2003

Kevin:

I purchased a male lab out of Otter and, I believe, "Sunny". He was born about the later part of November, 2002.

I thought you might like to have an update on his progress. He is just finishing two months of training with Minnogie Kennels here in Portland, Oregon. Basically he sent him to the kennels for basic obedience and force fetch, but he has done so well, that I think that I will run the field trial and hunt tests next year.

In respect to his pointing, I don't believe that he is going to be a pointer, but that is probably more my doing than the dogs. First, it never really mattered to me if he pointed and I probably will be happy with a flusher. Second, I introduced him to birds at an early age, got quail that wouldn't fly and unattentionally allowed him to chomp down on the birds. He goes absolutely ape for birds and I believe is too aggressive to bother to try to teach him to point.

Since, I am happy with the way he is going, I'm not going to do anything to try to encourage him to point. We are going Grouse hunting in September and I will keep you abreast on how he is doing.

One little note, when he was five months old I took him one morning to the trainer who trains the English Setter for "Hunting With Hank" TV show. It was incredible. A five month old dog that had never experienced a gun or a pheasant was able to hunt and retrieve in a stubble field, like something you would expect from a well trained adult dog. The trainer said that he believed I had a dog that comes along once in a man's lifetime. He might me exaggerating a little, but that is a pretty good statement.

Anyway that is my update. I would appreciate if you could post me on any information you have on his litter mates.

Doug Schaeffer, Portland, Oregon

Hi, this is Scott Steede,

I wanted to let you know that the pup I got from you last year (Grits x Scarlet) won the national pheasant hunting championship (puppy division) this past weekend in Hayward, WI. Thank you again for this awesome little dog. She is intelligent, has an awesome nose, and knows how to find birds.

And best of all she is my two year old daughter's best friend.

Sincerely,
Scott Steede

Hi Susan,

Just thought I would give you a quick update. Schatzie is doing great. I think the 5 hour trip stressed her a bit but she has settled in well
now and is eating fine...

...Most surprising to me, she has already pointed spontaneously 3 times for at least 5 seconds each! She wandered off toward the chicken/pigeon coop on Saturday. First she rushed the chickens and flushed them. A few minutes later, she snuck up on them, lifted her left front leg and tail, and stood staunchly for 5-10 seconds while I just stood back in awe. I had not planned to expose her to the birds for fear that they might scare her and I still do not encourage her to head over toward them. Still, she now knows where they are and she went back spontaneously and pointed with leg high a couple of more times today.

It would appear that all I can do now is limit her potential with amateur training! She has great natural instinct from what I have seen in
these early days...

...Hope all is well at Black Forest. Thanks so much for the pup!

Terry Brunck

Dear Kevin and Susan,

Happy New Year. A quick update on Blackie (Cajun x Gina) as she turns 1 year old next week.

A few weeks back I emailed you about her feats on her first Iowa pheasant hunt. Two weeks ago she retrieved a downed grouse - it ran nearly 100 yards from where it went down and she found it. Last week she pointed the only grouse we saw. Today she locked up on a grouse in an oak fall wrapped in some nasty thick briars and vines. As grouse do, the bird went up with all the stuff between it and me and he kept flying as I shot.

Blackie is everything I'd hoped. She loves to hunt and hunts hard. She's great with the kids and adores my wife (and vice versa...). Most of all, she handles like a dream. She points birds when we hunt and *cannot* get enough retrieving. The harder I make the retrieve work, the more she digs in and works. She's great! Thanks for a good pup!

Take Care,
Darrell Burkey

2002

Dear Kevin and Susan,

After 5 days of pheasant hunting in Iowa last week, I wanted to give you an update on Blackie (Cajun x Gina) who turned 10 months during the trip.

Her training prior was via a newby to training bird dogs (me), the Pointing Lab book and I was able to work her only about 10 times on pen raised quail.

Saturday: Lots of running around and burning pent-up energy after sitting in the box for the long drive. We hunted ditches and I began teaching her "Ditch" while pointing to the ditch. We killed two birds and she got a taste. No points, flushes or retrieves - all results of my partner's Setters (they are *very* good).

Sunday: We limited today and Blackie was in on several points, flushes and shots from my partner's Setters. We split and Blackie found, flash pointed and flushed her first rooster... and luckily I hit it! She marked and was *ON IT* pronto. While I scrambled for my camera, she retreived it to my hand. "Good girl!" That's awesome!

Monday: Tough day. Hunted all day and killed one bird. Blackie hunted hard in the morning and tired (sore and bloody feet, belly, and nose too) in the afternoon (just 10 months old and she was hunted hard all day three days in a row). I put her in the box at 3PM.

