J&A's The Story Behind the Story

The American Kennel Club's "Breeder of Merit" program began in October 2010.  In May 2011 John and I became enrolled as a result of meeting the current qualifications. This included:

• A history of at least 5 years involvement with AKC events
• Having bred a minimum of 4 dogs from AKC litters that had earned AKC Conformation, Performance, or Companion event titles in our Breed.
• A member in good standing of an AKC club.
• Certifying that applicable health screens are performed on animals that we breed as recommended by the American Brittany Club
• Demonstrating a commitment to ensure 100% of our puppies are individually AKC registered. 

Recently, we were very proud to discover we qualified for the AKC BRONZE Breeder of Merit, an advanced level of achievement and recognition. The additional requirements we have met for the BRONZE level include:

• Currently enrolled as a Breeder of Merit
• Provide PROOF of American Brittany Club's required health testing on sires/dams of litters
• Met our commitment of ensuring ALL puppies get registered
• Have had a minimum of 10 dogs earning titles with at least 5 of the titled dogs earning a prefix title (champion in all venues) and suffix titles in conformation, companion, and performance events. 

We've always been breeders of close working gundogs.  It's not a catchy phrase to promote our program.  It's who we are, who we have always been. Our preference was to simply stay in the woods and the fields with our Brittanys. We never had a desire to do much more than 'hunt em up'! Until a good friend said to me, if we wanted to be taken seriously as breeders, we should get involved.  

What did get involved mean?  Well, we discovered it meant meeting other Brittany owners and breeders, join the Brittany club, and support it's events. Then we had others say to us, "your dogs are beautiful, did you ever think about showing?" Well no, I absolute had not and had no desire to do so.  I was encouraged to give it a try although at that point in time I couldn't understand the importance of it.  

I jumped in feet first, without any experience or understanding of showing. Oh the stories I could tell of how I felt like a court jester when showing my dog!  And for years (and I mean YEARS!) when I showed, it was basically 'point fodder' for others.  But that is another story and that's okay! I was the one that the judge said he'd never seen anyone so excited to earn a second place red ribbon!  Hey, I earned a ribbon and I didn't care what color it was. 

So you get the picture.  Eventually my dear friend Julie Harris came into my life and between the two of us, we were determined to show to the best of our ability.  I can't tell you how much money and time we invested before achieving much more than a placement. (In time, we made a decision to enlist the assistance of a most amazing professional dog handler, J.M. Coccia.  Joyce finished Julie's BulletMan and shortly after that, finished our Pippin!) Julie and I improved our handling skills and our grit and determination grew stronger. It's a long story, a road full of twists and turns involving a lot of really super wonderful people. If they are reading this, I'm confident they know I'm talking about them.  And those who were not so 'really super wonderful' I bet they know who they are too! 

I am not a fan of showing dogs. But I believe in the purpose of showing my hunting dogs. Having said that, some of the best times with my dogs have been 'dog show weekends'. And now I really miss them. 

While there surely are many other breeders who have achieved far greater and grander accomplishments than the Bronze Breeder of Merit recognition, for me personally this is very humbling, significant and deeply meaningful.  In just 6 years, from 2012 to 2018 seven hunting dogs that we bred finished their AKC Championship, including one incredible girl who finished as a Grand Champion.

Last summer I showed Revere at the age of 12 months.  We only had 3 dog show weekends together. In that time he won Best in Sweepstakes, Best of Breed, Best Bred By Exhibitor, Group 4 Bred by Exhibitor and a 3 point major! And then, I fell in the ring and tore my hamstring. I went to physical therapy until everything shut down. But the story's not over.  It's just on hold. 

John will continue to title and finish hunting dogs. And we even hope to have a field champion someday - with my ultimate dream of a Dual Champion (both field and show). 

