Justa German Wirehaired Pointers

My introduction to the breed

2015-08-21T10:06:00.000-07:00

I met my first German Wirehaired Pointer back in 1978. His name was Jake, a liver roan male, later to become Ch. Sunshine Jake. After Jake was Boots, a little solid liver bitch with white feet, she was a real clown of a dog.

At that time, I was grooming dogs for a living when the owner of the kennel bought both Jake and Boots. I was pretty heavily involved in competitive obedience work at that time, training other peoples dogs and showing them to obedience titles in AKC. These folks also owned Weimaraners and I put a CDX title on one of their Weim bitches.

I had little to do with Jake, but when Boots came along, I started to work on her obedience. She was a tough little thing, a willing worker, but was much happier to do things her way, not mine. Competitive obedience with her was a challenge to say the least. We did finally get a CD (Companion Dog) title on Boots, and that was enough for me, and for her. This should have been a warning...

In early 1980 they bred Boots to Ch Talbachs High Society CD (Hank) owned by Charles and Barbara Kissinger of Penndel PA. and had a litter of puppies. I ended up purchasing one of those puppies, a solid liver female and she became my constant companion. This poor puppy waited for almost a month to get a name, nothing seemed to fit! One day I took her to my husbands car dealership to meet all of the people. The showroom was floor to ceiling glass walls, and this silly little brown thing kept running into the glass! She just didn't quite understand why she couldn't get "out there". To make a long story short, she ended up being named Bump!

This name would prove interesting over the coming years, and had I known then what I learned later, she would have been called anything but Bump.

Bump's growing up years
Bump was a precosious pup, eager to learn, but like her mother, not always willing to do things my way. ( I have learned over the years that this seems typical of females in this breed, more on that later.) I had never owned a sporting dog before, but I knew if I was going to own one, I wanted her to do the things she was supposed to do. With that in mind, I read all I could about the breed, joined the German Wirehaired Pointer Club of America and the local GWP club, the Delaware Valley GWP. Bump was about 7 months old when I attended my first pointing breed field trial. I knew nothing, abosolutely nothing about a field trial, or for that matter, what a pointing dog should do. But what the heck, with the backing of her breeder we entered her in the puppy stake.

When we got to the trial grounds, I watched, listened and asked as many questions as I could think of, but to be honest, I don't think I even knew what questions to ask! Luckily, I had many years of the obedience ring under my belt, so I had some idea of the competition end of things. But, what a pointer should do? Clueless!

Our brace was called and Bump and I headed to the breakaway. "Turn em loose" the judges told us, so I unclipped her lead and started walking. To be honest, I don't remember much of that event, except that my little liver dog caught a quail and brought it back to me. I do remember not wanting to touch it, but the judge told me to take it from her and give it to him. So I guess I did.

In the end, believe it or not, Bump won the puppy stake. Boy oh Boy, what a way to hook a newcomer, hand them a blue ribbon! That was the begining of my love of pointing breed field trials and my love affair with German Wirehaired Pointers.

Bump was a challenge from the git go, never doing exactly as asked, always looking to do everything her way. But she was a fun puppy, and she taught me an awful lot about the breed. They are a tenasious breed, never saying die, always on the go, a bit hard headed, but at the same time you can bruise their ego with a harsh word.

One weekend we decided to head upstate PA for a long weekend at a friends cabin in the woods. This cabin was on the Susquehana river, so we were going to do a bit of fishing while there. We loaded everything into the aluminum boat, including Bump who was about 4 mos. old, and off we went. The Susquehana is a shallow river, and many times we would have to get out and push the boat over or around rocky rapids. It was a fun day, but I don't think we caught any fish. On our way back to the cabin we were pulled over by the Game Warden because we forgot to purchase fishing liscenses. Somehow we fenagled our way out of a the warden giving us a ticket and we decided we better get home quick and get out of town before he changed his mind.

So we pushed the boat back into the river and headed downstream. At some point I looked around and realized Bump was not in the boat! She must have gotten out while we were talking with the Warden and wandered away. My puppy was gone!!! And at that point we were quite a way downstream from where we last had her.

We pulled over and I started shouting for her, hoping she would hear me and come to my calls. (Now, remember back at the beginning when I told you how her name would come back to haunt me?) "Bump"! "Bump!" "Bump here!" I shouted over and over and over as loudly as I could. Other boaters floated by and they must have thought I was trying to warn them about the rocks.... they were looking at us like we weren't wrapped to tight.

After a long time we got back in the boat and started back upstream, all the way me shouting "Bump!" I'm sure the locals were ready to call the police on us. My husband warned me that we may not be able to find her and to prepare myself for the possibility. After what seemed to be miles of pushing that boat over and around rocks, I caught a glimpse of something moving on the opposite bank of the river. I yelled again "Bump!" and believe it or not, there she was, following us upstream, just on the other side. Never one to do anything the easy way, she had chosen to swim the river trying to get to us. Life would never be simple with Bump.

Over the next 14 years, Bump and I had success in several areas. She completed her show Championship and her CDX title, so her official name was Ch Malpats Justa Bump CDX. Her field trial career brought home several blue ribbons and she retired from competition with 6 pts toward that title. I wish I knew then, some of the things I know now, because she would have probably finished as a Dual Champion. But it was not to be, more my lack of experience as her lack of talent.

As time goes by, I'm sure I'll have more Bump stories to tell.

The Next Generation

When Bump was 4 yrs old, we decided to breed her and have puppies. We chose Jake to sire the litter, mostly because he was there. Not the best way to choose a sire, but at that time I really didn't know any better. There was another dog that lived in Washington state that I had seen that I really liked, but the distance at that time was prohibitive. (Flying dogs for breeding wasn't an easy thing to do in those days). His name was Fredrich's Figure It Out, Figure to his friends. To this day I wish I had been able to breed Bump to Figure, but it was not to be.

Bump gave birth to my first litter of GWP's on March 16, 1985. There were 16 of the little darlings!!!! 14 of them made it. What in the world had I done? Again, not knowing any better, I had little fear of not being able to sell all of these puppies, after all I had a CH with a CDX title. The world would beat a path to my door. Right? Wrong!

When the puppies were roughly 8 wks old, I had sold a grand total of 8, leaving us with 6 puppies to find homes for. Eventually all but two went to new homes and I had learned a valuable lesson.

Don't breed a litter of puppies without deposits from people looking to purchase puppies.
Don't breed a bitch just because you think she is the best thing in the world.
Get the opinion from others in your breed if your bitch is worthy of being bred.
Find a mentor in your breed, someone you can discuss pedigrees, breeding programs and your goals with.

We ended up keeping two males, Putter and Bogey. Why these two? No one else seemed to want them, so they stayed with us. And, in the long run, thank goodness no one else wanted them.

Sometimes fate works in your favor.

2008 German Wirehaired Pointer Club National Events

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2008 GWPCA National Field Events

Congratulations to all of the winners! And a huge thank you to the Eastern Nebraska GWP Club for all of your help putting on the event. It could not have happened without you!

2008 National Championship

24 entries

Judges: Mary Karbiner & Dan Long

NFC/DC Backwoods Sure Shot Marley Breeder: Greg Dixon & Roger Bultman Owner: Helen Shelley By: NFC/DC/AFC Sure Shots Hot Rocks MH x Ch Backwoods Mo Kick
Overbaron's Chix Dig Me Breeder: John & Ruth Schoonover Owner: Tony McCrane By: NAFC/DC/AFC Cascade Jagd Freund x OKK Ebony Flo Laveau
DC Griffith's Willy Be Mine? Breeder: Fred & Amber Daggett Owner: Carolyn & Doug Griffith By: Harris's Huntin Buddy x Molly Dancer Hunter
FC/AFC Cascade Maria Breeder/Owner: Ray & Lynn Calkins By: NFC/NAFC Cascade Ike MH x Mari's Cascade Indiana

Puppy Classic 5 entries

Judges: Mary Karbiner & Dan Long

Tumalo Timberjack Breeder: Brady Shannon Owners: John & Sandy William By: NFC/NAFC/DC/AFC Rudolph's Blitzen von Duffin x Slick Shooten Maggie
RLB Schnellberg's Criminal Intent Breeder: R &L Bultman, J Wilkinson, T Boldin Owners: Sue DeGraw By: Ch Schnellbergs Freedom Reigns x Ch RLB's Tigger DeVille SH
SH Whitetail's Fancy White Lightning Breeder: Debbie Darby Owner: Debbie Darby By: Ch DKE Liberty Aztec JH x Whitetail's Iowa Ice JH
Brillows Macks A Million Breeder: Rhonda Haukoos Owners: Doug & Sonja Fiala & Rhonda Haukoos By: Piemonte Luicifer von Chisola x Brillows Abaracadabara

Derby Classic 20 entries

Judges: Joe Luisi & Gene Moseley

Cascade Double Barrel Breeder: Ray & Lynn Calkins Owners: Gary & Sandy Wickwire & Ray & Lynn Calkins By:Cascade Ozermaya x Cascade Franki Lin
Ch. Sure Shot's Sonora Gone Heywire Breeder: Doug Ljungren & Judy Cheshire Owner: Penny Ljungren By: Ch Sure Shot's Rock On x DC/AFC Sure Shots Wide Open Spaces
Whitetail's Eli's Brother Breeder/Owner:Debbie Darby By: Ch DKE Liberty Aztec JHx Whitetails Iowa Ice JH
Cascade Flying the Coop Breeder:Ray & Lynn Calkins Owner: Carolyn Griffith By: DC Griffith's Willy Be Mine? x FC/AFC Cascade Maria

Amateur Championship 18 entries

Judges: Joe Lluisi & Gene Moseley

NAFC/Ch. Ariel's Justa Gotta Go Now Breeders: MaryPat Ezzo & Bernee Brawn Owners: MP Ezzo, Bernee Brawn & Fran Sakiey Handler: Bernee Brawn By: Ch Sure Shot's Rock On x Ch Ariels Justa Too Tuff To Tame CD MH NAJ
NFC/ DC Tumalo Joe Breeder: Ann Duffin & Meg Eden Owners: John & Sandy Williams Handler: John Williams By: NFC/NAFC/DC/AFC Rudolfs Blitzen von Duffin x Ch Von Duffin's Lady Bug MH
FC/AFC Cascade Maria (see National Ch)
Brillow's Wild West Show Breeder/Owner:Rhonda Haukoos Handler: Bob Erbe By:FC Wildwire's Cowboy JH x Ch Brillow Ally's Lil Snippet

2012 AKC Gun Dog Championship

2011-12-29T03:21:00.000-08:00

2012 AKC POINTING BREED GUN DOG CHAMPIONSHIP TO RUN AT

HISTORIC AMES PLANTATION IN TENNESSEE

– Area Rich in Bird Dog History –

New York, NY — The American Kennel Club® is pleased to announce the 2012 AKC

Pointing Breed Gun Dog Championship will take place at the Ames Plantation near

Grand Junction, TN, beginning Monday, February 27, 2012. The area has been long

associated with bird dogs: the first organized field trial in the U.S. was held near

Memphis, TN in 1874 and the American Field National Championship has been held on

the Ames Plantation since 1915. Grand Junction is also home of the Bird Dog Museum,

which preserves the history of the sport.

