“H” litter 4.5 weeks and Big Wins

We have had lots of rain, which you are never allowed to complain about in Nebraska, but it has made getting photos and video a bit challenging over the last week. The puppies are really getting up and around. They are taking their first few steps outside of the kennel when the door is open, but would rather just play around in the safety of the fence at this point. I have weaned them from soft canned food and they are totally on hard puppy kibble now.

Charles took Fire, our 11 week old female from the “H” litter, out for her first introduction to flying game birds (no gun). I had too much to do at home, but the oldest boy went and I should have enlisted him to take some pictures. Oh well, you can’t catch it all.

BB and Sam are ready for training season too and are really needing extra exercise these days to burn off their energy. BB was a bonebag when the pups were here, but she filled back out nicely. Charles is talking about working on AKC Master Hunter training with BB and going through that process over the next few years. He’d like to do more walking field trials with her too. We’ll see, he stays pretty busy at work.

We are 4 months away from sharptailed grouse opener in the Sandhills, so I’ve got the health kick going on so that I don’t die out there. I should probably get out to the skeet range one of these days too.

But back to the puppies! Here are their individual photos updated:

Girl: Hope

Girl: Harriet

Boy: Hez

Boy: Harold

Boy: Harold (front)

Boy: Herbert

And this week’s YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWnqToBOngc&feature=youtu.be

Pupdates

We’ve had some great showings out of Sam and Mae’s pups from the past couple of years recently. Bluestem Big Sky Rendezvous CGC “Midge” from our 2013 “F” Litter won Winners Bitch both days against some big name competition at the Peninsula Dog Fanciers Club show in Bremerton, WA in March. She also just completed her AKC Canine Good Citizen title a couple of weeks ago. Memorial Day weekend will be her NAVHDA Natural Ability Test and we wish them the best of luck! Great job owner-handler Lindsay Volpe at the show! Go Lou and Midge at the test!

Lindsay and Midge striking a pose with Gabe and Frannie in the background

We also just received word that Bluestem Winchester NA II “Chester” from our 2012 “C” Litter passed the first two legs of his AKC Senior Hunter title over the weekend at the Long Island, NY German Shorthaired Pointer Club. He will continue working towards the rest of his SH title this spring and begin working on NAVHDA UT as well. The East Coast might have a new stud dog in the making here! Congratulations Sal and Chester!

Chester showing off his bling with owner Sal

Well, that’s the update for the week, thank you as always to my owners for giving me such great brags! We wouldn’t be able to do this without you!

Hard to believe that the puppies will be 5 weeks old tomorrow, so the final countdown begins with 3 weeks to go for homegoing. This is the most fun of having the litter when we get to do more outside with them, but the paperwork and vetting all starts to kick in too, so it keeps it busy. So stay springy until next week.

Bluestem Kennels