Labradors

History:

The Labrador is the most popular of all pedigree breeds and his popularity comes from his versatility as family companion, service dog, guide dog as well as a working gundog.

The breed originates from Newfoundland, which from the 16th century was renowned for the fishing industry with well-established trading routes between England and Canada.

Dogs were used there to help fishermen retrieve nets and lost lines and pull carts loaded with fish. The Newfoundland dogs were smaller than they are today and a smaller variety was known as the St John’s dog. It is thought that these breeds crossed with hunting dogs taken to Newfoundland by English traders and fishermen formed the basis for the modern Labrador. Some of the dogs resulting from this breeding were taken back to England where their retrieving skills were recognised by the sporting gentry. Labradors retrievers are divided into colours, Black, Yellow, and Chocolate.

Traits
Labs are super friendly and social, they love other labs and other dog breeds, kids, outdoor activities, lots of love and a safe environment with their owners around every day. Yellow Labradors are divided into Show variety (also called English Labs) and Working variety (also called American Labs). Fox red coat is the dark yellow colour. The Honeyfitz line is comprised of short hair, fox red coat, yellow labradors from champion working lines.

Labs are easy to train with consistent positive reinforcement, and are very adaptable to other dogs and pets as well as being gentle and wonderful with children. The Labrador breed is very intelligent, perceptive and caring. They love human companionship and need a large home and garden and daily exercise. They are a financial commitment to feed, insure, stimulate and maintain, but ours are healthy and hearty with no genetic or physical flaws and should give you many years of affection and love. They live over 10 years.

One of the best sites for more detailed information on the breed is
https://www.thelabradorsite.com

Honeyfitz

First consider is Honeyfitz a good fit for you? We are NOT a typical breeder. We are proud to be a Labrador community and placing our pups is not a transaction to us. It is a cradle to grave process which we embark on as a partner with you. Our process is transparent, inclusive and engaging from pregnancy through birth and the infancy of your pup. You will be allowed to spend as much time with your pup as you wish after the age of 3 weeks.

We hold the prestigious 5 star council license for breeding and we are Kennel Club Registered. We hold IMDT Ofqual level 3 qualification as a breeder.

Honeyfitz breeds only the healthiest and easiest to train working fox red yellow labrador lines. All our sires and dams come from Kennel Club Registered Breeders like ourselves. All have excellent hip and elbow scores; all have current eye tests and complete clear DNA profiles. All have EBV levels checked and approved. All are checked via KC Mate Select for low inbreeding coefficients. We also ensure you will benefit not only from our support but from the other families who own the littermates of your pup.

Honeyfitz is a small specialist family breeder, our pups are born and live in our home. Please consider if our service and ethos is right for you. Our bitches never have more than 4 litters before the age of 7 and have their first litter aged either 2 or 3. All our puppies are fully Kennel Club registered with 5 generation pedigree.

Honeyfitz is a community, we maintain a continued connection to our pups and families. All our puppies are placed with members of our community who will happily talk to you about what is different and special about getting your puppy from Honeyfitz. We are fully insured as well. We make a lifetime commitment to all our dogs. Your dog comes back to us to adopt or rehome, if you are unable to care for it for any reason at any point in its life.

Our process starts with registration and we then invite you to meet us and our dogs. Pups can be reserved with a deposit which is fully refundable.

Marisha Romer (Maia)

Founder

Maia’s love for dogs began at age three, when, as a toddler she got lost in the Connecticut forest and was found hours later and rescued by the family’s St. Bernard dog!

Maia retired in 2016 from a successful career as company Director for 25 years in Marketing and Digital Communications. At 50, her new lifestyle enabled her to finally own dogs and Rosie became the matriarch of the Honeyfitz breeding program in 2017. Maia qualified with an Ofqual level 3 diploma in breeding and Honeyfitz sprang to popularity as a Kennel Club Registered Breeder having built a reputation as an exceptional specialty breeder of the Fox Red Labrador. All dogs benefit from full health testing including advanced DNA screening.

Maia is married with grown children and owns four Honeyfitz bitches, including Rosie and Bonnie, now retired. Pups are mostly family pets although there are several assistance and therapy dogs bred by Honeyfitz as well as two working gundogs. Honeyfitz is rightly proud of its widespread community of owners which support one another and reunite for annual events so pups can see their family again. Maia was proud to welcome Kassie Woods and Penny Bird to the Honeyfitz team in 2023. 

Penny Bird

Penny Bird is well known and respected professional photographer and has been working with Honeyfitz for two years as our exclusive provider for all imagery. Her experience and gift of capturing animals mood and expressions, and the natural beauty of dogs interacting with their environment and each other, lead to breath taking results every time.

Penny understands what we need and anticipates challenges as well as putting dogs and humans alike at ease with her relaxed manner and positive attitude.

We are so proud that Penny shoots our annual Honeyfitz Fox Red Pups calendar every year which features the pups born during the year before and is sold to benefit Guide Dogs for the Blind. Penny also captures each Honeyfitz pup at age 7 weeks for their official Honeyfitz Graduation picture, another exclusive service which is included in the puppy starter package which accompanies each puppy to their forever home at 8 weeks of age! Finally, Penny is present at our annual reunions to record all the joy of our dogs being brought together again for running and swimming activities!

