Grief is the price you pay for love. It is love with no where to go. |
"If I could save time in a bottle, the first thing that I'd like to do is to save every day until eternity passes away just to spend them with you."
Grief is the price you pay for love. It is love with no where to go. |
This One's For John!
This is the first post in 4 months. Those of you who know ATB personally, are aware of what has taken place.
The Maine Brittany Website will be revamped and have a new purpose for existing.
ALL future plans for breeding are on hold indefinitely.
One thing that I really desire is have all of my blogposts downloaded somehow. I have no idea how to do this. I tried once and failed. If anyone reading this knows how I can do it, please privately reach out. THANKS
As always, take care and God bless - thank you for your love and support - J&A's Brittanys
Hemi is probably the cutest freckly faced Brittany on the face of the earth. Lovingly referred to as ‘little britches’ or ‘Hemikins’ his personality is extremely laid back and mellow unless he is bird hunting. Then he is all business, and he turns into a flashy, high performance, no-nonsense hunting dog who is a delight to hunt with. Orange and white, Hemi's stature is solid and cobby and he weighs in at 35 lbs. and stands @18 ½'' tall. Sired by “CHEVY” (Multiple BISS GCH CH Tonan-Hopes RU Kiddin Me) who in 2009 was the #1 Brittany in the country, his mother is our Pippin (CH J&A's Heartfelt Legend of Acton) who is the result of a line breeding on 3X AmFldCh Multi BISS DC AFC Masked Shoshoni War Chief JH. His grandfather is CH Hills Blazin' Jac JH. In his own right Hemi's strong natural hunting ability surfaced by the age of 5 weeks when awakened to game birds for the first time. Hemi earned his AKC Junior Hunter title in no time at all when just a little over a year old. Also, Hemi won the blue as first-place dog in the Central Maine Brittany Club Open Derby at the age of 14 months, winning juvenile field champion points handled by John. Hemi has been shown selectively by Ann, finished his AKC bench championship in June 2013 and has earned major points towards a grand championship title. There are numerous titled hunting dogs behind Hemi and many Dual Champions as well. Hemi has also proven his worth as a stud dog for us and other likeminded Brittany breeders and has sired several litters. He is a grandsire to many. He has proven to be a producer of outstanding hunting dogs with wonderful conformation, several who are dual pointed. His progeny includes 6 AKC Junior Hunters, 1 AKC Senior Hunter, and several AKC Champions. Additionally, he is the sire of many titled NAVHDA Natural Ability Brittanys and his grandpups as well as great grandpups are also proving themselves in competitive events. Hemi's hip health rating is through PennHip and is 0.43/0.43 80th Percentile.
Originally her call name was “Ginger”, but it was quickly changed to “Ninja-Ginja” (Ginja for short) based upon her agile athletic attributes, personality and overall zest for life! Ginja is the result of a well-timed surgical insemination breeding using frozen semen from our beloved Jack Dog who died in 2017. She follows in the footsteps of her mother “Holly Beth” as an intense and serious bird dog with strong drive. Ginja is extremely enthusiastic and animated. She enjoys the water and weather permitting finds swimming in our farm pond great fun! Her natural retrieving skills are being honed. Despite most dog events being cancelled in 2020, she successfully tested in both NAVHDA and AKC venues earning her Natural Ability title and 2 legs of her Junior Hunter title which she then finished in 2021 with impressive scores in each. She has several placements in AKC pointing breed field trials. Ginja is a bird hunting machine with a strong prey drive while possessing a deeply affectionate personality. Our plans are to breed Ginja to Hemi at her next heat. Thus, producing our 5th generation of J&A’s Brittanys close working gundogs. We anticipate this pairing will produce dual quality pups. We will be looking for active hunting and competitive homes with prior Brittany experience. She has a strong hip health background with several generations of OFA Excellent hips behind her. Ginja is certified as OFA Excellent Hips, OFA Normal Eyes, OFA Normal Elbows. A CHIC number is pending.
Contact us via www.mainebrittanysitejas.com
A waiting list does exist.
Top Row L-R: Pippin, Bullet, Quincy, Ammo Bottom Row L-R: Hemi, Wilson, Thistle |
Why Title A Dog?
“Not just a brag, not just a stepping stone to a
higher title, not just an adjunct to competitive scores, a title is a tribute
to the dog that bears it, a way to honor the dog, an ultimate memorial. It will
remain in record and in memory for as long as anything in this world can
remain. Few humans will do as well or better in that regard.
And though the dog itself doesn’t know or care that
its achievements have been noted, a title says many things in the world of
humans, where such things count.
A title says your dog was intelligent and adaptable,
and good-natured. It says that your dog loved you enough to do the things that
please you, however crazy they may have sometimes seemed.
And a title says that you loved your dog, that you
loved to spend time with it because it was a good dog, that you believed in it
enough to give it yet another chance when it failed, and that, in the end, your
faith was justified.
A title proves that your dog inspired you to that
special relationship enjoyed by so few; that in a world of disposable
creatures, this dog with a title was greatly loved, and loved greatly in
return.
