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Last weekend we participated at the first german spaniel/retriever team working test. The DRC BZG Lüneburg (http://www.drc-bzg-lueneburg.de) offered this special event and had invited three open minded judges who tried hard to fulfill the special needs of spaniels in working and combined that with retriever challenges. They were very obliging judging the spaniels; for examples i am sure that the retriever had to fulfill stricter heel work than our spaniels had to do. But of course not all was accepted and some zeros showed up during the day. Each of the judge gave us two exercises. Herta Rudolph: First exercise was a short drive, up a small hill behind some light bushes, followed by a lost retrieves (Spaniel first, retriever after; three dummy for each dog). Second exercise was a lost retrieve in a small reet area for the spaniel (send towards a non shooten blind) and a mark behind an isle in the water for the retriever. Petra Behringer: Third exercise was a team search in the wood. Spaniel was allowed to search "where ever it wants" (but preferred on one side) the retriever was asked to stay in its searching area. Forth exercise was pattern in a ditch for the spaniel. When retrieving the found dummy, a distraction dummy felt down behind that area for the retriever. Then the retriever was send for the dummy. Again for the spaniel searching in the ditch and a second mark for the retriever when the spaniel came back. When the retriever came back with his second dummy, he got a distraction mark on its way back (that had to be retrieved by the spaniel). Green Ting: Fifth and sixth exercise were our highlights: driven shoot with two spaniels in front as a beaters with two retrievers walking in the line behind them. Ground was heather with brambles and young pines. Marks thrown in front and backwards, worked as a memory or directly as the judge asked us. Followed by a drive at a wooden wane with the spaniels (one spaniel heel work) and the retriever at the side had to mark the dummies. That day was pure fun and we really looking forward to repeat it. Thanks to the organizers, the helpers, the photographer Nicolai Albrecht and the open minded retriever judges!
Special joy for me: Petra Martens with Momo and Dagmar Lukas with Arriba - SECOND PLACE with 187/240 points at Spaniel-Retriever Teamtest LüneCup DRC
The day before: Arriba past the regular LüneCup with 94/120 points: no placing but a "good"

 

Arriba offered me a very special birthday present today: she was entered for the HP and GP hunting test of the german Jagd Spaniel Klub. She had to pass the hare Schleppe, the quatering for feather wild, the free search in the wood and the water tests inclusive the living duck part plus the obidience parts (Standtreiben, Standruhe, heelwork in the wood). She worked dilligent, gained 179 of 188 points and won the challenge with a first prize and was offered the Suchensieger title. That little girl surprises me every day again!

 

Arriba was entered in open class at the German hunting spaniel club dummy contest in Tensfeld this weekend. 

She surprized me by passing it with a very good (83 out of 100 points) and a second place under the judge Anja Helber from DRC.

I love her working speed and even more her quietness and recreation in between the exercises and she stayed focused the whole day.

Even more exciting was the fact, that a second huntress showed up with her IWS bitch Arduinna Raffelsbrander.

It was such a joy to observe this sweet friendly girly wagging constantly and making humand and dog friends.

Made my day complete to have an IWS company in a contest!

 

Finally the summer arrived in north Germany. It is more than hot here and dogs decided, to enjoy the weather at its best by having a nice swim combined with retrieving.

 

Irish Water Spaniel are various hunting dogs. My dogs are used for duck/geese hunting, pattern under the gun for pheasants, the german way of hunting called "Drückjagd" and the blood tracking work for wounded animals.
Another part of hunting work is the spring search for the very young roe-deer (Kitz). 

Yesterday we searched on 30 ha, found and rescued 6 Kitz. Good day!

You need a lot people to cover up a line at the meadow, dogs are pattering on long leashes in front of the people and search for the Kitz.

Roe-deers lay their Kitz into the gras and they hide there "no matter what will happen". That is normally their best protection against enemies like fox and wolf. But unfortunately they also will stick to the principe "lying" when the reaper comes to mow the meadow and this causes year after year the death of uncountable roe-deers babies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The roe-deer babys have to be protected from human scent and should never be touched by bare hands. They are carried away with gras around them and carefully layed down beside the meadow. This work has to be done the evening before mowing. The disturbance of the ground plus the unusual scent of many humans and their dogs, will cause the female roe-deers to lead their Kitz away.

A male roe-deer also decides better to avoid this meadow for now.

Missy is happy after 3,5 hours searching for Kitz and rescuing them.

A Maikäfer, what a lucky sign of spring!

What a fantastic time at our annual spaniel trainings days again: got visit from dear friends with their dogs. We had 2 english cockers, 1 working cocker, 1 working springer, 4 IWS and at the walk 2 Shipperke. Good talks, interesting training ideas, fun with the dogs - what else do one need? See you next year ladies!

Missy participated in the first ever spaniel working test of austrian JSpK and reached second place in open class. 

Relaxing holliday in bavaria; landscape is amazing and dogs enjoy the water; Arriba especially had her own creative ideas ;-)

We participated with our dogs at the spaniel dummycontest of hunting spaniel klub in bavaria.

Missy won the contest in open class against a very well trained Münsterländer, while Arriba was not very well concentrated because of her heat period. 

We have to face the fact, that Missy is not in whelp and we will not be honoured with IWS puppies from this lovely couple.

Since Missy is now 7 years old, we also think that she will be too old at her next heat to try the mating again.

So unfortunately no curley puppies from my beloved bitch.

We are very sad and need time to overcome this.

Well that came faster than expected :-) Missy surprised us with an early "comming in heat" this year. We suddenly found ourself busy with booking and organisation of flying/luggage/documents. Missy´s first flight to Georgia/USA for her mating with Joye turned out as a very smooth and funny holliday trip for us both. We arrived sunday evening in Atlanta and had no problems with american duane or passport control. Missy came out of her crate and right away made friendship with some nice black ladies, who where attracted by her curley head. We found a smart made "dog toilet" at Atlanta Airport with flushing system. Deborah (breeder and owner of Joye) and Hellen (her step mother) picked us up at Airport and we drove to a nice country environment nearby. I have been friendly invited to Hellen and Davids house and we have been surounded by the amazing american welcomming culture. Missy felt in love with Joye immediately and was flirting around him, untill he was sure she is ready. The days were filled with yammy "southern food", shooping tours to Cabelas and Outdoor World and nice walks in the woods behind the wonderful house. I loved and enjoyed every minute there. Way too early after five days and two succesful matings, we had to leave the wonderful house and nice new friends. After a pretty rough flight back and long crate time for Missy, Annelies picked us up and we did a long walk. So back and forth 16.000km, two times jetlag in one week. Boring is not the word to describe our life with the dogs ;-)

 

 

Preparations for mating in progress:

Eye examination: check

Veterinarian health examination: check

Visa for me: check

Informations about flight with dog: check

Now we work on fitness program and weight loss for Missy ;-)

Everything is prepared for our trip to USA and we are waiting for her right mood  ....

This is Carragh; an eight weeks old puppy out of Joey (the future date for Missy) and Edwina, both in USA.

I hardly can wait for my own little Joey puppy :-)

We wish you all the best for the new year, may we share an exciting time with our dogs and you!