Here are
some of the updates, emails, and pictures from people that recieved pups
out of the first Belle and Baker breeding last spring. I've been very
blessed to have once again placed the pups in loving homes with families
that give the pups the love and attention they deserve! The first
breeding was very successful, and I have recieved many compliments on
the first breeding and how the pups have far exceeded the new owners
expectations. Thank you to all that have taken on the task of raising,
training, loving, and caring for the pups. At time you may have wondered
what you got yourself into!! For instance you came home and the little
one has chewed something apart, completely destroyed something he/she
shouldn't have, peed or pooped somewhere he/she shouldn't have when you
could have swore they were potty trained and knew better, barked all
night and you only got 2 good hours of sleep (you could have swore you
had a new-born child in the house), failed to come when called, etc...
and the list goes on and on but in the end you stuck it out and were
persistently patient with this new little creature that needed so much
time and attention. The end result 9 months later is a dog (still more a
pup then a dog at times) that is far more capable than what we all
would have thought 3,6, and 9 months ago.
Ellie May
Ellie May is owned by Tyler and
Christina Hill of Ankeny, Ia. The pictures above and below were taken
when she was younger I'm not exactly sure on the age, but the one on the
right was probably taken at 3 months old. At a young age Ellie May had a
strong desire to retrieve as you can see from the picture on the right
she would tromp the muddy sloughs to bring back the bumper. She is a
beautiful lab with perfect conformity and whenever I see the pictures
Tyler and Christina send I take pride in knowing that the pups turned
out so beautiful. I get lots of comments on how good looking of labs
they are and I take pride in knowing that Belle and Baker match up so
well together. Ellie May is very intelligent, has a great nose and
marking ability, and all in all is a joy to be around. Here is my last
update from Tyler on Ellie May's progress.
JJ,
Ellie
is doing great. She is up to 50 pounds now and has been hovering around
that weight for a couple of months now. I had to take her to the vet
last week. She still has one of her puppy canines hanging on. She lost
all of the rest of her puppy teeth about four months ago. There is no
sign that problem tooth is loose and it still looks healthy so for now
she has two canines on her upper left jaw. The veterinarian said that as
long as it wasn't adversely affecting any other teeth or leading to
gingivitis it would be ok. So i think we are going to just keep our eye
on it for now and see if it won't come out on its own.
As far as hunting goes Ellie did
very well for her first season. She was a constant companion when I was
duck hunting. We worked on retrieving all summer long, she loves to
fetch. Her first time out was our early duck season. My wife, best
friend, Ellie and I headed out to the marsh at midnight. We set up in a
good spot and Ellie slept with my wife in her layout blind. It was
probably the best duck hunt that I have ever had and a large part of it
was because of Ellie May. We ended up shooting seven birds which
included my wifes first duck, my first drake wood duck, and some
fantastic retrieving from Ellie May. We dropped two teal into some
pretty heavy thick cover on shore about 80 yards from us. I did my best
to mark where they fell and took Ellie with to go try to find them. When
we got close to where I thought they fell Ellie got very excited
(birdy) and dove into the grass and walked in about 10 yards made two
small circles and came back out with the first bird in her mouth. I was
very proud of her and she was pretty happy too. We went on and she
managed to find the second bird as well, both which we would have lost
had it not been for Ellie and her nose. (Just would like to remind
whoever is reading this that Ellie May was only 4.5-5 months old on this
hunt) She also retrieved my wood duck from land and then did her first
water retrieve almost perfectly. It was a good day and a nice start to
our first season together. We kept working on retrieves and hunted as
much as we could. We did not have a great year for duck hunting in
central Iowa. There were no major fronts that brought any kind of real
numbers in. The other highlight of my season was the day my friend and I
shot a pair of geese, both were banded, and to top it all off Ellie May
did the retrieve on my goose. It was as big as she was but it was stone
dead on the water and she wanted to go get it. I sent her after it and
she swam out to it, grabbed it under the wing and swam it right back to
me. It was another good day.
We did manage a couple of good
pheasant hunts on my parents farm. Pheasant numbers have been on the
decline for the last couple of years in this area due to harsh winters
and wet springs. We did manage to shoot a couple of birds early in the
year. Prior to season we would take her out on walks and try to get her
onto birds, without much luck. So when season came around she thought we
were just going for another fun walk. As soon as we got near some real
pheasants she got birdy and went after them. I called her back and she
reluctantly listened. She did very well staying within range other than
the one time she took off chasing a deer, I yelled at her and she kept
going so I hit the E-collar and that turned her around. When I finally
dropped a rooster Ellie was right next to me and watched the rooster
fall into a thick patch of switchgrass before I could tell her to go get
him she was bounding into the switchgrass after him. About 20 seconds
later she came back out with the pheasant in her mouth, from that moment
on she knew what we were doing when we headed out into the grass. We
did have one really good hunt right before thanksgiving. I took three of
my friends and Ellie out on my parents farm. We saw better bird numbers
that day, we ended up shooting at and getting 8 roosters. Ellie had a
great time, we used her nose to find a couple of downed birds. Her
highlight of the day is when we were walking a dirt road ditch with
picked corn fields on both sides. Up pops a rooster and my friend shoots
him, he dropped into the picked corn field jumps up and takes off
running away from us. Away goes Ellie after him and after about a minute
of cat and mouse through the corn field Ellie finally catches the
rooster and brings him back in. As she is ready to hand the rooster over
to my friend up pops another rooster. M y friend turns away from Ellie
and shoots, the bird drops in the corn field jumps up and takes off
running. Ellie instantly drops the bird in her mouth and takes off after
the second rooster. Another game of cat and mouse ensues and she
catches this rooster and brings him back in. It was amazing to watch her
run down those birds, she was so intent on catching them. It was
probably one of the funniest things I've seen while pheasant hunting.
All in all that was a great day and Ellie had a blast too. We didn't do
any late season pheasant hunting just because of the bad weather and
Christina and I did some late season deer hunting. So far I have not
seen Ellie lock up on what you would call a solid point. She has pointed
and held for a second or two on songbirds and smells that kind of
thing. I just haven't had enough time with her out pheasant hunting to
really let her give it a try. In the last few months I have seen her
showing some better signs of pointing, pointing more birds in our
backyard. I have some pheasant wings saved back and hopefully we will
get out soon to work on some scent training and see how she does. She is
still fetching anything she can get us to throw. I am already looking
forward to next this fall and what she will be able to do this year.
Finally Ellie May is a wonderful
house dog. She is obedient and very sweet. We have been teaching her
some tricks, roll-over, shake, and she is all but too happy to do them
because she knows that when she does them she gets to retrieve a toy.
She is defenitely my wifes dog, not to say that she doesn't listen to me
or like me, but when it comes time to sit on the couch Ellie will
allways sit next to my wifer or across her lap. Every morning I get up
and let Ellie out, she makes it a lot more fun to get up in the morning.
No matter what I feel like she is allways so happy to be out and just
wants to play, it allways makes me smile. The two of us could not have
asked for a better dog. I will attach a couple of pictures, i have more
hunting pictures on my other computer. I will forward them to you when i
get a chance.
