My name is Michelle Noteborn. I live with my 5 year old daughter and lots of dogs in the southern part of Netherlands.
In addition to my job as a doctor’s assistant, I own the kennel Dutch D’Votion. 

Just like my daughter, I grew up with dogs. For 35 years I have been living with Flatcoated Retrievers, since my mother had the dual purpose kennel Dark Devotion. At home almost every conversation was dog related: about breeding, bloodlines, health problems, training advice, competitions, hunting days, etc.
 

At 7 I started junior handling on dog shows. I presented dogs from many breeds to get more experience. Around the age of 10 I would be already presenting our own dogs in normal shows. As I got older, more breeders (mostly of Retrievers) asked me to help them present their dogs.

On my 13th Birthday the first litter of my mother was born and I helped with the delivery. As I loved taking care of the pups and mother dog, I took over this part and this would give my mother freedom to continue participating in competitions even when she had a litter. As the word spread also other breeders started asking me to help taking care of their dogs and pups. By the age of 20 I had helped with 45 deliveries, then I stopped counting.

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My mother held training classes and organized workshops. She had trainers from all over the world come to our house to teach. I have always found this very interesting and learned a lot from listening to the different trainers and watching the handlers with their dogs. At the age of 14 I was helping my mother with her classes and at the age of 16 I gave training to the puppy classes.

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In 2008 I got my own Flatcoat - Dark Devotion Overjoyed Obsession "Ootje". With her I really started exploring the dog world: participate in shows, picking-up during hunting days, working tests, Epreuve B, Field trials, BICP, Coupe de France, different workshops and started breeding. She was a wonderful dog who taught me so much. She was Multi Show Champion, FT Champion a la Francaise (Novice), FT Champion a l’Anglaise (Open), FT Champion Complete, and run final during a CACIT Field Trial.

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In the period from 2008 until 2015 I was able to make 5 Flatcoats Field Trial Champions and 9 other Retrievers that got a FT qualification like FTW or title like Trialer. I also participated as a steward in working tests, Field Trials and important competitions such as Coupe de France and Coupe d'Europe. I was encouraged by the judges to become a working judge myself, as I have all qualifications except hunting license.

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For many years I am giving retriever workshops, show workshops, children workshops and Field trial training on all levels in the Netherlands and abroad. Among others I gave a 5-day workshop as part of the major event at the 50th anniversary of the Finnish Retriever Club in 2013, which included FT trainings for handlers (Novice&Open level) and Train the Trainer education for trainers. Later

that year I went back to Finland to give FT training during a real hunt. I also held various trainings and workshops in other countries: Slovenia, Germany, France...

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In 2016 a new breed came into our kennel, Dachshund. I learned blood tracking and in 2020 I had my first litter of Dachshund. 

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In august 2017 our daughter Lieke was born. She loves helping me and want to learn everything. My small girl but big help!