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NAVHDA Natural Ability Prize One
~ Our Score 112
Hi guys just wanted to drop a quick note. Me and Luna were first alternate and luckily got into the NA test yesterday.
We surprisingly got a prize 1 – 112 score! Wow. I’m still shocked but she did it all and we trained hard. Now just getting ready for hunting season.
Mike and Michelle
Information
–The North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA)
NAVHDA chapters sponsor four kinds of tests:
The Natural Ability Test is designed to evaluate the inherent natural abilities of young dogs and gain insight into their possible usefulness as versatile gun dogs. It rates seven important inherited abilities: nose, search, tracking, pointing, water, desire and cooperation. Dogs are eligible for a Natural Ability Test up until, and including, the day they reach 16 months of age. Dogs over 16 months may be run for evaluation only. Dogs over 16 months may only be run if space is available. No prize classification can be awarded the dog run for evaluation.
The Utility Preparatory Test measures the dogs’ development midway through their training toward the Utility Test. No previous testing required.The Utility Test evaluates trained dogs in water and field, before and after the shot, as finished versatile hunting companions as well as many other specific tasks. No previous testing required. The Invitational Test is our highest level of testing. Only those dogs that have achieved a Prize I in Utility are eligible. This limits the entry to exceptional animals who have demonstrated a high level of training and tests their skills in the advanced work.
Breeder Comment on Points Earned
The maximum possible score for a dog running in the NAVHDA Natural Ability Test is 112 Points. You must earn a minimum of 99 points to net a Prize One. Luna got a perfect score–we cannot tell you how difficult it is to achieve this goal. Honestly, it is even more remarkable with the Weimaraner–who can potential flake out at the wrong moment.
To Learn More about competing your Weimaraner with NAVHDA click here!
House Rules
~Regarding–the Furniture
We try to have strict rules so all the furniture doesn’t get taken over by the dogs since both Jim and I are allergic to big loads of dog dander.
Our compromise is this: One ancient sofa near the front hall is all theirs. Sucia and Patos know that they can wrestle, scratch, jump on, chew toys and rough-house all they want on “their” old couch. The rule for the rest of the furniture is off-limits. The one exception is this gray couch, and by invitation only, in this picture is that it is off-limits, UNLESS it is covered with one of their fleece blankets. they can only be on it when it is covered with one of these fleece blankets, usually when one of us is on the couch and want a pup to snuggle next to us. Clearly, this was an afternoon that Sucia and Patos discovered that the fleece blankets were left on unattended…….😊
Breeder Comment
Every household has rules–spoken or unspoken. Sometimes we humans fail to keep our end of the bargain, and it is either confusing or allows bending the rules a bit. (Haha) Weims have a way of working things to their liking. We all know that. Don’t we adore them for their shrewdness — for the challenge they present? I think we can agree, we do.
Thank you, Megan, for this fabulous update. We truly appreciate it!
Arliss
OMG
~ Arleen’s Arliss
Breeder Comment
I cannot fathom how they feel after such a loss. They love us so unconditionally–need us at every step. Prayers for you, Arliss. I know Eileen has you–loves you, too!
Our Milly
At 6.5 Months
Just wanted to send you a quick update on Milly (Bernie and Boone 18 litter). She is 6.5 months old now, wow where did time go? She is such a joy and we fall more in love with her every day. She is in level 4 (out of 4) in obedience training on her way to getting her canine good citizenship certificate. She does so well in class and we are working hard to enforce all her commands into everyday life. She is still growing like a weed and I believe is now around 45lbs. We love this spunky, smart, cuddly girl so much! Here are some recent photos!
(Milly and her Weim “cousin” Sky are best of friends)
(She is learning to enjoy playing in the rain, she’s a Seattle girl after all! This has taken much coercion but she’s getting used to it)
(Sometimes she thinks she is a cat! Notice her blanket which is spread out that she chose to ignore)
(She has daddy wrapped around her finger)Thanks again for a wonderful pup!Deanna
Breeder’s Comment
The Stackhouse Sisters
Sucia and Patos
~Part Three
One challenging part was that Patos was so into her big sister, that it didn’t seem like I had the same connection with her that I did with Sucia as a puppy. Patos would rarely make eye contact with us but instead would go dashing off to find Sucia. We just hung in there and hoped that eventually, the loving, owner-connected weim might appear. Magically, it did!
