Pat and Dusty Smith established Shamrock Kennels in 1993. Growing up in the country, Pat was always involved with various breeds of hunting dogs. Whether it was running a good rabbit race during the day with a pack of Beagles, or night hunting with a hard-striking Redbone Coonhound, he was always involved in the hunt, both for the pleasure as well as the thrill of the competition.   Dusty grew up training and showing Eventing Horses. After a serious horseback injury, she discovered a passion for training and showing Cocker Spaniel.   However, soon after the birth of their daughter, Codi Belle, it was determined that Cocker Spaniels and infants were not necessarily well suited for each other. Sadly the decision was made to place the Cockers into homes without small children. Finding that the Beagles were not only well-suited for hunting dogs, but also as excellent family companions, Pat and Dusty carefully began to select their stock from some of the top hunting and field lines available. They found their lives with these "merry little hounds" to be extremely enjoyable, both for parents and child. Raising Codi Belle along side these hounds proved to not only be exciting, but extremely entertaining. She took up the thrill of the hunt at a very young age. Watching her enthusiasm as she started her young pups in the rabbit pen all the way to transforming them into mature field hunters, along side her dad, gave everyone involved a great deal of satisfaction. These hounds gave her both the enjoyment, as well as the satisfaction of a job well done. They taught her responsibility, at a very young age. She spends a large part of her day with her hounds, helping to train her pups to excel in the world of field, hunt and show. Early in our career, we were given charge of two splendid, older Golden Retrievers as well. They changed our lives forever. We immediately fell in love with them, as well as all that the Golden breed had to offer. We were astonished at the love and devotion that these dogs lavished on our baby. They were her guardians and defenders, always by her side, ready to jump into action to keep her out of harm's way. We were immediately hooked on the breed.   However, we soon found out that Golden Retrievers, like so many other breeds of dogs, fall victim to a wide range of pre-disposed genetic problems. Unfortunately, the problems only multiply as the breed continues to grow in popularity. Indiscriminate breeding and failure to screen for hereditary problems offer catastrophic results for both the owner and the dog. Sadly, we found ourselves in this category, as both of our Goldens suffered from more than one genetic, predisposed problem that shortened their lives. Though they are no longer with us, they will remain in our hearts, forever. Their memories will always comfort us. The lessons that they taught us will last a lifetime. We learned the importance of selective breeding within the standard, as well as the importance of health clearances on all breeding stock. Our quest began for the perfect Golden pup, from a sound breeding program, for our new family companion. ...In walks this adorable little bundle of fur... ...Enter "Bailey" into our lives... ...And so, our journey has just begun... HOME PAGE | ABOUT US | OUR KENNELS | CONTACT US | OTHER LINKS WHAT'S NEW | OUR GOLDENS | OUR BEAGLES | GOLDEN LITTERS | BEAGLE LITTERS