Take care,
Tyler
JJ,
Sorry its taken a while to get back to you. Ellie may has been doing great this year. We got a lot of waterfowl hunting in this fall. My wife and I worked with her all summer on water retrieves and blinds, so that we would be ready once waterfowl season came around. During the early duck season here we had some limited success finding birds, but the few that we did shoot Ellie retrieved like a champ. Her most memorable retrieve for me was on a large goose that I hit and dropped in the middle of a marsh about 120 yards away. Another hunter in my group had dropped another goose in closer to shore. Ellie went out and retrieved the close goose with no problems, which I was happy with because that was only the second goose she had ever retrieved. I then squared her up on the second goose in the middle of the marsh and sent her. She jumped in and was paddling straight for it, about fifty yards out she began to to circle back to me. I gave her the back command and pointed back, she immediately turned and kept swimming towards the goose. She swam a circle around the goose and grabbed the goose and swam it all the way back in to me. I was very proud of her. We also welcomed a new addition to our family this fall. Our son Caleb was born in September which has reduced the amount of time that my wife and I have got to spend hunting together. We were able to get one great day of duck hunting in with a couple of our friends. In three hours of hunting we shot 22 ducks including my first bull pintail. It was a great day and Ellie had a blast. We were constantly working small groups of ducks, and shot mostly singles and doubles on ducks. Ellie May made sure we found every bird that we dropped. As far as upland hunting goes the pheasant situation is dismal at best here in central Iowa. We only hunted three days this year and shot two birds. It was not for lack of effort, but for lack of birds. So far winter has been mild here and we will hope for a good hatch this spring so the birds can begin to make a comeback. Ellie has also been wonderful with our baby boy. At first she was jealous of all the attention that he was getting, but once she realized that having him around meant one of stayed home with all day and that she didn't have to stay in her kennel, she was happy. She is very sweet around him, the only trouble that we have is with her tail which sometimes has a mind of its own and will wake Caleb up if he is sleeping. She also loves giving Caleb kisses, sometimes too much. I am sure that once he is old enough to start throwing a tennis ball to play fetch they will be best friends. It is great to see the pictures of Belle and Remi, they are beautiful dogs. I hope that you and your family had a great fall and Christmas and we are wishing you the best in the new year.
Take care,
Tyler, Christina, and Caleb Hill and Ellie May
Ryder
Ryder
is owned by John and Claire Carstens of the Twin Cities in Minnesota.
John is also the owner of Baker the male who sired this tremendous
litter and the male that is siring my next litter. This past week I
took the time to talk with John Carstens about how Ryder was doing. I
have been getting emails all along on his progress, but it was nice to
see where he was at right now! I will be adding a couple of pictures of
Ryder next weekend. My plan is to go down to Minneapolis next week when I
breed Belle to Baker and meet with John and let Ryder, Remi, Belle, and
Baker have some play time. John told me that Ryder is "Super Dog" that
loves the game! He is starting to slam his points and is becoming very
staunch at 9 months old. He quarters well and always hunts within range.
Ryder has probably had the most extensive training of all the pups and
is currently being trained by Terry Holzinger. Ryder was bought with the
intentions of becoming the next Baker when John decides to pass the
torch on so that is why he has been trained so extensively. The plan
with Ryder is to take him as far as he will go as far as AKC and APLA
hunt tests. I talked to Terry a little bit about how the training was
going and how he like Ryder. He told me that Ryder is an absolute joy to
train. He lives for training and constantly works to get things right.
He takes correction very well, and Terry said he can't remember training
a dog that loves to train as much as he does. Terry's wife said that
Ryder reminds them of a young Raider (I'll take that as one of the
highest compliments that one of my pups could recieve) Laura Holzinger
said that she continually has people commenting on how beautiful a dog
Ryder is and are always asking where he came from (If you're one of
those people asking where he came from I would just like to let you know
that in another couple of months you could have your very own Ryder!!! I
never miss the oppurtunity to advertise!) If Terry had a kennel full of
dogs like Ryder his job would be easy and I'm sure if you have any more
questions on his abilities Terry, Laura, and John would me more than
honored to brag about how great he is. I am very fortunate to have one
of my pups in the hands of John Carstens who loves the game and is
looking let this dog take him as far as he can go. Here is the last
email I recieved from John about Ryder's progress and I am very excited
about seeing first hand Ryder's amazing accomplishments thus far!
12/23/10
12/23/10
JJ,
Thanks for checking in. We had a great hunting season in Nodak for ducks and Sodak for pheasants. Baker is still great, and Ryder is like a sherman tank in the field. Really fun to watch. I do not have a pic of Baker and Ryder togather. I will send some pics of Ryder we took last winter training with a hide a pooch. Ryder is in Louisana trainning with Ed and Jackie Thibodeaux. who train field trail and hunt test dogs. I will pick him up in mid April. We will be running him this spring in senior AKC hunt tests and APLA. Our goal is a senior and grand master title. Wish us luck.
John & Claire
Thanks for checking in. We had a great hunting season in Nodak for ducks and Sodak for pheasants. Baker is still great, and Ryder is like a sherman tank in the field. Really fun to watch. I do not have a pic of Baker and Ryder togather. I will send some pics of Ryder we took last winter training with a hide a pooch. Ryder is in Louisana trainning with Ed and Jackie Thibodeaux. who train field trail and hunt test dogs. I will pick him up in mid April. We will be running him this spring in senior AKC hunt tests and APLA. Our goal is a senior and grand master title. Wish us luck.
John & Claire
JJ,
Hay ! It was great to hear from you
as well. Ryder is an absolutely a Super Dog! And a very handsome
fellow. AKC name Holzingers Rock Solid Ryder, is slamming points, and
flushing and retrieving birds to heel. He is steady to wing and shot. He
has lots of drive and quarters very well. Most of all he loves to learn
and does not get moody. He is a quick study and takes corrections very
well. In terms of obedience he heels, sits, and, kennels, on command. On
and off leash. He is great in the house a very friendly and lovable guy
with a touch of impishness form time to time . But thats what happens
when your 9 months old. He has exceeded my expectations. The hunt test
season starts in April and we will start then if Terry thinks he is
ready. We will be in Florida From March 7 to April 15. So if you decide
to go with Baker again, Terry will be have both Dogs while were gone.
Ryder will start to learn how to handle at that time.
John and Claire
Sugar
Sugar is owned by Alan and Amanda from Nebraska and is what I would have to say a dog that has it all. If you want to see a dog living the good life check this site http://amandalackas.blogspot.com/ and see plenty of puppy pics and updates of Sugar from the past 9 months. Don't mind a few party and fun pics thrown in there from Mandi. Sugar is a dog that gives Alan and Mandi the best of both worlds. She is a perfect combination of a dog that loves to please around the house and in the field. She is very calm and collected when its time to be "lady-like" but isn't afraid to get down and dirty when its time to go to the field. She loves birds and loves to hunts. Alan hunts with some of the finest dogs, trained by some of the finest trainers in the country, and Sugar held her own at a very young age and in her first real season of hunting. Below are a couple of pics of Sugar at about 6 months old boasting and showing off how truly beautiful she is. I can't do justice to how great a companion and hunter Sugar has been, so I'll let Alan and Mandi tell the rest in the last email they sent me this past week.
