di ferro in Italian, it means, …. of iron.
My interest in developing Irish setters has not been built upon a singular inspirational moment but has been built-upon friendship with many dogs over a significant amount of time. My early childhood included sharing adventures with two collies, first Mac and then Tavy (short for McTavish), and several dogs that were owned by my buddies including a black lab named Peppy and a 3-legged boxer named Duke. We all played together around the neighborhoods near Ellsworth, Ohio. Both the neighborhood kids, and our dogs were completely “off-leash” and built forts together, explored the nearby creeks, lakes, and other points of interest and generally were having a grand time outdoors. My comfort and enjoyment of dogs began while being a young kid.