Sad but important information

Posted on October 22, 2015 by Patti

We were heartbroken to learn last night that one of the puppies from our “A” litter is struggling with an environmentally triggered disease called Blastomycosis, something we had never before heard of. This fungal infecton can be treated in its early stages if correctly diagnosed but the prognosis is not good once the infection gets established. Please, please read the attached article for all the details and keep alert. We don’t want to panic you, but do want to make sure that you are proactive should your dog develop any of the symptoms. It’s best to beg your vet to rule out “Blasto” early on.

http://lifewithllewellins.com/blastomycosis-what-every-dog-owner-needs-to-know/

Bird “work”

Posted on October 18, 2015 by Patti

Hunt training was play for four month old Walter today. He and his people came out to work with Biff in the field. It was Walter’s first time on live birds and he did great. They used bird launchers, a check cord, live pigeons, a starter pistol (just for the sound), yesterday’s grouse (so he could get a bird in his mouth) and Walter’s natural instincts. Note: No “e-collar” was used. We don’t believe in them.

Walter’s delighting his family and he’s delighting us. It was so good to see him again. As breeders, it’s gratifying to see the puppies from Chev and Reine’s litter so well-loved by their families and performing beautifully in the field.

Walter’s life

Posted on October 16, 2015 by Patti

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Walter’s people wrote, “We’re enjoying everyday with Walter! I am so head over heels over that dog. It’s just so crazy how he’s so sweet, smart, sensitive, a goof ball, and just a lover! I’ve attached some pictures. The boys are becoming such good buds! Now that Gus is feeling much better from his knee surgery they play all the time! The picture of A. and Walter was from last week when she was sick. I was amazed at how sensitive Walter was to how she was feeling and he didn’t leave her side (and usually he doesn’t leave my side!). It was so sweet to see how his mood changed when she wasn’t feeling well.”

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Pheasants!

Posted on October 16, 2015 by Patti

Biff took Finley out today and they came back with a pheasant (above.) We also heard from Kru’s person (Puppy number five from this past summer) and Kru got his first wild bird! ‘Tis the season…

October Saturday morning

Posted on October 10, 2015 by Patti

October might be the loveliest month of the year, or so it seemed this morning as I walked the backyard (our dog park) with Chev, Finley and Xupe. It was cool, breezy and the colors are just beginning to change. It took quite a few laps through the woods to wear them out, but it didn’t matter because I didn’t want to go inside anyway.

The tough question that Biff faces these days is whether to hunt or fish, as it’s the season for both. Grouse, woodcock and pheasant are all now “open” in Minnesota and the steelhead are running up on the Brule River. We’re packing as much outdoor time in as we can through this sweet season of year.

Grouse hunting

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Patti

Biff and Chev headed up this morning for grouse. The leaf cover is still pretty thick in our area but there were grouse in those woods and Chev was on point multiple times. Despite missing two grouse, they came home with a bird!

Working with birds

Posted on October 1, 2015 by Patti

Griz came back out last weekend for a morning of (playful) training. He got to race around with Finley and Xupe before going out for birds. It was amazing to see his natural ability as he moved through the field.

Lovin’ livin’

Posted on September 30, 2015 by Patti

Here are shots of Axl (just below) and Mavis (bottom), from this past summer’s litter, living the good life in Minnesota with humans who are crazy about them.

News from Kru, Edgar and Croix

Posted on September 26, 2015 by Patti

Look at the lives these puppies are living! We received photos from three families recently – Kru, Edgar and Croix.

Kru (above) on a trip “up north”

“Kruger’s first time at the cabin… He had a great time playing with his puppy-cousins and exploring the woods and water. He LOVES to swim. Needless to say – he was exhausted on Sunday night and slept 9 hours straight without making a peep. 🙂

T. has been taking him to Gun Club once a week – he did a great job retrieving the birds and guns didn’t bother him a bit. Our friends/neighbors have a German Short-hair and they are turning into best buds.

Kruger is such a little lover – he follows us around the house constantly and insists on sitting on my lap in the morning while he chews his toys. He is such a good, happy puppy, we just love him!

Puppy classes are going really well. He is the most advanced in the group and is also one of the younger ones – we are so proud 😉 He sits, shakes, lays down. He know “leave it”, “let go”, “off” and “come” really well.

