About Me
Welcome to Retrievers LLC, a project created by Michael Jennings that brings together retriever heritage, dog training, photography and a deep appreciation for the natural world.
Labrador Retrievers have always been an important part of my life. My family adopted our first Lab, Gus, when I was four years old and I have found companionship in several more over the years. In 2019, I retired from a career in federal law enforcement and one month later I adopted a British Lab, Chase, from Hidden Springs Retrievers in Colorado.
In 2021, Chase and I competed in our first obedience trial and won two High in Trial awards over a three-day weekend. That same year we entered our first hunt test. I was somewhat apprehensive at first because we live in the desert and had done relatively little training in the water but Chase performed like a pro. Since then he has gone on to earn several advanced titles in obedience and hunt tests.
In 2022, I adopted Finley a field-bred Lab from Kolfyre Retrievers in Wyoming. While Chase and Finley are both Labrador Retrievers, their personalities, temperaments and working styles could hardly be more different. Chase is stockier, has a thicker coat and a gentler demeanor. He works at a more deliberate pace and is extremely social which can occasionally make maintaining focus in crowded environments a challenge. Finley is leaner, quick, intense and seemingly possesses an endless supply of drive. When she's working, she has little interest in socializing and is completely focused on the task at hand. Finley has also earned several advanced titles along with multiple High in Trial and High Combined awards in obedience. For all their ability, instinct and purpose, our dogs are first and foremost members of our families and the relationships we build with them are at the heart of everything I do.
Training Chase and Finley has reinforced one of the principles that has become fundamental to my approach: train the dog in front of you. The fundamentals of good training may remain consistent but the way those fundamentals are taught and reinforced should reflect the individual dog. What motivates one dog may not motivate another and a technique that produces confidence and understanding in one may be less effective with another. Chase and Finley have required different approaches in both obedience and field work and learning to recognize and adapt to those differences has shaped the way I approach training every dog.
That same appreciation for retrievers and the natural world extends beyond training and into my photography. Over the years, photography has given me another way to capture the qualities I value in these dogs—their focus, athleticism, instinct, personality and the environments in which they seem most at home.
My portfolio is organized around three themes: Purpose, Instinct and Place. Purpose explores working retrievers and the focus, ability and determination behind what they do. Instinct turns toward wildlife and the behaviors shaped by the natural world. Place focuses on the landscapes and environments that provide the setting for both. Together they reflect much of what has inspired Retrievers LLC.
The Retriever Heritage Collection grew from that same appreciation. The collection celebrates the distinctive character and heritage of retrievers through thoughtfully designed apparel for those who understand the connection these dogs create and the important place they hold in our lives.
Dog training, photography and apparel may seem like very different pursuits, but for me they are connected by a common thread: an appreciation for capable dogs, authentic experiences and the relationships that develop between retrievers and the people who share their lives with them. Underlying it all is a lifelong love of the great outdoors and the places where so many of those experiences and relationships are formed.
Whether you came to Retrievers LLC looking for dog training, to explore the photography or to discover the Retriever Heritage Collection I hope you find something here that reflects your own appreciation for retrievers and the natural world.
I hope you enjoy exploring the site.