I don't even know where I should start...Sugarpants (how funny that you called her that!) is one of the greatest gifts God has ever blessed us with. She brings so much love and joy to our lives there are really no words to express how much we love her. We knew that one day we wanted a dog...but just never knew how much one would change our lives. She is the sweetest little girl in the world and we are so madly in love with her. I don't think we have ever laughed as much as we do with her in our lives. She has the funniest personality and some hilarious "quirks" (she stretches when she is nervous for one...and it is so comical). It is crazy how some of her mannerisms resemble the ones Alan and I actually have. We just can't comprehend how we ever lived our lives without her in it --- she has brought us even closer together and filled a void we never knew existed.
She loves children and handles their "not so gentle" touch with total grace. She thinks every dog in the world was put on this earth just to be her new BFF...even if the feeling isn't mutual...she is persistent and won't give up! Everyone that meets her falls in love with her the minute they see her. She is famous in our town for all the tricks she learned at an early age--- and loves to show them off! She is just a little too smart for her own good though! A bit conniving and stubborn at times...but that makes her who she is and we love her for it.
She is in love with snow! No matter the temperature she would play outside, dig...roll around...and enjoy that fluffy white stuff all day long! The first time she went on the ice she was a little apprehensive...a bit confused as to why we wanted her to "walk" where she just had swam about 3 weeks earlier! Once she realized the lake was frozen over...you can't get her off of it! She gets so upset and jealous if she doesn't get to go with Daddy and Uncle Clint when they go ice fishing, she just loves to eat the fish (gross).
We had no idea that Sugar would have the immediate instincts that she does. She amazes us every day with her intelligence and ability to learn. Alan's quite the hunter and to see his face when they come home after Sugar has had an amazing day in the field is priceless.
I will let Alan tell you a little about her hunting ability...
"Sugar has more than exceeded my expectations in the field for the first 9.5 months of her life. She has shown amazing marking ability and the speed at which she learns is unbelievable at times. I started hunting her on teal at 5 months old and at 6 months took her to the show in Niobrara. By "the show" I am referring to an annual hunt trip I go on where the labs up there are 1st class national field champs. This is more of a dog demonstration than a duck and goose hunt, something I always look forward to, especially this year with my new pup along. Sugar held her own and performed several 200+ yard retrieves in the fast flowing Missouri River. What really set the boys back in their seats was her amazing nose. She went in the 8' tall reeds 3 times, along with the other dogs, and came out with the green head every time. I was very proud, and Sugar was the talk of the trip."
I cannot express enough how thankful we are to you and your family for the efforts you put into choosing the best possible male for Belle, as well as the amazing care and love you gave all the pups from infancy. We are so proud of our baby girl and so thankful to you for bringing her into our lives.
Needless to say, we wouldn't change a thing about our baby girl, Sugar! She is the most precious, beautiful, and intelligent dog we could have ever asked for. She is just perfect. You are more than welcome to share my blog address with others, http://amandalackas.blogspot.com. I am a proud mama and just enjoy sharing all the crazy and cute interactions we have with Sugar. They may have to weed through some personal pictures but as long as they are ok with a few cocktails present in pictures I think we'll be okay! :)
Thanks again for making it possible to love our baby girl so much! I hope to see more pictures and posts on your blog soon!
Alan and Mandi
Hi there!
I hope all is well. Thought I would send you a couple pictures of Sugar from this past weekend. Alan's lumber company takes their customers on a trip each year...he took Sugar along this time. The guide had dogs as well so Alan was a little apprehensive just cause she is a pup still. He said she did amazing and the guide was really impressed. Had I been there I think it would have gone a bit differently as she was retrieving in the icy river with ice chunks floating down. CRAZY --- my maternal instincts would have kicked in and made her stay back! LOL ...Alan said he was nervous letting her go out but she did great.
If
you ask me this is pretty amazing to see a 9 month old pup swimming in a
stiff current in freezing conditions to make a long retrieve. There
are a lot of dogs 3 times that age that wouldn't even attempt this
retrieve let alone successfully complete it. This speaks a lot about
the drive and determination these pups have!! JJ
12/23/2010
Happy Holidays!
Sugar is AMAZING, we just cannot believe how fast she picks things up and how well behaved she can be!!! She has been the luckiest dog of all time this year. She was invited along with the “big dogs” to Canada and definitely became a favorite! She’s been to Niobrara as well and of course with her daddy all around here!
This year she’s gone duck, goose, dove, quail, and pheasant hunting…well she did go deer hunting too but had to stay in the truck! (Maybe more…Alan can fill you in on all of that! J) I have added a few pictures that I have…Alan probably has more too! She got in a little squabble with a Canada goose that was injured and quite ticked off! LOL The goose was almost bigger than her…hissing and yelling…she pounced and barked just really didn’t know what was going on! Alan said it was hilarious.
She is the most wonderful gift! We are so blessed to have her in our lives. She makes us laugh all of the time and just watching her work is a real treat! She is a bit narcotic or addicted to playing fetch! She WILL NOT STOP! LOL She would play all day everyday if she could.
This summer was a lot of fun, she got to start going on the boat while we fish…which was interesting at first considering she is a “retriever” and that she EATS FISH! She swims constantly, even had a race with Alan …SUGAR WON! J She has learned how to jump and dive off of the dock now as well and we just crack up watching her fly. She still does all kinds of tricks and I am trying to continue teaching her more. One that we’ve been working on and just can’t quite get down is to put away all of her toys! LOL
I can’t thank you enough for choosing such an amazing father and mother for your litter. We love Sugarpants so much I can’t even put it into words. Our family loves her and she makes so many people happy every day. Our reason originally for getting a dog was so she could hunt with Alan. We had no idea how big of a part she’d play in our lives. Alan takes her to work every day, she is just like part of the team. We miss her when we’re away like you’d miss a child. I can’t even imagine my life without that sweet little face, those perfect big brown eyes, and her many many facial expressions that make you melt!
I hope you and your family are doing well…and that Belle and Remi are getting lots of hunting in! Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Take Care! Mandi
Eva
Eva went to Brad Brockhouse of Turkey Creek Labradors in Lake Benton, MN. Brad came to me looking for some new bloodlines and he thought that the Baker and Belle combination was exactly what he was looking for. He was actually interested in buying 2 of the pups, but in the end I only had 1 female to give. Brad spends countless hours hunting in all parts of the country so he was looking for a female with a lot of drive that could get the job done! Brad is what I would consider a professional at what he does, and only looks for the best of the best when it comes to buying a pup for Turkey Creek Labradors so you can about imagine how honored and thrilled that I was whwn I knew that one of my pups was going to be in his hands. Brad has spent a lot of time working on obedience and since he has plenty of other dogs to get the job done, didn't push Eva too much this fall. He got her plenty of bird experiences and really looks to turn it up a notch for the second season. Here is his last update to me.