“We are very pleased to be running at Ames and feel this event provides a unique

opportunity to appreciate the sport’s rich history,” said Doug Ljungren, AKC’s AVP of

Performance Events. “Pointing breed enthusiasts will be able to watch great bird dogs

and also visit both the Ames Plantation and the Bird Dog Museum to learn more about

the history of their sport.”

The Pointing Breed Gun Dog Championship is the largest National Championship open

to all pointing breeds. The traditional format of the event will be modified in 2012 to fit

the historic courses at Ames, with only one Championship stake run. The one hour,

non-retrieving, two series event will run for a total of 12 days, on birds native to the

Plantation. The entry will be capped at 132 dogs.

Qualifiers for the 2012 event will include dogs that have earned their AKC Field

Championship or Amateur Field Championship title or dogs that have placed in large

stakes in 2011. In order to ensure representation of all breeds, dogs that win their

breed’s 2011 AKC National Gun Dog Championship stake (Open or Amateur) will have

a spot automatically reserved. The winners of the 2011 AKC Pointing Breed Gun Dog

Championship held in Idaho will also have a spot reserved.

Event Chairman Ken Blackman, a resident of western Tennessee, has already been

impressed with the local support shown for the trial. “The community has been

extremely welcoming. Due to the region’s long involvement with bird dogs, sporting dog

events are appreciated, and this area understands and is grateful for the business these

events bring to the community,” he said. “The local Chambers of Commerce, community

groups and businesses are pitching in to ensure the success of the Gun Dog

Championship. Our thanks also go to Dr. Rick Carlisle and his staff at the Ames

Plantation for their assistance!”

Major sponsors of the 2012 AKC Pointing Breed Gun Dog Championship include Purina

(the official dog food sponsor of the AKC Gun Dog Championship), Tri-Tronics, Eukanuba Pet

Food, Garmin International, SportDOG, Hardeman and Fayette County Chambers of

Commerce, Bank of Fayette County and the Hobart Ames Foundation.

For more information, visit:

www.akc.org/events/field_trials/pointing_breeds/gun_dog_championships/. The page

will be updated throughout 2011.

How dogs move, and why

2011-12-09T15:43:00.000-08:00

BLOAT-Please watch and learn about this deadly condition

2011-11-18T16:41:00.000-08:00

To learn more about bloat... go here http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_bloat.html

2012 Litters

2011-10-16T06:35:00.000-07:00

Four litters planned for 2012.............

LouieSonora

Louie x Sonora

We have a very exciting litter planned for spring 2012.

"Louie" DC/AFC/NAFC Ariels Justa Gotta Go Now ofa good was the #1 Gun Dog in 2010, is currently the #1 Gun Dog for 2011,was the 2008 NAFC, and is a few points shy of his Grand Championship. His kids are just beginning their competitive field careers and others are proving themselves across the country as family companions and hunters. "Louie" is known for his fluid movement in the field and his wonderful temperament, qualities he is passing along to his kids.

"Sonora" Dual Ch. Sure Shots Sonora Gone Heywire- was the winner of the 1st Mid West Classicand was 4th in the GWPCA 2011 Amateur Gun Dog Championship. Sonora completed her Dual Championship (Field Champion & Show Champion) in November 2011 by defeating 18 other dogs in a retrieving stake.

Sonora is quick in the field with super style on her birds! She has a pleasing personality and wants to work with you. Super easy to break steady to wing and shot, she is currently the #2 Gun Dog and is breathing d0wn Louie's neck for the #1 spot.

We expect this breeding to produce quality GWP's with solid, likeable, easy going temperaments. These two are both easy to live with dogs, get along well with other dogs, not a mean bone in their bodies.

The pedigree for these two compliment each other and is full of some of the best GWP's in the history of our breed. If you are looking for a competitive GWP that is easy to train...... this could be the litter.

For more information on this litter, please contact Judy Cheshire at
heywiregwp@gmail.com

Louie

Kitty

NFC/FC Brillow's Wild West Show

Puppies due the end of February 2012

Miss Kitty is the 2009 GWPCA National Field Champion and was the #1 Open Gun Dog for 2009.

She has a nice coat, dark eye and has produced both in her first litter. Kitty is a big going Gun Dog with a ton of drive and point. She is biddable, was broke before 2 yrs old and enjoys time in the house as well as being comfortable in the kennel.

Kitty's first litter produced.....

2011 National Futurity

Winner- Uodibar Freebee "Freebee"

3rd place-Brillows Big Wild Western "Wiley"

2011 Derby Classic

Winner-Brillow's Big Wild Western

2nd place- Uodibar Freebee

2011 National Championship

2nd- Brillows Big Wild Western

(Wiley completed his FC one week later at the GWP of Eastern Nebraska field trial- under 2 yrs old!)

Kitty has proven her worth as a solid brood bitch with her first litter and we are expecting great things from this next litter with her and Louie.

If you are looking for a competition or brag dog with true Dual Champion potential this is a litter to consider.

Please contact Rhonda Haukoos for more information.

brillowkennels@iowatelecom.net

Louie x Riot

Breeding is taking place late November, and if all goes well puppies should be on the ground late January.

For more information, contact Riot's owner, Adam Cunningham at cunningham.adam@gmail.com

Cotton x Stella
Stella (Louie's sister) has just been bred to FC AFC Wingfields High Cotton owned by Ben Coller. Cotton is the GWPCA's #1 Amateur Gun Dog for 2010 and 2011!
This litter should give us some real go getters, with wonderful temperaments and lots of talent!
For more information, please contact Ben at dbcoller@aol.com
Cottons pedigree-

Top Field Standings 1/2011-6/2011

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Field Top Ten Rankings are based on dogs defeated.

Submitted by Lynn Sandor email sandorcpa@comcast.net

Dogs Number of

Number

Dog Name Owner Defeated Placements

OPEN SENIOR DOGS (GUN DOGS)

1 NAFC DC Ariels Justa Gotta Go Now M Ezzo/B Brawn, PA 104 4

2 CH Sure Shot's Sonora Gone Heywire P Ljungren, WA 86 5

3 FC Tumalo Timberjack J & S Williams, OR 60 3

4 Big Oaks Jacpine Savage V Grimslid, WI 58 4

5 NFC FC Brillows Wild West Show R Haukoos, IA 53 3

6 DC Schnellbergs Freedom Reigns S Degraw, MI 49 2

7 DC Wireswest Mardi Gras M Eden, OR 46 3

8 NFC DC AFC Tumalo Joe J & S Williams, OR 41 3

9 High Power's Jolt To The System JH B DeLaby, FL 35 2

9 FC AFC Overbaron's Chix Dig Me MH A McGrane, IA 35 2

10 Sure Shot's Pretty Summer Endless Play JH H Stapgens, Alaska 34 2

In Open Senior Gun Dogs, a total of 24 GWPs placed 48 times, defeating 847 dogs.

AMATEUR SENIOR DOGS (GUN DOGS)

1 CH Rlb's Got Moxie At Drakkar MH E Shupp, PA 66 5

2 FC Wingfield's High Cotton JH D & P Coller 52 4

3 FC Wiredwest Sureshot Oakley MH N Solt, UT 38 3

4 Big Oaks Jacpine Savage V Grimslid, WI 32 3

5 FC AFC Overbaron's Chix Dig Me MH A McGrane, IA 27 2

6 FC Tumalo Timberjack J & S Williams, OR 26 2

7 Wireswest Radical Girl MH M Eden, OR 23 2

8 CH Idawire Field Of Dreams A & A Cunningham, CO 19 1

9 Jed's Blue Angel UD RAE K Braddock, MI 18 2

9 Zippin Calahoo Q Wiseman 18 2

10 DC Schnellbergs Freedom Reigns S DeGraw, MI 17 2

In Amateur Senior Gun Dogs, a total of 24 GWPs placed 43 times, defeating 438 dogs.

JUNIOR DOGS (PUPPY/DERBY COMBINED)

1 Backwoods Monja M & J Brown 86 8

2 Harvey's Justa Jeff T Harvey 77 10

3 Brillow's Big Wild Western R Haukoos, IA 51 6

4 Big Oaks Sweet Thing V Grimslid, WI 42 8

5 Aimn Hi Go Daddy Girl JH R & P Doyle, MI 36 11

6 Misty Meadows Annie W Siemers 34 6

7 Tumalo Heart J &S Williams, OR 31 4

8 Tumalo Teddy J &S Williams, OR 23 3

9 Tumalo Bea J &S Williams, OR 21 3

10 Thunderhill's Hurricane J Paulus, WI 21 4

Field Top Ten January Through June 2011

2011 GWPCA MidWest Classic

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We would like to invite all German Wirehaired Pointer owners, breeders and enthusiasts to be a part of history-

http://www.GWPCAMidwestClassic.com

Please click on the above link to go to the Mid West Classic web site.

Rants, Raves and Opinions

2010-10-13T04:10:00.000-07:00

Here is where I'm going to ramble on about things that have to do with dogs, my dogs, and the breed in general. Remember as you read... these are my opinions only. You may agree with them or disagree with them, that's ok.

If you would like to comment on them, great! Be warned that I will remove personal attacks on people or individual dogs, but feel free to let your opinions be known.

October 13, 2010

Nationals are over for this year, and I'm glad to be home. It was an enjoyable trip, but long, too long. Being away for 2 weeks is getting tougher and tougher as the years go by, and by the end of the 2 wks, I was ready to go home.

Congratulations to all the winners, to their owners and breeders,

This was my 29th National..... and the event sure has changed over the years. We've gone from dog dishes as trophies to bronzes worth hundreds of dollars. My very first National trophy was a stainless dog dish with an engraved plate on it. I still have it.....it's dented and well used, but treasured and was won by Sure Shot's Justa Racie Lacie in the Futurity (or derby?) in Southern CA. That year the field events were held in the Mojave Desert, a dry, miserable place where we killed Rattle Snakes and tried not to scare the tortoises. I hope to never go back there.

Judging this year was by all western judges. All of our judges were from the west coast, cost effective for sure, but not sure a wise decision on the part of those who voted for them. Having all of our judges from the area where the Nationals are held opens up a perception problem. This is one reason the FEAC made the rule that the local host club chooses 2 judges and the FEAC chooses 2 judges, but when people form a voting block and they all decide to vote for the locals, well... I'm just saying. Perception problems. And then when we have one of our judges post on a email list and congratulate the local winner and leave out the non local winners..... I'm just saying.... Perceptions.

There has been talk amongst some of the need to centralize the Nationals. Have them in one place, the same week every year. The other talk has been to have 3 locations, east, central and west. Both ideas have merit and it's something that needs to be discussed amongst GWPCA members. GWP owners, just like their dogs, don't seem to like change and can be downright snarly when anything different is brought up.

