"HEMI" - Junior Hunter !!
J & A's Magnificent Obsession of Acton JH*
AKC Junior Hunter - Hemi's 4 Sets of Qualifying Hunt Test Scores
*Central Maine Brittany Club Hunt Test: April 29, 2012
Ann handling - 9, 8, 9, 7
*Kathadin German Shorthaired Pointer Club Test: September 15, 2012
John handling - 10, 9, 10, 9
*Kathadin German Shorthaired Pointer Club Test: September 16, 2012
John handling - 10, 10, 10, 10
*Northern New England Brittany Club Hunt Test: September 22, 2012
Ann handling - 10, 10, 10, 6
Finish "Little Britches" Myself?
I wasn't sure. John has been running and training Hemi for such a long time now. They are truly an impressive hunting duo. This is nothing unusual for John does form a remarkable bond with each dog he ever works with. It is a given that bond will be stronger with our own. Such is the case with Hemi, or as I affectionately call him "little britches". But John asked me if I wanted to try to finish Hemi at the Northern New England Brittany Club AKC Hunt Test, this past weekend. Deep down inside of me my answer was a resounding yes! yes! yes!! But faced with the reality of my own physical limitations which include limited mobility and flexibility, I just didn't want to mess Hemi up. John seemed to really want me to try, but he never pushes me to do anything. He just said he thought it would be nice if I did finish Hemi because I had put his first leg towards his title on him. I was worried I'd let Hemi (and John) down though. He said well, we could enter him both days and if I didn't finish him, he would handle him on Sunday. Deal.
I was excited. I couldn't wait. But I was also full of doubt. The brace sheets (listing of the order in which dogs are tested) were released Thursday. Hemi and I were listed for the first brace. It said "A. Short" and not "J. Short". John said he thought I was going to list him as an alternative handler. Well, I guess I thought I'd made the request but there it was in black and white. There's no games involved with Hemi when it comes to birds. He's way beyond his age in his ability and skill. Being such a young Brittany though means you have to work him with as little pressure as possible.
So it is no secret to anyone that I'm not a morning person. Good grief, not even close. But when there is a dog event to get to on time, I'm there. Maybe not mentally, and perhaps not especially physically, but I'll be that warm body taking up space on the passengers side on the way to the event. It depends on who is driving. And thankfully, I'm not often in a position to be the driver! Who ever is driving, it's important for them to truly realize it takes time for 'me' to surface. It's just the way it is. John, is a morning person and also someone who must arrive ANYWHERE very, very early.
By way of review, I had only been to one other hunt test and that was because the Brittany club where we are officers held one this spring
(Central Maine Brittany Club). John on the other hand became acquainted with hunt tests through our friends Pam and Sam Jackson several years ago. It's not always easy for the both of us to get away at the same time an event, especially if we are in a puppy minded state of mind. This NNEBC hunt test was the first one John ever participated in and also where Jack earned his first leg of Juniors several years ago. This particular test is also where the very first J&A's Brittany ever finished - and that honor goes to J&A's Roxie Hoover JH, a daughter from Jack and Chrissy's first litter who finished her title at 15 months back in 2008. Her owner also encouraged John to continue with hunt tests. Since that time John has participated with the crew at various tests throughout New England. I think we are up to (at least) 9 finished AKC Junior Hunters from our line, with several others very close. Additionally, we are also close to our very first AKC Senior Hunter.
Saturday morning, handlers and dogs for the first brace are called and Hemi and I move towards the path for the breakaway. I was on my own, and it would be up to Hemi to get 'er done. I knew he could. Could I? As we continued down to the path, he was actively pulling and tugging, almost to the point of walking on two legs because this dog is born to hunt. Quickly I made a half hitch in his lead in hopes of slowing him down a bit. I certainly was not about to give him a correction at this juncture - plenty of time for that afterwards. Even that half hitch didn't slow him down! And this puppy is all solid muscle. Every square inch of him is hard as a rock. This by the way was noticed by the last judge who examined him at a recent dog show. Hemi is, as his name implies - magnificent. There were many well wishers standing around with their first cup of morning coffee, freshly brewed by the hunt test "field cook." Evidently this little britches of ours had already made others aware of him based on his most recent perfect score of all 10's. Yikes. No pressure, no not much.