Just in the past few months, around the time she turned one, we have noticed that Patos is spending chunks of the day leaving Sucia alone, and will purposely seek us out for attention and cuddling and makes communicating eye contact all the time. Every evening is a cuddling session with one of us on the dog-approved couch. Not sure what brought about the change, but it is wonderful. Now our home has two loving, silly, fun, intelligent Weimaraners!
It has been a joy to take them to my island cabin and let them run free on the property. At the cabin, sticks/small logs are the Thing of the Day. They have a ball exhausting themselves, running free in the fields and woods around the cabin. And then they come and collapse on the warm deck for the best naps ever. 🙂 Most days there also included a trip to the lakes for swimming while retrieving tennis balls. What could be better?Breeder Comment
We are so happy to have the lengthy report about the two Stackhouse-sired sisters. Both Cindee and Livee have retired. We kept Dahlia and Bee out of Livee and Stackhouse. So far, we have never had a litter from either of these girls. It was not for lack of trying. Deja Vu (Ginger X Blue) has produced four puppies. Ginger is a littermate to Cindee.
The co-dependent behavior you experienced it not all that strange. You did the right thing. Just hang in there, and eventually, the newest addition will come around and bond. It wasn’t so much about anything other than the almost twin-like connection. You are fantastic Weim parents.
Our Luna
Personality Plus
and my hunting partner
As promised we wanted to keep in touch with our pup Luna from Lynnwood, WA. She just passed the 5 month mark and she is doing great. When she runs out her energy she’s so sweet but has lots of personality — which we just love. She’s been well socialized around other dogs and people and loves her daily walks and trips to the dog park.
But what I’m enjoying most of all is her as a bird hunting partner. I had taken it slow with her over the summer: introducing her to guns and quail and big open fields so I didn’t know what to expect when her and I did our first pheasant hunt (DNR planted birds in western WA). But wow was I impressed with her prey drive and stellar nose! And she’s not gun-shy! First, she gets super excited when she knows we’re going out, and for as young as she is, works the fields hard bounding all over the place in grass way over her head. Then when I’ve knocked down a bird in some heavy cover I was nervous we wouldn’t find it to reward her with. But wow was I surprised when she used her nose and tracked it down! – she wasn’t even 5 months yet. She doesn’t point or retrieve yet (obviously) but we’ll work on that next year. I hope to get her into the local NAVDHA club next year too.
So, all in all, we’re doing great and loving life. Hope you enjoy the photos.All the best,Mike and Michelle
Breeder Comment
We are thrilled to hear from you. It is great to find out that Luna is doing well. Thanks for all the hard work — we realize that pups take work. We truly appreciate you sharing about the field work–she is coming along quite nicely.
We recommend joining the International NAVHDA (North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association) because to participate in the local chapter you have to join anyhow. There are some nice perks such as their magazine. It is always essential to keep in mind that pups can be no older than sixteen-months for the NAVHDA Natural Ability Hunt Test. It takes some planning and preparation. Typically, you want to enroll in the spring test early to get a slot. So, it is advisable to keep apprised of the scheduling, because slots fill quickly.
Zula Blue retired–she has been such an excellent addition to our breeding program. We kept her as a pup from two of our lineages. It turned out well. Since her retirement, she has joined Marie and Pushkin in Western Oregon. She is affectionately known as Zoo Boo. Maybe you noticed she had been featured on the blog a couple of times.
The Stackhouse Sisters
Sucia and Patos
~Part One
Time has flown! Sucia (Cindee x Stackhouse 2013) and Patos (Livee x Stackhouse 2017) are the best. They are both the perfect size — at 4 years old, Sucia is hovering at 50 pounds, and Patos is just under 50 pounds. From paws on floor to shoulder height, Patos is about 22 inches high and gorgeous!I won’t lie….. it was a bit of a challenge adding baby Patos to our established routine, but well worth it.
Our First Blue
I must admit, I was hesitant to get a blue, after having 4 sequential silver weims in my life. Now, I am so thankful that Patos is blue so I can tell them apart! They are both so distinctive and beautiful. It also helps that I have a tiny bell on Patos’s collar so I can tell which dog is wandering through the kitchen or other potentially tempting places.