Thank you to everyone in our extended ATB Family who has jumped in feet first just like I did and finished your Brittany in any number of purebred dog sports! You found out it was fun to do something with your dog, that you could indeed compete and finish what you started!  YOU are the reason we are Breeders of Merit (Bronze Level) because you believe in our program, you get us, and understand what we're about.  No, we've never forced anyone but it's always ALWAYS been such a joy to see the determination you demonstrate. We have ENJOYED and will continue to enjoy guiding and encouraging others to step into a world beyond bird hunting! We are blessed. And we truly love you all. 

Our 7 champions and 1 grand champion that John and I bred are highlighted in the column over to the right. Someday I'm going to list ALL of our titled hunting dogs. Some really deserve a shout out for going above and beyond. 

(See John and Ann's Brittany Story for more about us)

J&A's Jack of Hearts - 1 Week Old

"If I could make days last forever, if words could make wishes come true. I'd save every day like a treasure and then, again I would spend them with you..." 

The puppies of Jack and Holly are doing exceptionally well as we now begin their second week of life. Their well being at this early neo-natal stage is primarily measured by their daily weight. I like to see at least an increase of one ounce or more per day and the Jack of Hearts puppies has been very consistent in their weight this first week. A good rule of thumb for our puppies is to see an average weight gain of one pound per week and these babies are spot on! Holly is an exceptional mother and keeps her puppies and their 'nest' very clean.  That's how it will be for the first 3 - 4 weeks but after that, she hands the full responsibility over to us so there is much to be done between now and then.  The puppies are under our watchful eye 24/7 as we stay right with Holly Beth.  Our life goes on hold when puppies are involved.  I feel if you can't dedicate the time it takes to raise a  litter of puppies, then you probably ought not to be breeding. It's a lifestyle choice which requires dedication and sacrifice.  It is always a labor of love and all for the love of the dog, both given and received.  Besides, in those first few nights of sleeping next to Holly and her puppies for me, there is also a sense of reverence and of the Presence of God.

The boys.

 A lot of development and growth are occurring already in the puppies.  Their movements become more deliberate with each passing day.  In the beginning they literally crawl and drag their little bodies across the area seemingly without purpose.  Then suddenly one morning you look at see that one puppy is beginning to use their legs to lift their little body up instead of dragging it.  For a few brief seconds they are actually walking until plop!  Down they go again. I was watching one of the pups treat the inside perimeter of the box as a race track.  Guided by the four sides the puppy seemed quite determined to  navigate the entire circumference. The times of being active are short lived as the puppies sleep most of the time. But when they are wide awake they are very busy.

The girls.

Puppy Love

This is the neo-natal stage where eyes are still shut tight.  They are aware of very little and their greatest needs are to be fed, warm, and kept clean. All of the pups are strong nursers.  I observe the puppies closely when they are nursing to be sure everyone is getting something to eat.  When there is a puppy that I feel isn't getting as much time as the others I simply take Holly aside and put that one puppy with her. Speaking of Miss Holly Beth she's always been somewhat of a fussy eater and more so now that she has puppies.  It is of utmost importance that she doubles or even triples her usual food intake because of the demands the puppies place on her. She is being fed Purina Pro Plan for puppies that is served up with either steak, hamburg, or chicken. I'm also feeding her cottage cheese, yogurt, ice cream, and nursing mother pudding.

The rest of our crew here are all doing well.  They are not allowed anywhere near Holly or the puppies. I think actually it is the hardest on Revere because he is accustomed to me being with him.  It is good for him though to spend more time with John. Even so, Revere is still just a puppy whose training needs to be ongoing and not hit or miss. When I've been away from him for any length of time he greets me by running towards me with his pig-pig toy insisting we engage in a game together! If I am with Holly and the puppies John always has the other dogs out and about enjoying the day simply being dogs. They are a very content pack and from the oldest to the youngest, they are all very very happy.

Well I think that's about all that I have in me to write tonight!  I have fallen asleep at the keyboard here and when I woke myself back up another hour had passed. I also had no idea what day it was! Sleep is a precious commodity right now and I am thankful when I can have several successive hours of it throughout the night.  But it's all worth it for this is such a short period of time in the overall life of a Brittany puppy. Take care and God bless!