And when that dear short life is over, the title remains as a memorial of the finest kind, the best you can give to a deserving friend, volumes of pride in one small set of initials after [and/or before] the name.
A title earned is nothing less than love and respect,
given and received, and permanently recorded.”
-Sandra Mowery
CH J&A’s Heartfelt Legend of Acton “Pippin”
Sire: CH Hill’s Blazen’ Jac JH “Jac”
Dam: KJ Requet’s Bouncin Crysta “Chrissy”
Bred, loved, and owned by J&A Short
CH J&A’s High Caliber Harris Special SH “Bullet”
Sire: J&A’s Apple Jack of Acton JH “JackDog”
Dam: KJ Requet’s Bouncin Crysta “Chrissy”
Bred by J&A Short, Loved and co-owned by J. Harris & J. Short
CH J&A’s Heart of Seumas JH “Quincy”
Sire: CH J&A’s High Caliber Harris Special SH “Bullet”
Dam: GCH CH J&A’s Sisters of the Heart JH “Thistle”
Bred by J. Harris & A. Short, loved and co-owned by J. Harris & J. Short
CH J&A’s High Caliber Shamrock Special JHA “Ammo”
Sire: CH J&A’s High Caliber Harris Special SH “Bullet”
Dam: GCH CH J&A’s Sisters of the Heart JH “Thistle”
Bred by J. Harris & A. Short, loved and co-owned by R. Gilman & M. Gilman
CH J&A’s Magnificent Obsession of Acton JH
“Hemi”
Sire: GCH CH Tonan-Hope’s RU Kiddin Me “Chevy”
Dam: CH J&A’s Heartfelt Legend of Acton “Pippin”
Bred, loved, and owned by J&A Short
CH J&A’s Quiet Courage MH, NA Prize 1 “Wilson”
Sire: J&A’s Apple Jack of Acton JH “JackDog”
Dam: J&A’s Dreams Come True of Acton JH “Treasure”
Bred by J&A Short, Loved and owned by P.
Sipperly & K. Lajeunesse
GCH CH Sisters of the Heart JH “Thistle”
Sire: GCH CH Tonan-Hope’s RU Kiddin Me “Chevy”
Dam: CH J&A’s Heartfelt Legend of Acton “Pippin”
Bred by J&A Short, deeply missed, always loved and was co-owned by J. Harris & A. Short
Stay tuned as Revere is very close to finishing his AKC Championship title! Looking forward to adding the CH prefix on “J&A’s Awaken the Dawn of Acton JH, CGC, TKN, NA Prize 2”
As always, take care and God bless and thank you for your ongoing interest in our canine crew! John, Ann and All Things Brittany
I will not belabor the point but by the time Mother's Day 2020 rolled around, I was fed up with the pandemic, self-quarantines, social distancing, mask mandates and more. Unwilling to accept the situation as the ‘new normal’ I reclaimed my personal responsibility, set my mind on things above and began to look forward to what 2021 would bring with friends and family. I was determined not to succumb to the oppression which tried to permeate all aspects of day-to-day life. It was bad enough that numerous personal situations broke my heart in 2020. But I digress!
“You know you got a one-of-a-kind gundog, when you grab your gun and vest and head to the front door and your dog is already waiting there with the keys to your truck.” Steve Reider
Spring truly has
sprung here in Maine! It was predicted to be in the 70's today which
meant a much earlier start to our usual Saturday field work with the
crew. John is getting into a regular schedule now which means the dogs
are enjoying at least three days during the week in addition to Saturday
mornings. It has really been nice getting a later start as we all know
mornings can be a struggle for me. From now on we will exercise/run/work
the dogs before the heat of the day is felt. By mid-summer this means
starting as early as 6:30 a.m.! (That's when John left the house today. I
came to the field a couple of hours later with Revere.)
As I turned onto the dirt road leading into our training area this
morning Revere, crated in the back, immediately recognized where we were and
joyfully expressed in no uncertain terms his delight at being there.
Likewise, a couple of hours earlier at home, he had not so joyfully expressed
his discontent at staying with me when John left. Revere's registered
name "Awaken The Dawn" has significance of varying levels.
Driving in and approaching the johnny house I was so happy to be greeted by several
familiar ATB 'family' faces who had brought their Brittanys. Yay!
One thing that has been constant over the past 16 years is
understanding the importance for Brittanys to have frequent opportunities to
run freely in an open area. Early on, we were really blessed to have use of
wonderful fields less than 4 minutes down the road. It was so fun to meet with
a few others and their dogs for a great morning of running dogs. Not just
Brittanys but English and Gordon Setters, Pointers, and others. Several years
ago, those fields became unavailable to us and the search was on! Thanks to a
good friend we were introduced to the owner of another property who has been
just wonderful to us. It is worth the extra time it takes to travel there. I
simply must get up early enough to go!
Today the liver and white Brittanys and their owners rocked! They
were in the majority. How wonderful to see little Remi for the first time since
leaving last fall. For such a young puppy she is doing exceptionally well on
her birds. I loved seeing Franklin there this morning too. An outstanding grouse and woodcock dog he is full brother
and littermate to my Revere. It also was a joy to see Wesson today. He
has really come so far and makes me smile. One thing these owners all
have in common is a commitment to consistent, ongoing training suitable for the
age level of their dog. The goal is to tap into the dog's inherent
natural instincts, recognize and gently nurture them to eventually result in a
skilled and effective gundog. To understand and learn to 'read' your dog takes
time, practice, experience and a whole lot of birds!
