The Craftons’ love for Wildrose Labs began in 1974, when they purchased their first Wildrose Labrador. Joe grew up with a Wildrose British Lab, “Wildrose Doc,” purchased by his father in 1976, sparking a lifelong passion for the breed. In 2014, Joe brought home his second Wildrose Lab, Lucy, from Wildrose Oxford, Mississippi, where he met Mike Stewart, owner of Wildrose International. During that meeting, Joe shared his vision of bringing Wildrose to the Southwestern United States.

Mike encouraged him: “You find a good location, Joe explored several options and, in 2016, realized the perfect opportunity when he purchased the Dallas Hunting and Fishing Club, just 13 miles south of downtown Dallas. With Mike’s support, they selected Guy Billups IV to relocate from Houston and launch Wildrose Texas as a licensed operation of Wildrose International, with Joe holding a 10% ownership stake. Over the years, Joe built a state-of-the-art kennel and a manager’s house, and relocated a 170-year-old log cabin from Ohio. The cabin was carefully disassembled and reconstructed on the Dallas campus.

After eight successful years of operations, Guy Billups sold his interest, and Joe became the 100% owner of Wildrose Texas. Following Mike’s recommendation, Will Zizman, former Head Trainer at Wildrose Oxford, relocated to the Dallas campus as General Manager, overseeing the training program and daily operations.

In October 2025, Wildrose Texas celebrated the opening of its new canine health care facility and hosted its first puppy picking on the Dallas campus, a milestone that marks the beginning of the next chapter in Wildrose history.

Today, Wildrose Texas continues to honor its tradition of excellence. The campus features multiple habitats, a training lake, a medical building, and the beautifully restored 1855 log cabin, offering an unparalleled environment for breeding, training, and caring for the next generation of Gentleman’s Gundogs™.