J&A's Brittanys: Can't Help Falling

Wise men say only fools fall in love

But I can't help falling in love with you!

Holly lays nearby with her beautiful Brittany puppies. There is the most amazing suckling sound coming from one of the nursing puppies. That pup's obviously not going to miss out on lunch! Holly is going over each puppy fastidiously. She stimulates each of her babies to go to the bathroom and cleaning up any evidence that they went. Lovingly Holly Beth ever so gently checks their  tails and dewclaws following her exam with a kiss. The quiet whelping box indicates a contented, warm, fully fed litter. If the puppies erupt one by one into a chorus of protests or some kind we are anxious to find out why. Of course there is always one that is a little whinier than the rest and who seems to be 'crying wolf' a lot. Most pups are overall quiet at this neonatal age. That changes in a couple of weeks! Once in awhile something seems to please a puppy who will respond with one single joyous sound. It is when the intermittent solo debut develops into a full glee club chorus group that we investigate further. The only sounds of the current moment is music by Kevin Kern playing in the background, the hum of a ceiling fan, and the precious sound of nursing puppies smacking away. The pups surrounding temperature needs to be at least 86 degrees so we monitor that closely and have a supplemental heat source just for them. On the other hand we also use an air conditioner to control Holly's comfort. At this age their bodies lack the ability to regulate their own temperature.

Today the pups are introduced to the "Bio-Sensor Neo-Natal Puppy Training." Years ago I learned about the S.M.A.R.T puppy training program and started to use it with our Brittany puppies. Since we always handle our puppies from the first day it made sense to begin to help them awaken to the world around them in preparation for spending the rest of their life with humans who will love them. Holly is mindful in the beginning of the length of time one of her pups is out of her whelping box. That can be challenging when it comes to weighing the puppies or holding them so I make sure she is right there with them. I think she was curious about some of my handling techniques today but I reminder her we'd done this to her and she turned out quite well!


The puppies are  3 days old. The crucial
first 72 hours are behind us and have been uneventful. So thankful. And yes. "Can't help falling in love..." with what will in all likelihood be the very best litter of close working gundogs we have ever purposely bred. I don't mean maybe! In the meantime, John and I remain dedicated to laying the best foundation possible for these puppies as we have done for generations behind them. The inherent influence of both Jack and Holly will be strong of course. I can't wait to see those attributes surface that clearly are Jack Dogs!

Take care and God bless you and yours always.
John, Ann, and All Things Brittany


More Information

J&A's Brittanys: Seasonal Reflection

Recovery From Two Short Family Tragedies

Can you believe that it is already June?  I sure can't.  Life has been one big blur since John's massive heart attack, angioplasty (stent) surgery, and his 5 way bypass. Happily I declare with all certainty that his recovery has been nothing less than a miracle. John is back to doing most all of the things that he shares a passion for and of course that includes All Things Brittany.  Try as I may to offer reasonable suggestions about taking it easy, slowing down, listen to your body etc., etc., John is just happiest when he is actively pursuing some type of project. I am so thankful for the strength and determination I see in him and also how he has conceded to the reality of a change in diet, activity level, and the very real need to rest. Above all, we remain grateful to God.

Within days of my previous post back in April, our son's beautiful Katahdin Log Home was destroyed by fire.  Praise God no one was at home at the time as it was Sunday morning and all were at church when the call came in.  But their home was totally burned to the ground.  I was there at church when the call came in to the family. We were just shocked. My heart was broken for them all but our church family pulled together and we saw the love of Jesus in action. This is a very challenging time for all of the family as they truly are displaced. Fortunately they have excellent insurance and will be in a position to rebuild.  Emotionally though, it has been devastating especially because they lost their beloved family pet in the fire, a lovely Great Dane by the name of Stormy.  This has been surreal and very hard for all of them but especially my grandchildren. 

