Russell Irish Setters

The pups had their first bird exposure the other day as a group.  Today I took each one into the yard individually and showed them one of the Homing pigeons in a harness (saved me catching 14 birds!)  Despite the newness of being alone in the yard, the longer time in the cold and snow, and the bird flapping, the pups showed great boldness, sustained interest, and almost all of them exhibited some tendency to sight point or stalk - and PLAY bow at the bird!  LOL!  Two or th...

The pups are going concerns now!    They almost all ventured otside today despite temps of -11C!  They didn't stay out for long, but they did go out.  Purple and Periwinkle even climbed a snowbank.  All have "Big Dog Collars" now, and even no collar has one - a striped brown and blue collar.  Rainbow has to wear a red and yellow collar, and periwinkle a purple flowered one as finding 14 collars with the right colours was a challenge.  It cost nearly $50...

I posted some better photos of the pups into the RioXHope 4 week album that I took with the big camera.  Taken the same day as the last photos, but with a better camera and lense, and I think there is a pic of each of them, but to be honest I think I lost track. 

Pups had their second deqorming today, nails - again - I swear the nails on pups are getting smaller as I get older, and new coloured ribbons.  The bites are looking good, eye colour is looking chocolate brown o...

I posted some better photos of the pups into the RioXHope 4 week album that I took with the big camera.  Taken the same day as the last photos, but with a better camera and lense, and I think there is a pic of each of them, but to be honest I think I lost track. 

Pups had their second deqorming today, nails - again - I swear the nails on pups are getting smaller as I get older, and new coloured ribbons.  The bites are looking good, eye colour is looking chocolate brown o...

I got the OFA Results for Russell's Make Mine Meg yesterday and she came back OFA Excellent!!!!

The pups are four weeks old now and I have come to the realisation that I am going to have to pull out the good camera.  They move too fast for the iphone now, and this is such a great time to take photos.  So I promise I will get the big gun out and take some good pics.  If I can get help I will take some individual pics too as they are beginning to do baby puppy stacks now.&#...

Hope began having pups at 7:30 last night and had a pup every ten minutes for the first three, then had a few twenty minutes apart, then a short break, then two in a row, then a long break then back to about every twenty minutes - until there were fourteen!   She is such a calm and capable mother, no fuss, gets down to business, cleans them all, and is careful with them.  With Ryan and I keeping an eye on things, and putting colours on them, the whelping came off without a hitch. &#...

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 sh...

I got the folliwing update from Lohmann's in Germany during my hospital stay - it definitely cheered me up!!!

"Today our wonderful canadian redhead ELI (official RUSSELL'S KISMET) gained his final certificate to finish the title of:

German Show Champion (Dt.Ch.VDH) !

We are more than happy and over the moon.

Now we continue to work on the "other side of the moon" - Working champion. Next spring might come. Inbetween we will start on versatile gundog trial ...

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, th...

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 i...