Tuesday: In a big CRP brohm grass field that gets hunted a lot, she put it all together today. Out of the box she was on the move - using the wind, catching bird scent and moving in to pin 'em down with multiple points. If the bird didn't flush when I walked thru she moved fast trying to relocate and point. She pointed one rooster three times before he flushed and I shot him (the pressure was on to hit her first solidly pointed rooster...!). In two hours that morning, she found and pointed or flushed 13 hens and 3 roosters! She'd become a bird dog that morning. She continued in the evening with another 9 hens and two roosters. (Lots of hens - with a mild winter and spring, there should be a lot of birds next year...)

Wednesday:Tough hunting today. Today Blackie put the pressure on a running rooster. She got birdy in front of me and starting moving ahead up a hill. I picked up the pace and by the time I crested the hill I didn't see her. I picked her up about 100 yards to my right *moving* along an erosion control burm. As she got a few yards from the end of the burm, the rooster flew - I was too far away to shoot. But I was pleased as she picked up the bird was moving fast and she moved faster to pressure it and try to pin it.

OK, to top it all off, a couple days later, I took her for a walk in a standing and weedy cornfield behind my parents house in Ohio. Thirty yards from the truck running back to me she locked up on point 5 yards in front of me - enough cover for a mouse - maybe. She was locked, looked up at me and back down. I said "c'mon" took a step forward and two quail flew out! She later found two roosters (pen raised, of course) in the corn.

Even without a lot of work on pen-raised birds (not as much as I wanted) she came alive on pheasants. She was a dream to handle - HERE and she was here, SIT and she sat, KENNEL and she loaded in the box. And after 3-4 days, DITCH and she went into the ditch and ROOSTER! she knew a bird was near.

There's something special about watching a dog (pup) come alive and put together all the pieces. She was great and I expect she'll only get better.

Now I need to figure out where to take her training next. I'll probably give you a call in the next few weeks to discuss. Until then, I'll be searching for some good grouse country.

Thanks for a great pup and all your help and advice,
Darrell

Hi Susan and Kevin,

Just a line to wish you a happy Thanksgiving and let you know how great Bodie is doing. We've had him just about 13 months now, and he was one of Grit's pups. Bruce has just finished hunting grouse, and Bodie was an absolutely great partner. He points beautifully, loves to go and just won't quit. He has tremendous heart and drive. He is also the absolute best lab we have ever owned. His temperament is a joy, he is a wonderful family dog and all of us are completely in love with him. He's right at 65 pounds and a very nice looking male. Our vet says she's never seen such a beautiful coat on a dog.

Our friend and coworker, Brian Jonasson, purchased a chocolate lab from your kennel this summer. Muddy is growing into an impressive looking male. He already weighs the same as Bodie and is full of energy! Brian brings Muddy over and he and Bodie are play pals. There is an instant recognition going on between them - they never even stop to sniff each other and wag tails, but it's immediate go go go. They are so funny to watch.

Bruce's best story from this year: he and Bodie were out hunting in the woods, and Bodie did an absolutely beautiful, classic point and held it for quite a while. Bruce released him, and he went tearing off into the brush and flushed...a cougar! It jumped out in the road about 10 feet in front of Bruce. Bruce said he couldn't tell who was more startled - they both froze. Bruce shot over its head and it took off, with Bodie in hot pursuit. He came back as soon as Bruce whistled, thank goodness (he obeys beautifully, luckily). Bruce told him "you're not supposed to point the big kitty!" Needless to say, they decided it was time to come home after that.

That's about it. We are all crazy about our personality-plus, hunting boy!
Debbie

Susan,

I'm sure glad I bought the puppy he is more than I ever expected.

I have had a lot of bird dogs of different breads over the years and I always started with a pup but I've never had one half as intelligent as (Custer puppy's name). I'm convinced that he is a better student than I'm trainer. He already loves to retrieve even though he is only eleven weeks old. We walk daily on our forty acres which has plenty of cover for birds, what impressed me he does not mind going through the thickest weeds or brush on the place.

I bought the book called The Pointing Labrador and I think it is going to be a tremendous help.

Sincerely,
Neil

Kevin,

Just had to let you know. I had my Bear (one of Grits' pups) out to a Pheasant hunt today. I have been working with him but today was his first hunt. After a five minute settling down period, he pointed five birds and retrieved the last four. Something about the first hen he just did not like. He got stronger after each bird. I cannot tell you how pleased I am with one of your pups. The last point was like a picture, as the bird held until I kicked the grass 3 times, and then flushed. The dog is great in the field as a young pup and a wonderful companion, I am looking forward to his maturing!

Jess

Kevin,

Just thought I'd give you an update on the pup I got from you Nov, 1999. Not sure you will remember but I called and needed a pup for xmas for the kids and a new hunting partner for myself. And I believe you told me you didn't have any pups available, then you had a cancellation a few days later and gave me a call and here we are.

We named the pup Adeline (Addy).

Just like to let you know how smart this dog is. Obedienance training, never really needed any, just about 20 minutes to teach her to stay, the rest she got from just living in the house. Spent very little time with her on a check cord like one day and about five birds and she had it down (about 8 months old) By the time bird season came around she really didn't need any more help from me.

References prior to 2000
are also available