THANK YOU I wanted to take a moment and just say thank you from the bottom of my heart for the support that has come to both John and I as well as to our son and his family.  While the intent of my heart is truly to express appreciation individually I know that may not always be possible.  No gesture of kindness has gone unnoticed and has truly been a blessing. Please forgive us if we have not personally expressed our gratitude.  The support has been awesome and overwhelming, thank you!!

Speaking of Blessings

Our family experienced a very joyful and blessed event last month.  On May 18, 2019 our oldest granddaughter, Nova Marie was married to the love of her life, Chase Stearns.  It was such an amazing day and so full of happiness, happiness that the entire Short family really needed. I had the honor of making their wedding cake. Nova, who has always exemplified true beauty, was just stunning.  My favorite part of the wedding?  The father/daughter dance when they danced to Lavender Blue, Dilly Dilly.  When she was a little toddler, John Jr. always sang that to her. I watched them on the dance floor and my heart melted.  Thank you Lord for your faithfulness, generation to generation.  And soon, it will extend to yet another generation.

I have also been blessed to be back on the worship team at Maine Life Gate Christian church.  Most Sundays I have been on the platform with my other grandaughter and the team.  Brook is an anointed and gifted worship leader and the team in itself is amazing. I can't always be there this time of year but I treasure those Sundays I am.

And Then There's Revere

Revere is 11 months old now and continues to mature nicely.  We have taken several levels of training since December at Inspire K9 over in Alton, NH.  Our trainer is Megan Arey and she's one of the best as far as I'm concerned!  Revere and I continue to develop as a strong and bonded team. He is highly intelligent. Consequently, this means he either needs to be constantly challenged to learn new things or he will be constantly challenging! Right now it's a little bit of both. John and I recognized his potential early on to become an outstanding field dog.  At a very young age he was finding, and pointing upland game. We've been able to take hold of the zest and zeal present in this young puppy prior to introducing too much obedience.  For the first 12 months of a Brittany pup's life I believe that fun, spontaneity, natural desire and instinct are the building blocks to future success. This means little to no pressure or restraint around birds.  There is plenty of time for that.  Revere has a tendency to run big and I have learned it's a lot easier to bring a dog in than to teach them to go out. Revere is incredibly versatile. I do not want Revere to respond to strict obedience commands that results in a mechanical dog who gets the job done but only because of pressure exerted on them. Even so, Revere will turn a year old in less than a month so we have started to increase our expectations of him.  His inherent abilities and strong desire to naturally point, retrieve, back have been proven. Now it is time to polish the rough edges and graduate from kindergarten!

Once I saw the 'run' in Revere I consulted someone who I consider to be the best bird dog trainer. This trainer is more into hunting dog training than training focused on trials. Even so, he's a field trial judge and knows what to look for.  He's handled his own bird dog to a 4 pt major in gundog stakes and has 4 other adult placements with her as well as placements with other dogs he bred. (With dogs 'we' bred. Yes I'm talking about my awesome husband!) John agreed with me that we should give it a try with Revere. 

We brought Revere to grounds used for trialing for a serious run. With a tracking collar on and my heart pounding in my chest we set off.  Revere covered a lot of ground, ranged out and came back in nicely.  He made wide sweeps of open areas while seeking objectives and working the edge. Revere worked nice in the woods.  At one point he was out of sight which was briefly hair raising for me but the GPS showed us he was responding to my call. 

Physically speaking I have my own set of challenges and issues and I am not always up to handling. But I made a decision that day and entered Revere in not only two field trials but also in an upcoming NAVHDA Natural Ability test.  And I'm so glad I did. 

In the Central Maine Brittany Club spring trial Revere did so well.  I handled in two 20 minute puppy stakes both days and John handled him in two 30 minute derby stakes.  He came home with first place in both Open Puppy and Open Derby. Also a second place Amateur Derby.  (Holly also garnered a 2nd place Open Gun Dog that weekend.) Revere earned all his juvenille points towards an AKC Field Championship that weekend! 

