About
John and Maggie
How we started
I acquired my first
Bulldog, Brit 30 years ago. Her owner was working abroad and his wife couldn't
be bothered with her. She spent her life alone in a garage and we were told
she would chew and was not house trained. She never chewed a thing and never
went to the toilet in the house. I was a studying for a Bachelor of Education
at the time and my husband (we had only recently married) had just started
teaching. At that time a Bulldog puppy cost the equivalent of a month of my
husband's salary so we could not have afforded to buy one at that time. We
paid nothing for her but her owner wanted a puppy back and us to use Ch. Holeyn
Canny Lad at stud.
A year or so later we duly mated Brit and I kept Coatesmar Bunty Boo and returned
Coatesmar Georgia.
Six or so months later we received a telephone call asking if we wanted Georgia
back- the bad news being she was ill - she had pneumonia - probably from being
kept in the damp garage. Of course I took her back and she recovered. Booey
and Looey never got on however and had to be split up - a legacy which has
continued to this day- as all the dogs I have bred are descended from these
two and I still have two gangs.
I duly mated Georgia and Bunty Boo and began showing.
Bunty Boo was the mother of Coatesmar Watney Keg in her first litter
and Dutch
Ch Coatesmar Jumpin Jack Flash and Ruby Tuesday in here second.
Georgia was the grandmother of Coatesmar Sourdust who was the mother of
Champion Coatesmar Gabriel Oak.
Gabriel Oak and Ruby Tuesday produced Coatesmar Blackeyes Gabriel Oak very
much a toy boy at nine months and Ruby was just 6 when she had the puppies)
who was the mother of Ch.Coatesmar Bronze.
Unfortunately Bronze did not have any puppies and died several years ago at
10 years of age. Ruby Tuesday and Gabriel Oak were both 11 years and 4 months
when they died. Having lost my lineI did not show for some time- 4 or 5 years
although I still had bullies.
I bought Wencar Red Opal who is the mother of CoatesmarMacey - his daughter
(from a stud mating) Bizarre Twist was mated to Meriveen Rough'n Tough at
Berrybrook - Chris Carberry's dog - who has Ch. Coatesmar Gabriel Oak in his
pedigree and I was fortunate enough to get George. I also kept George's sister.
Funny how things happen- Chris Carberry bought his second bulldog puppy (the
first died) Watney Key from me and I recovered something of my past dogs by
using his dog (although the breeding is from Meriveen).
I bought Newrock Chilli Pepper who was also out of Merriveen Rough'n Tough
and George and Rag produced six puppies. This was the first time for them
both.
I had a difficult time deciding which one to keep and still don't know if
I have made the right decision - I usually have no problem deciding from the
beginning and usually stick to my first choice - not so this time. Anyway
I have kept the fawn and white boy who is called Coatesmar Union Jack and
will hopefully be shown from December.
Well I have covered a thirty year family tree - hope not too rambly - might
be better under past dogs so their photos names and winnings can be seen in
conjunction with the write-up.
Oh, my affix comes from Margaret Coates my maiden name.
John and I have been married 30 years and were both secondary school teachers. I stopped teaching 5 years ago - John is still soldiering on.
We have lived inThornfield Rd. for 28 years and although Middlesbrough is not the sort of place I would choose to live in, Linthorpe was once a village and is still fairly green and after buying several other gardens we have a back garden of about an acre which I have turned into a wildlife garden
It is not particularly bulldog
friendly, puppies get lost in it, adults have scratched their eyes chasing
things through the undergrowth and every puppy I have kept has fallen into
one of the three ponds - but only once - and yes they swam and scrambled out.
It isn't only bulldogs that are bred here
but the frogs are far more
prolific.
A blackbird hen, male robin and half a dozen or so frogs are often fed by
hand
I prefer the company of animals to most people and teaching certainly did not inspire me to motherhood - so we have no children.
My dogs are pets and do not
live in outside kennels - they live in the conservatory, utility area and
kitchen mainly and spend a lot of time in the garden with me.
As I also keep my oldies
this means I am limited to the number of dogs I can keep. I only had 4 when
I was teaching and have reached an altime high of 7 with my new puppy.
I only breed when I want/am able to keep a puppy.This relatively small number
of dogs and the fact that there are only the two of us means I am not showing
constantly but have done quite well in the show ring over the years considering.
I feel this very small and hopefully quality 'kennel' has stood the test of
time
even if I have not.
Champion Gabriel Oak will
certainly last - I commissioned the brilliant and extremely talented sculptress
Sally Arnup to do a life-sized bronze of him.
Champion Coatesmar Gabriel Oak made in bronze in the daily Papers
