Hal was born and raised in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. As a youngster he loved to go hunting for wild game and in 1982 purchased his first bird dog, an English Springer Spaniel named Sophie. Not only did she make a great gundog hunting around Mount Pleasant, but Hal and Sophie were a competitive team at AKC English Springer Spaniel field trials. This was the start of turning something Hal loved to do into a livelihood. He started training bird dogs and has owned and operated Linden Kennels in Mount Pleasant since 1986. He is a charter member of the East Central Iowa English Springer Spaniel Club.



Michelle (Muffin) moved to Mount Pleasant in the spring of 2001 from Creston, Iowa where she raised her two daughters and owned and operated her own grooming shop, The Grooming Shoppe. She opened a grooming shop in Mount Pleasant, The Grooming Room, in May of 2001. Michelle has been breeding and showing AKC Yorkshire Terriers since 1988. She is a longtime member of the Southeastern Iowa Kennel Club  and is presently the president of the club.

Hal and Michelle (Muffin) have a lifetime of experience working with a wide variety of dogs. You can be assured that your pet will be treated with the utmost care, love and respect.