About Us
Carlins is a small kennel located in Zebulon, North Carolina. We became a Corgi fancier in 1987, when a friend gave us a Pembroke Welsh Corgi after our beloved 16-year-old Shetland Sheepdog passed. We've owned the fun-loving Corgis continuously since then—or perhaps we should say they've owned us!
We were "just" serious pet owners until Charlie Bear joined our family in 2005. His stunning looks even as a puppy propelled us into the American Kennel Club Conformation Show circuit. Charlie Bear, also known by his registered name Carterhall Captain Crunch, came from Joe and Dora Carter. The Carters have been awesome friends. They patiently taught us how to groom and show him. I handled Charlie Bear's first win—Best of Breed!—during the 2006 Labor Day shows in Raleigh. Realizing it was beginner's luck and I had more to learn, I let Joe Carter handle him, and Charlie Bear quickly finished shortly after his littermate, Dash, finished. In fact, all four littermates became AKC Champions, which is an awesome accomplishment for the Carters.
In 2009, we decided it was time to take the big step as a breeder. After attending workshops, reading a lot—including the breed's Standard, talking to a lot of people, and studying the pedigree of the dog (male) and the bitch (female) that we wanted to match together, we ensured that the appropriate tests—for inherited eye problems (CERF, or Canine Eye Research Foundation) and canine hip dysplasia (OFA, or Orthopedic Foundation for Animals)—were done before the breeding. In addition to type, we consider temperament and movement important factors. We matched Julie and Charlie Bear with excellent results. (Check out photos of Julie's first litter on our Wee Ones page.)
After Julie had such a beautiful litter on April 1, 2010, we knew we wanted her to have another litter, but we waited until her second season after that litter before carefully deciding to breed her with Champion Stafford's Casey At The Bat, a very handsome and sweet boy who Julie fell in love with the minute she saw him (what a flirt she was!). We're pleased to announce that the seven Wee Ones arrived on July 7. See first photos of the newborns!