About us

I am Niina Lehtonen and I live with my family in a one-family house in Iittala, Southern Finland. Our dogs are familymembers and they live with us and participate our life. We have enclosed garden and our dogs can go out whenever they want and as much as they want. I exercise with the dogs regularly every day. I walk with my dogs a lot and they can also run free in nearby fields and woods with me. And of course, Labradors love to swim and we have many lakes near to us.

My goal is to breed healthy and good-natured labradors which are consistent with the FCI breed standard. I value above all, that a dog is healthy in every way and it has a nice temperament with good nerves. All the possible success in shows and different kind of trials is only extra.

Assassin kennel name is approved by FCI in 1995.
I have participated some courses:

• Finnish GSD Club Breeders Course 2002-2003
• Finnish Kennel Club Breeders Course 2012
• Finnish Kennel Club Breeders Advanced Course 2012
• Finnish Kennel Club Breeding Advisers Course 2013

I have also undersigned The Breeders' Code of Ethics. I use Finnish Kennel Club's sales contracts and breeding-terms agreements. I'm a member of Finnish Kennel Club, Finnish Labrador Retriever Club and Finnish Retriever Association and also some other retriever and breeding clubs. I have always been very interested in dogs and dog breeding, that's why I try to educate myself all the time.

HISTORY

I feel I have been born as a dog person. Unfortunately my parents didn't share my love for dogs. Several years I had to practise taking care of hamsters, guinea-pigs and horses. But yes, I loved them also. Then finally near my 13th birthday in the year 1989 I got my very first dog. This bustling Golden Retriever meant a world to me. I really need to thank his breeder Arja Merivalo (Valorin kennel) from the bottom of my heart, because she believed in me althoug I was "just a kid".

I have always adored beautiful and noble Afghan Hounds. In the 1990's I had an opportunity to help Riikka Fagerström's A'Rosafan Afghan kennel. I did care of the dogs' coats and we went a lot dog shows. All that was incredibly lovely. And one of the most memorable part was to see the birth of puppies and taking care of them. I really was so thrilled and I knew then that someday I would also want to be a dog breeder. I had a couple Afghans of my own and I bred one Afghan litter in 1999.

Life is full of surprises and it's not always going the way we planned. For many years I concentrated on studying and dedicated myself to my own children. For these years we had only one dog, althoug he was really Once in a Lifetime GSD. He was the most faithful companion I could ever imagine.

When the German Shepherd was already aged I started to think a proper dog breed to me and our family. So I ended up taking a Labrador puppy Muistojoen Isa-Bella aka Aino. I have been very pleased to my choice. A little later our pack got a new member Palabras Bella Sara aka Maisa. All the years there has been the though and desire of breeding dogs. After a long waiting we had our first Labrador puppies in 2013. I think I have a good firm foundation to continue my breeding.

In autumn 2014 I had a great opportunity to import yellow bitch Carromer Shimmering Dancer aka Sophie from UK. I'm so grateful for her breeders Mrs Carol & Mr Mervyn Reynolds. And in spring 2016 arrived another yellow English princess Tweedledum Lost For Words aka Cindy. Thank you Kirsi Luomanen for your trust. We hope for the best to the future!

Love,
Niina