In my 29 trips to the Nationals I can tell you that I've seen the same people year after year, no matter the location. Others are only seen when convenient to them, and others will only attend when they have a dog that can win something. So, I s'pose the question is.... for whom (or what) are these events for?

In that same vein, the thing that did make me sad at this years Nationals was that the Top Dogs from our Show ranks were not there. I guess I am old school and believe that appearing at the National Specialty should be the highlight of the year. This is where your breeders and owners get to see the dogs, dogs they may have only seen photos of. This is what the Nationals should be about, the best of OUR breed! It's too bad that we have owners who feel our Nationals are not important enough for them and their dogs.

We all want to win, it's human nature. But entering a dog in the Nationals (show, field, obedience....) is more then winning. It's showing the GWP world your breeding stock, what the dogs are producing, how they run, how they point, how they move, what coats are looking like. Only a couple of dogs are going home winners, but having the chance to see lines, families of dogs, generations of dogs- that is what it's all about. At least that's what it's all about to me.

Thanks to everyone who worked for well over a year to give us the opportunity to come to WA and see the dogs!

Bernee

Wonder Why Your Dog is Fat?

2010-07-08T12:47:00.000-07:00

How To Choose a Professional Trainer

2010-06-15T09:10:00.001-07:00

I remember the first time I sent one of my Wires out with a professional field trainer. It was horrible! I felt like I was sending her away, she would never be the same, how could I do that to my wonderful little dog?

It was the best thing I ever did!

Too many of us believe our dogs will just simply die without us. It's our ego's, it's our sense of loss that bring us to those conclusions. After 30 yrs in this breed I've learned it's simply not true. Your dog will (or should) bond with the trainer in a very short time, and while they will be happy to see you when you come for a visit, they will also look to the trainer for direction. However... if you go for a visit and your dog is not a happy camper, is obviously not bonded to the trainer, is not jumping up and wagging their tails.....it might be time to take them home and look for someone new.

One thing I found amazing...even when gone for a long time.... every single one of my dogs came home and acted as though they had never been gone. They knew which chair was theirs, what time dinner was, greeted their doggie friends and human friends like they had never been away. They have amazing memories!!!

Our breed, the GWP, is known to be a one man dog. Once they adopt you as the boss, they can and do become very attached. Some dogs become too attached and end up with separation anxiety problems. Not fun to live with!

One way to stop this is to send a young dog out with someone else for a period of time. A friend, family, fellow GWP owner, just another home. I feel this teaches them that good things can come from lots of people, life doesn't end when your favorite person is not there. They learn to adapt, to accept change, to get over things.

I like to send out my youngsters when they are right around 6-10 mos. old...sometimes for a week, a month or maybe longer. And if you are going to send them out somewhere, why not get some training done? Have them learn something? Something useful for the future?

But I want to do it myself!

Well, of course you do. And if you have the time, the resources, the land, the birds, the experience, the knowledge, you go for it! A great bond can be made by the owner doing all of the training. And when done, both you and the dog can have a great sense of accomplishment.

However, if you don't have the time, the resources, the land, the birds, the experience and or the knowledge.... you can sure screw up a potentially great dog! Our Wires are pretty resilliant, but a little bit of knowledge is not a good thing when it comes to training a dog. Make a mistake, use the wrong techniques and a good dog can quickly become a gun shy, bird chasing, run off, boot polishing mess.

Reading books, watching videos, going to training days will help you not make these kinds of mistakes, and I always suggest new dog owners do all of these things. If you are determined to do it yourself.... arm yourself with as much knowledge as possible. Join one of the Bulletin Boards on the internet, read the training blogs, talk to as many GWP owners as you can. And keep an open mind! No one training technique works on every dog, they are as much individuals as we are. And last but not least... have fun! Laugh off the little mistakes your dog makes, there is always tomorrow.

When looking for a professional field trainer there are several things I consider.

Do They Know The Breed?

First and most important to me .... Do they have experience with GWP's? Do they know this breed? Have they owned them, or worked with them in the past? What is their overall opinion of the breed? Do they like them, hate them, have few kind words about them?

There are a ton of Pro's out there who have had great success with GSP's, Vizsla's etc., but have never worked a Wirehair. If they believe a gun dog is a gun dog, and they all train the same, I would be very hesitant to send them one of my Wirehairs. These dogs are NOT GSP's with a longer coat. They think different, they train different, they mature different.... good or bad, it's what it is.

I'm not going to go into all the why's, or if it's a good or bad thing, I'm just giving my opinion. If you are looking for a field trainer, find out if they have experience with GWP's.

Priorities and Goals for your dog

What are your goals? Do you want a weekend warrior that will be a comfortable gun dog? Are you looking for a dog that will be a nationally ranked competition dog? Are you a breeder looking to produce the very best dogs possible and want your breeding stock proven? Some trainers can do all of the above, some are competiton guys only, some specialize in hunting dogs, some are breeders who know what they are looking at.

Discuss what you want in your dog when the training is complete. Ask the trainer what type of timeline you might expect to complete those goals, a month, 2 or 6? Is being steady to wing and shot important to you? A dead on retriever, advanced water work?

One thing I would suggest is to keep an open mind when discussing your goals with an individual dog. Not all dogs have the same amount of talent. Not all dogs are going to be top notch water dogs, or field trial contenders. Ask the trainer to give you an honest evaluation of your dog, and try not to get your feelings hurt if they don't turn out to be what you expected. Then again... you may have a star athlete whose talents far outshine your goals. If so, take the time to consider allowing the dog to go on and showcase those talents!

Do You Like This Trainer?

The next thing I feel is very important is- Are you comfortable talking to this trainer? Do you have a good rapor with them? Is asking questions easy ? Do you feel their answers to you are up front or a canned speech. Are they honest?

Personally, I want to be kept in the loop when I have a dog out with a trainer. I appreciate a phone call or email from time to time letting me know how the dog is doing. I want to know if progress is being made, is the dog moving forward, are there problems? If I call them, I want a return phone call within a reasonable amount of time. Hey, I'm sending them money, the least they can do is keep in touch with me! That's my dog they have and I want to know what's what!

With todays technology there is little reason for a trainer not to keep in touch. And a bonus would be a photo or two, maybe a short video of the dog working. I know, trainers are busy guys and usually a one man band, so their time is limited.......but sending out an email takes about 2 minutes... writing my check every month takes about the same amount of time. I feel it's a pretty good tradeoff.

Location, Location, Location

Another consideration is location. Are you willing to send your pooch off to a trainer many many miles from home? The best trainer for your dog may not be as close to home as you may like, or you might be lucky and they are within a couple of hours drive.

Being close has it's advantages for sure. You can go there and participate in the training process, you can see your dog and keep track of his care and progress. And best part is... you can learn how to train and handle your dog. If you do go to your trainers for a day to watch, be prepared to work and help. Don't expect to be entertained.....go grab the pooper scooper and pick up. Go fetch fresh water and fill the dishes, make yourself useful. Remember, trainers have dogs from many owners and they all need to be worked. You can't expect them to drop everything and take care of you all day long... you wouldn't like it if your dog sat while another owner got all the attention. Fair is fair.

But what if the trainer you like is very far away? This can be a dilemna and a very difficult decision to make. In the past I've sent dogs to California, Georgia and now Iowa. Trust me, I had to think long and hard about it before I sent any of my guys out. It wasn't going to be easy for me to keep track, I could only go a couple of time a year to see them, and I was going to have to depend upon and trust these trainers.

Before I left a dog with anyone, I knew them. I had watched them work dogs, I knew what their strong points were, I had talked to other owners who had dogs with them. If I had a bad feeling about them, my dogs were not going. I didn't care what their success records were. I had to be comfortable with them. And the dogs had to be comfortable with them!

When Good Things Go Wrong

I will say that there were a couple of times that I made the wrong choice for a certain dog. The dog and trainer just didn't gel, their techniques just didn't work for that dog. When I knew I made the wrong choice, I brought the dog home. No hard feelings, it just didn't work out.

But I've also made some really great choices and these folks have become very good friends and mentors for me. I may no longer have a dog with them, but I will always recommend them to others, will always trust their judgements and look to them for advice.

Bottom line, sometimes sending a dog out with a Pro is the right thing to do for your dog. If you want a competitive field trial dog, a Master Hunter, a NAVHDA UT dog and if you don't have the know how..... or the time......don't feel guilty where your dog is concerned. Think about it this way... they will be out doing what they were bred to do every day, not just here and there when you have the time. You will get back a trained, confident, reliable dog.

Sometimes, it's just the right thing to do!

2010 NAFC/DC AIRELS JUSTA GOTTA GO NOW "Louis James"

2010-05-25T07:01:00.000-07:00

To see all of Louie's FT placements go here
http://arielsjustagottagonow.blogspot.com/

2010

Truly great dogs know how to adjust their range and hunt the cover as it unfolds in front of them. Louie is one of those dogs. In the tight grounds of the east, he closes up and hunts close. In the chuckar hills of WA he showed what he is truly made of and covered the hills as an all age dog!

Here is what the reporter for the 2010 Nationals (Sunnyside WA) had to say about Louie's performance:

"Louie had a stylish find at 11 minutes in the sage to the right just past the first water barrel. At 13 minutes, he had a second find along the fence at the upper end of the canyon and continued his all age forward race throughout the 45 minute stake. "

If you are interested in a puppy from Louie, go here

Louie and the 2010 GWPCA Nationals

3rd in the National Championship

3rd in the National Amateur Championship!

The National Championships were run in Sunnyside WA in early October. The course was tough, high desert with very little cover for birds. It was warm and dry and for a dog from the east coast... a challenge. No tree lines, no obvious objectives, it was a learning experience for both dog and handler.

But what a place to watch dogs work!

In the Amateur, Louie had 6 finds, all handled with style and perfection. I believe he had the most birdwork of any dog in the stake and coupled with all those finds, Louie ran the course with power and strength. He finished his 45 minutes strong and to the front.

In the Open Championship, Louie ran a true All Age race, finished the course strong and to the front. His birdwork was perfect, high tail and head. The scenting conditions on that morning were tough and many dogs unfortunately went birdless. After lunch, a front moved in and conditions improved dramatically with most of the dogs running then having multiple finds. Ahhh, field trials, when you are braced can mean everything.

We were very proud of Louie's performances in the 2010 Championships!

Congratulations to Louie's daughter (Louie x FC Jerelin's Justa Stacked Deck)

Justa Gotta Keep the Faith

winner of the 2010 GWPCA Puppy Classic

"Faith" is owned by Cindy Heiller, CA.

Louie had a tremendous 2010 spring season.

In February, I received a phone call from Jim West and Rhonda Haukoos, professional gun dog trainers from Iowa, asking me if I would consider sending Louie out to him so he could run him in the AKC Gun Dog Championships.

