About Us
My name is Kimberly Diane Beam. I was raised in Palmer, Alaska. I am the baby of three kids. I met my husband when I was just a kid playing in my neighborhood. I am one of the lucky few who actually married their childhood sweetheart. We have been married since May of 2009. We recently added a new two-legged member to our family, our wonderful son Dennis. He was born September 19th, 2009. He was born into a Dalmatian filled world. When I was pregnant, one of my biggest fears was that my child would hate Dogs. Dennis has proven this fear absurd. He loves dogs, and some of his favorite toys are my stuffed Dalmatians.
I guess I should start my story at the beginning. Growing up I had a black cocker spaniel named Baby. I did not do much with her other than what most kids do with their dogs. I walked and played with her. I do credit Baby for my love of all dogs. Next came Jazz, my Flat Coat Retriever. Her overall outlook on life was very happy go lucky. It is rare that she was not overly exuberant. She loved people and dogs, anyone that would play with her. Jazz became more of a family pet than my own dog, as I had intended her to be. I always felt that Jazz needed a friend to play with. One day, while I was walking with a friend we were invited to come see a litter of Dalmatians puppies. This is when I met Princess for the first time and I just had to have her as part of our family. It was love at first sight! I knew I had to have that little spotted girl, so I did! I have been in dogs since 2000, even though I got Jazz in 1998, it was not until I got Princess that I became very active in the dog world. And I love it!
When I got my first Dalmatian at the age of 18, I never would have thought they would be such a big part of my life. I got Princess from a neighbor of mine who breeds Dalmatians. I was young and did not know much about dogs except for the fact that I loved them. I picked out Princess, and brought her home with me, my parents, who I still lived with at the time soon, grew to love Princess almost as much as I did.
I got very involved in my local kennel club. I took obedience classes, agility classes, and conformation classes, enrolling both Jazz and Princess. Jazz was always slightly easier to train; she had that retriever style eagerness to please. Whereas Princess was, well, a princess. She truly felt at times that doing things that other dogs did was beneath her. Once we got past her "divaness”, she excelled in obedience. On the other hand training her in agility was a breeze. Her love for agility definitely surprised me at first. Conformation was probably her least favorite thing to do, but like everything else she did, she did it well, for me.
After putting a few titles on my dogs, I was asked to teach some obedience classes for my kennel club. I put my knowledge of training my dogs, what I had learned watching others, and what I was taught, together and helped others learn to train their dogs. My hope was that I might kindle an excitement for dog sports in my students. I truly believe I was successful. I still see some of my first students at shows or trials. I also made some lifelong friends out of teaching those classes.
Although my training style has changed over the years as I grow and learn more. Not to mention new techniques are always coming and going. I believe in going to as many seminars or training sessions with different people as I can. I do not change my entire training style because someone I saw last week says it works for him or her. I do however, take small pieces that I think might work for my dog or dogs and incorporate it into my training. If it works, I keep it, if it does not it goes in the file in my head reserved for future training. Just because it does not work for the dogs I have or know now does not mean it will not come in handy in the future.
I never got into the dogs hoping to be a breeder, but that is what I have become. I am not a "big time" breeder. I have only recently bred my second litter. My first litter was in 2003 and produced one puppy, my Solo girl. She has been a wonderful addition to our family. When breeding a litter, I give a lot of thought to what I want to produce. My objective in breeding is always to better the breed. My first litter only produced one puppy that I kept, for my next litter it would be nice to have more puppies but if I only get one and he/she is the quality that I got with the first litter than the cost of breeding was worth it to me.
I like to think of myself as a breeder, but it has been 8 years between my first litter and soon to be second litter. I do not feel that you have to have a litter every year to be able to call yourself a breeder. To me a breeder is someone that is looking out for the best interest of their breed by having their dogs health and temperament tested before they ever breed. It was more than five years before I even attempted to breed my second litter. I like to be able to enjoy my dogs. First and foremost, my dogs are part of my family, anything beyond that is just a bonus.
Dalmatians have brought me great joy over the years. I love the breed completely. If I can help give to someone else even part of what Dalmatians have given me, then I know I have succeeded as a breeder.
I guess I should start my story at the beginning. Growing up I had a black cocker spaniel named Baby. I did not do much with her other than what most kids do with their dogs. I walked and played with her. I do credit Baby for my love of all dogs. Next came Jazz, my Flat Coat Retriever. Her overall outlook on life was very happy go lucky. It is rare that she was not overly exuberant. She loved people and dogs, anyone that would play with her. Jazz became more of a family pet than my own dog, as I had intended her to be. I always felt that Jazz needed a friend to play with. One day, while I was walking with a friend we were invited to come see a litter of Dalmatians puppies. This is when I met Princess for the first time and I just had to have her as part of our family. It was love at first sight! I knew I had to have that little spotted girl, so I did! I have been in dogs since 2000, even though I got Jazz in 1998, it was not until I got Princess that I became very active in the dog world. And I love it!
When I got my first Dalmatian at the age of 18, I never would have thought they would be such a big part of my life. I got Princess from a neighbor of mine who breeds Dalmatians. I was young and did not know much about dogs except for the fact that I loved them. I picked out Princess, and brought her home with me, my parents, who I still lived with at the time soon, grew to love Princess almost as much as I did.
I got very involved in my local kennel club. I took obedience classes, agility classes, and conformation classes, enrolling both Jazz and Princess. Jazz was always slightly easier to train; she had that retriever style eagerness to please. Whereas Princess was, well, a princess. She truly felt at times that doing things that other dogs did was beneath her. Once we got past her "divaness”, she excelled in obedience. On the other hand training her in agility was a breeze. Her love for agility definitely surprised me at first. Conformation was probably her least favorite thing to do, but like everything else she did, she did it well, for me.
After putting a few titles on my dogs, I was asked to teach some obedience classes for my kennel club. I put my knowledge of training my dogs, what I had learned watching others, and what I was taught, together and helped others learn to train their dogs. My hope was that I might kindle an excitement for dog sports in my students. I truly believe I was successful. I still see some of my first students at shows or trials. I also made some lifelong friends out of teaching those classes.
Although my training style has changed over the years as I grow and learn more. Not to mention new techniques are always coming and going. I believe in going to as many seminars or training sessions with different people as I can. I do not change my entire training style because someone I saw last week says it works for him or her. I do however, take small pieces that I think might work for my dog or dogs and incorporate it into my training. If it works, I keep it, if it does not it goes in the file in my head reserved for future training. Just because it does not work for the dogs I have or know now does not mean it will not come in handy in the future.
I never got into the dogs hoping to be a breeder, but that is what I have become. I am not a "big time" breeder. I have only recently bred my second litter. My first litter was in 2003 and produced one puppy, my Solo girl. She has been a wonderful addition to our family. When breeding a litter, I give a lot of thought to what I want to produce. My objective in breeding is always to better the breed. My first litter only produced one puppy that I kept, for my next litter it would be nice to have more puppies but if I only get one and he/she is the quality that I got with the first litter than the cost of breeding was worth it to me.
I like to think of myself as a breeder, but it has been 8 years between my first litter and soon to be second litter. I do not feel that you have to have a litter every year to be able to call yourself a breeder. To me a breeder is someone that is looking out for the best interest of their breed by having their dogs health and temperament tested before they ever breed. It was more than five years before I even attempted to breed my second litter. I like to be able to enjoy my dogs. First and foremost, my dogs are part of my family, anything beyond that is just a bonus.
Dalmatians have brought me great joy over the years. I love the breed completely. If I can help give to someone else even part of what Dalmatians have given me, then I know I have succeeded as a breeder.