Hello JJ,
Eva has been a joy to have around. She picks up on things very quickly and was and has been retrieving great. She is great around the boys and other dogs. She will jump up in the back of the suburban and is always ready. She has a good nose and marks really well. She has flash pointed only but considering her age I expect her to really come on her 2nd season, it seems that is the rule of thumb for pointing labs, they need to figure out the game. Right now she is a perfect waterfowl dog as far as the fact she listens extremely well and marks well of the gun. As far as her upland abilities, she is birdy but doesn't leave me much unless she is with other dogs but that will come. She was young this fall and her obedience was what shined, and that is what was worked on most. I expect great things from her this fall. Over-all and an absolute joy to train and be around.
Thanks,Brad
Dakota
Dakota
makes her home with Lon Hibbard and family and is dog that is very
intelligent, very eager to work, and has great trainability and a
wonderful temperment. Lon is planning on running Dakota in various hunt
test/field trials and she has already run an HRC hunt test and did very
well!! Lon has served in the military for more years than most of us
have had our current jobs including tours of duty in Iraq, Korea (I
believe) and other places and I consider it an honor to have a dog
placed with a man who has devoted 20 plus years of his life to
protecting our freedoms. Here are a few comments from him on Dakota.
JJ,
We ran Dakota in an HRC Hunt test this weekend, she did very well. I'm also going to start running her in AKC test in addition to the UKC so we can work on her Season Hunter title and AKC Junior test. She's a smart dog, very eager to work but also very head strong. You can see the pictures of her next to my other dog Kansas, Kansas is only 48lbs and you can see Dakota is a small lab, she's running about 38-40lbs.
The trainer doesn't think she's going to get much larger.
Lon
JJ,
Dakota has been at Mitchell Kennels for the past two months. I will run her in the Cowtown HRC test on 20/21 Feb and I'll be heading up this Friday to work with Dakota and the trainer. so far Glenda Mitchell is very pleased with her trainabililty and temperament. I saw her three weeks ago when I was up there and I was surprised how small she was. Dakota might be 40 lbs if that and very small, she almost looks like a large trainability. She has not grown at all since I dropped her off Dec 1 and she hasn't grown at all since then, I'm hoping she goes through a growing spurt. I'll take some pictures this Friday and send them to you along with some comments I'll cut and paste from the professional trainer.
Lon
Dakota is the pup on the left
1/4/11
JJ,
I hope you had a good Christmas and Happy New Year.
Dakota is doing well, we have taken a beak from the hunt test to actually hunt this fall. She has earned her AKC Junior title and HRC Started title and ran 1 leg in her NAHRA Hunter series. Here point is coming along real well and I’m comfortable enough now to run her in her APLA certification series in the spring. Attached is a picture of her accomplishments and of her with my older dog Kansas. You can see she is still a small lab, 43 pounds is as big as she has gotten. She has come along way, great drive and she’ll hunt all day.
Dakota's ribbons and pictures are on the right side
Regal
Sugar is owned by Alan and Amanda from Nebraska and is what I would have to say a dog that has it all. If you want to see a dog living the good life check this site http://amandalackas.blogspot.com/ and see plenty of puppy pics and updates of Sugar from the past 9 months. Don't mind a few party and fun pics thrown in there from Mandi. Sugar is a dog that gives Alan and Mandi the best of both worlds. She is a perfect combination of a dog that loves to please around the house and in the field. She is very calm and collected when its time to be "lady-like" but isn't afraid to get down and dirty when its time to go to the field. She loves birds and loves to hunts. Alan hunts with some of the finest dogs, trained by some of the finest trainers in the country, and Sugar held her own at a very young age and in her first real season of hunting. Below are a couple of pics of Sugar at about 6 months old boasting and showing off how truly beautiful she is. I can't do justice to how great a companion and hunter Sugar has been, so I'll let Alan and Mandi tell the rest in the last email they sent me this past week.
I don't even know where I should start...Sugarpants (how funny that you called her that!) is one of the greatest gifts God has ever blessed us with. She brings so much love and joy to our lives there are really no words to express how much we love her. We knew that one day we wanted a dog...but just never knew how much one would change our lives. She is the sweetest little girl in the world and we are so madly in love with her. I don't think we have ever laughed as much as we do with her in our lives. She has the funniest personality and some hilarious "quirks" (she stretches when she is nervous for one...and it is so comical). It is crazy how some of her mannerisms resemble the ones Alan and I actually have. We just can't comprehend how we ever lived our lives without her in it --- she has brought us even closer together and filled a void we never knew existed.
She loves children and handles their "not so gentle" touch with total grace. She thinks every dog in the world was put on this earth just to be her new BFF...even if the feeling isn't mutual...she is persistent and won't give up! Everyone that meets her falls in love with her the minute they see her. She is famous in our town for all the tricks she learned at an early age--- and loves to show them off! She is just a little too smart for her own good though! A bit conniving and stubborn at times...but that makes her who she is and we love her for it.
She is in love with snow! No matter the temperature she would play outside, dig...roll around...and enjoy that fluffy white stuff all day long! The first time she went on the ice she was a little apprehensive...a bit confused as to why we wanted her to "walk" where she just had swam about 3 weeks earlier! Once she realized the lake was frozen over...you can't get her off of it! She gets so upset and jealous if she doesn't get to go with Daddy and Uncle Clint when they go ice fishing, she just loves to eat the fish (gross).
We had no idea that Sugar would have the immediate instincts that she does. She amazes us every day with her intelligence and ability to learn. Alan's quite the hunter and to see his face when they come home after Sugar has had an amazing day in the field is priceless.
I will let Alan tell you a little about her hunting ability...
"Sugar has more than exceeded my expectations in the field for the first 9.5 months of her life. She has shown amazing marking ability and the speed at which she learns is unbelievable at times. I started hunting her on teal at 5 months old and at 6 months took her to the show in Niobrara. By "the show" I am referring to an annual hunt trip I go on where the labs up there are 1st class national field champs. This is more of a dog demonstration than a duck and goose hunt, something I always look forward to, especially this year with my new pup along. Sugar held her own and performed several 200+ yard retrieves in the fast flowing Missouri River. What really set the boys back in their seats was her amazing nose. She went in the 8' tall reeds 3 times, along with the other dogs, and came out with the green head every time. I was very proud, and Sugar was the talk of the trip."
I cannot express enough how thankful we are to you and your family for the efforts you put into choosing the best possible male for Belle, as well as the amazing care and love you gave all the pups from infancy. We are so proud of our baby girl and so thankful to you for bringing her into our lives.
Needless to say, we wouldn't change a thing about our baby girl, Sugar! She is the most precious, beautiful, and intelligent dog we could have ever asked for. She is just perfect. You are more than welcome to share my blog address with others, http://amandalackas.blogspot.com. I am a proud mama and just enjoy sharing all the crazy and cute interactions we have with Sugar. They may have to weed through some personal pictures but as long as they are ok with a few cocktails present in pictures I think we'll be okay! :)
Thanks again for making it possible to love our baby girl so much! I hope to see more pictures and posts on your blog soon!
Alan and Mandi
Hi there!
