Russell Irish Setters

So here is a good update on what I've been up to lately and on the accompllishment of Russell dogs here and elsewhere:

I travelled to Arkansas in late October to run dogs at the Irish Setter Club of America's National Field Trial and to ride and watch the braces of the NFT.  Russell dogs Jack, Meg, Sister and John competed.  John, Sister and Meg ran in the Derby Classic and all did a good job for Pro Trena Cardwell.  Trena elected to pick Meg up despite a decent run as she began to slow slightly and with no bird contact it was decided that "it was not about today" and that Meg would bet benefit by ending her day early.  Sister and John each ran well, and had a nice point in the call backs to end up third and fourth - not bad for their first ever derby stake; they turned a year old during the NFT. 

Jack was not himself during the Open Championship and I gave Trena the thumbs up during a water break: thumbs up meaning put a rope on him.  He was feeling much better later in the week and ran REALLY well for me in the Amateur Championship, but was unfortunately birdless.  He did a nice job though, especially for his first hour stake.  He never quit and I felt quite proud of him - not so much me, as I had a few handling lessons from both my scout and my judge at the end of the brace!  Live and Learn, at least my dog did a good enough job that both of them felt obligated to let me know how I had not helped the dog out much!  LOL!

I rode all the braces of the NFT and have to recommend attending to anyone who can.  It is a really fun trial, very positive, lots of fun, and great to see the red dogs for an entire week! 

Jack then travelled out to California with Trena where he won his first Open Gun Dog Stake and placed in an Open Limited Gun Dog Stake.  YIPEEEE! 

Hope delivered her pups on  the 26th of November and all of them are doing very well.

Carie called ot say that Rumour - Can Ch Russell's Grapevine finished her Can Companion Dog title with three High in Class and a third in Class!!!!  Way to go team.

I have recieved many emails from the owners of the Tate X Rumour litter that their first hunting season has gone really well with some of the pups showing finished bird work in their first season - WOW! and that retrieves are going well too.  Pretty cool!!! 

Russell and Raisin both received clear ratings on their PRA Rod cone 4 tests which has made those who have their pups here and in Europe very happy.  Their son Eli in Germany has continued to do well in the show ring and in the field - including versatile tests - and has been used at stud there a number of times.   Their daughter Kiera has a litter just over a year old who are performing well too, and of course we have Hope pups here.   Donna in BC has a son who has already gotten an obedience title, and I am sure we will be hearing more about Keeper as time goes on.  Kiss in Norway is doing well too.  It is a nice litter. 

That's it for now phewf!

Hope delivered 11 pups in just over 4 hours yesterday afternoon!  She is an excellent mother and the pups are all great looking, calm and quiet.  Check out the litter page for more information and photos.

AT LONG LAST!!!!!  Mary is in heat and on her way to Jack who is currently at Chukarhill Kennel in Eastern Washington State.  After the breeding, which should happen in the next couple of weeks, Mary will return home to me to have her litter, and Jack will go on the field trial circuit, including the National Field Trial in Arkansas.  I am sooo excited.  After spending most of the summer in hospital, this will be a welcome positive!!!  I can't wait for this litter, they should be VERY nice dual (show and field/hunting) dogs!  Keep your eye on the site for updates!

Mary had her hips OFÁ Radiographed last week in Ohio by Jean Webb who is helping me to look after Mary right now.  The hips looked great by all accounts, so now we just wait until the results come back.  There is a wait list forming for this litter both because of Mary and Jack themselves, but also because of the incredibly success of Cassie Allen's litter by Jack's brother Joey out of Mary's Dam Reba.   Those dogs from Cassie's litter are two now and they are doing incredibly well both in the field and in the show ring with Fiona finishing her show championship last week. 

The pedigrees differ slightly insofar as Mary is Reba's daughter by my Norwegian import Russell.  SO the pedigree is going to combine the dual pedigrees of Russell, Karrycourt, Mythodical, Bright Star, Starbrite, Saeterelva (Norway) right up in the first few generations and includes two living dual champions in Raisin and Rip.  I am very excited about this litter and can't wait to get going on it.

I have been having a few health problems lately, but have arrangements in place for a friend to support the puppy raising so that this litter will recieve the same or better care, socialisation, training, and exposure that all Russell pups get.  We will make sure that the temperament and puppy testing and structural evaluations are all done.  Next week I will send out a copy of the litter contrtact to my wait list, and we can begin the process of formalising deposits and wish lists.

