Helena got her first dog as a young girl. It was a doberman which she bought in 1962. Unfortunately this bitch was hit by a car as a puppy. The next two dogs were Finnish Spitzs. This was because her father wanted to have a dog that would be of help when  shooting birds. These two sptzes were always running away and also stubborn and very hard to teach.

In 1967 Helena wanted to try again with a true working dog. She got another doberman bitch called Kuosman Grace. She became both a show and working champion. Helena also became a (working test) judge during these years when competing with Grace. 

Heidi was a baby and sleeping in the car while Helena trained Grace out in the woods. At home Heidi slept in the same dog bed with Grace and ate the same "all- in-one dog food" as Grace did.

Grace had a couple of litters.  The first Karvin doberman puppies were born in 1970. When Grace died in 1976 Helena didn't want another doberman as she felt that Grace had been once in a lifetime dog for her. After reading dog books and talking to breeders she became attracted by the flat coated retriever and the golden retriever. Eventually she chose the golden retriever after judging a golden at one of the working tests. At the time there were only a few golden retrievers in Finland.

In spring of 1977 Karves family, Helena, Seppo, Heidi, Kim and Laura who was a baby at the time, got a new family member. She was a golden retriever puppy called Hiekkakankaan Arina. Her sire was an English bred dog living in Sweden Ch Caliph of Yeo and her dam was a Finnish bred bitch called Leavenworth Leonita. Arina did well both in the showring and at the gundog working tests.

Arina had clear hips and eyes and was mated in 1980 to an Irish bred dog called Whitewater Columbanus. She had a litter of nine puppies being the first "Karvin-goldens". From Arina's second litter (by Ch Gildas Midnight Sun) born two years later Helena and Heidi kept a bitch called Karvin Karell. She did very well in tracking, obedience and the showring.

In 1984 Helena saw a photo in The Dog World magazine of a young dog called Garbank Special Edition of Lislone. Helena contacted Mrs Kate Black and asked for a puppy sired by him. Later that year Helena travelled to Nothern Ireland to pick up a bitch puppy called Cheeky, named after her lively temperament. Fin Ch Greenglen Golden Gown of Lislone would later become the mother of several succesfull Karvin-goldens.

The same year Heidi bought her first own dog. He was the Swedish bred Fin Ch Gildas Touch of Gold. Touch was a joy to own, beeing both clever and beautifull. The next year Heidi travelled to England and brought back another dog, he was called Fredy. Fin Ch Linchael Ravel got his title already as a youngster  and became the top winning golden retriever in Finland in 1987.

  
On the left picture Karvin Paloma O Blanca and on the right Ch Karvin Union Bell, Ch Festival's Five Five, Gunhills Summer Days and Gunhills Dalbury

In the summer months we take the dogs  for a daily a swim (with the rowing boat) which they naturally love!