I had to think about this for a bit, but not for long. Jim trained and handled the 2009 GWPCA National Champion, NFC/FC Brillow's Wild West Show- "Miss Kitty", and has has great success with his all age hour Champion GSP's. The idea that Jim thought enough of Louie to want to run him was all I needed to hear.

To say Louie and Jim hit it off is an understatement. Louie didn't go out and just become one of the kennel dogs, he moved into Jim and Rhonda's home, sleeps on their couch, plays with their grandaughter, and is one of the family. Jim made sure to bond with him, and become his buddy.

To say they bonded is an understatement! Week in and week out I would get phone calls from Jim telling me about Louies training, asking me questions about his personality, and just about every time I could hear a smile in Jim's voice. He really seemed to like him, really, really like him.

Louie and Jim planning their strategy

Louie with his sister Stella backing and Jim coming in to flush

Jim and Louie became a team, they believed in each other and trusted each other- and to prove that, here is how they did this spring...............

Louie's placements Spring of 2010

4/8/10 GSP Club of Colorado- OGD- 2nd 15 starters

4/9/10 GSP Club of Colorado- OLGD- 4th- 15 starters

4/23/10 GSP of Eastern Iowa- 1st- OGD (ret)- 31 starters This finished his Dual Championship!!!

4/24/10 GSP of Eastern Iowa- 3rd OLGD - 38 starters

In just two trials Louie had defeated 89 dogs and finished his DC, what more could we ask for?

Well...... the next event for Jim and Louie was the 2010 AKC 1 hour Gun Dog Championship in Fort Robinson, Nebraska. 100 dogs entered, with 96 starting. Louie had never run in a hour stake, we thought he could do it, but you never know till you turn em loose. Could he pull it off?

You betcha he could! And when the dust settled, he was named Runner Up!!!!!!!!! My little puppy, my boy that follows me around like my shadow, a dog that made the cut for BOB at the 2009 National Specialty show (Judge Tom Bradley), pretty much started and broke by me.... finished up 2nd and defeated some of the finest gun dogs in the country!!!!

Louie is the 1st GWP to place in the 1 hour Championship!

That's Katie Tazza holding Louie, Jim in the back holding both the Blue and Red ribbons. Jim's dog Joker was named the winner! Judges were Stan Truksa & John Malone

Not bad for a SHOW DOG!!!!!!!!!

No, he is a Dual Champion, purposely bred to be both both mentally and physically able to do a job. Hopefully the naysayers will finally give him his due. In 4 weeks, he has defeated 184 dogs of all breeds, from the priaries to the woodlands, to the high desert.

As Jim says.... "He's the real deal!"

Here is the write up on Louie's brace- reporter Bonnie Hidalgo

Brace 18: Barben’s Ella Enchanted (Ray Dohse) and NAFC/DC Ariel’s Justa Gotta Go Now (Jim West) Louie's owner, Bernee Brawn was mounted to witness his appealing performance. Ella started the action with a classy find at 6. She stood with excellent style, only turning to mark flight. A very pretty find came at 15 for Louie, just past the cross fence. Another nice find at 21 for Louie near the corner of the lake was reached after some bold forward moves. Beyond the creek crossings Louie went up the rise on the left and had a classy, intense find at 42 on the hillside. Louie finished wide and strong after crossing the hills and dropping into the bottom below the pine ridge. This wirehair was consistently forward at a fast pace for the hour, searching the course intelligently.

Good Boy Louis James!!!!!! Good Boy!

My thanks and gratitude to everyone who helped Louie gain this level of performance, I just wish Fran could have been here to see it all.

Dave & Vicki Lachance for taking him out to the west and introducing him to that type of terrian.

And of course to Jim West and Rhonda Haukoos, WildWest and Brillow kennels for believing in him and being good friends.

Click here to read more about Louie and his other accomplishments.

Louie is at stud to approved bitches. Here is his pedigree

Click here to read about Louie's 2009 season

Darla x Scout Puppies video

2010-04-20T16:58:00.000-07:00

Darla x Scout Puppies! Update 10/2011

2010-02-07T16:59:00.000-08:00

The Darla x Scout puppies are all grown up!

We are so proud of the puppies from this litter......

From the whelping box- to almost adults.......

Ch Heywire N Cedrbrk Justa Pon A Time JH	Ch Haywire N Caramel Time Piece MH NAVHDA UT	Ch Darlings Tick Tock MH
		Ch Larkspurs Caramel N Heywire MH
	Ch Heywires N Wismar Justa Fairy Tale JH	DC/AFC Dunkees Justa Top Flite MH
		BISS/BIS Ch ADPG Suthrn Breeze JH
BIS/BISS Ripsnorter Mt View Lookout	BIS/BISS Ripsnorters Thunderhart	Ch Ripsnorters Aspenglow Warrior
		Ch Ripsnorters Affarah the Hart
	BISS/Ch Mt Views Next Strike	BIS/BISS Wildfires Bentley
		Ch Ripsnorters Lightning Strike

“Josh”

CH Heywire’s Don’t Look Now JH, NAVHDA NA Prize 1

Owners – Steve and Lisa Kreuser and Bernee Brawn

Best In Sweepstakes Ft Detroit Specialty Nationals weekend 2011
Handled by Kelly Wisch

"Heyleigh"

Ch. Heywire ‘N Highfield’s Hey Look Me Over

Owners – Pam and Larry Kinkaid

Best in Sweepstakes 2011 National Specialty- final cut for BOB

Multiple Group placements in 2010 / 2011
Handled by Linda Dietrich

“Sookie”

Ch. Heywire’s Thru The Looking Glass At Kenshaw

Owners – Shawn Damon and Bernee Brawn

2 legs toward her JH-

“Tide”

Heywire’s Justa Casual Look JH

Owners – Lee Freiss and Jennifer Jacobs

major pointed toward her Ch.

“Joy”

Heywire Looks Like Almond Joy at Reece

Owners – Joni Cornell, Angie Johnson and Audrey Meinke

Major pointed, competing in obedience and agility

“Cooper”

CH Heywire ‘N Justa’s Look Who’s Talkin’

Owners – Rhonda Haukoos and Bernee Brawn

Winners Dog GWP of Eastern Nebraska specialty 2011

“Reese”

Heywire’s I Made You Look

Owners – Paul and Kathy Brown

major pointed

"Thor"

Heywires Stop Look N Listen

Owner- Peter Garnich

major pointed

Bittersweet Studio

2010-01-29T05:29:00.000-08:00

This is a good friend of ours, and I have agreed to help him get his artwork out to the public.

Jim Rigg, Bittersweet Studios, is originally from Vermont, an avid outdoorsman, hunter and fisherman. Jim's love of the outdoors and wildlife shows in his art, the colors he chooses and the brushstrokes on the canvas.

Jim and his wife Harry (Harriet) split their year living in Vermont, Colorado and Florida, hunting and fishing in each state.

Northwoods Neighbor

A beautiful print of an Adriondacks lake in the heights of summer.

A detail of the visiting loon

Detail of the wonderful trees

All prints will be resigned by Jim

Print size

20" x 16.5" - 1.5" border around

Actual image area is 13" x 17"

Prints are $10

Shipping $5.00 to US -$10 Canada

Bittersweet Studios
Jim Rigg
Bittersweet North (802) 454-7889: June 15 - November 15
Bittersweet South (772) 663-0425: November 16 - June 14

Click here to see the 8 foot white pine Indian Maiden carved by Jim

Click here to go to Bittersweet Studio web page to view other pieces by Jim Rigg

Riggpfield@aol.com

Exercise Your Dogs!

2009-12-29T08:13:00.001-08:00

FOCUS your dogs energy with these new "Dog Powered" vehicles !

The dog powered SCOOTER and TRIKE.

They are revolutionary in that they are the first animal/dog pulled devices that place the dog in the REAR behind a steering wheel !

This gives the rider precision steering control making the unit easy to use and practical for urban use on paved sidewalks and bike paths, or smooth/packed dirt.

The systems essentially eliminates the commands and dog training normally associated with the sport, since the dog HAS to follow the direction of the vehicle. Both rigs utilize an adjustible metal outrigger bar that clips into BOTH sides of the dogs' harness to focus all that canine energy in the direction the rider wants to go.

The dog cannot turn his shoulders much and is thus limited to the forward direction making it safe/controllable and predictable. The dog cannot turn to pull you over to the side.

There is NO downward weight on the dog and the system actually supports the dog/dogs side to side and vertically so there is no physical or mental stress on the dog. The dog can sit and even ly down while hooked into the system.

Both rigs are much safer than anything associated with a bicycle and a dog. The Trike is totally stable and safe. The Scooter is very safe but still requires just enough skill/balance to make it an exciting sport.

This also offers excellent control of the reactive/aggressive dog. Of course these units have good strong brakes, fenders and wheelcovers to protect the dog. And since they are also human powered ALL THE LOAD CAN BE TAKEN OFF THE DOG AT ANY TIME or you can team up with your dog and enjoy the thrill of mushing- urban style.

Each system can utilize up to 4 dogs! Or you can pop the bars off and use the rigs under just human power.

Its even appropriate for responsible kids and older folk who may have slight disabilities - in fact this may be an opportunity to create a whole new type of service dog for those in need- the mobility dog !

Of course dog safety is of prime importance, so only caring owners need apply and must follow the recommendations about maximum rider weight compared to the dogs weight, reduced and or eliminate warm temperature usage, and limitations due to the the dogs age, physical ability and drive.

To see the units in action, detailed safety precautions and prices go to : WWW.DOGPOWEREDSCOOTER.COM

or call the manuf. at 541-383-3845 in Oregon.

For more information, go to Dog Powered Scooters.

PEDIGREES

2009-12-03T15:13:00.000-08:00

NAFC/CH ARIELS JUSTA GOTTA TO NOW
Get your free pedigree!

Ch Cdbrk's Justa Sole Man SH
Get your free pedigree!

German Wirehair Pointer Memorabilia!

2009-11-30T07:54:00.000-08:00

The GWPCA has a few 50th Anniversary gold pins still available.

$10 each- no shipping costs

We also have some catalogs available from the 2009 National Events....

$10 each. $3.00 shipping for a catalog.

Order a pin and a catalog..... $23.oo

When they are gone, they are gone forever!

Make check payable to GWPCA

Send payment to:

Bernee Brawn

1408 Pineville Road

New Hope, PA 18938

2009-11-19T13:56:00.000-08:00

Just in time for the holidays

Is there anything more wonderful than a puppy?
Especially a German Wirehaired Pointer puppy?

I search the internet all the time looking for GWP items to add to my collection. When I found this, I knew it was something I wanted to share with others that love this breed.

Printed on Museum Quality 100% cotton rag paper
with archival inks.

2 sizes available

8" x 10" (image size) printed on 8.5"x11" paper - $19.00
11" x 14" (image size) printed on 13" x 18" paper - $36.00

Print is hand signed by the artist L.A. Shepard on the front border.