I enjoyed meeting the handler of Hemi's bracemate. As is often the case, it was simply putting a face to a name which I have corresponded often with in regards to all things hunting dogs. It was all good. We all headed out with the judges and reached the corner where the dogs could be released. We were asked if we were ready and being that we were - unleashed Hemi and his bracemate who was a very lovely German Shorthaired Pointer. My judge was aware of my limitations and very considerate when I told him I would take my time. You see I knew that I didn't have to worry if Hemi did find a bird and I wasn't there. Hemi would hold his point. When Hemi is on point, I trust him. There is going to be a bird produced.
My Opinion about Hunt Tests
Hunt tests are not intended to be competetive with other dogs, at least not in my mind. Your dog is being tested to a written standard of whatever level you are testing at. I know people 'guffaw' so many dogs that get a Junior Hunter title and never go into the woods bird hunting. But is a wonderful way for a dog owner to have some fun with a dog, meet other owners, be part of a club and so much more. Just like there is an official breed standard for the conformation ring and dog showing, there is an official hunting standard. I admire people who are not bird hunters, yet will take their non-hunting dog out and give it this opportunity to have some fun doing what it was purposed to do. I have seen people persist at this, despite several times out in the field with absolutely no finds or even any indication of being birdy. The Junior Hunter title affords them an opportunity to understand what their dog is capable of doing and depending upon their judge, the handler/owner is in a position to be guided and assisted in the event a dog just doesn't show any ability. These handlers don't give up neither do they accept it as a given that their dog will qualify. They do not always. Out of 6 hunt tests with Hemi, there was a day he didn't get a qualifying score. That was the first time out with me. The next day however he won his first beautiful qualifier ribbon!
The Senior Hunter title brings with it much more of a concerted effort. It also brings more pressure for the trainer, the handler, the owner and for the dog. Unless someone has qualified a dog at the Junior level or well experienced in handling a dog under actual hunting conditions with a mature and well seasoned dog, it can be a big disappointment to begin testing at the Senior Hunter level. We ran into some issues with crossing over from trialing to testing and back again. Among our expectations for our Brittany dogs is a dog that's going to hunt close, respond to a variety of signals, be trustworthy to point only gamebirds, honor the point of another dog, hold through the shot and then go retrieve the bird! These events are fun, just as the occassional field trial is fun for us. Even so, nothing is worth sacrificing what is already evident in a natural retrieving and honoring Brittany dog with strong pointing ability. We will never (intentionally) allow our dogs to become confused or set them up to fail at what is the most important aspect to us in regards to Brittanys who are actually going to be hunting birds for real.
Hemi and Me, the Rest of the Story
Hemi and entered the bird field together. He was a little 'off' because he was still expecting his field commands to be coming from John. Hemi will run out into a field and seek objectives where he believes a bird may be, he'll cover a lot of territory but he's not likely to be found in the next county either. What he does, has purpose. When he's with John, it's clear to see they are a team. Actually when most of the dogs handled by John are out with him, it is just as clear. The judge and I did want Hemi to come over into another section of the field. Some of the instructions were different than what I would have liked to do but when your dog is under judgement respect for the judges wishes is paramount. This was also the same judge who did not give us a qualifying score back in the spring.