The following weekend we left at 4 a.m. in the morning to be at the Sebasticook NAVHDA chapter's Natural Ability Test. (The prior day Revere's cousin Monroe earned his NA title and came to visit us on Sunday to cheer Revere on.) The only other time I'd been at anything NAVHDA was when Revere's mother Toph won a Prize 1 NA title, handled by our daughter. I've never attended any training clinic. So as the testing is based on natural abilities and instincts, I was confident Revere could do what was expected. He did not disappoint.  I handled him in each of the categories that were judged.  In the field he did run a little bigger than I think the judge liked so we were dinged slightly in cooperation and search.  But Revere found and pointed 4 birds and successfuly found a 5th one that was put out just for him.  He had to track a pheasant trail into the woods which he did perfectly.  Swimming is also tested and since he's naturally just loved jumping into our small farm pond that part of the test was perfect too! He jumped off the side and retrieved the two bumpers I sent out.  On the day of the test it was pouring rain on and off. It was quite a workout for me physically and I was grateful for a friend in the chapter giving me a ride down to the water on an ATV!

But I did it myself!

Next up, we will be testing for the AKC Canine Good Citizen Title and AKC Trick Dog Novice title.  I have also entered him in an upcoming dog show and plan on handling him.  I know that he'd do great in the hands of a professional handler but he's stuck with me and I will do my best to make him shine. Which really isn't too hard. Conformation wise, I like what I see in my boy!  I just have to do my best not to embarrass Revere.

Life has changed since John's heart attack and also since our son's house fire.  It's a time of reflection as I try to understand more about what really matters.  Above all it's a time of focusing on the things of the Lord. It's been a few years since experiencing a "refiner's fire" and it's not especially pleasant.  Seasons come and seasons go. I have always felt it was important especially for a woman to be aware of what season she is in in her life. Lately, as I wrestle with heart issues of a spiritual nature, I am nudged by Holy Spirit to remember my focus should be upon "whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Phillippians 4:8

Most of our beloved Brittanys are senior dogs.  I joke about having a geriatric ward but it's true.  Often it has been a sort of hospice here with certain dogs. That is a side we keep very private and

J&A's Ever Ready Rose of Acton - 14+

rightfully so.  I know that soon we're going to be saying goodbye to at least one special Brittany. All for the love of the dog, both given and received.  I am thankful for the 5 generations of Brittanys we have bred and I will always strive to perfect that which we have been responsible to create, by the Grace of God. As we know the inevitable awaits us, so too we consider all the special ATB families whose Brittanys have lived their lives, those that they have said goodbye to, and those who are (like Rosie) nearing the time of walking over the Rainbow Bridge.

Guess that's enough rambling for now.  Thank you as always for your interest and do stay tuned, check back! Take care and God bless you and yours, John, Ann, and All Things Brittany

J&A's Brittanys - As Time Goes By II

From ATB Archives:  2009, True is the puppy with spot on his head❤

This morning one of our vets made an official house call. We are blessed that he offers this service and it makes things a lot easier for us.  True and Toph's pups had their pre-health exam and were microchipped. They did great!  Next week they'll have their final health exams and receive first puppy shots (DA2PP). They too will have their P.A.T. evals.  Puppy selections will be determined. They will be 8 weeks old by next weekend and we will kiss them goodbye as the first day of the rest of their lives begin. We have had great reports on all of Holly and Bullet's pups in their new homes. I mentioned this to our vet. He complimented us, saying that all to prepare our puppies assures that the new owners will have a well adjusted puppy ready who will succeed from day one. He was also happy because his own new puppy has slept through the night and that housebreaking is going well. 

"Time is a gift, given to you,
given to give you the time you need,
the time you need to have the time of your life." N. Juster

I like that quote. Each day we are all given the same number of hours and each day we make use of them to the best of our ability.  It's different if you are retired, I get that.  But we are just as busy if not busier than we ever were before.  Especially at the moment.  My philosophy is that if I cannot give 110% to breeding, caring for the mother properly throughout pregnancy, thoroughly preparing for whelping, and devote myself for 8 weeks to rearing a litter of pups and screening for the absolute best families and homes - then if I cannot do that I should not be a purebred dog breeder. 

