Our Mission
Located in middle Georgia, Hi-Hope Brittanys is dedicated to breeding AKC Registered and health tested Brittanys suitable for show, hunt, performance, or companion homes. We take great pride in our breeding process, ensuring that each Brittany is raised with love and care, well-socialized, and in optimal health before finding their forever homes. Our priority is to provide well-rounded and loving Brittanys for families, and we are committed to maintaining the highest standards in breeding practices. From health checks to early socialization, we are passionate about producing exceptional Brittanys. Each parent is properly health tested and has received passing scores given by the OFA and CHIC (available to confirm on the respective websites). Our puppies are raised on the SuperStar Dog Program written by Jerry Hope. They have begun crate and potty training before going on their new adventures! All puppies have been exposed to birds, baths, nails, and a variety of sounds and textures. Fill out an application if you are interested in adding one of our Brittanys to your family!
Meet the Team
This is Hi-Hope.
Claire Ctibor
Claire started showing dogs in 2008 with her Powder Puff Chinese Crested. In 2013, she decided she wanted a larger dog, so she began training Captain, her sister's retired Junior's dog. The rest in history.
Claire and Captain were ranked among the top Junior Handlers in the country for many years as well as ranked in the Top 20 Brittanys in the country for multiple consecutive years. Claire went on to win Best Junior at the AKC National Championship making her the United States representative at Crufts where she made the shortlist of top 10 junior handlers in the world. She also was a finalist at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Together, Claire and Captain won Best of Breed at the AKC National Championship and the American Brittany Club Top 20 Competition when Captain was 12 years old. Captain was also a multiple Best in Specialty Show winner and a Sporting Group Winner. Captain's legacy lived on through Sailor and Luci. Sailor earned 9 titles in show, performance, and field events. Luci was Select Bitch and the 2021 American Brittany Club National Specialty and was a Sporting Group Winner at only 2 years old. Claire was able to achieve more than she could have ever dreamed with these Brittanys by her side. Captain went on to live with Claire at college and was loved by so many. Claire has been extremely blessed to have versatile, loving companions to experience life with.
Claire has bred three Brittany litters to date, with a fourth on the way. Her passion is producing quality Brittanys that are family companions, hunting dogs, and incredible show dogs. With the support of her parents, Jerry and Susan, Hi-Hope Kennels was born to fulfill a little girl's dream.
Jerry Hope
Jerry doesn’t remember a time in his life that didn’t involve a dog. He first became interested in competitive dog sports in the late 1970’s. It began as a passion for obedience, followed by tracking. Within a few years, he had been persuaded to try his hand in the conformation ring. Unfortunately, the conformation folks, at that time, were not as welcoming to newcomers into the sport as the obedience people were. This made it quite difficult to get your hands on a quality show puppy. But persistence paid off.
Jerry settled in Milner, Georgia after retiring from the Marine Corps. He opened a training facility where he trained dogs in many different disciplines; from pet dogs to high-level competitors, but always focused on sound temperament and solid foundations. Jerry has been involved with many professional training organizations such as the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, (IAABC)were he was a Certified dog behaviorist. He was a professional member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, (APDT). He was a teaching chief tester with American Temperament Testing Society (ATTS). Jerry has owned and titled Chow Chows, Rottweilers, Malinois, Basenjis, and Brittanys. He has also titled many other breeds for clients.
In late 1998, Jerry published “The Breeder’s Guide To Raising Superstar Dogs”. The book was based on over ten years of gathering data from breeders, trainers, and research from his own breeding program. The goal of this program is producing puppies that are properly prepared for life outside of their litters. By systematically exposing pups to different stimuli, at critical periods, it reduces the chances of fear, builds confidence, and increases the pups natural investigative nature. This gives dogs the necessary basic skills to negotiate new and unusual situations they will likely encounter.
Susan Hope
Susan began her career with dogs in the mid 1990s competing in obedience and agility with her beloved rescue Dalmatian, Bridget. This sparked a love for rescue. She became active with local groups, but soon learned that there was a niche for pure-bred rescue. She and her dear friend, Trish James, founded Second Chance Dog Rescue which focused on partnering with local shelters to move abandoned pure-bred dogs into their respective breed rescue groups in addition to fostering and adoption among their own network of foster homes. Many years later, her children were looking for a fun and rewarding activity, so dog sports was an easy choice!
The next 15-18 years have been spent traveling all over the country, and even internationally, to support them as they competed in junior showmanship, conformation, field/hunt and companion sports. Lately, she has even been working with her own Brittany, Mira for her trick dog, coursing and fastCAT titles! Her 32-year career as a physical therapist gives her a unique perspective and understanding of how structure supports function, which has been instrumental in the evolution of the breeding program at Hi-Hope Brittanys.