Options for purchase
You can send me a check of money order (include $5.00 for shipping to:
Bernee Brawn
1408 Pineville Road, New Hope, PA 18938

OR
Pay securely on line with PayPal

Your print will be mailed within 3 days of payment being received.

If you have any questions, please contact me!

Bernee Brawn

GWP Items For Sale

2009-11-19T10:42:00.000-08:00

Is there anything more wonderful than a puppy?

Especially a German Wirehaired Pointer puppy?

I search the internet all the time looking for GWP items to add to my collection. When I found this, I knew it was something I wanted to share with others that love this breed.

Printed on Museum Quality 100% cotton rag paper

with archival inks.

2 sizes available

8" x 10" (image size) printed on 8.5"x11" paper -$19.00
11" x 14" (image size) printed on 13" x 19" paper - $36.00

Shipping $5.00 to U.S

Outside of U.S $10

Print is hand signed by the artist L.A Shepard on the front border.

You can purchase this print two ways.

Pay by check or money order.

Make checks payable to:

Bernee Brawn

1408 Pineville Road

New Hope, PA 18938

pay securely with PayPal below

Sizes

Or send a check made payable to

GWPCA

Bernee Brawn

1408 Pineville Road, New Hope, PA 18938

All proceeds of the sale of the yearbook go to the German Wirehaired Pointer Club of America

2009 National Field Events- All placements

2009-11-12T08:17:00.001-08:00

Pyramid State Park, Pinckneyville, ILL October 27- November 1, 2009 Derby Classic Judges: Bob Burchett & Ken Chenoweth
19 Entries

	1st Place	Brillow’s Wild West Ponder Rosa (Fuzzy) Owner: John Sodoro
	2nd Place	Tumalo Timberjack (Jack) Owner: John & Sandy Williams
	3rd Place	Cascade Sophia V Blitzen (Sophie) Owner: Mary Hanson
	4th Place	The Natural (Lee) Owner: Red Brannan & Greg Dixon

Puppy Classic Judges: Ned Myers & Chuck Parietti
14 Entries

	1st Place	Brillow’s Wild West Ponder Rosa (Fuzzy) Owner: John Sodoro
	2nd Place	The Shocker (Biggee) Owner: Greg & Liz Dixon
	3rd Place	Brillow’s Wild West Geronimo (Chief) Owner: Rhonda D. Haukoos
	4th Place	Jay-Mar’s Walk The Line (Cash) Owner: Mike Braddock & Nickol Litwin

Futurity Judges: Ned Myers & Chuck Parietti
12 Entries

	1st Place	Tumalo Timberjack (Jack) Owner: John & Sandy Williams
	2nd Place	Overbaron’s Deja Voodoo (Dolly) Owner: Anthony McGrane
	3rd Place	Ch. Scotian Smoke N Joe (Rugar) Owner: Joelle & Andy George
	4th Place	Okk Plato Petula (Pet) Owner: `John & Ruth Schoonover`
	HonorableMention	Jed’s SF Blue Belle, JH (Belle) Owner: Mike & Kay Braddock

National Amateur Championship

Judges: Bob Burchett & Ken Chenoweth

20 Entries

1st Place

DC/AFC Griffith’s Willy Be Mine? (Willy) Owner: Carolyn & Doug Griffith

2nd Place

NAFC/Ch. Ariel’s Justa Gotta Go Now (Louie) Owner: Mary Pat Ezzo & Bernee Brawn

3rd Place

NFC/FC Backwoods Sure Shot Wilson (Wilson) Owner: Greg Dixon & Roger Bultman

4th Place

FC Jerelin’s Justa Stacked Deck (Demi) Owner: Bernee Brawn & Fran Sakiey

National Championship
Judges: Ned Myers & Chuck Parietti
23 Entries

1st Place FC Brillow’s Wild West Show (Miss Kitty) Owner: Rhonda D. Haukoos
2nd Place NFC/3xNAFC DC/AFC Rudolph’s Blitzen Von Duffin (Blitz) Owner: John & Sandy Williams
3rd Place DC/AFC Griffith’s Willy Be Mine? (Willy) Owner: Carolyn & Doug Griffith
4th Place FC/AFC Showdown At OKK Corral (Wyatt) Owner: Gary & Sandi Wickwire

2009 National Field Events- All placements

2009-11-12T08:17:00.000-08:00

2009 National Championships Field Photos

2009-11-12T06:57:00.000-08:00

2009 GWPCA National Field Championships

National Amateur Championship Judges

Bob Burchett & Ken Chenoweth

2009 National Amateur Champion

Dual Ch/AFC Griffith's Willy Be Mine?

Owner/Handler Carolyn Griffiths

National Championship Judges

Ned Myers & Chuck Parietti

2009 National Championship Placements

1. Brillows Wild West Show- Owner: Rhonda Haukoos Handler: Jim West

2. NFC/DC/AFC Rudolf's Blitzen Von Duffin Owners: John & Sandy Williams Hander: John

3. NAFC/DC/AFC Griffith's Willy Be Mine? Owner: Carolyn Griffith Handler: Dave LaChance

4. FC Showdown at OKK Coral Owner: Gary & Sandy Wickwire Handler: Gary Wickwire

Open Championship callbacks for retrieve

Gary Wickwire and Wyatt- 4th

John Williams and Blitz- 2nd

Jim West and Miss Kitty- winner

2009 National Amateur Championship

1. DC/AFC Griffiths Willy Be Mine? Owner/Handler: Carolyn Griffiths

2. NAFC/CH Ariel's Justa Gotta Go Now Owners: Bernee Brawn & Dr. MaryPat Ezzo Handler: Bernee Brawn

3. NFC/FC Backwoods Sure Shot Wilson Owners: Greg Dixon & Roger Bultman Handler: Bruce Mueller

4. FC Jerelin's Justa Stacked Deck Owners: Bernee Brawn & Dr. Francis Sakiey Handler: Bernee Brawn

Callbacks for the Amateur Championship

Carolyn Griffiths' and Willy- Winner

Bernee Brawn & Demi 4th place

Bernee Brawn & Louie 2nd place

Watch for more photos to come!

Dr. Francis Sakiey

2009-10-13T02:41:00.000-07:00

Just this of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.   When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.

 There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.  There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.   All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.  The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.  

 They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.  

 You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.  

 Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

I know Bounty, Tequila, Moriah, Topper, Putter, Rita, Lacie and Weasie are there with you, the fields are full of birds, and you will never miss again! Give them all a hug for me.

Bernee

On October 3, 2009 I lost one of my dearest friends.

Dr. Francis Sakiey, quietly and easily crossed over the bridge.

While we were all devastated, we were also so thankful that his crossing was easy and painless.

That very day, Fran took Stella to a field trial at the English Setter Club in Medford NJ and ran her in the Open Limited Stake. Unfortunately, Stella didn't win the stake, but from his phone message "she was doing one hell of a job", but "she forgot to back". That'd be Stella.

Fran went home, and decided he wasn't feeling so well. So he called and left me a message telling me that he probably wasn't going to go back the next day. If I wanted to pick Stella up and run her, that would be fine. Unfortunately, I didn't pick up the phone that night when it rang.

Fran died quietly in his sleep that evening.

The next day I listened to my messages...... there was that familiar voice, one I had heard for almost 30 yrs, telling me of his decision to take the next day easy. It was to be the last time I would hear his voice.

Fran was 73 yrs old, was supported by and loved by his wife Elizabeth who didn't exactly share Fran's love of the dogs, hunting and field trialing, but she put up with it. She knew. Liz also put up with me being in Fran's life, and for that I thank her. Not many women could have, or would have been able to deal with the closeness that Fran and I shared, but she knew that she was the love of his life. I just shared one small piece of that life.

Fran's daughter Cindy used to be a frequent visitor at the trials when she was a teenager. Now she is a mom of two great kids, Cara and Zack. Cindy and her family always took the retired dogs from us, and gave them a wonderful home for their final years. They still have Petey, who at 15 is still going on his daily walks. Wheeler will go to their home and become a loved part of their family.

Fran was a quiet man, a gentleman in the truest sense of the word. And he was a wise man, and he tried hard to teach me. Fran was never one to get involved in the petty, silly and sometimes nasty day-day nonsense we see in the dog world. When I saw some injustice, he would let me rant and rave, pound my fist, and be angry. But then, as always, he would talk me down, and help me see the other side of the coin. He saved me from myself many, many times.

He always had a smile on his face, a kind word and a pat on the back for everyone.

But as Fran got older, he became deaf as a post and he used it to his best advantage! I swear, just like an old dog who can't hear commands, but could always hear the refrigerator open.... he could hear me... he just chose not too! He would just have that smile on his face....tap his ear... can't hear ya!

And then he hummed. And sang, just under his voice, never quite loud enough for anyone to know what the heck he was humming or singing, it used to drive me crazy! But now I'll never know what it was he was humming and singing.

Fran loved his dogs. He loved hunting, fishing, bird dogs and field trialing. No one would ever know how really competitive he was, because he took his wins and losses with grace. If he thought he was left out of the ribbons unfairly, you would never see him complaining, but rather we would walk back to the car and talk about it. Even if he thought the judges were wrong, he would always congratulate the winners with a sincere "Good For You!"

I'll never forget the year he won the GWPCA National Amateur Championship with Tequila. After the trophies were awarded, the photos taken and we were alone, he had tears in his eyes. "We did it" he said, "We did it!" and he hugged me and Tequila hard.

I'll miss you my friend. Thank you for all of the life lessons, thank you for being my friend.

Happy Hunting, Fran, Happy Hunting!

2009 Puppies at 6 months old

2009-10-01T21:17:00.000-07:00

The puppies are growing up....

From the Sassy x Brody litter...

Here is a photo of Jeff at 12 wks old.

A couple of photos of Jeff at 6 month old, hunting with his Uncle Elvis.
Elvis is 16 and is from a litter we bred a looooong time ago. Elvis is a littermate to Jeff's grandfather- DC/AFC Bounty's Justa Pegleg Pete, who is also still going strong at 16!

From the Demi x Louie litter....

Faith as a puppy-
Weidenhugel Justa Gotta Keep the Faith owned by Cindy Heiller and Linda Azevdo in CA.
Faith at 6 months

Ike- Jim Haddam, Nevada
photo roughly 8 wks old

Ike at 6 months fetching up a bird for Jim

This is Ruger owned by Jack and Kathy Marino, PA

Gertie on point! Matt Tonnelli, NJ

This is Izzy training in Central Park NY! Izzy is owned by Mike Jolley

Justa 'Nother Great Year!

2009-08-22T04:30:00.000-07:00

2 Placements in the 2009 GWPCA National Amateur Championship

It was another great year for the Justa dogs at the Nationals.

Louie- NAFC/CH Ariels Justa Gotta Go Now had a great week at the GWPCA Nationals!

Not only did he win the Field Trial Dog class at the National Specialty Show, he went to to make the final cut for Best of Breed!

photo by Peter Kimmax

Then, 3 days later, Louie was named Runner Up in the National Amateur Championship!

click here to get Louies pedigree

The Dual dog... doing what they were bred to do, and looking good doing it!

