The “O” Litter puppies have gone to great hunting families all over the United States: Alabama, Colorado, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas.  I appreciate all of the new owner families having the confidence in Bluestem Kennels in choosing us as your breeder.  I am working on organizing those homegoing photos and hope to have those posted later on in the week or sometime next week.

For those of you looking for a puppy this year, we are done with our litters for 2018.  We take a break in the summer months, then start taking names in the fall for our spring litter.  We are planning only one litter for 2019, a repeat of the wonderful Chief x Fire breeding.  So please do your research regarding the breed and read the writings and check out the photos that I’ve taken over the last seven years of blogging, then email us at bluestemkennels@gmail.com in the fall if you are still interested in the puppy from us in 2019.

I have yet to do a precise head-count, but over the last eight years, we have bred over 100 puppies with clean bills of health.  We have brought together the hunting bloodlines of Europe and North America in hopes of reconstructing the family hunting dog that Korthals established in the mid-1800s in the Netherlands and in Germany.  The breed, as with all European hunting breeds, took a serious hit during the two world wars.  It survived a genetic depression in the 1970s and 1980s and it is only through conscientious, responsible breeding since that time that we have the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon breed that we all love today.

A couple of years ago, I wrote an article for the Griffonnier entitled “Early Exposure for the Gun Dog Puppy”.  Here is the link to the article on my blog: https://bluestemkennels.com/2016/08/08/early-exposure-for-the-gun-dog-puppy/

This gives new puppy owners an idea of how we approach the raising of a gun dog puppy.  We have found that it is a successful way to expose a pup so that it is successful in the field.  Here are photos of the “O” litter pups and Stonyridge Zoro, our new pup from Wisconsin, with a dead, frozen quail.  I gave each of the puppies access to the quail and let them carry it around, but it is difficult to train and take photos at the same time.

 

IMG_4662IMG_4665

Ruth’s NAVHDA Natural Ability Test

We were pleasantly surprised by “Ruth” Bluestem Peaches En Regalia’s performance at the Heartland Chapter NAVHDA’s Spring Test on May 5th.  We were getting less than 100% water retrieves in practice, but the excitement of the testing environment really made Ruth shine.  She achieved the maximum score of 112 points.  Ruth is now officially:

Bluestem Peaches En Regalia, NA I

She is from our first breeding of Bluestem Otoe Chief, NA II and Bluestem Prairie Fire, NA I.  Chief brings the power from his genetic origins in Montana, Michigan and Iowa.  Fire brings the finess of her roots in the bloodlines of Quebec.  Here are the photos from test day:

In the bird field

IMG_4529IMG_4530

IMG_4534

IMG_4540

Our nine-year old son, Caleb, was my buddy in the gallery.

IMG_4544 (2)

Ruth pointing in the proper style for the breed, known as the “Korthals Crouch”.

In the water and evaluation of attributes

IMG_4555

IMG_4564

On the track

IMG_4566IMG_4570IMG_4572

Great job, Ruth and handler, Charles!  Many thanks to NAVHDA judges Tracey Nelson, Dan Pforr and Chuck Casanova, as well as appentice judge Kat Pippitt for their priceless assistance in evaluating our dogs.

In my opinion, the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association has the best testing system for the evaluation of breeding stock of the versatile hunting breeds.  We are so blessed to have multiple active chapters within driving distance of our home.

Memorial Day Thoughts

I hope that everyone is enjoying a relaxing Memorial Day, remembering all of those who have fallen in service to our country.  My rememberance is of my father, Ronald Gene Dredge Sr.  He did two tours in Vietnam with Naval Task Force 116 on the Mekong Delta, aka “The Brown Water Navy” or “The Gamewardens of Vietnam” as they liked to call themselves.  He was one of the first service connected disabilities related to the use of Agent Orange in Vietnam.  Agent Orange was an untested dioxin defoliant used by the military to assist in locating the enemy by forcing the trees to drop their leaves in the jungle.  He met an untimely death at age 49 in 1998 after battling constant health issues since his return to the states after Vietnam.  He also gave me my love of sporting dogs through our childhood dog, AKC ASCOB Cocker Spaniel “Butch”.  He was at peace with our God at his passing and rests easy in the arms of Jesus.