I hope all is well. Thought I would send you a couple pictures of Sugar from this past weekend. Alan's lumber company takes their customers on a trip each year...he took Sugar along this time. The guide had dogs as well so Alan was a little apprehensive just cause she is a pup still. He said she did amazing and the guide was really impressed. Had I been there I think it would have gone a bit differently as she was retrieving in the icy river with ice chunks floating down. CRAZY --- my maternal instincts would have kicked in and made her stay back! LOL ...Alan said he was nervous letting her go out but she did great.
Happy Holidays!
Sugar is AMAZING, we just cannot believe how fast she picks things up and how well behaved she can be!!! She has been the luckiest dog of all time this year. She was invited along with the “big dogs” to Canada and definitely became a favorite! She’s been to Niobrara as well and of course with her daddy all around here!
This year she’s gone duck, goose, dove, quail, and pheasant hunting…well she did go deer hunting too but had to stay in the truck! (Maybe more…Alan can fill you in on all of that! J) I have added a few pictures that I have…Alan probably has more too! She got in a little squabble with a Canada goose that was injured and quite ticked off! LOL The goose was almost bigger than her…hissing and yelling…she pounced and barked just really didn’t know what was going on! Alan said it was hilarious.
She is the most wonderful gift! We are so blessed to have her in our lives. She makes us laugh all of the time and just watching her work is a real treat! She is a bit narcotic or addicted to playing fetch! She WILL NOT STOP! LOL She would play all day everyday if she could.
This summer was a lot of fun, she got to start going on the boat while we fish…which was interesting at first considering she is a “retriever” and that she EATS FISH! She swims constantly, even had a race with Alan …SUGAR WON! J She has learned how to jump and dive off of the dock now as well and we just crack up watching her fly. She still does all kinds of tricks and I am trying to continue teaching her more. One that we’ve been working on and just can’t quite get down is to put away all of her toys! LOL
I can’t thank you enough for choosing such an amazing father and mother for your litter. We love Sugarpants so much I can’t even put it into words. Our family loves her and she makes so many people happy every day. Our reason originally for getting a dog was so she could hunt with Alan. We had no idea how big of a part she’d play in our lives. Alan takes her to work every day, she is just like part of the team. We miss her when we’re away like you’d miss a child. I can’t even imagine my life without that sweet little face, those perfect big brown eyes, and her many many facial expressions that make you melt!
I hope you and your family are doing well…and that Belle and Remi are getting lots of hunting in! Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Take Care! Mandi
Eva
Eva went to Brad Brockhouse of Turkey Creek Labradors in Lake Benton, MN. Brad came to me looking for some new bloodlines and he thought that the Baker and Belle combination was exactly what he was looking for. He was actually interested in buying 2 of the pups, but in the end I only had 1 female to give. Brad spends countless hours hunting in all parts of the country so he was looking for a female with a lot of drive that could get the job done! Brad is what I would consider a professional at what he does, and only looks for the best of the best when it comes to buying a pup for Turkey Creek Labradors so you can about imagine how honored and thrilled that I was whwn I knew that one of my pups was going to be in his hands. Brad has spent a lot of time working on obedience and since he has plenty of other dogs to get the job done, didn't push Eva too much this fall. He got her plenty of bird experiences and really looks to turn it up a notch for the second season. Here is his last update to me.
Hello JJ,
Eva has been a joy to have around. She picks up on things very quickly and was and has been retrieving great. She is great around the boys and other dogs. She will jump up in the back of the suburban and is always ready. She has a good nose and marks really well. She has flash pointed only but considering her age I expect her to really come on her 2nd season, it seems that is the rule of thumb for pointing labs, they need to figure out the game. Right now she is a perfect waterfowl dog as far as the fact she listens extremely well and marks well of the gun. As far as her upland abilities, she is birdy but doesn't leave me much unless she is with other dogs but that will come. She was young this fall and her obedience was what shined, and that is what was worked on most. I expect great things from her this fall. Over-all and an absolute joy to train and be around.
Thanks,Brad
Dakota
JJ,
We ran Dakota in an HRC Hunt test this weekend, she did very well. I'm also going to start running her in AKC test in addition to the UKC so we can work on her Season Hunter title and AKC Junior test. She's a smart dog, very eager to work but also very head strong. You can see the pictures of her next to my other dog Kansas, Kansas is only 48lbs and you can see Dakota is a small lab, she's running about 38-40lbs.
The trainer doesn't think she's going to get much larger.
Lon
JJ,
Dakota has been at Mitchell Kennels for the past two months. I will run her in the Cowtown HRC test on 20/21 Feb and I'll be heading up this Friday to work with Dakota and the trainer. so far Glenda Mitchell is very pleased with her trainabililty and temperament. I saw her three weeks ago when I was up there and I was surprised how small she was. Dakota might be 40 lbs if that and very small, she almost looks like a large trainability. She has not grown at all since I dropped her off Dec 1 and she hasn't grown at all since then, I'm hoping she goes through a growing spurt. I'll take some pictures this Friday and send them to you along with some comments I'll cut and paste from the professional trainer.
Lon
1/4/11
JJ,
I hope you had a good Christmas and Happy New Year.
Dakota is doing well, we have taken a beak from the hunt test to actually hunt this fall. She has earned her AKC Junior title and HRC Started title and ran 1 leg in her NAHRA Hunter series. Here point is coming along real well and I’m comfortable enough now to run her in her APLA certification series in the spring. Attached is a picture of her accomplishments and of her with my older dog Kansas. You can see she is still a small lab, 43 pounds is as big as she has gotten. She has come along way, great drive and she’ll hunt all day.
Regal
Regal
makes her home with Jason Dumont and his family in Iowa City. She is a
great dog, and the Dumont's love her. Jason has told me his impressed
with her nose, and at how quickly she catches on to things. I have had
many comments similar to that and Terry Holzinger did tell me this past
weekend that Baker sired pups are known for fast development so that is a
definate plus. Jason and his family give Regal plenty of love and
attention and I am thankful for them!
The Dumonts,
Regal does a great job with the kids..she is very patient (for a puppy) and has never nipped or gotten frisky with one of them. She does love to take my little ones hats off their heads and run for the hills. She is a Lab pup.. but a lot of people have remarked how calm she is for a Lab. I would agree that considering other labs I have seen she is probably on the calmer side...but still a little shit head.
We keep her in my heated shop and she kind of has the run of the place. I'm gonna put her on a wireless collar this spring so she can run outside during the day. She LOVES to ride with dad in the truck..I crack the window and she sticks her head out..no fear. I do have to be careful how stern I am with her..my old dog could take a little smack on the butt and be fine 5 minutes later. Regal is a little more emotional and if I yell at her or smack her butt she will shy away from me for awhile so i had to adjust with her a little. More positive reinforcement seems to work with her.
She has always been great with the nose..maybe even better than my first dog. I take her out in the yard at night and throw the bird..then make her find it in the dark. She naturally circles the area and always keeps an eye on me. It took a few times out to get her to retrieve a live bird but by the 3rd time she came running with it. I need to get her better at "hunting" when shes not birdy. She likes to hang around me..I think a lot of that is she is still a pup and she did get better the more we got out. I hunted her twice with another dog so she could see what to do and the last couple times it was just me and her. If I kept her out of the tall grass she would go explore otherwise she was right behind me. However..once she got birdy it was game on. I'm going to take her to a local hunt club as soon as we get some snow melted here and let her work with some older dogs. She is very smart..I just need to invest some more time with her. all in all, for the time I spent with her, I thought she did a good job. No pointing yet but Bailey didn't point till her 2nd or 3rd year so i am gonna give it some time.