John, being the morning person that he is, often has his entire planned and has worked through most of it while I barely make it through my first cup of coffee.  On the other end of the day, I am at my best with the most energy happening in the evening and sometimes even into the next morning. It's crazy but it works and for the most part we can deal with each other's differences.  We're going on 44 years of marriage so that testifies to being able to work things out.

Before he retired 10 years ago all things whelping, breeding, training, cleaning and other responsibilities pretty much were left up to me as I was home full time at that point.  You develop your own way of doing things.  John was often so exhausted after often working 60+ hours a week plus the commute he had little left to give at the end of the day and understandably so.  As for me, this was before severe osteoarthritis reared it's ugly head, before the knee replacements and other things happened.  I remember it always seemed that pups came when John was at work and we kept the telephone lines open between us - there was no texting, messaging or Facebook.  I would also enjoy a daily training routine with Rosie, Jack, Molly, Scooby, Wish, and Promise.  Each morning I would bring them to the stake out chain in the front yard and one by one bring each dog out to work on a focused skill I was working with. They were fascinated to observe and behaved so well, each one waiting for their turn.  I did this morning and night.  On alternate days I would make trips down the road to the grounds that we ran dogs on.  My training methods were pretty much text book and I enjoyed seeing each individual Brittany work.  I learned so much from the dogs that we had at the time and felt a good foundation had been laid.

When John retired he hooked up with several other pointing breed owners involved with field trailing and gundog training, one being a trainer themselves.  They would frequently train together early in the morning, helping each other out.  It was a whole new schedule and as anyone knows, retirement brings with it new adjustments!  I continued to devote myself to other aspects of dog training such as basic obedience training, handling classes, and began to learn about showing dogs.  I focused now on learning more about the best breeding practices, the importance of proper puppy rearing and overall kennel management.

Fast forward to today and where we are now, we have become a team in regards to the Brittanys we love and live with.  Field training is ongoing for the crew. Not that they are all involved with competitive venues but they all thrive with their daily opportunities to run, exercise, and frequent exposure to birds and shot guns.  It is truly line up on line, precept upon precept. 

I'm seeing this teamwork especially with the busy-ness of the past year as we prepared and planned for the first litter of pups in 4 years.  And in doing so time has truly flown by, thus the quote above if you were wondering what the point was in posting that.  I cannot believe that September is a week away!  I can't believe that this season of rearing puppies is winding down.  Side by side, John and I have worked diligently to assure the best possible start for our puppies.  We have devoted ourselves without hesitation to their well being while working closely with our veterinarian(s).   We have also worked things out so there is no neglecting of those dogs with seniority so when I am with the puppies, John is with the older dogs. They swim, play, relax and also get to the field.  This summer I'm very happy to see Hemi coming along with his retrieving.  Especially happy to see how well Charlie has come along since coming home, he's a great bird dog, just like his father Jack was. My old girls are pretty accepting of the puppies.  Rosie did give us a scare this summer, she's going on 14  and we thought she was telling us it was time to make the journey to Rainbow Bridge. Our vet checked her out and miraculously she made a comeback, remaining happily now in her own little world.  It's getting so senior dogs are in the majority resulting in a geriatric crew!

I am tired but for all the right reasons.  I am not going to say "oh I will be so happy when all the puppies are gone".  Because that's not how I feel.  Tons of work, lots of puppy food, many bills, poop and more poop, and so on and so forth. I wouldn't miss this for the world though. My body aches, exhaustion has become the norm but by the Grace of God and those prayers that many of you say on our behalf, this puppy season has been full of joy, laughter, happiness and lots of love. It's how I spent my summer vacation.

Take care and God bless. Hope you've enjoyed the live videos on Facebook and the many photos I have shared.  John, Ann, and All Things Brittanys

J&A's Puppy Aptitude Tests & Photos

(Candid photos taken during testing follow the article!)

