Top Producing Sire. Cedar holds a Hunting Retriever Title, has four AKC Senior passes and numerous AKC and UKC scentwork titles including Superior Nosework Champion, Elite Nosework and Handler Discrimination titles. 

Our name "Newfound Retrievers" honors the ancestral heritage of the Labrador Retriever which began in the  early 1800's on the island of Newfoundland, which is now a province of Newfoundland and Labrador Canada. 

The founding breed of the Labrador was the St. John's water dog, a small, short-coated dog (also known as the Lesser Newfoundland). The St John's Water Dog was used for retrieval and pulling in nets from the cold, rough water of the bay. These smaller dogs were the forebears of the Labrador Retriever. The white chest, feet, chin, and muzzle - known as tuxedo markings - characteristic of the St. John's Dog will occasionally appear in modern Labradors as a small white spot on the chest (known as a medallion) or stray white hairs on the muzzle or feet. White marks behind the feet, also called bolo paws, are to said to relate back to  English Dual Champion Banchory Bolo (1915 – 1927), the first dog to earn a dual championship by winning both a bench championship as well as a Field Trial Championship in England.   

The Labrador Retriever breed standard was eventually written in 1878 originating from two dogs:  Peter of Faskally (owned by Mr. A. C. Butter) and Flapper (owned by Major Portal). 

Twenty five years later (1903) in England, The Kennel Club first recognized the Labrador Retriever as a separate breed. A Labrador can only become a conformation champion in England if he also has a working title establishing that he is fully qualified in the field. Fifteen years later (in 1917), The American Kennel Club, followed suite, accepting its first Labrador for registration – a Scottish bitch named Brocklehirst Nell. 

And the rest is history! The Labrador Retriever was recognized by the American Kennel Club as it's Most Popular Dog Breed  for 30 YEARS IN A ROW!.