To my past puppy folks, please accept my apologies for not getting your puppy's photos up on the site in a timely manner.  I have only limited access to emails at the hospital, and no access to photo editing, so this blog will have to suffice for now.  Thanks every body, hug your red dogs!

Susan

We ran pups and broke dogs yesterday again and I am so pleased with them all.  Meg is the BIG STAR right now, she has relly figured out what this game is about.  She ran well and independantly and handled very well.  The baby pups are getting more independant and less reliant on each other when down,   Jack and Hope ran broke and had an honouring lesson as well.  Hope's range is coming back, and Jack's pattern is as well.  It is interesting to see them adjust after they learn to be broke.  (Which means that they point, and then stay on point while I flush the bird and fire the gun.)  All of them have handled this extended road trip very well, and all have learned a lot about social manners and travel.  They have no difficulty with eating up while on the road which is a great thing. 

Grandma Raisin is also enjoing her trip, she is a bit jealous of the young'uns getting to run when she does not, but a cookie or two seems to appease her!  She loves being able to do whatever she likes when she gets a turn to run!  And being the one allowed into the hotel room...not that she's spoiled..no not Raisin!

I got to see Jack and Hope this week.  In December, when my father got ill and I needed to spend a few weeks away from home Trena, who owns Tate (the sire of my litter) offered to take Jack and Hope for a couple of months until I got back on my feet.  It was a difficult decision for me to send them away since I had them just about broke myself.  It was awfully nice of Trena to take them and certianly I could not have handled all the dogs myself.  I placed a couple of older dogs, and Cassie Allen and Jean Webb in Ohio agreed to take Mary for awhile too. 

I got to watch Jack and Hope run on Monday, and I am super pleased with how they are doing.  They ran well, had a clean bird each, and worked in  a happy and intense manner.  They make their broke stake debut this weekend.

Yesterday I went out with Trena (who owns Tate) to run young dogs off of horse back.  Meg did a FANTASTIC job especially for a dog who has only been put on the ground 3 times - far too little for an 11 month old dog.  I could not believe it, and was soooo proud, but she showed amazing independence and made some really big moves.  She also handled, and turned when asked - that she must have gotten via osmosis, because I certainly have not been teaching her!  I had her entered in the puppy stake last weekend, but it was cancelled, and did not want to run her in puppy too often, so did not enter her this weekend - BUMMER!

The Tate X Rumour pups had their first run and were run in pairs with an older pup.  I am really excited about their potential!  They did not care one whit that I was on a horse, and kept in contact without being "Mommy's pups."  They each made some moves on their own and ran the whole time.  The future looks bright.  I still cannot decide who I like best.  What a nice problem to have!

This weekend's trial was cancelled due to high water, so today was a day off.  The Sun is shining, so we took out the 4 month old pups and photographed them on birds.  Have a look at the photo album!

The pups are doing really well.  I am on the road with them right now, and they travel well.  I have been working them on birds a few times each week and they point strongly with nice style.  We've been working on coming when called, staying out front, retrieving, and being alone.  It is all going superbly.  This litter are really social, co-operative, and forgiving.  I can't say enough about them.  I ran four on since I could not make up my mind between them.  I will be making 3 of them available to trial homes, and i have one family hunting companion/trial/hunt test dog as well.  Until they find new homes they will recieve daily training and socialising.  Email me if you are interested in one of this litter.  Their pedigree is definitely showing in their aptitude.  I have recieved nothing but positive feedback from the pups that have been placed thus far.

Well I am back from the field trials in California.  I took Can Ch Russell's Grapevine fresh from weaning pups and the Salandini's Can Ch Mythodical Russells Hail Storm.    I went to take Himiko the Great Pyrenees back to her breeder and decided to attend the trials in order to try to get national qualifying placements at AKC trials on Rumour and Goose for their owners.

Rumour got a third place in an Amateur Gun Dog Stake and won another small Amateur Gun Dog Stake for her first AKC field Point.  Not bad for a dog who just weaned pups and ran with a handler she is not used to!  Goose ran really well on Sunday, but was a bit too eager and had trouble handling his birds.  Sunday he had love on his mind and did not quite manage to keep his manners in check. 

There are new puppy photos in the photo album.  The pups are looking nice and I hope to have them on birds this week.