TESTS

As Holly and Bullet's  pups turned 7 weeks old  the Puppy Aptitude Tests and individual evaluations took place. Our good friend Paige Davis is a breeder of English Setters and she knows our dogs almost as well as hers. Paige came and spent a few hours here to perform the 'tests'.  It was a lot of fun for John and I to actually sit back and observe the pups individually in a new surrounding by a total stranger as Paige had never met them before. The results helped us reach our specific goal of fitting each puppy with the best family.  

The pups were extremely consistent at each level of the P.A.T.  For Social Attraction every pup came running to greet our friend,  bouncing up into her arms without being called to.  Each pup also happily followed wherever she went, jumping around and keeping their tail wagging the whole time, oh it was so cute!  The restraint which can sometimes be the most challenging (pup is held on the floor on it’s back for a full 30 seconds) resulted in little to no struggling.  If they did struggle, they quickly settled with some eye contact.  For the social dominance which immediately follows that test all the pups enjoyed the stroking, petting they received when they sat back up and some even climbed up into our friend’s lap and started to lick her face. Guess they forgave her for the restraint!  (It’s so important to remember – these tests are done at an exact and precise age and stage of development.  Sometimes people misunderstand the purpose of putting a puppy on their back and it can result in trauma!!  When it’s done as part of the P.A.T. there is a specific purpose as the outcome should balance the rest of the tests that surround it. The reaction of just putting the pup on their back and forcing it to remain there tells us nothing other than a human is bullying  a puppy. And maybe some trainers or animal behaviorists use it on adult dogs but truly it is totally old school and unless someone knows what they are doing – it should be avoided. I find this is so often misunderstood.) Then the elevation dominance follows. Over the years we have tested litters for other breeders of English Setter pups, Beagle pups and several others.  There is such a huge difference in the Brittany reaction to being elevated off the ground. (Cradle pup in our hands and let it hang there.)  Other breeds will wrestle their way out of our hands and make it nearly impossible to hold them!  These puppies were almost bored with that part of the test today it was just so funny!  We did the retrieving test.  This is ONLY intended to show the degree of willingness to work with a human and gives an bit of an idea of how much  will be involved with training your bird dog to retrieve.  Instincts are strong and while it was all about playing they did chase after a crumpled up paper ball that was tossed, pick it up and eventually (EVENTUALLY LOL) get it back to our tester.  Chasing it is just as important as returning with it,  but returning after chasing is a good thing too.  Now here’s an interesting thing about the touch sensitivity.  Pup was held and pressure was gently increased while pressing on the webbing of a front foot.  Not quite pinching but that’s the general idea.  The count is to 10 before stopping or, stopping when you get a response.  Let me tell you all that this litter is incredibly stoic because they averaged 8-10 counts before showing ANY reaction at all.  Sound sensitivity was next and basically while pup was on the floor in front of tester she picked up two puppy pans and clanged them together, making a sharp noise.  All the pups were curious and looked up to see where the sound came from but not one of them was afraid, no one ran, no one cringed.  The pans were then thrown across the floor making all kinds of racket and once again each pup reacted the same way by walking over, checking them out, and that was it ho-hum!  Sight sensitivity is for the purpose of intelligent response to a strange object jerked around them.  Well we have a little fun with this and attach a grouse wing to a fishing pole. This is NOT a test for true birdiness but it still was impressive to watch every single pup establish what is considered a flash of a puppy point!  Very stylish may I add.  It was just so much fun. (Speaking of birdiness, on the puppy development agenda before they go home is their second introduction to birds.  They have had a wing in the whelping box to explore and outside a pigeon set outside for the litter to find. Today or tomorrow they are going to be introduced to a quail, individually.  Can't wait!)

In addition to a modified version of the Volhart Puppy Aptitude Tests we also utilize components of the PUPPY PUZZLE by Pat Hastings, and the S.M.A.R.T. Puppy by Carmen Battagllia. We also incorporated aspects of the Puppy Culture and also Avidog.