Not only did Louie have a great week, our Demi- FC Jerelin's Justa Stacked Deck placed 4th in the Amateur Championship. At the time of her placement, Demi was owned by Bernee Brawn and Dr. Francis Sakiey. Demi was bred by Jerry & Linda Krepak, Jerelin's GWPs.

Following her great week, Demi went to live with her new owners Steve & Kathleen Finkle of St. Louis where she will be a cherished friend and companion. The plans are that Steve will continue with her field career and complete both her Amateur Field Championship and her Master Hunter titles.

We will be watching the puppies from Louie & Demi (born July 2009) closely in the coming years! Hopefully they will be able to follow in mom and dad's footsteps.

Louis James wins the

2008 GWPCA National Amateur Championship!

From left to right, Judge Gene Mosely, Bernee Brawn, Judge Joe Luisi, Fran Sakiey, Art Armbrust

Kneeling- Scout, Judy Cheshire with Louis James

"Louie" or NAFC/CH Ariel's Justa Gotta Go Now was named the winner of the 2008 Amateur Championship in Lincoln Nebraska on October 8th. The entire event was a lot of fun, but for me, this was the highlight of our week.

The trial was held at the Branched Oak WMA trial grounds, and they were in beautiful condition. The fields were mowed to perfection, leaving long sweeping edges for the dogs to follow. There were plenty of places for the dogs to hunt, thick bogs, dead trees, good places which held many coveys of quail. There were wild turkeys there, but I don't think any of the dogs found them. Deer were everywhere, and only a couple of dogs were drawn off by them.

It was warm (mid 70's) and windy most of the week, perfect for humans, a touch warm for the dogs. At times the winds made handling a wide running dog difficult.

Our judges watched each dog, and were enjoyable to run under. Their sense of humor kept things light and helped ease the nerves of us Amateur handlers. All in all, it was fun!

Louie and I in the call back for his retrieve!

Thank goodness that's over!

Louie ran in the 8th brace and he ran a good shooting dog race. Always easy to handle, Louie never really needed to be scouted and he always showed up right in front. He had 4 nice finds, with the last being a great covey find just before pickup time.

Covey find!

I would like to thank several folks for helping Louie and I get to this level.

Dave & Vicki LaChance- Louie spent 6 months with them last winter in California. They did some tweaking for me and ran Louie on the big western grounds.
Fran Sakiey- my partner in the dogs. Fran is always our best cheerleader and biggest supporter.
Dr. MaryPat Ezzo- Co breeder of Louie, and the one who talked me into keeping him from that litter.

Louie has produced two litters now, both showing great short harsh coats, and very athletic body types.

To see photos of the Louie x Demi breeding click here.

He is available at stud to approved bitches. Please contact me for more information.

Louie's Pedigree:

Ch Sure Shot's Rockland Boss ofa good

NFC/DC/AFC Sure Shot's Hot Rocks MH ofa good

FC/AFC Sure Shot's Maggie MH ofa good

Ch Sure Shot's Rock On JH ofa good

BISS/DC/AFC Dunkees Justa Top Flite MH ofa good

DC/AFC Sure Shot's Justa Miss Marker ofa good

FC/AFC Sure Shot's Miss Tique SH ofa good

BISS/DC/AFC Dunkees Justa Hole N One CD MH UT ofa good

BISS/DC/AFC Dunkees Justa Top Flite MH ofa good

Sure Shot's Justa Racie Lacie ofa good

Ch Ariel's Justa Too Tuff To Tame SH CD NA NAJ ofa good

NAFC/NFC/DC Cascade Ike MH ofa good

Ch Ruffcuts Justa Southwind ofa good

Ch Wilsons Matilda of Ruffcut ofa good

2009 Demi & Louie's puppies -

2009-08-19T19:43:00.000-07:00

10/1/2009

All of the puppies from this breeding have been sold to wonderful homes.

Check back from time to time to see new photos of them as they grow up into bird dogs.

This is a really fun bunch of puppies, they are bright, bold, funny and very outgoing. They just received their vaccinations, so now we can go out to the fields, to the stream and begin some bird work with them.

Here they are destroying my gardens, playing with Scooter the BT and just playing.

Following are their official 7 week old photos. These are what we use to evaluate their conformation. During this week, I will start to evaluate their noses, their independence, braveness and all that other stuff we look for to make top notch bird dogs.

the # of the puppies are the order we took photos, not ranking

The Boys

All the boys have very nice, short tight coats. It appears they will be easy keepers, coat wise.

Sold

Sammy - this was the pick puppy from this litter and is available to the right home. Has been introduced to birds, been to the water, out and running in the fields. Very nice boy.

$1200

Sold

The Girls

This puppy got every single coat gene in the litter. Everyone else has nice short and harsh coats. She is adorable... but going to a great pet home where she will be spayed. She has found a wonderful home!

In all my years in the breed, I've never seen a coat like this on a baby puppy!

#4 female- available- very nicely put together, very good coat. She is a bit on the smaller side, but a real go getter!

#3 female- sold

Two Spot- Available- very cute girl, loves to be held and snuggle. She has a better coat than this photo shows, is conformationally very correct. $900

#1 female- available

8/19/2009

Here are the Louie x Demi puppies at 4 1/2 weeks old.

They will change quite a bit in the next few weeks, but I finally had some help to get photos taken.

In general all have very nice coats, dark eyes, and wonderful tail sets.

Check back for more pictures next week.

Male

Female

The boys at 3 weeks old

The girls at 3 weeks old

2009 Sassy & Brody puppies

2009-08-19T18:27:00.000-07:00

9/15/09

Below is "Jeff" the only available puppy from this litter. Nice male, good coat, very interested in the birds in the bird pen. "Jeff" is very sweet, is almost housebroken, crate tra and very responsive to people.

$900 to the right home.

Email me for more information. justagwp@verizon.net

9/6/2009

We had a training day here at the house, and we had 6 of the Sassy puppies here. Out of the 6, 5 showed a great amount of point, and all of them are very birdy. Unfortunately, I wasn't thinking and didn't get many photos.

This is Milo, 8 weeks old... already pointing like a champ!

There are still a couple of puppies available to the right homes. Please email for more information justagwp@verizon.net or call 215 598 3990.

Here are pictures of all the puppies at 6 1/2 wks old.

2009 Demi and Louie's puppies grow up!`

2009-07-23T16:59:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Demi & Louie's puppy page.

Sire: 2008 National Amateur Field Champion Ariel's Justa Gotta Go Now OFA good

Dam: Jerelin's Justa Stacked Deck JH OFA good

This breeding was done to produce top notch working GWP's. Both Louie and Demi are hard running, long nosed, and stylish pointing dogs. Both have good coats, dark eye, and better than average conformation. The combination should produce some really nice puppies that will do whatever it is you want to do with them.

Scroll all the way to the bottom of the page to see photos of Louie and Demi and to see the pedigree on the puppies.

Click here to see more photos of the puppies as they grow!

8/7/2009

3 wks. old!

Today the puppies had their first taste of puppy food. They did very well, and ate it all up!

All in all, this litter looks like they will have shorter coats than Sassy & Brody's litter and I believe they will all stay much lighter in color. No true whites, I don't think, but they appear that they will stay very brightly ticked.

Demi is being a very devoted mom and I am constantly surprised and happy at how well she is taking care of her babies. Last night, she came bounding up the stairs into my office and jumped on me whining. Then down the stairs she went and out the door. Back in, up the stairs, jumping and whining... down the steps. So I followed her to see what was up.

Her puppies had knocked down the board I keep across the front of their room and they were scattered all over the garage! Demi was frantic that she couldn't gather them all up and get them back where they belong.

Once I got them all home again, she counted noses, let out a big sigh and layed down to nurse them. Good girl Demi!!

They are starting to walk around pretty well now, and are moving off of their bed to use the paper to potty on.

This is a male, he appears to have a nice short coat. Notice how dark his feet are? That shows he won't be white, and this liver color will continue to grow up his legs as he gets older.

Again, notice the dark undercoat showing through on the puppies. Some are darker, some lighter.

Today I had some quail that had died in the quail pen. I took them out and put them on top of a can to find a bag to put them in. When I came back, one of them was gone.

I suspected one of the Border Terriers had stolen it and I headed back to the house to see where it was stashed. On my way past the puppies, I noticed them all ganged up in a corner. Well..... guess where that dead quail was? Yup, Demi must have stolen it and took it in to the puppies! She had gone off on a walk with Jim, and left them something to sniff! Good girl Demi!!

7/31/09

2 weeks old.

Their eyes are beginning to open and they are becoming more mobile. Most of them are going to be somewhat dark, but there are a couple that are going to stay pretty white, or lighter ticked.

Demi is being a great mom!

7/24/2009

1 week old

Lunch!

Mom trying to figure it all out! Are they in the box, or am I in the box?

Brody & Sassy puppies growing up.

2009-07-23T03:57:00.000-07:00

Click here to see the puppies at 6 1/2 weeks old

8/7/2009

5 weeks old!

They are dogs, small dogs, but dogs. The puppies are eating real dog food now, venturing outside everyday, playing in their yard, and best part, doing almost all of their "business" out there as well.

This is really turning into a very pretty batch of puppies. I am super pleased with them so far, both looks wise and temperament wise. They are outgoing, friendly and very so far not bothered by anything at all.

Jim hooked up the power washer for me so I can clean out their kennel run each morning and afternoon. The thing is loud, but it doesn't seem to phase them in the least.

After lunch nap.

This one is a very nicely coated male.

Did you call us?

Just hanging out on a nice summer day!

7/31/2009

Here they are at 4 weeks old.

They are becoming dogs. One day they are toddling around, bumping into things. The next day they are fairly sure on their feet, bouncing around, growling, play fighting with each other.

They are now going out the dog door and using the outside run for most of their potty duties. Makes life easier for me! And they are learning to "go" outside, which will make it easier for their new owners.

While they are eating mushed up puppy food, there no replacement for mom at this age!

This little boy likes to sleep on his back!

Yo! MOM!!! We're hungry in here!!!!

Here little sister, let me help you out the door.

All tuckered out!

7/22/2009

Almost 3 wks old.

Their first meal- watching them grow is fun and an education. They change so quickly, one day barely walking, the next they are toddling around barking.

Their coats are changing as well. Some that I thought would be quite hairy, are losing that fuzzy look and are now much smoother.

Some continue to darken with the liver extending up their legs, others now appear much lighter that I originally thought they would be.

Sassy is being a wonderful mom, very tolerant of anyone and anything coming for a quick visit.

GWPCA 50th Anniversary

2009-07-14T03:31:00.000-07:00

1959-2009

This fall, the GWPCA will celebrate their 50th anniversary!

To commemorate the occasion, the clubs National events will return to the state where it all began.

Illinois.