Soon Hemi came around again and noted I had changed direction so he began to work to the front and side of where I was. In a hunt test they must point 50% of the birds produced or better. We had yet to establish the point and I was really wondering if there were any birds, but I knew of course there was. Oops! Hemi was running so fast that he over ran the scent of his first bird. He did immediately come to a screeching halt just as the bird flushed. It was my choice not to fire the gun although I could have. I had watched the flight of the bird and Hemi by now was turned on by the scent of it. I headed to the edge of the woods while Hemi intensely ran from side to side following that scent cone only known to him. SLAM! There you go little britches!!! So I came up behind my puppy who was locked up in a picture perfect gorgeous point. I was grumbling slightly under my breath because the bird was obviously somewhere in the tangled mess of brush and stumps among the stand of trees there. Hemi and I made eye contact and he patiently held that beautiful point for his 'momma' to do her best to produce it for him. Where the heck was it? Oh there you are... I could see his bird and let the judge know before I flushed it. BANG!! I fired my blank gun and Hemi held briefly before my feet then became entangled in a low lying tree root! Then he broke and went deeper into the woods. Good grief. My pride was hurt, and I was embarassed. My judge being a fire fighter and EMT showed extreme concern for me and came in to gently help me to my feet while asking if I really was okay. I thought I was! So let's get over this and move on, where is my dog? I looked down the incline deeper into the woods and could see little britches frozen like a statue. Oh great. Just great. I not only fell but now I had to meander down to where he was and find his bird for him. I took my time and I'm sure my judge was pretty worried about me at this point, he's a good guy. My cute freckly face little britches Hemi held and held, waiting for momma to like he did before. I walked around, trying to decipher the Bobwhite Quail from among the leaves, branches, etc. And I didn't have my glasses on ha ha... Thank God I saw the bird and I told the judge I did and flushed, fired and that it was all good!
I relocated Hemi so he would NOT continue into the woods but would go on into the bird field. There sometimes comes a point during judgement when your judge has seen enough. Such was the case with Hemi and me. So now we go back into the bird field and my judge instructs me to call my dog in. So I did everything I've done before, and all that I have seen John do. Did he come? Absolutely not. He did a couple of drive bys despite my efforts. Grumbling to myself again, I thought oh great, we've done so well and now we're going to fail at the trainability score. You have to have at least a 5 on each of the 4 category. Keeping in mind his perfect 10s, I was feeling quite down hearted. Well, as is typical of Hemi he found and pointed another bird and I knew that I knew that I knew this would be the ONLY way I could pick him up. I was torn between finding his bird, flushing, and shooting for him - or leashing him. And the sane logic prevailed. I leashed him and we headed off the bird field together.
I really didn't know whether or not Hemi had qualified or not. I watched the judges confer over the brace from a distance, watered my dog and set him back into the kennel to warm up and rest. Our judge walked over to where I was sitting and asked me if I wanted to talk about the brace which of course I did. First he wanted to be sure I was okay after the fall. Then he did a good job of explaining things to me but I will admit, I was on the verge of tears. There was praise but there was criticism, necessary constructive criticism and it was really all about Hemi's need to respond to 'me' better. I wanted to say 'yes but, when he's with John..' but what good is that? I want to handle him. I want to hunt over him. So I listened.
After a few minutes I looked over the judges shoulder and saw the hunt test secretary walking our way. John was out with one of the Senior dogs so I had no back up. Gulp. Yes, tears were now going to fall. But they would be tears of great joy and happiness as I was awarded Hemi's great big orange rosette with the words "QUALIFYING SCORE JUNIOR HUNTER" on them!!!! My judge seemed surprised I was in such a state of disbelief! I told him I felt he had been trying to break it to me gently that Hemi may not have scored enough in one of the categories. Not so!!
Hemi had not only qualified, but he was not a finished AKC Junior Hunter!!! Dare I look at those scores written in on the back of his ribbon tag? Slowly I turned it over and read 10-10-10-6. I totally understood that 6 in the category because it reflected Hemi's trainability - not with John, but with me. Not a secret, and something to be conscious of. But nothing to be discouraged about at all! This was another first for us - the first time I've put ANY title on ANY dog! I'm very grateful that John foresaw this possibility. That's the real team effort, John and I both put two qualifying scores on him. I started Hemi, and I finished Hemi. Wow. Thank you John for encouraging me to do this.
