MJ and Mac

August 2007

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August 3, 2007 - Under the Rusty Windmill

Well, we are getting rained on tonight. All the dogs are advancing well. We had two of our ranchers here tonight. The report is that if you have trouble finding birds in SD this year - you aren't trying too hard.

Sioux is running around and pointing birds - Chester and Bennie are working better. Maggie and Maggie - the sisters - are pointing birds every day. We are seeing broods of birds ranging from 3/4 birds to little ones - brood size from 4 or 5 to 12 to 15 - mostly pheasants but enough sharp tails to keep it interesting. Grace and Trooper are also getting into the act - Trooper is finding more birds, Grace is running better, just a matter of time before Grace figures it out and gets into the act with Trooper.

Chief and Charlie are pulling hard into the harness and it gets frustrating when they are pulling hard - it is sometimes difficult to stop. Nice solid dogs those two.

We are starting to break dogs - steady to wing and shot - we are making good progress - look out everyone when I get to Kansas - I have some contenders now. Lou is going to be judging in MT soon. I am planning on possibly going to a trial in ND - just depends on how well, Sahara, Mac, Ellie and others are running.

The Tanner/Polly pups are running and have caught a few quail, and even some wild birds. Krystal is very good. Nick is doing good. Little Patch and Big Patch are harassing the bigger dogs on a regular basis.

Keith - Posting from Under the Rusty Windmill

8/06/2007 Puppies - Growing up on the Prairie

Just when you think you got them all figured out puppies surprise you.

Today, we started roading the field trial dogs 10 miles - 12 actually - that's for another time. It was cool and overcast, and we set out normally with the puppies running with us.

As usual Sioux, and the Maggies were the stand outs of the younger dogs and of course Grace, Belle, and Trooper were doing their parts too.

As we came up on our 2nd water station, I was pleasantly surprised to see, Chester and Sioux, pointing - moving up a little, pointing again and repeating that about 6 times - Maggie and Maggie came in and pointed too - and on about the 4th relocation up came a bevy of sharp tails - from then on Chester was running and hunting the rest of the time.

Why is that surprising because Chester has always been the dog that has shown the least ability of the younger pups.

We, worked over 50 pheasants and sharp tails with the puppies this morning.

Keith - Posting from Under the Rusty Windmill

8/09/2007 - Under the Rusty Windmill

Well, we are now roading all the dogs 12 miles - about 2 hrs now. The spear grass is gone now, and we will be putting out water stations to start our horseback dogs soon. We will be doing 2 a day workouts from now until a couple of weeks. Breaking on pen raised birds in the morning - running our broke/green broke dogs in the evening.

Our puppy/derby dogs are doing fantastic now - Sioux, Belle, Maggie's, Grace and Trooper running hard and finding birds. Trooper, Flitter are also starting to be broke out.

We have broken down the dogs and started working them in groups. Those that are Broke and those that need a bit more work/a lot more work.

The following dogs are broke or nearly so: Rocky, Zorro, Wyatt, Mac, Sahara, Chief, Charlie, Layla, Joe, Alex, Gunner and Sweetie. We have been working hard to get to this point.

The following dogs are going to need lots of work, but we should have them nearly broke by the end of summer. Trooper, Flitter, Shiner, Dancer, Ellie, and Pepper.

The following dogs we have assessed to be too young or immature for breaking and will continue to work wild birds and watch their experience and confidence grow. Darlin, Blaze, Jax and Ariel

I am very pleased with this group of dogs this summer - I am well pleased with all the Llewellyns in the group, as well.

Keith

8/14/2007 - Under the Rusty Windmill

Well, we are well into 12 miles a day - all the dogs are roading hard and they are in fantastic shape. Maggie, Sioux, Grace, Maggie (o/w) are tearing up the prairie - birds are plentiful and they are in various stages of growth from 3/4 grown to very small chicks.

We have been working hard on all the dogs - they are making good progress.

Diamond - This is a fine orange and white male Llewellin, he stood broke steady to wing and shot for the first time today in our work outs with pen birds. This dog pulls hard and is very classy. Lots of style on point.

Puppies - Well, Greg came and picked up Randy Herman's puppy tonight so now we have a few sad littermates - but they were able to get over it quickly and went out and found and pointed numerous birds - it was pretty cool - considering they are only about 4 months old now.

Our broke dogs are - Layla, Alex, Joe, Mac, Sahara, Rocky, Zorro, Gunner, and Sweetie. These dogs have really taken the training they had and began to build on it very well, some have remained very solid on their training and others needed some reminders.

Charlie, Chief, Pepper, Diamond are making progress beyond my expectations. Blaze, Belle, Ranger are coming along slowly. But, considering their youth - they are doing well.

Trooper and Grace are great - Trooper is way ahead for a 10 month old dog - Grace is the star of our older dogs - she is one of the hardest, hunting dogs we have here.