Edgar (above) also on a trip “up north” to the cabin

“First and foremost, we are absolutely in love with Edgar. His personality is developing notably every day, as is his curiosity, energy, appetite, and facial scruff. He’s doing well with potty training and crate training, having improved greatly in recent weeks. He’s also had sit, lay down, and stay commands down since week two so now we’re working on some more behavioral training with him.

He’s met several dogs of all ages and sizes and is perfecting his play skills. We also think he has a little crush on the 10 week old Vizsla girl down the street.

Edgar is super chatty and we joke that he is like a goat – he wants to eat everything so we keep a close eye on him as he tries to vacuum the ground every time he is out of the house.”

Croix (above) with his person in Wisconsin… They wrote,

“He’s 26 lbs and just completed a vet check. All is healthy… He’s house broken, knows sit, stay and come. Oh yeh, also can give ‘five’ with his front paw. We are working with him on retrieving with bird feathers. He’s coming along great. And not gun shy either. Smart dog!”

For those looking for a Griff puppy

Posted on September 22, 2015 by Patti

This post is for everyone looking for a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon puppy. We continue to receive frequent calls for puppies. Knowing that there are many folks out there looking for Griff puppies has prompted us to offer these thoughts. You will likely not find anyone else offering this information.

Griffs seem to be getting popular for reasons that we Griff owners completely understand, but with this popularity has come a lot of breeding without thought to the pedigrees of the dogs and the health issues of the parents. We know of dogs who have been bred who have had meningitiis or diabletes, and puppies in their litters have had these diseases and still they have re-bred those dogs! Please do your homework! Ask about the lineage of the parent dogs of the pup you are considering. Reputable breeders expect to be asked many questions.
When you’re talking to a breeder about their puppies, ask these questions: How old was the female when she was first bred (and which health checks were done prior to her first breeding? And what were the results of those tests.) When was the female last bred? (We believe in an 18 mos. – 2 year break between litters.) Where do the parent dogs of the prospective litter live? Are they house dogs or is this a set-up where the dogs live primarily in kennels? Griffs are very people-oriented dogs and we believe they belong in the house with us when we’re home, not housed out in a kennel. It’s a question of how they’re treated – are they more like family members or like livestock?
How often does the breeder you’re considering have a litter and how many dogs do they own or house? We’ll leave it to you to decide what number of females makes them a puppy “mill”. (Raising puppies well and caring for the mama dog is exhausting, and we’d say that more than two litters a year makes it a puppy mill.)
Look for a breeder that asks you a lot of questions about your home and family, all aimed at evaluating how the life of the dog will be after they have sold it to you. A responsible breeder is not one who has puppies for all those that want them. Be wary of any breeder that fails to ask you a lot of questions.
Ask the breeder why he/she breeds Griffs. The answer should be that they are looking to improve the breed and put out quality dogs. He/she should be able to describe to you the reason they are putting the parent dogs together. They should know their pedigrees and be willing to provide the pedigrees for you.
Spend the time to go visit the breeder in person. You should be welcomed to see their set-up and meet all their dogs. You’ll learn a lot by visiting and your gut will likely tell you if this a place that you believe really cares about dogs or is mostly in the business of selling puppies.
What health guarantees does the breeder offer and is there evidence that they stand behind their dogs?
Show dogs may have great AKC credentials but the life of the top-winning show dogs is a life substantially spent in the show ring on the weekends and/or on the road getting to the next show during the week (often with their professional handlers.) Just because a dog is an AKC champion or grand champion doesn’t guarantee that it has the characteristics to be great in the field.
Please, also ask yourself, why you are interested in a Griff? They are bred to be great versatile hunting dogs and do best with a lot of human companionship and plenty of outdoor time to follow their noses. If the dog you get will be left alone a lot and/or you don’t spend a lot of time outside, a Griff isn’t for you. Plain and simple as that.

OK, so we are opinionated. No apologies for this. We care about the breed and want to make sure that buyers keep breeders responsible. And we want to make sure that the puppies go to homes that are able to provide them the lives they deserve.

Norling Rise

We are all about Wirehaired Pointing Griffons

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