Summer fun on Cape Cod!

Savi giving Jam some swimming advice

 We had a fabulous two-week vacation on Cape Cod with the dogs!  Once we are unpacked, we'll share many of the great photos we took and the fun times.

 Running through the Truro hills.

On the rocks at the mouth of Pamet Harbor and Cape Cod Bay.

Weimaraner Wednesday

Weims love to eat mud!  Even Princess Trixie!

Happy Monday!

Running into a new week!

Relax

Trixie, our resident princess, a month away from turning nine, still looks gorgeous.  Enjoying a restful afternoon after a run on the beach...

Beach babes

Jam and Savi enjoying a romp on the beach.

Jam the Model

Jam on location in Southampton, New York, for an editorial shoot for the fashion magazine, InStyle.  Always nice to mix work with pleasure as it was a treat to hang out on the amazing private beach.

CeCe 14 weeks old

I love when the puppies come to visit and go through withdrawal when I don't see them for awhile.  Thanks to KellyAnn for bringing CeCe, Grayhart's Almost Famous, (Parker x Savi) up for a night time visit so we could play, cuddle and stack her.  She has grown so much since our last stack shot and we are please with how pretty she looks.  Plus, she is such a sweetie and very biddable, stacking like a pro.

Savi rocks the Rally-O ring

Thirteen weeks after whelping a litter of seven pups, Savi was back in action, making her debut in the Rally ring.  Honestly, we have never trained for rally and even though I winged it over 5 years ago and put a Rally Novice title on Trixie, in a weekend with 3 2nd placements, Rally is alien to me and a lot has changed since we last did it.  I've been practicing obedience with Savi, hoping to finish her CD title and thought the since we were going to the Harrisburg cluster of shows, entering her in rally would be a fun way to get her back into a show ring.  The other competitors and the judge were terrific and very helpful in explaining the meaning of some of the signs that I had questions about.  I knew she would qualify as she has the skills to do well in Rally Novice (the lowest level) but what a pleasant surprise to hear that she was in 2nd place with a terrific score of 98 (out of 100).  Very proud of my girl!  She just needs two more qualifying legs to earn her Rally Novice (RN) title.

For those who are unfamiliar with Rally, here is an explanation from the AKC:

Getting Started in Rally

Rally is a sport in which the dog and handler complete a course that has been designed by the rally judge. The judge tells the handler to begin, and the dog and handler proceed at their own pace through a course of designated stations (10 - 20, depending on the level). Each of these stations has a sign providing instructions regarding the next skill that is to be performed. Scoring is not as rigorous as traditional obedience.

The team of dog and handler moves continuously at a brisk, but normal, pace with the dog under control at the handler's left side. There should be a sense of teamwork between the dog and handler both during the numbered exercises and between the exercise signs; however, perfect "heel position" is not required. Any faults in traditional obedience that would be evaluated and scored as a one-point deduction or more should be scored the same in Rally, unless otherwise mentioned in the Rally Regulations. After the judge's "Forward" order, the team is on its own to complete the entire sequence of numbered signs correctly.

Unlimited communication from the handler to the dog is to be encouraged and not penalized. Unless otherwise specified in these Regulations, handlers are permitted to talk, praise, encourage, clap their hands, pat their legs, or use any verbal means of encouragement. Multiple commands and/or signals using one or both arms and hands are allowed; the handler's arms need not be maintained in any particular position at any time. The handler may not touch the dog or make physical corrections. At any time during the performance, loud or harsh commands or intimidating signals will be penalized.

Rally provides a link from the Canine Good Citizen® (CGC) program to obedience or agility competition, both for dogs and handlers. In addition, rally promotes fun and enjoyment for dogs at all levels of competition.

What is Rally?

AKC Rally is the new dog sport that is taking the nation by storm, a successful stepping stone from the AKC Canine Good Citizen® program to the world of obedience or agility. Rally offers both the dogs and handlers an experience that is fun and energizing. The canine team moves at their own pace, very similar to rally-style auto racing. Rally was designed with the traditional pet owner in mind, but it can still be very challenging for those who enjoy higher levels of competition.

A rally course includes 10 to 20 stations, depending on the level. Scoring is not as rigorous as traditional obedience. Communication between handler and dog is encouraged and perfect heel position is not required, but there should be a sense of teamwork between the dog and handler. The main objective of rally is to produce dogs that have been trained to behave in the home, in public places, and in the presence of other dogs, in a manner that will reflect positively on the sport of rally at all times and under all conditions.

