My name is Laura Lazzaretto, I was born and grew up in a small village in the countryside, not far from Venice in the northeast of Italy. Since November 2020 I moved to my partner Pieter Vivijs, with whom I share the passion for retrievers. We live in the countryside in the north-east of Belgium, half an hour from Brussels.
The first Golden Retriever entered my life in 1994, when I bought my first show Golden bitch. I won a lot of awards with her in the ring and in agility. Soon enough I discovered working tests and field trials and I ended up dedicating most of my time to this sport.
I’m breeding under the kennel name THINK TWICE.
The first dogs owned or bred by me were exclusively show dogs. Some of them are Show Champions:
but all my dogs have been extensively ran in working tests and trials during the years, and have been part of my picking up team.
At the moment most of my dogs are working bred.
I’ve made up four Ft Ch, several Ft Winners and Working Test Winners.
Among them one Italian Championship Winner,”Reema”, one Vice Italian Championship Winner and Vice EC (European Championship) Winner, “Diesel”.
And in cooperation with my partner Pieter, I have made up two more champions, which we both have trained and handled to win:
On several occasions I have had the honor of representing my native country in prestigious international events:
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2008 CLA Game Fair, England
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2008, 2009 and 2011, IWT (International Working Test)
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2012 and 2013 Skinner's World Cup Retriever Event, England
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2014 ICC (Individual Challenge Cup for Retrievers), where I gained a second place with Int & IT FT Ch. The Road Runner, “Diesel”
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2018 with my “Reema”, Int & IT FT Ch. Think Twice Go Get It, after a fantastic season, which sees her being the best field trial dog in Italy for the 2017/2018 trialling season, we won the Italian Championship, first time ever for a Golden Retriever, after the best placement for the breed thanks to Diesel, uncle of Reema, some years earlier, becoming second. Thanks to these results, I was very proud to represent my country at the EC (European Championship) in Denmark, the second time for me with a dog bred, trained and handled by me.
“Diesel” is the father and “Reema” is the grandmother of my beloved “Maple”, Think Twice Beyond the Shadow of Doubt, with whom I won a Novice trial in UK when she was not 2 yrs old yet, and has been awarded GUNS’ CHOICE more than once on trial in UK.
One of my best trial dog ever, bred, trained and handled by me is definitely “Ringo” Int FT Ch. Think Twice Ecce Homo. An extremely easy to train and handle dog, very honest, a dog with whom was a pleasure to work with. I was lucky enough to make him a Champion on his very first trial season, and qualifying him for the Belgian Championship for two years in a row.
Both “Maple” and “Ringo” are happily living in the USA since 2022, bringing a great contribution in terms of genetic heritage as fantastic breeding dogs.
My career as a handler continues after 2020 under a different flag, and I was enormously proud to be a part, as Team Captain and reserve dog, (with “Ringo” in 2022 and with “Billy” in 2023) of the Belgian Team that won the IWT in Austria in 2022, and was second at the IWT in Sweden in 2023.
Among the dogs bred by me, which will leave their mark in the history of the breed, I must certainly include two:
“Carrie”, Int & BE FT Ch. Think Twice Uh La La La, owned by my partner Pieter Vivijs
The first retriever bred in Italy to have won a Field Trial in the UK, and to qualify for the IGL Retriever Championship twice, in 2018 and 2021. She won two times a two day open breed stake, and won several AV awards. “Carrie” became International FT Champion and Belgian FT Champion at the age of two years and a half, she won the Belgian Championship for two years in a row, in 2018 and also in 2019, and she qualified three times for the European Championship, coming second in Spain in 2019.
“Chance”, GB FT Ch. Think Twice Zero to Hero, owned by Nathan Laffy, the first Golden in history not bred in the UK to become GB FT Ch. In his first season at the age of 2,5 years, next to several awards, won a 2 day open any variety trial and a 1 day breed stake, finishing with a DOM at the 2019 IGL Retriever Championship, in Glenalmond, where competing as the youngest in the card. “Chance” reconfirms his exceptional skills at the next Championship, in 2021 at Ampton, where he gets a well deserved 3rd place. He qualified for the third consecutive time in 2022, and for the fourth consecutive time in 2023.
After many years of breeding and running my dogs at the highest level, from 2018 I’m an FCI International Field Trial judge, path started in autumn 2012. So far I have had the pleasure of judging in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, England, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Slovenia and the honour to be among the judges at the IWT (International Working Test) in Hungary in 2021. Judging gives me the opportunity to appreciate the work of the retrievers as gundogs and their amazing natural abilities.
My breeding goal is to breed dogs which comply with the standard both in their looks but first of all in their temperament, which is very important to me as this makes such dogs good in competitions but also great companions at home and when picking up.
And now have a nice time through their stories!
