Feel free to email bluestemkennels@gmail.com to enquire about our 2022 litter plans. As of right now, AKC/NAVHDA Wyo Plainsman Kenobi, NA I “Obi” and Bluestem Peaches En Regalia, NA I “Ruth” is a for sure planned litter for Spring 2022. That very well may be it, I am watching Fire’s recovery from her litter this year to decide whether or not she’s up for having another or if it is time to retire her this summer.

Also, feel free to reach out if you feel like you would like to be considered for Fire’s retirement home (AKC/NAVHDA Bluestem’s Prairie Fire, NA I with an AKC Walking Derby placement and around a hundred wild birds both upland and waterfowl). She is 7 years old and in good health, giving her a good 3-4 years of hunting left, and another 3-4 years of being a good pet. Right now our griffons are living to be around 15 years old, with Sue being our oldest retiree at 17. Fire would be spayed and through recovery before re-homing. She really needs a hunting home, whether it be a family or a retiree. She is a great bird-finder and retriever both in the field and in the water. I do not charge a re-homing fee to a high quality home, but please realize that I will ask lots of questions because she is my beloved family member and I want her to be in a good place. She is the first dam that I’ve bred myself. I will get some photos together and make another post once I’ve made my final decision on whether to have her retire this summer or next.

Sally is growing! She’s gained about five pounds since her siblings left. I’ve lost one of my favorite throw pillows to her attacks and one of Charles’s pair of shoes has taken a beating to the chews. She still has a few housebreaking accidents a day but is getting better. Here she is getting her second round of shots last week.

Sally at the vet at 11 weeks

Over the weekend of April 10-11 Charles took Obi and Ruth down to the German Wirehaired Pointer Club of Nebraska’s AKC Hunt Test at Branched Oak Field Trial Grounds. Obi was having rotten behavior with his bracemates, so no passes for him, but Ruth managed to bring a ribbon home on Sunday! This is Charles’s first AKC Senior Hunter pass with any of our dogs so it is pretty exciting. As he gets closer to finishing her title, I will explain the ins and outs of the AKC Senior Hunter Test, but I’m on a time crunch right now and need to just post the pic and move on with the day.

Charles and Ruth with their first AKC SH ribbon

I am pretty much caught up with email except the ones that I’ve gotten over the last week, so hopefully I can get on those over the weekend and stay caught up. Four dogs take a lot of walking, I’ve had to step down from lifeguarding so that I only have one out-of-the-house job of substitute teaching now. My oldest son is wrapping his junior year of high school and there are so many papers, projects and tests to help him study for! And my husband’s firm was acquired about a year ago, so there could always be some surprise changes there. I’m working on getting as minimalist as possible in case a move comes up. It sounds like all of the new owners are enjoying their pups and so that feels like an accomplishment and job well done.

Good luck to other breeders with pups on the ground, owners with new pups getting them started and everyone training and testing this spring.