To find out more about the 2009 Nationals, please go to our National Events website.

http://www.gwpca2009national.com

This will be one heck of a party to celebrate the breed and the club.

Hope to see you all in October.

Commemerative Pins

The Gold 50th anniversary pin is available now....

$10.00

Send check to payable to GWPCA to

Bernee Brawn

1408 Pineville Road

New Hope, PA 18938

on the bottom of the pin is says....

Golden Jubilee

1959-2009

It was difficult to photograph the pin, it really is very nice!

Brody & Sassy Puppies

2009-07-04T11:44:00.001-07:00

Brody & Sassy puppies, born 7/4/2009

10 wonderful, beautifully marked babies born on the 4th of July!

This breeding should produce some really nice all around gun dogs and family companions. Both sire and dam are dogs that work for the gun, adjusting their range as needed. Both are used heavily as guide dogs and have had hundreds of birds shot over them.

Brody is just a sweetheart of a dog, with an absolutely wonderful, natural harsh coat, and is an easy going - wants to please you type of dog.

Sassy has stunning style on her birds, high tail and a long nose. She loves the water and was very easy to train steady to wing and shot. Sassy has one leg on her Master Hunter title and will go back to complete it this fall.

Scroll to the bottom of the page to see the pedigree for this litter and for photos of Brody and Sassy.

Click here to see pictures of them as they grow.

Click here to see the puppies at 6 1/2 weeks old

One week old below

The Boys 1 week old- they are already starting to show lots of liver in their coats.

The Girls- very pretty heads and markings. All the girls will be darker like their Dam

2 Weeks old, see how they are starting to get darker?

Ch Cdbrks Justa Sole Man "Brody"

Ch Ariels Justa Singular Sensation SH "Sassy"

This breeding is bringing together some really great dogs. Putter, Topper, Kodi, Bounty, Tequila, all dogs who have been a major influence in our dogs for the past 30 yrs. Putter and Topper are top producers in GWP's for Dual type dogs and both have received a Supreme ROM from the GWPCA.

Brody is owned by Dennis Dec who uses him heavily as a guide dog in New Jersey. Over the past two years he has had literally a thousand birds shot over him. Brody is a very kind dog, gentle, sweet and loves everyone. He doesn't have a mean or aggressive bone in his body.

Brody has the perfect range for the foot hunter, big enough to save you walking , yet always knowing where you are. In the big fields he has the get up and go needed, in tight cover he will work closer. He is also a very reliable retriever, and soft mouthed.

Brody has the kind of coat every GWP breeder dreams of. Harsh, thick and pretty much self grooming. His father also had that type of coat so we are hoping that comes through in this breeding.

Sassy has the good looks of her daddy, and has style on her birds! She is a sweet girl, and a great house dog. Dennis has used her, along with Brody, on the hunts he guides and everyone loves her. Conformation wise, Sassy is very elegant with flowing movement which allows her to float through the fields. She has one leg on her MH title and we hope to complete that after her puppies are gone.

We think this breeding will bring us good, hard hunting dogs with wonderful temperaments. They should be easy to train dogs, good pets and and both physically and mentally sound.

We are accepting a few deposits for this litter. Please email justagwp@verizon.net or call Bernee at 215 598 3990

Check back often for new pictures of the puppies as they grow!

Brody (left photo) Sassy

Sire Ch Cdbrks Justa Sole Man SH	Sire DC AFC Bounty\'s Justa Pegleg Pete	Sire NFC FC AFC Selkirks Bounty Hunter	Sire NFC DC AFC Sure Shot\'s Point Blank CD MH
			Dam Star von Schyrental
		Dam NAFC AFC CH Justa Tequila Sunset SH	Sire BISS DC AFC Dunkee\'s Justa Hole N One CD NH UT
			Dam Sure Shot\'s Justa Racie Lacie JH
	Dam Ch Maestro\'s Justa Luna Tic JH	Sire DC AFCDunkees Justa Hole N One CD MH UT	Sire Ch Sunshine Jake NA
			Dam Ch Malpat\'s Justabump CDX
		Dam Ch Ripsnorters Die Zauberflote JH	Sire Ch Tidewater\'s Valentino
			Dam Ch Briarpatch Ripsnorters Gal
Dam Ch Ariel's Justa Singular Sensation SH	Sire BIS DC AFC Jet Sets Ragtop Day at Scotia JH CD	Sire DC AFC Dunkees Justa Top Flite MH	Sire DC AFC Dunkees Justa Hole N One CD MH UT
			Dam Sure Shot\'s Justa Racie Lacie
		Dam Ch Jet Sets Full Sail of Scotia	Sire Ch Weidenhugel Merln V Nicco MH
			Dam
	Dam Ch Ariels Justa New Attitude JH CD NF TDI GDC	Sire Ch Side by Sides Chatanuga Choo MH UT1	Sire Adel v Horan\'s Bauernhof MH
			Dam KTV Mein Schatz
		Dam Ch Ariels Justa Too Tuff To Tame SH CD NA NAJ CGC	Sire DC AFC Dunkees Justa Top Flite MH
			Dam Ch Ruffcuts Justa Southwind JH

2009 National Events

2009-05-07T13:19:00.000-07:00

The German Wirehaired Pointer Club of America will celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2009. As such, the club thought it fitting to bring the National events back home, to Illinois, the site of our very first National specialty show.

The show/obedience and hunting test will be held at the Rend Lake Resort and Conference center in Whittington ILL. This is a wonderful place to hold a dog show, and with a huge state park right next door, a great place to hold our hunting test.

The National Field Championships will be held at Pyramid State Park in Pinckneyville, about a 40 minute drive away.

For more information on the 2009 GWPCA national events, please go to
http://www.gwpca2009national.com

2008-12-27T11:59:00.000-08:00

BISS/DC/AFC Dunkees Justa Hole N One CD MH UT

2008-10-29T03:09:00.000-07:00

In the 5 yrs since I got Bump, I learned a lot about the breed, and even more about what is expected of a German Wirehaired Pointer. I'll expand on that another time. I wasn't a total novice anymore when it came to showing a dog, or running in field trials. Not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I had learned some hard lessons. This time I was going to do things right.

When Putter was old enough (6 mos. old) I began running him in puppy stakes at local trials. He liked birds, and hunted pretty well, but just wasn't quite enough dog to bring home the blue ribbons. Sometime around his 1st birthday, the light came on and he turned on! Putter started to place at the trials and he earned his puppy and his Derby points.

We began showing him around the same time, and he did ok. I wasn't a very good GWP groomer and didn't understand about stripping Wire coats. I'm afraid he probably looked like quite a mess in the ring most of the time. But the judges saw something they liked and he finshed his show CH before he was two yrs. old.

Enough folks had encouraged me to continue with Putters field training, so we sent him off to Denes Burjan, a pro trainer in Flemington NJ. Denes worked with both Putter and I, teaching us both about field trials and how to do well in them. Putter was a good student, an easy to teach dog who truly wanted to do things your way. He was cooperative, easy to live with, and truly was my best buddy.

My 1st Dual Champion

Ever since my first field trial, my goal was to have a Dual Champion. That is a dog who is a show CH and a Field CH. Not an easy goal, and there were darn few GWP Dual Ch's at that time. In March of 1989, Putter achieved that goal for me. He was now Dual Champion/ Amateur Field CH Dunkees Justa Hole N One! The icing on the cake was that he finished both his Open and Amateur Field Championship on the same day. The 26th GWP Dual Champion.

Putt continued to show he was a good all around GWP by completing his Master Hunter title in November 1989, his CD title in June 1990 and became only the 2nd DC of any breed to complete a NAVHDA UT title. (The first was DC Cascade Rogue, owned by Ray and Lynn Calkins of Portland OR. )

In 1991 Putter was named The Amateur Shooting Dog of the Year by the Association of Field Trial Clubs of New Jersey, the 1st GWP to ever receive that honor. All during this time we showed him as a Special here and there and he won a fair share of Best of Breed awards. The pinnacle of his show career came in 1991 when he won the Del Val GWP Specialty show and went on to a Group 2 award. Now Putter was the only Group placing GWP in history!

We continued to run Putter in the trials, and took him to the GWP National Championships. He was Runner Up in the GWPCA National Championship in 1992 held in Sunnyside WA. Not bad for a dog from PA! Neither Putter nor I had ever seen that type of country before, so it was an impressive feat for us both. After that he placed in almost every Championship he ran in.

Putter was a good, solid stud dog as well. Bred 9 times, he produced the following titles'

10 Champions
1 Dual Champion
1 Field Champion
2 Amateur Field Champions
1 National Amateur Field Champion
4 Master Hunters
4 Senior Hunters
8 Junior Hunters

Putter died at the ripe old age of 14 yrs old. To this day I miss having his head in my lap, but his kids have done us all proud. It's unfortunate that we didn't get any frozen semen on Putter all of his get were from live breedings.

The Development of the German Wirehaired Pointer

2008-07-06T08:03:00.000-07:00

Versatile!

Just what is a German Wirehaired Pointer made of?

The German Wirehaired Pointer (Deutsch-Drahthaar) was developed in Germany in the late 1800’s by sportsman looking to produce a breed that could do it all. At that time, there were many groups trying to develop this “supreme” hunting dog and as you will see when you read the history of our foundation breeds, most thought their particular breeds fit that bill.

The Goal
The goal of this particular group of breeders was to produce a dog that could find and point game, as well as retrieve the wounded and killed. It must work the thickets on command, track and trail as well as retrieve in water. The dogs, with appropriate training, must work equally well with game birds, rabbits, fox, deer and boar. They wanted a dog calm in disposition, but brave in the face of diversity. They had to be good family companions, but would guard the home and bounty of the family. They had to retrieve gently , but be willing to dispatch vermin if asked to. They had to have the drive necessary to independently search the marshes for a wounded goose, but work closely to the gun in the heavy forests.

This group decided to use whatever breeds they thought would contribute to the final product and their motto was,

“TAKE THE GOOD WHERE YOU CAN FIND IT AND BREED AS YOU LIKE, BUT LET THE RESULTS BE YOUR GUIDELINES; BE HONEST AND TELL THOSE WHO ARE STRIVING FOR THE SAME OBJECTIVE, WHAT YOU HAVE DONE.”

At that time there were many “rough coated” breeds, and each filled a niche in the hunting dog world. Apparently this group knew their final product should be rough coated, since most of the breeds they used carried a wire coat. But they also used a smooth coated breed for it’s working abilities. The breeders kept records of the dogs used to produce each litter, and even today you will find references to the “motherlines” or what breed the parents lineage came from. The motherlines for both sires and dam are given in the VDD (Verin Deutsch Drahthaar, the German Breed Club) Stud Dog Catalog. A quick review for 1999 shows the following breakdown; DK (Shorthair) 30 / St (Stichelhaar) 23/ PP (Pudelpointer) 59/Unbekannt (unknown) 2.

