Russell Irish Setters

I went with friend Karen and Goose to the Irish Setter Club of Seattle field trial.  Meg ran in the all pointing breed puppy stake and placed second!  That makes two for two for little Meg!  Her sisters also ran in their first stake with owners Chris and Caryn and showed signs of brilliance.  Jack ran well and handled a bird properly and ended up with his first sernior stake placement by going fourth in the Open Gun dog Stake.  Our friend Ed Meyer won again with his Rio dog, what a nice team they are making.  Karen ran with Goose who had a breach of manners in their debut together.  C'est la vie. 

Karen, Chris and I have decided to go to the ISCA's Walking Championship, field trial and hunt test in Colorado in order to support the club's efforts to get an AKC recognised walking championship going. 

John (Russell's Nuthin'RunsLikeADeere) has had a bit of training this week and he continues to impress me.  His sister Twist (Russell's Natural Disaster) and owner Carrie went out with Phil and ran her on quail.  Twist did a great job by all accounts, and is learning to bust cover like mad!  Apparently she also did a good impression of a sea bird by going into the ocean after some birds. 

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!

Jack and Hope made their senior stake debut.   Jack handled a stop to flush and had a pretty decent race.  He took too many steps on another  STF on a couple of birds, though, and was picked up.  Not too bad a beginning, but not good enough.  Hope had a slow start, then was getting into her stride when she came upon her bracemate on point.  She initially backed the bracemate, then moved in front and stole point, the birs went up and it was too much for the brace of green dogs, and though she stopped when asked, her breach of manners earned her the rope.  The beginning showed glimmers of brilliance, but was not good enough for either of them to stay down for the entire brace. 

I got to see Ed Meyer get Rio around for the first time in a senoir stake today with numerous finds and honours - good work team and a well earned blue to you both!!!

We'll trial again next weekend, so wish us luck.

The pups got to play with a nice young lady all da on Saturday, so they hada  blaast.

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.

Denis Lowry Russell Passed peacefully December 27th, 2010 at Lion's Gate General Hospital.  My Dad loved the red dogs and instilled in me a deep appreciation for them.  Raisin and I visited with he and the family in his last days.  I will miss him.

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. 

I posted a new photo album of the Tate X Rumour pups at just under 4 weeks old.  They had just eaten a big meal and were really sleepy, but they still did fine standing up for their photos.  Enjoy!