My name is Maija Heinilä, and I'm a Finnish citizen fortunate to call three countries home: the USA, Norway, and Finland. I've lived in each of them and carry a piece of all three in who I am.

My educational background is in International Relations, Economics, Personnel Management, and Leadership—studies I pursued in both the United States and Norway. I have worked at University of Southeastern Norway for 26 years. 

I'm also the proud mother of four wonderful children and 5 sweet grandchildren.

I live in Ramnes, near the town of Tønsberg—the oldest town in Norway—located about an hour south of Oslo. Our local community, Revetal, is a small countryside village of around 4,000 people. It's peaceful yet well-connected to Oslo, Tønsberg, and Horten, making it a great place to raise children.

My hobbies include judging dogs as an FCI-licensed judge and breeding dogs in small scale. I have taught Norwegian Kennel Clubs courses on cynologi since year 2000 - this course is mandatory for new dog judges. I travel often, both for my work and for judging, and I genuinely enjoy meeting people and experiencing different cultures along the way.

At the moment, I share my home with three dogs, while many others live with friends as part of my breeding program. 

I have bred Bernese Mountain Dogs for 25 years, with champion titles from ca. 25 countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States. For around ten years, I also bred Spanish Water Dogs, with several of them earning championship titles in various countries.

Now, as age begins to make itself felt, I have resumed breeding Welsh Corgi Pembrokes after a break of approximately ten years.