ABA Series, Ep 26 - Podcast Show Notes

Annual Breeder Award: Supportive Stud Winner

In this eye-opening episode of The Breeder’s Brew, I sit down with Diana Stevens of Wylanbriar Labradors—winner of the Canine Family Planner’s Supportive Stud Award. Di shares how she’s built not just a name, but an entire ecosystem around her stud dogs, providing mentorship, support, marketing and integrity-driven standards for bitch owners.

​Whether you’re working in Labradors or another breed entirely, this episode will leave you reflecting on what the stud dog owner role really should look like.

Her experience is vast—over 1,000 stud matings, all three Labrador colours, show and working lines, and a thriving gundog training business. More than just a dog owner, Di is a full-service stud provider and a community builder who’s raising the bar for ethical, effective breeding partnerships.

PODCAST TAKEAWAYS:

Stud Dog is Not a Stud Service

• Owning a male dog doesn’t mean you’re offering a stud service. Di explains the difference between simply having a stud and building a business around reliable support, mentorship and quality control.
• She mentors from day one—whether a bitch owner is years from breeding or ready next season—guiding them through health testing, timing, and buyer preparation.

Marketing is a Breeder's Responsibility

• Coming from a marketing background, Di knows how to position her dogs and support her clients. She insists that breeders must actively promote the quality of their dogs—not just rely on reputation.
• Her presence on Facebook is central to her operation, with closed community groups, strict conduct rules, and brand consistency.

Protecting Puppies and Reputation

• Di has turned away thousands of pounds to uphold her standards. Dogs that don’t meet temperament or health criteria are rehomed—not marketed.
• Her Facebook groups are a warts-and-all community where even problems are discussed openly, and solutions offered in a supportive environment.

Breed Better by Building Relationships

• She offers a third Facebook group just for people using her stud dogs, with vets and repro-specialists involved. This closed network is used to mentor, educate, and prevent breeders from making avoidable mistakes.
• Di manages waitlists and promotes upcoming litters for her clients, ensuring ethical marketing, transparency, and smoother homing for puppies.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

If this conversation has lit a spark, there are plenty of ways to go deeper into our breeder support network:
Explore Di’s Work

• You can find Diana Stevens and Wylanbriar Labradors at www.wylanbriar.com and connect with her on Facebook via:
• Wylanbriar Labradors
  Wylanbriar Gundog Training, and her exclusive breeding group (invite only)
  
• She also manages a private group exclusively for those using her stud dogs—drop her a message via WylanbriarLabs at icloud.com if you're interested in joining.

Become an Approved Breeder Alliance (ABA) Member

• The ABA recognises responsible breeders who value mentorship, learning, and ethical standards. Join our community and raise the benchmark in your breed.

Join the Brew Crew

• Our paid membership tier offers monthly Spotlight Sessions, B!tch & Brew catch-up calls, and a Breeder Briefs vault full of practical content and case studies. Perfect if you're ready to level up your programme and join a community of like-minded breeders.