Flitter is coming along very well, running hard, pointing well and with better style and she is just a wonderful, affectionate dog.

It has really been nice in the mornings here and we are able to work dogs until 11 or so in the morning. Today, we started very early and got 15 dogs worked on multiple contacts with only a couple taking any steps on their birds. Each one had at least 2 contacts on wild or liberated birds. It was awesome.

Until next time

Keith - Posting from Under the Rusty Windmill

8/24/2007 - Under the Rusty Windmill

Now for my update.

Well, we are having decent weather today - we had rain a couple days. We have been running puppies - Maggie, Sioux, and Maggie (o/w) continue to be the rising stars of the young puppies - but Chester, Bennie, and Tucker are getting better running harder and hunting better.

Grace, Belle, BeBe, and Kali are really turning things on and it is very refreshing to see them develop - they should all be very good, hard hunting dogs.

Alex, Layla, and Joe - Are very nice and all of them are backing, and standing broke on their birds with no missteps this week. We are making very nice progress and these dogs are really turning on.

Chief and Charlie are super nice dogs and they are impressing everyone that see's them. Chief is Kali's dad and they are two peas in a pod. Wow, nothing we show them intimidates them and they are really nice broke dogs now. A serious threat in Open and Llewellin field trials.

Diamond - This is the most refreshing dog on the string - he is going to be a great bird dog, he is standing broke through shot and although, he still wants to take some steps because he gets impatient with the fall - you can really tell he is going to be a very nice bird dog - heck, he already is - a bit more polish and he will be a brilliant, shining gem. Very nice dog. This dog will be interesting to watch as we work more on wild birds - he shows great potential to be a threat in llewellin trials

Flitter, Trooper, Shiner and Ellie - continue to make fine progress and for the most part are well derby broke - trooper and flitter are still tearing up the prairie - nice hard, charging classy dogs. Ellie and Shiner have been hormonally challenged but are now coming out of that and getting more time on the ground.

Darlin - This is a pretty nice GSP, she has a nice training attitude but still puppyish in behavior sometimes - she hunts hard and finds birds. We have seen her point and back numerous times this week. Progress continues.

Ted - This is a very nice dog - a bit young still - points with great style but still a bird crazy dog - will take some time to get him broke for trials but progress is great so far.

Ajax and Ariel - These are SM's I own and we work them as we can - the still show some immaturity but they are pointing and we are working them as we can. I think these are fine dogs with great potential for being very nice hunting dogs on a variety of game.

Sahara and Mac - Broke, classy, stylish dogs - a threat to win trials this year. Mac should be a winner in open trials all winter.

Dancer - This dog reminds me so much of her daddy - Tanner. Big, strong, great nose and style - she is a sweet dog too.

Well, thats all for now - gotta go work more dogs.

8/30/2007 - Under the Rusty Windmill

Well, we are making great progress - I am super pleased with all the dogs. We are having good weather the last couple days. But, we did have a couple days where the rain would not let us work.

Sioux, Maggie and Maggie (o/w) are still doing so great that it is hard to remember they are only about 6 months.

Grace, Trooper and Flitter - Wow, Grace can really run, such a sweet dog too. Trooper and Flitter are well on their way to being broke which is phenomenal progress - Trooper is about 11 months and Flitter is about 14 months old.

Chief, Charlie, Diamond, Sahara, Joe, Alex and Layla - are standing steady to wing and shot and backing very well. They are roading 1 to 1 1/2 hours a day - and are in super shape and taking their training lessons so well.

Shiner, Ellie, Ted, Pepper and Blaze - are all making progress but are not quite as steady as some of the dogs - these are all nice, bird crazy, dogs and I am confident that the lessons are progressing at a good rate. This just goes to prove that some dogs are ready to start breaking at a younger age than others. Things that need to be taken into account are personality, ability and mental calmness, and mental strength.

Dancer, Gunner, Sweetie - are broke or nearly so, but they are somewhere between our really broke dogs and those that are still breaking at the flush or shot.

PUPPIES - We still have 4 of the Tanner/Polly puppies - as well as Chester, Tucker, Bennie - These puppies are so nice. We have named the 4 puppies (temporarily) Nikki, Krystal, Patches, and Big Boy. Big Boy and Tucker were a mile away from camp hunting birds when Lou returned from Mobridge, SD. - This is super. Patches is often my companion on a 4 mile run 3 or 4 times a week. She has been pointing and flushing birds along the way for over a week. Chester and Bennie are running and hunting on the prairie well, for a long time they just ran in front of the quad/dogs - but with finding the birds they have they have also started roaming out on the prairie and pointing/knocking birds. These dogs are all going to be super or very nice hunting dogs - all of them are less than 6 months old and have already seen over 1000 birds and have pointed/knocked many/most of them.

Well, that is about it.

Keith - Posting Under the Rusty Windmill