Penny Bird is available to photograph your pup or dogs in studio or at your home with your family, and Honeyfitz owners benefit from a special promotional price. See our gallery for many examples of her work!

https://www.pennybird.co.uk

Kassie Woods

Surrey Dog Behaviour MD

Kassie is a Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist, offering online support nationally through her company. She has a BSc in Bioveterinary Science from the Royal Veterinary College and an MSc in Clinical Animal Behaviour from the University of Lincoln. Kassie also has a PGCert in Veterinary Education from the Royal Veterinary College which has allowed her to become a Fellow with the Higher Education Academy. Kassie is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and the Fellowship of Animal Behaviour Clinicians, of which she is a mentor for aspiring behaviourists. In addition she guest lectures at the Royal Veterinary College on clinical behaviour and animal training.

Her association with Honeyfitz began in 2022 when she registered for a puppy from Bonnie. After Sunny joined her family, we invited her to become our in house trainer and behaviourist so all our owners could benefit from her expertise. Kassie has a passion for behaviour and creating the best relationships between dogs and owners. She also loves training, and trains her three Labs, Archie, Flo and Honeyfitz Sunny in sports such as Heelwork to Music, Agility and Gundog.

Kassie can be seen at Honeyfitz events and across the UK giving displays and demonstrations at shows such as Dogfest, All About Dogs as well as being part of the Kennel Club Good Citizens Scheme with Sunny at Crufts. Her life is centred around Archie, Flo and Sunny, who thoroughly enjoy their long walks, holidays and vast training events.

Honeyfitz Heritage

Honeyfitz was Founded Oct 12 2017. Totally focused on service and quality, Honeyfitz clients and pups are lavished with every possible thoughtful and tender attention to their needs. Our first Octavia Coco of Honeyfitz Rosie Mae was born April 8 2017. The decision to breed from her came from the wish for Rosie to have canine life companions (in a house with kitties) in the form of daughters, Bonnie (2019) and Ruby (2020)! The Fox Red coat- Yellow Labrador has huge popularity in the UK, so the decision was made to become a Kennel Club Registered Breeder to support the breed’s growth, once all Rosie’s health tests showed she would be suitable to breed.

Our Facebook page Honeyfitz has over 1,000 followers and shows videos from all our annual reunions. Our Fox Red Pupx wall calendar raises funds for Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Honeyfitz was Founded Oct 12 2017. Totally focused on service and quality, Honeyfitz clients and pups are lavished with every possible thoughtful and tender attention to their needs. Our first Octavia Coco of Honeyfitz Rosie Mae was born April 8 2017. The decision to breed from her came from the wish for Rosie to have canine life companions (in a house with kitties) in the form of daughters, Bonnie (2019) and Ruby (2020)! The Fox Red coat- Yellow Labrador has huge popularity in the UK, so the decision was made to become a Kennel Club Assured Breeder and Licensed by the Council to support the breed’s growth, once all Rosie’s health tests showed she would be suitable to breed.

Honeyfitz voluntarily holds itself to even higher standards than the Kennel Club and Council guidelines. Our Facebook page Honeyfitz has over 1,000 followers and shows videos from all our annual reunions . Our Fox Red Pups wall calendar raises funds for Guide Dogs for the Blind.

What’s in a Name?

What’s in a Name?

Rosie, was named after Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, America’s most loved and respected mother. Mother of President Jack Kennedy as well as his 3 brothers and 5 sisters, Rose came from a wealthy Irish family of Boston politicians, doubtless part of the attraction from her husband, Joseph P Kennedy. Rose’s father, known as Honeyfitz, was the most famous Mayor of Boston. His grandson Jack, became President of The United States in 1960. He loved Labradors.

President Jack Kennedy named his beloved presidential yacht Honeyfitz after his grandfather, to whom he owed so much. Amoung the many odd coincidences in our Kennels; Rosie gave birth to 4 boys and 5 girls for her maiden litter exactly as her namesake Rose Kennedy did a century before!

Honeyfitz founders are members of the Fitzgerald Family. In common with all Fitzgeralds, Maia and her children are lovers of animals. Maia was born in New England, and her children were born in England. The family tries to uphold Fitzgerald, Hewlett, and Romer values and virtues. We welcome you to our Honeyfitz family!

Honeyfitz Litter Names

  • Kennel Club rules allow the breeder to give dogs their official name that appears on their pedigree. Puppy names bred by our Kennel all start with the word Honeyfitz. The second name derives from the theme we choose for each Litter. We always use a connection to the colour Red because of the Fox Red coat.
  • Past Litters have been named for American Red Indian Tribes, Red Roses, Red Trees, Red Thoroughbred Racehorses, Redstone Rocket Missions, Red Clan Tartans and Red Reindeer, and Red Gems
  • 2025 Litter Names will be Red Arrows, and Red Ferraris.

Honeyfitz is a trading name owned by Hertfordshire Fox Red Labradors Ltd | Company No: 15462024