JJ,
Thought i would attach a few pictures of Regal. She is doing great and the kids LOVE her. I got her out about 6 or 7 times this year and she got her first birds!! She is starting to get it figured out. The first time out she thought it was play time but by the last outing she was pretty much all business. All in all I thought she did pretty darned good for an 8-9 month old pup. Especially considering I don't have as much time to spend with her training as I did with my last dog. Not gun shy at all..actually comes running to the gun. Is retreiving downed birds etc. She still wants to wal next to daddy when nothing is going on but once she catches a scent off she goes to work. She will outgrow wanting to be next to me and for right now I am encouraging her to go explore. Anyway..very happy with the her and she is lving it hear.
Remi is on the left
Gus
Gus went to Eric and Sue Stabnow who live near the Twin Cities in Minnesota. When they contacted me they were looking for both a hunting dog and companion and it sounds like Gus was a perfect fit. He sounds a lot like the other pups from this litter. Pretty amazing in the field, often times mischievious, and all in all pretty tough not to love. He spends time with another lab living in the house, and I know from experience two full grown labs in the house makes for a lot of dog hair! haha. I am very grateful for Eric and Sue giving Gus the love and time he deserves and I look forward to keeping in touch with them as Gus grows into a great hunting dog and companion.
I was glancing at your website and noticed there’s no new photo of Gus! He’s quite a handful – mischievous as all get out but he’s really sweet and he LOVES to work. It looks like he might be an under-achiever compared to some of your dogs we’re pretty novice at training. Still, I think he’s going to do really well this season. I’m doing his retriever training and it’s my first time doing it, so he won’t be perfect, but I’m pretty sure he’ll get the job done. He flushed and retrieved a few last year, too!
Sue Stabnow
I have spoken with pretty much everyone that has purchased a pup out of Belle and Baker's second breeding. I don't have emails and pictures from everyone yet, so this page is in the works and I will continue to update it as I get more and more responses and pictures.
Litter number 2 has once again has proven itself to be very successful with pretty much everyone I have talked having nothing but great things to say about the pups. They aren't so much puppies anymore, and most of them have had a lot of experience in the field already in their young career. The thing I have learned from doing this is that they only get better with time. If you can get them to follow the basic obedience commands and start to get them on a few birds their instincts kick in and it's game on! The one thing that always amazes me is how much natural instinct these pups have to point, flush, retrieve, and find birds. The more they get out in the field the more they amaze people at what they can do. It all goes back to my theory of training a dog, and that is it just takes a little love and time for one of these pups to develop into some serious hunting machines. I've talked to everyone from this past breeding from Spring 2010, and they are excited at the ability, companionship, and intelligence of their pups. Some have spent more time in the field than others, but to sum it all up these pups are pretty much the best of both worlds! They give people and families the love and friendship that they were looking for in one of my pups, as well as the abilitiy find, point, and retrieve birds that is second to none! They have all commented on how suprised at how much they can do at such a young age. A couple of the guys talked about how they hunted with dogs that were seasoned and 2-5 years of age and their pups out-hunted them and the other owners couldn't hardly believe the pups were only 5-6 months old. It has truly been a blessing placing the dogs in such good hands, and I know none of this would be possible without them putting the time and giving my pups the love they deserve. As of right now the plan is to breed Belle once more this spring to Baker and I look forward to finding great homes once again. Right now I have 9 people on the waiting list for the next Baker and Belle breeding and anticipate the pups selling out rather quickly! Thanks to all those who have shown interest in this particular breeding and I look forward to giving you what you are looking for in a pup! Here are some of the updates I have gotten so far and over the next month I will be adding pictures and updates as they come in.
Farrah
1/11/11
Lexie was in last months Outdoor News (about a half a page on page 15) and in the hometown Hutchinson Leader because of Scott's interesting deer hunting story. Scott went out deer hunting on Minnesota's opener and shot a 9 point buck . His first shot (we now know) shot off the left side of the antlers, on his second shot the buck went down and rolled. When my brother, dad, and Scott went to get the deer, my brother realized Scott had shot the antler off. That night they looked for the antler but had no luck in finding it. The next day, Saturday, we looked again with myself, my mom,and uncles but still had no luck. We also spent time on sunday searching for the missing antler but still ended up having no success. When Scott brought the deer hide home Lexie would not leave the hide alone, so Monday morning Scottdecided to bring Lexie out to the corn field where he had shot the buck, and within 45 minutes Lexie had found the antler in two pieces. Scott has decided to get he buck mounted in memory of Lexie's magnificent retrieval of the missing antler :) Lexie is now known as "Lexie the antler finding canine." Lexie, also hides all her toys under the bed, so the other dogs can't play with them. Lexie will also play fetch all day long and never get tired of it. Thanks again she is such a blessing
Scott and Kelsey
Hey there!
We have been meaning to get an email off to you because we wanted to show you pictures of how Lexie is doing and growing. We love her very much, and she is always with us as much as possible, we rarely go anywhere without her. We do go on long walks on a trail in the country and she loves to run through the tall grass and play fetch in it. Scott has brought Lexie hunting this weekend and today the third day she has been out she puts her nose down and sniffed around instead of just running with the big dogs. She also got her first duck retrevie which Scott was very proud of! In the summer months Lexie loved being up north at the resort, she sure is a water dog, she loves the water, I don't think I can express how much she loves the water. I have a scrapbook made of her because I have to take prictures of everything she does. At first she wasn't that great of listener but now she is doing great! Lexie usually always takes a nap around noon for a couple of hours and is sleeping by 730 pm most nights and up around 6 am. Lexie sure is a long bodied dog, and takes up most of the bed at night and snores very loud (haha). When friends come over they bring there labs over so she is always playing, with other dogs. She is very much a dog that always needs to be touching you or laying on your lap whenever possible. She is a great pup and Scott and I are both very impressed with her.
Tomorrow Scott is going to a buddies up north to pheasant hunt for a couple of days, so I am sure she will be a tired puppy when they get home.Take Care, & Thank You,
Scott & Kelsey
Ellie has been great this fall. She finds birds. She points most every time. She fetches and retrieves virtually every time. The only thing she has been is a little tentative with getting out an hunting when she doesn’t smell birds. She has been an ankle biter somewhat. When there are other dogs, she seems to be more of an ankle biter. She is not afraid of the dogs as she plays with them but who knows. She is getting better at this and I totally expect next hunting season, she will not be by my side. I think she will find more birds if she starts venturing out a little more.
Chris V. Anderson
Sasha
Sasha is doing great!! I hope you recieved our Christmas picture. As you can see she is a very important part of our family. Her training is going well so far. She loves to train and is a very fast learner. Every time we train she amazes me with what she has retained from our previous session. We have worked with bumpers and frozen birds, and are increasing to larger sizes and more complicated retrieves. She does excellent on blind and multiple retrieves. Heidi likes helping train her too, and I have used her as a thrower. I have bought a shock collar and plan on using that for training this Spring.
