Okay--we decided we liked that 'cloud 9' feeling too much and decided to just stay put! Our sweetest, most special Vizsla-boy Remus (CH Shakin' My Booty Rezzamatazz CGC SH), is a NEW SENIOR HUNTER!! He qualified for his FIFTH and FINAL leg this past Saturday at the Mile High Weimaraner Club's Hunting Tests in Kiowa, Colorado.

Remus is our first Vizsla and while his natural abilities are exceptional, he was saddled with novice guardians. The number of mistakes that make up our 'what-not-to-do-with-your-first-bird-dog' list is a long one. Remus, being the steadiest (in temperament) of Vizslas, never gave up on us and eventually we all prevailed. After learning how to fix most of those mistakes, we decided to skip the Junior Tests with Remus and run him in Senior. This meant we needed 5 qualifies instead of 4. He ended up getting those 5 qualifies in 7 tests (with the last 3 in a row!). Not bad considering how hard it can be to keep a handle on a dog like Remus. He'll be 9 years-old this November but to see him run and hunt is to see a 4 year-old. He has that much enthusiasm and desire. The judges made a point of telling us how much they liked Remus' hunting style. He ranged out beautifully, covered the ground well and, leaving no stone unturned, made sure to run down the fence lines for good measure. We never taught Remus to quarter and run lines--this is just how he came out of the package. Gotta LOVE that!!

Equally as exciting as Remus' new Senior Hunter title is that our other most special Vizsla-boy Kosmo qualified for 2 Master Hunter legs in row at the MHWC Hunting Tests this past weekend! On Saturday, Kosmo (CH Derby's Read Em And Weep SH), pointed a bird from approximately 25 feet away making it difficult for Mel to locate the bird. When she finally found and flushed the bird she was worried that Kos might break on the second shot since she was so far from him (and it had taken her awhile to locate the bird). Being the good boy he can be, he stood to her release for the retrieve. On Sunday, Kosmo had a bird find in the back course and stood staunchly at the flush and shot. He 'heeled' off the bird and never even looked back in the direction of the flush when Mel sent him on to continue hunting. He hunted hard and with the drive and intensity we expect out of our Vizslas. But it was Kos' call back for the honor where he really shined. After watching 4 Master dogs do less than average honors, one of the judges asked Mel to bring Kos out for his honor and also commented that where he's from he's "not used to seeing 'close-in' honors like this". Mel bit her tongue so as to not jinx Kos (his honors are particularly stunning) and brought him out. When told to release Kos, she brought him around the corner of the trailer and released Kos to hunt. He took 4 steps, saw the pointing dog and froze-up solid as a statue (the pointing dog was a good 40+ yards away). In his excitement at seeing a true Master-level honor, the judge exclaimed "Now THAT'S what I'm talkin' about!" and that he'd like to qualify Kos right then. Kos stood through the retrieve and as soon as Mel had him leashed, many in the gallery clapped and cheered.

Best part of all were the big, huge smiles Remus and Kosmo had on their faces as they hunted the course over the weekend and the style they showed on point and in their honors. Qualify or not, seeing our crew work with passion and desire is what makes our hearts sing! As you can tell by their ages, we don't believe in pushing young bird dogs because we're 'title hungry'. We believe in training a dog to the next level when that particular dog is ready for the pressure. Doing it this way keeps the style in the dog and gives them greater confidence. You can see this confidence in their hunt, range, staunch points, and true honors. Over the weekend, as is the case in most of the field events we compete in, the judges and other handlers repeatedly complimented our dogs. Qualify or not, this is the good stuff!