A Little of This, a Little of That...
This practice of “cross breeding” continued well into the 20th Century and still affects the GWP today. There are lines that resemble Griffons, lines that resemble the Pudelpointer and lines that produce the smooth coat similar to the GSP. As breeders, we must remember the heritage of the GWP and not be surprised when some of these foundation breeds pop up in our litters. However, there is a difference in acknowledging that these breed will influence what is produced today and using this as an excuse to produce puppies that do not conform to the standard for the German Wirehaired Pointer.

The various breeds that were used, (and probably individuals within those breeds) were chosen for certain traits; coat, tracking ability, temperament, water love, braveness, pointing etc..

The Griffon was chosen for it calmness and water love
The Stichelhaar for bravery and tracking abilities.
The Pudelpointer for the abilities of the Pointer as well as the high degree of intelligence and sporting abilities of the Poodle.
The German Shorthaired Pointer (Deutsch Kurzhaar) to intensify the pointing instincts.
All of these breeds brought desirable coat characteristics.

As you read the history of the foundation breeds, you start to realize how many different breeds of dogs are included in the genetics of the GWP. And remember, many of these breeds were still being used well into the 50’s and 60’s and maybe even more recently.

The Goal is Reached
The fight for recognition of the Duetche Drahthaar in Germany was hard and long, and not until 1928, (after the breed had held the leading position in registrations for sporting dogs) did the Deutsch Drahthaar gain membership in the German Kartell for dogs. It was finally commonly recognized that the breed had reached its’ goal to develop a rough-coated sporting dog that answered the sportsman’s all -around demands.

The first Wirehairs were brought to this country in the early 1920’s. However, it was not until after World War II that the breed achieved any degree of popularity here. Many American servicemen had seen the dogs perform in the field in Europe. They were obviously pleased with what they had seen, for many of them made arrangements to have dogs brought to the United States. A breed club was formed by a group of 10 Chicagoans in 1950 and the breed was officially recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1959 as the German Wirehaired Pointer.

Today the German Wirehaired Pointers main job is still that of an “all around hunting dog”. The majority of the breed will never step foot into a show ring or compete in any organized field event. This is still the breed for the sportsman who wants a dog with abilities as varied as the game they may hunt. When observing a group of GWP’s one should keep in mind they jobs they are asked to perform - they must have strength in thier movement to allow them to cover uneven ground for hours on end; the skin should be tight to the body to resist tearing in thick woods and briars; their coat should be long, harsh and dense enough to shed water but not so long to catch burrs and sticks. The eye should not be saggy to allow seeds to accumulate. Their temperment should be brave and upstanding, unafraid, but not aggresive.

The GWP is a wonderful companion for those who have the time (and sense of humor) to train and entertain them. The breeds strong willed nature, high energy level and willingness and ability to think for itself makes it quite a challenge for the weak of heart or for those who cannot bring themselves to discipline a cute fuzzy faced puppy.

The Foundation Breeds

The Pudelpointer
The first cross of the Pudel and an English Pointer to establish the new breed took place in Germany in 1881. The sire was “Tell”, an English Pointer belonging to Kaiser Frederick III, the dam was a German Hunting Pudel bitch “Molly”, owned by Hegewald, a famous Teutonic author on the subject of hunting dogs.

The idea behind this breeding was to combine the outstanding natural working abilities of the two great specialists in one dog: The intelligence, water love, retrieving instinct, easy trainability and willingness to please, wrapped into the protective coat of the Pudel with the unending desire to hunt, birdiness, pointing instinct, field nose and endurance of the English Pointer.

Since the Pudel proved to be the stronger breed in passing its genes, many more Pointers were introduced into the breeding program to arrive at the breed, as it is known today. During the first 30 years, only 11 Pudels were used against well over 80 Pointers. From then on, only occasional re-introductions of Pointers were undertaken, especially after the two World Wars severely depleted the breeding stock.

The Pudelpointer in its home country Germany, has always ranked among the finest performers in tests and in the field, and is sought by those who enjoy and value a dog with desire and drive. The breed is medium sized, between 22 and 26 inches at the shoulder and weighs anywhere from 45 to 70 lbs. Pudelpointers are predominantly solid in color, from dark brown to the color of autumn leaves, and occasionally black. The ideal coat is harsh, wiry and dense.

The first Pudelpointers were brought into North America in 1956 and the Pudelpointer Club of North America was founded in in 1977 .A sound temperament, as well as a style pleasing to the eye, makes the Pudelpointer a great companion both in the field and the home. They take to training easily, despite their desire and drive.

The Stichelhaar

The Stichelhaar predates the German Wirehair (DD) by 30-50 years. The dog is similar in size but the coat is a bit longer and should be very hard in texture, more so than the DD. The breed was primarily used in the forest and water where it excels. Hr. Harms sees the major difference between the Stichelhaar and the DD being one of temperament, the Stichelhaar being much calmer. This said, the dogs should be very aggressive on wild game such as wild pig, fox, etc. Dogs used for hunting in the forest must be able to lay quietly while game comes and goes in close proximity to the hunter without whining, barking, etc.

The yearly production in Germany of this bred is 50-60. According to Hr. Harms, typically a stud dog may be used only once a year in an effort to keep any one breeding line for taking over the small genepool. The largest number of dogs may be in Czechoslovakia, where 500 puppies are produced each year.

The Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
Although notations to Griffon history can be found which date back to 1545, development of the current day Wirehaired Pointing Griffon began in earnest in the Netherlands in 1873 by young Dutch sportsman and avid hunter by thename of Eduard Karel Korthals (1851-1896). The son of a wealthy banker and cattle breeder in Schooten (near Haarlem, in The Netherlands), Korthals endeavored to create what he considered the ultimate walking hunter’s gun dog.

The Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, or “Korthals’ Griffon” as it was then known, remains so named in many other parts of the world today. The Griff was developed as a hardy, all-terrain close-working hunting dog, working in the polders; the marshy low-lying ground of the Netherlands. Very little, if anything, has changed in the purebred Griffon since Dr. E.B. Ilyus, the first secretary of the G.C.A. wrote in 1917; “The chief characteristics in which the griffon excels, and is superior over setters and pointers, are his ready adaptability to all species of game, all climates, and all varieties of terrain, his exquisite nose, wonderful vitality and endurance, and the pronounced instinct which makes him the easiest of all dogs to train on game. As a retriever he has, in my opinion, no superior, and being very intelligent and affectionate, he makes an ideal man’s companion.”

Korthals purchased his foundation bitch for this project, “Mouche,” in 1874. She was an adult brown and gray “Griffon*” with an excellent nose, and a reputation forbeing an exceptionally good hunter in a variety of terrains. Shortly thereafter, Korthals purchased Janus, Satan, Banco, Hector, and Junon. It is said that Janus’ coat was woolly, Junon’s was fairly short, and the others had a rough, wire coat. Mouche was bred to Janus, which produced Trouvee; a bitch with a better coat than all of her predecessors. Trouvee was then bred to Banco, which produced Moustache I, Lina, and Querida. These dogs are considered to be the primary progenitors of today’s Wirehaired Pointing Griffons, and are referred to as the “Korthals Patriarchs.” In the book “Livre des Origines du Griffon a Poil Dur,” the ancestry of the true Griffons was traced to an ancient breed called the “Griffon Hound,” and referred to at least one cross with a “Pointer.” (different sources speculate either Braque Français or German Shorthaired Pointer.) Other sources feel that contributors to the background of the Korthals Patriarchs included the Spaniel, Otterhound, French Barbet (a water retriever) and a Setter. In truth, there have been several breeds referred to as “Griffons” or having “Griffon type” for several hundred years. The definitive answer may be lost in history.

Note that in historical Europe, many different breeds of dogs who had facialfurnishings and wire coats were referred to simply as “Griffons.” This is a description of “type” and not to be confused with one specific breed of dog. There are many breeds today which are still referred to as “Griffons;” Griffon d’arrêt à poil dur (Korthals, Französischer Rauhhaariger Vorstehhund, French Wire-haired Pointing Griffon, Grifón de muestra de pelo duro), Griffon à poil laineux, (Griffon Boulet, Französischer Wollhaariger Griffon, French Woolly-haired Pointing Griffon, Grifón de muestra de pelo lanoso, Francés, Spinone Italiano, Chien d’arrêt Italien à poil dur, Italienischer Rauhhaariger Vorstehhund, Italian Wire-haired Pointing Dog, Perro de muestra Italiano de pelo duro, Cesky Fousek (Barbu tchèque, Böhmisch Rauhbart, Bohemian Wire-haired Pointing Griffon, Grif¢n de muestra Bohemio de pelo duro) can ALL be correctly referred to as “Griffons” but are, in fact, separate breeds!

The Griffon is a very people oriented dog known for its trainability and high degree of cooperation.

The breed standard calls for the head to be square, with a round eye that is yellow to brown in color. Their coat color is “steel grey” (a mix of liver and white) has abundent undercoat which is lighter in color than the guard hairs. This undercoat gives the breed an unkept appearance and is longer and more standoffish than the GWP’s. The texture should be harsh and coarse, but probably is not as harsh as a good GWP coat. Size is 22-24 inches for dogs, 20-22 for bitches, in general a bit shorter than the GWP. However, if viewed side by side, the Griffon will appear bulkier and more compact.

The German Shorthaired Pointer (Deutsch Kurzhaar)
The German Shorthaired Pointer combines in field-dog requirements those qualities which have long popularized the various breeds of hunting dogs. So successfully have keen scenting powers, linked with high intelligence, been fused into the breed through judicious crossing of the descendants of the old Spanish Pointer, English Foxhound, and local German tracking hounds, and so varied are this dog’s field accomplishments, that its adaptability has earned it the reputation of being an all-purpose dog.

The origin of the German Shorthaired Pointer, as indeed with most breeds, cannot be described precisely. Prior to the establishment of the Klub Kurzhaar stud book in the 1870s, few records are available, though the German hunting fraternity had already spent many years in attempting to produce a truly versatile utility dog-of-all-work, using of necessity the stock that was locally available. The main source of basic foundation stock seems to have been the German Bird Dog, a not very admirable step down by inheritance from the old Spanish Pointer. Its utility was further improved by introducing local types of scent hounds—track and trail dogs, that were also dependable in water and that were used by the German foresters. These Schweisshunde (Schweiss —scent; Hunde —dogs) were of many and diverse types. They had originated principally down through the centuries from the hounds introduced from Eastern countries after the Crusades, and had been developed particularly in France, so that they became the forebears of practically all present-day scenting hounds.

The Germans still were not satisfied. Since obedience was of paramount importance,these early dogs were selectively bred for bidability. Steps were taken later to improve stance, style, and, above all, nose. Fine Pointers were brought from England and were used to lend elegance to the manner of working—die hohe nase (the high nose) being the major aim. This was accomplished, and the breeders then had only the problem of ridding their developing Kurzhaar of its unwanted Pointer characteristics— aversion to water and lack of aggressiveness toward predators. These objectives were achieved long before the turn of the century.