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 ...

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 adjus...

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 b...

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...

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 ...

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 betwee...

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 Amate...

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!