What Next?
So we were still entered for the Sunday hunt tests. While we could have run him in Seniors, why set him up to fail, as well as set the stage for Hemi to possibly really mess up a dog ready for that level. I wouldn't want someone to run an inexperienced dog with one of our Seniors and I would definitely not do it to someone esle. So John ran Hemi again in anticipation of a qualifying score for the new advanced Junior Hunter test. He qualified without issue but we learned afterwards the best thing for us to do would have been to scratch him. To run this dog at a level that he has already mastered is to set him backwards in his training. You can't reach out and correct a dog that is under judgement. In the field (training not running him) if Hemi breaks point at all, he must be corrected. If Hemi were to continue at this level of testing he would all too soon Hemi would be taught it's acceptable to give chase. This is a key turning point.
Little Jack Puppy
Little Jack puppy (Bullet/Treasure) and his owners drove up to spend Saturday at the hunt test. We had enouraged them to consider how exceptional and obvious the natural instincts their 5 month pup are in light of the opportunity to give hunt tests a try. I personally really enjoyed spending more time with them and also was happy that Jack puppy enjoyed visiting with his Brittany 'family. He was staked out alongside of his father Bullet, his grandfather, Jackdog, half brother True, and of course his cousin Hemi. Nothing like keeping it in the family, right?!! Oh we have fun here, we really do. At the end of the day puppy had a chance to go out into the bird field to locate some of the many birds that were there as a result of the days testing. He did really well. John told me he accurately pointed out several birds which was pretty amazing in consideration of the other adult dogs who also took to the field about the same time.
AKC Recognizes Flyball Champions At Last!
Speaking of which - I am very happy to announce that AKC now recognizes the sport of Flyball. Consequently, Julie's amazing Sassy girl will FINALLY receive the recognition she deserves through AKC's new official titles awarded only to the top Flyball champions. The American Kennel Club will now recognize NAFA flyball titles for inclusion on pedigrees of AKC registered dogs. AKC will recognize three titles – Flyball Champion (FDCh), Flyball Master (FM), and ONYX. Titles earned back to January 1, 2000 may be recorded. Seems to me we know a beautiful girl named SASSY who qualifies for two of the top tier titles!!!! WOO HOO! About time AKC!!
In Closing
September 2012 has been a super banner month for John and I and the ATB crew of hunting dogs for sure! Not only because of the significant accomplishments that are recognized by the American Kennel Club but most notably because of the reports from so many who own and love our Brittany dogs. From the youngest to the oldest, we are blessed by the consistency which is demonstrated officially as well as where the rubber truly meets the road - in an actual hunting situation. The fact of the matter is when everything is said and done, we evaluate our breeding program through the testimony of the wonderful dog owners who live with the progeny of J&A's Brittanys. Thank you again and again and again, you all know who you are and you mean so very much to us, we appreciate the continued, ongoing support and for sharing this journey with us. I know that many of you have been in preparation for the upcoming bird hunting season. And others are actively involved with your J&A Brittany in other venues including the most important of all - family companion and couch potato extraordinairre.
I'll be watching the mailbox closely this week in anticipation of Pippins show photo! I can't wait to see it. It will be posted here of course.
I want to extend a heartfelt appreciation to the family who spent time with us over the weekend meeting our crew and watching Hemi work. It was a delight to meet you after corresponding for several months. I am excited for the future knowing it is likely that a J&A's Brittany puppy will be welcomed into your heart, your home, your lives. You are a very special family and once again, I know without a doubt God has caused our paths to cross.
Thank you to all who follow this blog and have an interest in our All Things Brittany lifestyle. Take care and God bless you always, John, Ann and our canine crew.
P.S. Hemi's Sunday Score
AKC Junior Hunter Advanced - Test Scores
Northern New England Brittany Club Hunt Test: September 23, 2012 - John handling - 9, 9, 10, 7