Sasha is very birdy! She will be out playing in the yard and if a flock of ducks or geese flies by she will stop, look up, and watch them. When training with birds her excitement level goes through the roof and I don't think she would ever quit, if I didn't. She did come hunting with me a couple of times this year. Unfortunately, those times weren't as successful as I had hoped and we didn't see too many birds. I am very excited to get her out into the field more next fall.
Heidi also wanted to put in her two sense about Sasha. She loves her to death! She thinks she is the sweetest, softest, most adorable best friend ever! You may not remember when we came to your house to pick her out, but as I was watching her characteristics regarding how she would be as a hunting dog, Heidi said that all she wanted was a "lap dog". Well, she sure got her lap dog, because she spoils Sasha all the time. Sasha has been great in the house. I wasn't so sure about having a dog in the house, but having Sasha around all the time is so much fun.
We want to make it clear that she is a great dog for us. However, we can't make her sound like the perfect little angel, because of course you know better than that, and she is still a puppy. Even though Sasha has destroyed a duck call, goose decoy, remote control and two seperate shoes just to name a few, we can't stop loving her more and more every day!! We are so extremely pleased with her overall personality and how much joy she has brought into our lives.
Good luck on your next litter. As much as Heidi and I would both love to get more little puppies from you, we better just stick with Sasha! We still check your blog from time to time and will more as you begin posting information on the upcoming litter.
Derek & Heidi Sorenson & Sasha
Sam
Sam is another one of my pups who, since going home, has spent about every waking moment with her owner! Doug lives in the Minot, ND area and takes Sam with him everywhere he goes. He works construction, so she spends all day out on the job sight. He says she knows where she can and can't be, and minds her manners well. Except for the first day he had her home, when she decided to walk through the freshly floated cement. Other than that she has been good. She too spent a lot of time in the field and on the water. Doug is an avid hunter, hunting anything from Bear, Elk, Moose, Deer, Geese, Duck, Pheasant, Coyote. I think pretty much if it has legs or wings he hunts it!. Sam spent a lot of time on waterfowl and upland this fall, and has polished her skills quite nicely. Doug said from the very beginning of the waterfowl seasons, she learned quickly what her job was. She is very quite and calm in the blind, and pretty much retrieves everything on water. I remember him telling me that the opener he dropped a couple on the water, and he couldnt get her to go out after them so with out a boat he decided he had to strip down and go in after them. As soon as she saw his demonstration, she figured out it was her job to retrieve the ducks and after that did not lose a single bird on the water. Doug also spent a lot of time hunting pheasant. She quickly learned the trade, and far exceeded his expectations. She absolutely flies and goes about 100 mph through just about everything. She has an exceptional nose, marks pretty much every bird that drops, and is extremely smart. He hunted with some older pointing dogs towards the middle of the season, and they couldn't believe she was only a pup! Her point is there, and needs more birds holding tight to continue to make it stronger! He also said when they are field hunting for geese and trying to sneek up on them, she will army crawl right along with him. She is extremely patient and extremely obedient. Most dogs at this age will see a bird and want to attack, its their nature, but she knows that patience pays off. Part of this has to do with the amount of time Doug and Sam stay together. They are best friends and that is what I am looking for when finding owners for the pups!
Ginger
Summit
Hi JJ,
Well things are changing rather quickly! All good!! Wow is this guy growing, it's incredible it's like we can see growth in two days. He is a very happy camper. Picture is the day before father's day, when Riley, Kendell and I participated in a fishing tournament. We didn't fare well but had a great day on the water. Summit is a very smart little guy, in my opinion! But he is taking very well to heel, sit and come! Nadeen says he is definitely my dog! His personality is coming out and his male stubborness is there too! He has two white strips at his shoulder blades that definitely distinguish him! Almost like racing stripes! Ya his speed has picked up too! Haven't had the opportunity to get to the lake too busy, but next weekend! Take care JJ, nice hearing from you too! Never hesitate to drop a line just to say hi!! A friend,Rolly
Hi JJ !
Just a note to mention a couple things;
Firstly Summit is doing great! Obedience training is coming right along. He loves going to the lake cause WOW FREEDOM to roam. Especially since most of the cottagers are gone for the season it is especially quiet now. He is learning to come barreling on a whistle even when I am out of site. We are having a wonderful time with him. The compliments are endless on his demeanor, behavior and looks. We couldn't be happier with such a great family addition. Thanks bud!
I am not planning on hunting Summit until we are steady on commands, probably not everyone's choice but it works for me. I've got some ducks in the freezer for when we start that training. The guy we are training with wants us to enter Summit this spring in his junior hunt test. We will see. He is registered with the AKC.
Not so great is the walleye fishing here on the Red River. The water level is high and the fish are difficult to find. We had two trips booked with our buddy the guide who fishes the river everyday and cancelled cause he did not want to have us get skunked! Weather has been outstanding this fall, good thing because the summer was the wettest on record or so it seemed.
Rolly
Hi JJ,
Well things are changing rather quickly! All good!! Wow is this guy growing, it's incredible it's like we can see growth in two days. He is a very happy camper. Picture is the day before father's day, when Riley, Kendell and I participated in a fishing tournament. We didn't fare well but had a great day on the water. Summit is a very smart little guy, in my opinion! But he is taking very well to heel, sit and come! Nadeen says he is definitely my dog! His personality is coming out and his male stubborness is there too! He has two white strips at his shoulder blades that definitely distinguish him! Almost like racing stripes! Ya his speed has picked up too! Haven't had the opportunity to get to the lake too busy, but next weekend! Take care JJ, nice hearing from you too! Never hesitate to drop a line just to say hi!! A friend,Rolly
1/28/11
Hi JJ,
All is well with everyone and Summit. We have recently started him with actual small ducks (frozen) from our fall hunts. Last weekend he was introduced to a 28 gauge shot gun and he showed no signs of flinching whatsoever. Riley was tossing and I was shooting with Summit right beside me. Of course it’s cold here lately, recent temps have been -30 C = -22 F and colder when you factor the wind. The ducks don’t have a problem staying frozen, but when tossed and land sometimes the head breaks off, it was comical to watch Summit try to decide which part to pick up! We are so busy at work and the frigid temperatures it has been difficult to stay consistent, but Summit just seems to do as asked. He has a hard time waiting for the signal to go and retrieve, as he wants to bolt as soon as he knows there is something for him. Still working on that part. I am not sure if we will get to the competing part of our earlier intended mentions however if we do, you will be kept in the loop with updates.Summit definitely knows his family and is always quick to defend us at the slightest sign of intrusion. When the doorbell rings he is right there letting whoever knowthat they must get by him first! He has quite a bark! Funny thing, even when we are watching TV, if there is a doorbell sound he goes straight for the door barking! There is one commercial that has a pizza delivery where they ring the doorbell and it gets Summit everytime!!!! The kids now turn the mute button on at that one.
