Tomorrow early goose season starts for it’s 15 day season in WI. John and Nellie will be going tomorrow. Glory and I will be attending the junior hunt test at the Madison Retriever Club. John made these crane decoys for the goose hunt. Guess if you put these in the field you are hunting in the geese will come in. Norman had to join in on the painting and got some on him.
Here is my quick display of Gambler & Glory’s show ribbons and show picture. I am trying to decide how I would like to display the ribbons. Thinking of displaying them in a stacked manner like this in a shadow box. Have to play around with it and see what I like.
This weekend Gambler & Glory received their UKC Champion Show title. Gambler got his yesterday and Glory today. It was a fabulous weekend for us and I couldn’t be prouder! This all started the weekend of July 14-15, 2012. Kathy Case came up to WI to my house and since she was here visiting she said “why don’t I show your dogs in a UKC conformation show”? I said “sure that would be great” as I have never showed a dog before, so it was exciting to go to the show and watch Kathy do her magic. Kathy showed both Gambler and Glory, and in 2 days she had 120 points and 2 wins for both of them. Glory placed 3 out of 6 and 4 out of 6 in the gun dog group class, Gambler was 4 out of 5 in both shows.  They need 100 points and 3 competition wins for their title. Kathy showed me how to “stack” them and what I need to do to get them read to show and then it was up to me to finish them (I have only been to one show in my life, took classes 11.5 yrs ago with Norman and haven’t done squat since). This weekend there was another show at the same location as the show Kathy and I went to (same club also). The Wisconsin Toy Fox Terrier club held in Ixonia, WI. Saturday I entered both Gambler and Glory and Gambler was the show hog and won both shows and he got his UKC Champion with the one win in show one. The judge complimented me with the nice job I did showing him his teeth and doing it the correct way! Went back on Sunday and Glory placed 4 out of 5 in the gun dog group class to receive her UKC Champion title. The fun part with showing Glory was that when the judge examined her head her face was right by Glory’s and Glory gave her a kiss and the judge said “thanks for the kiss”! I couldn’t be happier! I haven’t had any type of show titles on any of my dogs and this feels really good. A huge THANKS goes out to Kathy for the start, the teaching and the faith that I could pull it off!
SHR U-CH Sand Spring Ev’ry Paw’s A Winner JHÂ Â Â “Gambler”
Parents: HRCH Sand Spring Norm Of Caroway MHÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â XÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â HRCH Hope Springs Dowry MH**
U-CH Sand Spring No Gut’s No Glory     “Glory”
Parents: HRCH Sand Spring Hurricane Nellie SHÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â XÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â CH Port Side’s Great Xpectations MH
Still Smiling 🙂
The latest UKC HRC magazine had the listing for the top ten Chesapeake sires that have produced offspring with titles. Norman has a daughter Punkin that has her HR – seasoned title and a daughter Nellie that has her HRCH- finished title. He has 9 offspring registered with the UKC. Gamblers title will be added next year and maybe by then some other offsprings will get some titles. Way to go Norman!
He was all pissy with this picture as I made him sit and hold the article. Not showing off his good looks in this one!
We got Gamblers hrc started title certificate in mail today. We also got the new hrc magazine where Gamblers was listed as first started pass and listed as passing horicon marsh started tests. Next issue should have other club listed and title. It also had the top ten producing stud dogs and Norman was listed as #10. He has one seasoned and one finished offspring. Yeah!
When my friend Kathy was up in July to show Glory and Gambler we went to Fleet Farm and she bought a whole bunch of rope. I picked out orange and yellow with magina in it. Kathy made my leash and collar and I got them in the mail today. Here is Glory showing off the goods. How can you not love these bright colors!
Thank you Kathy for making these for us!
This past Saturday Norman, Gambler and Glory had a playdate with their new friends Kuri and Monet the chessies, Ivy and Ave the standard poodles. This was their first meeting and they all had a blast at the lake. Fun was had by all. Enjoy the slide show.
Had a couple of good training days this past weekend. Trying to get Gambler ready for a AKC Senior Hunter test and Glory ready for a AKC Junior Hunter test. Gamber of course needs work on not breaking while waiting for the second bird to be thrown, decheating and honoring. He does good with the training collar on but not sure how it will all go test day. His water blinds are getting better also. We haven’t did all the skills we should have done for water blinds but he is doing alright. The hunt test is coming up on Aug 18, 2012.
Here are a few pictures from Saturdays training. Norman and Nellie got to train also, everyone had fun in the water!
Each day that Norman trains I am saddened by him getting older. He is going to be 12 this November.  My best friend with his HRCH & MH title can’t do the work like when he was younger. I know we all get old and can’t perform like we used to but it saddens me to watch this in Norman. He managed to run hunt test and receive his hunting titles, he hunted every hunting season for 11 years so far and did a remarkable job doing it. So when we train now with a group of people and he can’t do the work like he used to I am saddened and want to say “really he has been trained and could do the work”.  He doesn’t hear very well even if at all, he doesn’t see like he used to and he is sore after training. We don’t even train hard as I know he will be sore afterwards, not that he won’t try to do the work and will give it his all I just won’t put him in that type of situation. His mind is like a 2-year-old and he so wants to do the work but these days we only do short singles with him or swim him and he is so over joyed just to get a single. I guess to a dog a single is better than nothing and it doesn’t matter how far away it is just as long as he is still able to go out and perform.  Today I had to go out and help him find his mark as he couldn’t hear or wouldn’t listen to my whistle blows and when he found it and carried it back to the line he was the proudest boy ever. It’s so hard to know when it is time to retire them. I don’t think I could ever retire him as long as he can get up and go get one bumper even if it is only 10 feet away. God bless the seniors!