John enjoys setting new owners of gundogs up to succeed. He
does not train the dogs belonging to others but instead provides an opportunity
to observe him working our own dogs. Offers support and guidance when they
handle theirs. He works our dogs according to their specific and various skill
levels. John knows each one is different and proceeds accordingly with them.
Through the years he has been called a dog whisperer, or more specifically, a
Brittany whisperer. I do not think it is possible to explain it, it
simply is. I have seen my husband help develop confidence in people of
their own abilities to train their own dog. Even folks previously frustrated
with their gundogs, or who have never trained a bird dog before. Ultimately,
they have reached a satisfying level of success for the next bird hunting
season which is, as far as I am concerned. what it is all about. Simply said,
the emphasis is on fun while kicking the obedience up a notch as needed. When
it comes to the younger pups, John is cautious about giving them too much to do
too soon. He keeps the skill list short for them, recognizing it is so easy to
break the spirit of a Brittany.
There is often an understandable tendency to try to do too much
too soon. Especially when we know the potential that rests in that beautiful,
intelligent being in front of us. But to a young pup what we call 'gundog
training' is still just a game to them. I remember a phone conversation I
had with Frank Pride of Pride & Joy Brittanys about 20 years or so ago. I
was asking what I should be doing with my 12-week-old puppy as far as
training. He basically told me "keep that first year all about fun.
Go easy on the obedience. There is plenty of time for that. Let the pup learn
about the birds on his own while providing the necessary guidance. Observe the
pup's body when he is 'birdy' or has hit the scent cone."
Tonight,
is a perfect early spring evening here in Maine. It is approaching the midnight
hour, the windows are still open and the sound of peepers singing 'cold feet,
can't sleep' can be heard outside. The sun is setting later and later.
Earlier this evening the sound like that of a woodcock was heard but I cannot
say for sure. In the past we have been surprised to find them here and
refer to them as resident woodcocks. This is the time of year where they will
begin their mating ritual and if you'd like to read more about it this is a
link to a great article called "Dances With Woodcock".
Speaking of "PEEPS"!
I sure do love all of ours and enjoy the times we are together. You know
who you are, near and far, recent or otherwise. Our wonderful All Things
Brittany 'family'. We thank God you are in our lives.
Take care and God
bless,
John, Ann, and our
canine crew
One of my favorite puppy pictures of Pippin! |
I love you sweet girl, thank God for the joy of your life, and look forward to much more time together! Happy 13th birthday Pippinator!
Quincy - CH J&A's Heart of Seumas JH in a playful moment! |
Now to a subject near and dear to all of us - Brittanys! Oly & Holly's puppies are going on 5 months old already. There are frequent photos and updates from most of their new families which are so enjoyable for us. The pups are not only beautiful and in great homes, but new friendships as well as prior ones continue to strengthen and grow. ATB really is like a family! A friend of ours says to "love what you do and do what you love". In the case of our breeding program of close working gundogs that sentiment is especially relevant!
Consider for a minute how much advance planning occurs prior to an anticipated breeding of two animals. First the purpose of bringing a pair together should be clear to the breeder. What do you intend to accomplish and why? This is a decision left up to each individual breeder however the overall reason should be to improve the breed; either upon your own line or the breed in general. Once that's decided and among other things, there is the inevitable waiting for the future dam to come into heat. That's actually where we are right now with True and Toph. Toph has yet to come into heat but I have to say I'm thankful for that!
Last fall when the Autumn Treasure's went home I was exhausted emotionally, spiritually, and physically. This was not because of the work involved with meeting their needs. In fact, having them to focus on really did help me through. My sister passed away unexpectedly in October. And of course I was still missing my girl Treasure. Not to mention that it was very hard for me to say goodbye to our son and his entire family as they moved to North Carolina. Some of you seemed to really understand what I was going through and blessed me with so much kindness through your beautiful flowers, unexpected gifts, cards, thoughtful notes and your prayers.
God is good and the timing is now right to actively prepare for and anticipate our planned breeding with True and Toph. We're all looking forward to spring puppies so Toph, it's all up to you now! By the way, "Aunt Julie" has already started to crochet her beautiful puppy blankets. And granddaughter Alana has already made plans for remote learning from our house so she can stay with us and help raise the pups.
My personal hopes are high this year for getting Revere back in the ring and finishing his bench championship! I also hope we can get him back into field trials. Each one in our crew will be busy with various interests based on their level of training and age. Our Brittany club here in Maine is moving ahead with plans for a hunt test, a show, and field trials. Even so, I'd have to say one of my favorite pastimes outside of hunting season, is simply spending time with the dogs down to our small farm pond, weather permitting. As I always say, there's nothing fancy about us. What you see is what you get!Thank you for your interest in All Things Brittany. Take care and God bless - John, Ann & crew