Riley was out walking Summit in a field just north of our house about 3 weeks ago. The field is somewhat within city limits but it is tall prairie grass with small clumps of willow brush here and there. I would venture a guess at about 20 acres. Basically wide open for visual effects. Snowmobilers use this field to get access out of the city and they also make a track right around the field (almost like a race track, but we haven’t seen anyone racing). Well instead of walking through the deep snow we stay on the hard pack trail and let Summit roam free and just do whatever he wants. This field holds about 4 to 10 whitetail deer, as we have seen them numerous times during our walks. No hunting here by the way. I know I’m rambling here! Riley and Summit are walking eastward on the trail same as we always do, and get to one point in the trail when Summit simply stops and will absolutely not proceed. Riley said he tried to keep going but Summit simply stood strong and did not move. Riley turned around and walked back and he could sense that Summit was certainly not relaxed. They walked northward through the deep snow to keep up the walk but Summit simply kept turning around and looking back at the same spot as where they left the trail. Finished the walk and got home with nothing to report other than Summit was acting strange. Next morning, Saturday I am at work when Riley phones me to tell me this; They get to the same part of the trail, Summit does the exact same thing will not proceed and Riley sensed that Summit did not want him to go either. They cut across the field again through the deep snow and keep looking back. They clearly see a coyote within 60 to 80 yards with no one moving. Summit is not leaving Riley’s side at all and the coyote just looking at both of them. After a little bit the coyote turns away and walks off in the opposite direction. For the rest of the walk both Riley and Summit stayed close with both of them somewhat shaken up as this was their first time exposed to this sort of wildlife. I don’t believe that an attack was even entering the coyotes mind but certainly Riley and Summit were not completely sure of this and bottom line here is that neither one of them was leaving each other. Riley was very happy to have Summit at his side and I believe that there was a trust and friendship strengthened that morning between dog and boy. He is still very much interested in chewing but happy to report that there is sign of slowing down. Nadeen will consistently take him to the off leash park for at least an hour to two hours everyday, and Riley takes him for a walk before school every morning. Summit is everything we wanted and more! JJ, I am certain that your waiting list for the next litter will surpass the amount of pups available by double or more! Best of luck, and we will certainly stay in touch!
A friend,
Rolly
Hi JJ,
All is well with everyone and Summit. We have recently started him with actual small ducks (frozen) from our fall hunts. Last weekend he was introduced to a 28 gauge shot gun and he showed no signs of flinching whatsoever. Riley was tossing and I was shooting with Summit right beside me. Of course it’s cold here lately, recent temps have been -30 C = -22 F and colder when you factor the wind. The ducks don’t have a problem staying frozen, but when tossed and land sometimes the head breaks off, it was comical to watch Summit try to decide which part to pick up! We are so busy at work and the frigid temperatures it has been difficult to stay consistent, but Summit just seems to do as asked. He has a hard time waiting for the signal to go and retrieve, as he wants to bolt as soon as he knows there is something for him. Still working on that part. I am not sure if we will get to the competing part of our earlier intended mentions however if we do, you will be kept in the loop with updates.Summit definitely knows his family and is always quick to defend us at the slightest sign of intrusion. When the doorbell rings he is right there letting whoever knowthat they must get by him first! He has quite a bark! Funny thing, even when we are watching TV, if there is a doorbell sound he goes straight for the door barking! There is one commercial that has a pizza delivery where they ring the doorbell and it gets Summit everytime!!!! The kids now turn the mute button on at that one.
Riley was out walking Summit in a field just north of our house about 3 weeks ago. The field is somewhat within city limits but it is tall prairie grass with small clumps of willow brush here and there. I would venture a guess at about 20 acres. Basically wide open for visual effects. Snowmobilers use this field to get access out of the city and they also make a track right around the field (almost like a race track, but we haven’t seen anyone racing). Well instead of walking through the deep snow we stay on the hard pack trail and let Summit roam free and just do whatever he wants. This field holds about 4 to 10 whitetail deer, as we have seen them numerous times during our walks. No hunting here by the way. I know I’m rambling here! Riley and Summit are walking eastward on the trail same as we always do, and get to one point in the trail when Summit simply stops and will absolutely not proceed. Riley said he tried to keep going but Summit simply stood strong and did not move. Riley turned around and walked back and he could sense that Summit was certainly not relaxed. They walked northward through the deep snow to keep up the walk but Summit simply kept turning around and looking back at the same spot as where they left the trail. Finished the walk and got home with nothing to report other than Summit was acting strange. Next morning, Saturday I am at work when Riley phones me to tell me this; They get to the same part of the trail, Summit does the exact same thing will not proceed and Riley sensed that Summit did not want him to go either. They cut across the field again through the deep snow and keep looking back. They clearly see a coyote within 60 to 80 yards with no one moving. Summit is not leaving Riley’s side at all and the coyote just looking at both of them. After a little bit the coyote turns away and walks off in the opposite direction. For the rest of the walk both Riley and Summit stayed close with both of them somewhat shaken up as this was their first time exposed to this sort of wildlife. I don’t believe that an attack was even entering the coyotes mind but certainly Riley and Summit were not completely sure of this and bottom line here is that neither one of them was leaving each other. Riley was very happy to have Summit at his side and I believe that there was a trust and friendship strengthened that morning between dog and boy. He is still very much interested in chewing but happy to report that there is sign of slowing down. Nadeen will consistently take him to the off leash park for at least an hour to two hours everyday, and Riley takes him for a walk before school every morning. Summit is everything we wanted and more! JJ, I am certain that your waiting list for the next litter will surpass the amount of pups available by double or more! Best of luck, and we will certainly stay in touch!
A friend,
Rolly
Sookie
Update on Sookie
She has been a wonderful fit for the family. Our four boys have just enough combined energy to keep up with Sookie. Whether she is chasing them around the park, swimming with them in the lake, or just putting up with our 2 year climbing on her like a jungle gym, she has plenty of playmates and loves all the games they come up with.
I have loved training Sookie. Finally a dog that can figure it out, despite my shortcomings as a trainer. She is always excited to learn, and get it right. I was training her nearly every day during the summer and fall last year, but have slacked off during the colder winter months. She has done very well with all the basics early on - come, sit/stay, place, down, heal, fetch, hold. Even if a week goes by, she picks up right where we left off.
I took her pheasant hunting 4 times in the fall and she never stopped running. She flushed and chased a lot of birds, and that's all I cared about her first times out. I will be working on the retriever portion this spring and summer for next fall's season. .
I couldn't be happier with our Sookie - she is just one of the family now. Thanks JJ for all your help. .
JJ,
This is Jennifer West. Thanks again for driving up and meeting me! We love Sookie so much! She is doing great, loves her crate, and is kind of getting the hang of housebreaking. But we just love her energy and enthusiasm. She loves to chase balls and really shows the "hunter" in her, points like a dream with all the birds in our backyard... she likes to stalk and then pounce! She is sleeping through the nights great, but come 6 AM, she is up and ready to eat and play! We have such high hopes for her training as she gets older. The boys adore her, and Ryan gets a gleam in his eye when he thinks of finally having his very own bird dog! JJ, we really appreciate all the socialization that Sookie had before she came here. I think it really helped!
We will keep in touch, and thanks again!
Ryan and Jennifer West and the boys