The Two–Each is Unique
After raising two separate single Weimaraners, however, I can say that it was a totally different experience introducing a second weim puppy into a house. They have very different personalities — Sucia was always sweet and loving and eager to please. Patos, on the other hand, is an energetic spitfire and took much more consistency and discipline and repetition than Sucia did.Patos has an exquisite nose, much more developed that Sucia’s. She loves the water and took to swimming after tennis balls much easier than Sucia did. In fact, if I am driving by the lake or ocean, and Patos catches a sniff of it, she starts moaning in her kennel in hopeful anticipation. She also has a funny-willful streak in her. For example, when we are walking in my gardens, she will look at you with her big innocent face, and then lightning-hop like Tigger and rip off a flower or leaf and prance ahead, and then look back at you with the big innocent face again, as if to say, “oh wow, who did that?”
Breeder Comment
Well, we are not surprised in the least. This compact style Weimaraner tends to be the pocket-rocket type. They also can be super friendly, loving, and whatnot. Nevertheless, managing them can be a challenge.
The idea of having two Weims if fantastic–if you can live through incorporating them into the family. It is an entirely different situation when you add a second Weim–there is no way to explain it, but a person has to stay in the process, as well as remember not to overreact. Eventually, things typically work out if you take a breath and keep after the training thing. We think you did a great job.
For all those wondering–there will be a couple more segments (featuring Sucia and Patos) over the next week or so. Thanks, Meg, we appreciate you taking time from your hectic schedule to drop us this fabulous update. We don’t take it lightly. Tell, Jim we appreciate his work during this process too.
We don’t know how many compact Weims are in OwyheeStar’s future. It is complicated. We have put a lot of planning into weaving the DNA to get the best possible outcome. It remains to be seen if we can keep producing a few smaller Weims, or not.
23 Days
Costume Or Not
~Halloween is Coming
What’s your take on the costume thing? Do you insist they put on the garb, trot around, and act silly? Two of the three is a given with this breed, don’t you agree? Do they trick or treat with you?
Are they spooked by the costume attired visitors–if you have them coming to your door. I seriously don’t know what people do in this day and age. There are community events. Some churches host the Trunk or Treat thing–filling the trunk of the cars with goodies to pass out. Some folks turn off the lights, lock the door, and pretend to be gone.
Typically, we only get Trick or Treat callers that we know–last year it was our two Great Granddaughters. We have neighbor kids living less than a mile from here. I suppose it is always a possibility that they might show up. We will be prepared. Maybe Stackhouse needs to dress for the evening. I will have to think about that. In the meantime, let us know your thoughts. Feel free to share photos from previous years. This one of Bella is from 2016. I still love it. I bet you do too!
Tiga and Lotte
Their Companionship
~ and So Much More
The neighbors, hogs, deer and especially the neighborhood foxes will be thankful the dogs are headed back to Seattle (me not so much). Thanking two dogs for their friendship over the last few months might sound odd to some, but until you learn the love of not only one, but two Weimaraners you just can’t comprehend their healing nature despite the high energy approach. Have fun with the kids Tiga and Lotte and GO HAWKS!
Breeder Comment
Dear Mike, we thank you for your service and the sacrifices made. We are glad that Tiga and Lotte are much loved. We understand what you mean about the healing nature of such a relationship–so happy that you can benefit from all they have to offer.
For those reading this update–Tiga and Lotte have been residing in Germany with Mike, but they will be returning to the Pacific NW again soon. He will sorely miss them, but the demands of life require them to go home to Mama and the kids.
Before Summer
A Spokane Family
~and their Weims–Part One
Hello OwyheeStar family!!
We’ve been having an eventful spring…well not so much for Max. He’s just chills out.
Lucy got spayed. She had some stitches come loose because she can’t not run, but all is well now.
She still loves to snuggle. Especially in Dad’s chair!
We added to our furry and feathered friends with some baby chickens. Lucy is sooooo curious, but I think it’s because she sees them as a snack. She’s become a bit of a hunter (see below)
So far, she jumps up and grabs birds out of the air, comes home with marmots, finds rabbits on hikes and most recently, a porcupine!!! 😞 (see below) that little lesson cost $300 at the pet emergency! Silly Lucy!
~Jeff Melissa Max Lucy and Toby
(watch for part two)
Breeder Comment
“Ouch” porcupines are not fair game Miss Lucy. It is just horrid to see you suffer this indignity. Please be careful in the future. (OMG)
Dear Friends — we cannot thank you enough. The years we have shared, the stories, and your continued loyalty we do not take lightly. What else can we say?
Owyheestar Weimaraner's News 