What's new?
13.8.2011
The summer is fast gone! Karu and I have trained really hard to pass the Water retrieving test for pointing dogs. This is mandatory for participation in hunting trials. Happily, a week ago Karu past the test with 4/5 points. I am very happy!
Mikki and I have not competed in agility so much this summer but we have trained and also with Voitto.
Karu has been to four shows with the results 1 x VG, 2 x EXC and then in the last show Karu got EXC, CQ, res-CAC, res-CACIB.
The judges find him a bit too big but he is measured to be 68 cm which is within the breed standard. Then it is a question of taste wheather he has too much body or not. Mostly I value the EXC which he got from Raija Tammelin, a Finnish judge who is a true expert in weimaraner.Raija just said that you have got a lot of dog there and then she laughed that she had an even bigger male once upon a time :)
I have added some new pictures to the picture page, check them out.
9.6.2011
It's hot! After a very cold winter and a not too warm spring we finally have summer and unfortunately also the mosquitoes woke to life. Karu has finally learned to swim so now there is hope that he will do a good job when the duck hunting season starts ;)
Mikki and I participated in an official agility competition here in Oulu a few weeks ago. From the first course we got 5 penalties and overtime and from the second course 10 pen but no overtime! I think it is at least 2 years ago since Mikki has managed to go a course without overtime so I am very happy :) This is thanks to our good coaches and also because of his weight reduction. We were placed in both classes and took home some nice prices :)
18.4.2011
Finally the snow is melting and the summer is slowly pushing through! Our weimaraner Karu and Finnish Spitz Hirmu was at a CAC dog show 16th of April. Karu got a VG from Junior class with a nice critic from a Finnish judge. Hirmu finally got an EXC from Open class and was finally BD-3 but did not get a CAC yet. Next week Mikki and I will participate in an agility competition.
14.3.2011
Spring is slowly coming! The winter has been so cold that training the dogs and being outside has been minimal at times. Me and Mikki participated in an official agility competition but got disqualified from both courses. Hirmu went to a dog show and got a VG (the picture is from the show). We were hoping for an EXC but the judge thought Hirmu had a slightly narrow jaw. It was not too narrow though because Finnish Spitz very typically have an open bite. A video from Hirmu's performance at the show can be found here.
Next it is probably Karu that will be taken to a show, let's see how that goes!
We also took a trip to Kilpisjärvi, one of Finland's most northern parts. We went skiing with the dogs but we also sat inside for two days because of a raging snow storm! Will put up some pictures later.
20.1.2011
Happy New Year to everyone! Karu has grown in to a big boy (around 37 kilos, 68 cm and he is only 9 months now) and has proved to be also very clever. If he wants something or wants to get somewhere, he figures out how to open locks, doors and anything. Karu has also shown that he can point! It will be interesting to see how hunting will be in the future. I will add a few videos to the Gallery-page.
Our Finnish Spitz Hirmu was in a hunting trial for barking bird dogs in December. He got 67 points/100 and got a 2nd prize. He was only 3 points away from a 1st prize. He did very well and we are sure he will get the 1st prize in the future.
Mikki and I participated in an agility competition in Kajaani 8.1. and again we got no penalties from the course but 3 s overtime. We have to get off those few seconds to qualify for the 3rd class :) There is a nice video from our course here, go check it out.
Next we will probably go to some shows with Karu and Hirmu and hopefully one more hunting trip to Sweden before the season is over. Mikki will probably participate in some agility competition. I have not trained Voitto now, have to gather some motivation to start working with my "I-will-do-things-if-I-have-a-good-day" little dog :)
29.11.2010
Mikki and I participated in an agility competition. During the first course Mikki surprised me totally by doing all sorts of things... I think he just had a lot of fun :D During the second course we did much better and we actually won the class! Unfortunately we still got 4 seconds overtime and thus we still didn't qualify for the 3rd class.
Our Finnish Spitz Hirmu has been to a hunting trial for barking dogs and because this was a 2-week-trial the paper work is still with the main judge. However we think that the result will be lacking a few points from a 1st prize so it would be a 2nd prize in Open class. We will see. Right now we have really cold, -20 C!!!
17.11.2010
Karu and I went pheasant hunting in the south of Finland and had a great time. Now I put together some pictures from this autumn hunting trips, have a look here!
1.11.2010
The autumn has gone so fast! We have been hunting a lot and got game for our older dogs. We have also been elk hunting and got a lot of elk meat for the winter. Karu has been hanging along and he has a very good nose. He does not point properly yet but it will be interesting to see what becomes of him when he gets a little bit more speed and confidence. I will put up some pictures from this autumn but first I will go on a pheasant-hunting trip with Karu :)
Hirmu will finally be taken to a hunting trial for barking bird dogs soon. Let's see what he presents. I have to take Mikki to an agility competition soon to see if all the training this autumn has been of any good! :)
9.10.2010
The autumn has been great! We have been hunting forest birds (grouse, capercaillie) with the dogs. We have got some birds but mostly it has been nice to walk in the quiet and beautiful forests of northern Finland. We have also hunted moose. Karu is not pointing yet but he has been with me while hunting and he has a very good nose for birds. We are still going to make one trip to the mountains and hopefully find some mountain grouse. I updated the photogallery.
12.9.2010
We have new pages! A big thanks goes to Salla Pitkänen who is the designer of these pages. I will now try to add some pictures here and there myself... let's see how that goes.
Karu has been out in the forest a couple of times and got some bird smell in his nose. But he is still a big baby :) Hirmu and Iita have been out hunting for real already in Sweden but no shot birds to them yet. In one week we will all start hunting, that will be fun.
Voitto is on agility vacation now but we will compete with Mikki in October hopefully.
.jpg "etusivu")
23.8.2010
Now it has started again! The hunting season that is :) I have been out duck hunting a few days with Karu and Iita but I have only got one teal. Probably because the beach near by is quite crowded right now. But here it starts anyway. Unfortunately work slows down the hunting yet but in September I have a hunting vacation. I also got good news from Akus new family. Aku has been retrieving ducks happily and it was very nice to hear that they are all happy together. Me and Mikki participated in an agility competition here in Oulu. One course we did not do at all because it was 25 C warm and the fence height was 35 cm for the minis! The other course we did but after Mikki took down a few fences I decided to stop and spare the dog in the heat. I will put up some new summer pics when I get them sorted out!