A Lifetime with Dogs
By James Carrington
Owner and Founder, Somerford Raw & Natural - Founder, Somerford Weimaraner Kennels - Breeding and Exhibiting Weimaraners in Australia for Over 50 Years
James Amanda and Daniel with Weimaraners from Somerford — part of a lifetime spent breeding, exhibiting and learning from dogs.
For more than fifty years, Weimaraners have shaped the way I think about dogs, breeding, feeding and what it really means for a dog to thrive.
This is my first blog for Somerford Raw & Natural, and I see it as the beginning of a much bigger conversation. Over the coming months, I want to share more of my story — the dogs I have lived with, the lessons I have learned, the mistakes, the wins, and the simple truths that only come from spending a lifetime watching dogs closely.
Somerford is not just a name on a bag of food to me. It is part of my life with dogs. It comes from years of breeding, raising puppies, working with families, standing beside whelping boxes, travelling to shows, learning from good dogs, and sometimes learning even more from difficult ones.
I began in the breed as a teenager in 1972. Over the decades, I have bred hundreds of puppies, produced champions and grand champions, and even produced one of the first Supreme Champions in the breed. I have also imported semen from some of the finest dogs in the world and worked closely with reproductive specialists to keep improving my breeding programme.
Many people know me through Somerford Weimaraner Kennels, while others may remember my involvement and part ownership with Somerlaren Weimaraner Kennels. Between those two kennels, I have spent a lifetime raising puppies, observing dogs and asking one simple question:
"What helps dogs truly thrive?"
In fact, Somerford Raw & Natural takes its name from Somerford Weimaraner Kennels. It was not dreamed up as a marketing idea. It grew out of my life with dogs, and from a belief shared by many people in the Somerford community: that dogs deserve food that respects their health, their nature and their place in our families.
The views I share here are not based on marketing claims or the latest feeding trend. They come from a lifetime of living with dogs and watching what worked, what did not, and what consistently produced healthy dogs generation after generation.
Like many breeders of my generation, I tried commercial feeds along the way. Some were convenient and well promoted, and for a time I accepted that this was simply the modern way to feed dogs. But over time, I started to feel that something important had been lost.
That feeling took me back to how I had grown up.
I was raised in the country, and our dogs were not brought up on heavily processed diets. They ate fresh meat, raw bones, eggs and whatever natural food sources were available. They scavenged. They chewed bones. They ate in a way that was much closer to how dogs had eaten for hundreds of years.
The more I thought about it, the more I realised I may have moved away from the very things that had worked for dogs for most of my life.
That realisation changed the way I fed my own dogs and, many years later, helped form the philosophy behind Somerford Raw & Natural.
One of the most noticeable changes after returning to fresh, natural feeding was the overall health of my dogs.
I should clarify that I continued to spend substantial amounts on reproductive work. Anyone importing semen and using advanced breeding technologies will understand that specialised fertility and IVF-related procedures are part of maintaining a serious breeding programme.
But outside those reproductive services, my dogs simply seemed healthier overall. I saw fewer skin issues, fewer digestive upsets, better weight maintenance, better coat condition and better overall vitality.
When you have managed dogs for decades, changes like that are not small or theoretical. You notice them. They become obvious over time.
Looking back now, I believe feeding has been one of the most important lessons dogs have taught me. Breeding taught me to look closely. Feeding taught me to notice the daily signs — the coat, the skin, the stools, the weight, the energy, the fertility, the strength of the puppies.
That is the reality after more than fifty years with dogs: you stop being impressed by clever packaging and big claims, and you start trusting what you can see in front of you.
And what I saw was clear.
When I moved away from heavily processed and cooked foods and returned to fresh, natural ingredients, my dogs did not just look a little better. They carried themselves better. Their coats lifted. Their condition improved. Their fertility improved. Their puppies were stronger. There was more life in them.
That is the experience behind Somerford Raw & Natural. The name comes from Somerford Weimaraner Kennels, but the reason for the business comes from something deeper: a lifetime of watching what real food can do for real dogs.
After more than fifty years in Weimaraners, I still come back to the same simple belief: dogs thrive when we feed them in a way that respects what they are.
That belief is personal to me. It is where Somerford began, and it is why I am proud to put my name behind it.
Over the coming months, I look forward to sharing more of my story — not as lectures, and not as theory, but as real experiences from a life spent with dogs. I want to talk about breeding, feeding, health, puppies, mistakes, lessons, and the wonderful things dogs teach us when we pay attention.
And if you are part of the Somerford community, or just beginning to think more carefully about how you feed your dog or cat, I hope these stories help you feel encouraged, supported and part of something real.
James Carrington
Owner and Founder, Somerford Raw & Natural
Founder, Somerford Weimaraner Kennels
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