Mica at 13 weeks of age

Mica, Grayhart Lightfoot River of Light, (Parker x Savi) from our Fast Times litter at 13 weeks of age, stacking like a pro with owner Debbie Moody.  Debbie is holding a lid with cream cheese on it to help Mica stand still and enjoy the training.  Who doesn't love cream cheese?  I call it puppy crack!

Debbie has also started Mica tracking, something which Weims excel at and Mica made it look easy.  The beginner puppy tracks were 25-30 yards and Mica love finding the glove at the end.  Debbie reports that Mica is also a little retrieving machine just like her Momma Savi.

Weimaraner Wednesday

CeCe, 11 weeks old

Some of our favorite shots that I took after the AKC Canine Experience Event when we took the dogs for a run.  To the dogs, this was the best part of the day!

Savi, pure joy with a smile

 Two puppies on the run...Martha, 4 months catching up to cousin CeCe, 11 weeks.

 My what crazy ears you have CeCe!

Terrific Tuesday: Cruise & CeCe go to handling class

Cruise, Grayhart's Show Me the Money

 On Tuesday, we took two of our Fast Times (Parker x Savi) pups, Cruise and CeCe to their first handling class. At 13 weeks old, they are not too young to start learning how to be show dogs and get used to a new facility for training.  The show handling classes teaches the dog to stack, to gait properly on a lead, to stand for exam and to free bait plus goes over ring procedure.  It is important that the pups have fun so we used food and praise to motivate them.  We were very proud of the awesome job that these pups did with their stacking and held up for a very long class.  We need to get them used to gaiting on a show lead but there were moments of brilliance that we could see that these pups are lovely movers.

Cruise on the move

CeCe, Grayhart's Almost Famous

Top Twenty Invitational Ribbon for Bravo

2013 WCA Top Twenty Ribbon

One of the special events held at the Weimaraner Club of America National Specialty is the Top Twenty Invitational.  This event showcases the select group of dogs which have excelled in conformation competition in the previous year. The top ranked dogs in our breed compete for the honor of being our Top Twenty Invitational Dog for the year. 

At the 2013 WCA Nationals held last April in Perry, GA, the Top Twenty Ribbons that the club ordered for each qualifying dog were beyond gorgeous.  Our Bravo, BIF GCH Grayhart Crescent's Bravo, CGC, (Clay, BIS GCH Bzyfeet American Idol, BROM x Trixie, CH GraytSky's I'm Not Really A Waitress, CD, RN, AX, OAJ, V, BROM) was the #15 dog in the country and invited to attend.  Although he did not compete in the Top Twenty, as his owners did not want to fly him cross country, he did get one of the fabulous ribbons that were personalized with each dogs registered name.

Trixie modeling the Top Twenty ribbon

 Were we surprised to received a package in the mail with a duplicate of Bravo's ribbon as a special gift from his owners, Jay Logan and Ron Guillarte.  I was extremely touched by this thoughtful gesture.

We are proud of all of Bravo's accomplishments, including his Best Dog in Futurity win as well as his many Best of Breed wins.  More importantly, he has exceeded Jay and Ron's expectations of the great companion Bravo has grown into and his incredible connection with them.  These days, Bravo enjoys romping on the beach and living the California dream.

The ribbon is personalized with Bravo's registered name

 That is one big and stunning ribbon and we will treasure it.

AKC Canine Experience & Match Show

Ember & Josh rocking the rally ring

We had a super fun day at the Suffolk County Kennel Club sponsored AKC Canine Experience Event held in Kings Park, NY last Sunday! An AKC Canine Experience is a multi-club, multi-sport event that introduces and welcomes owners of newly AKC-registered puppies to and educates them about the sport of purebred dogs. The day-long event features educational presentations and provides an opportunity for potential owners to be mentored by experienced exhibitors and club members prior to an afternoon match, during which new exhibitors and future fanciers practice their newly learned skills.

We represented the Long Island Weimaraner Club, offering information on our breed and giving people an opportunity to meet our dogs. There was a mini-Grayhart reunion with pups from a few of our litters in attendance. We participated in Rally run thrus and the conformation match. The Sporting group, including the Weimaraner judging, was judged by Mrs. Toby Frisch, an AKC judge who is approved to judge many groups and Best In Show. She was wonderful to our puppies and very complimentary - a pleasure to show to. After the event, we took the dogs, big and small, on a run and for them, that was the best part of the day!

 Josh and Ember, Grayhart's Light My Fire, (Summit x Jam), only 10 months old, did a super job on their rally run through - their first time ever in a show ring!  Josh and Aimee have been working hard at training Ember in obedience and agility, and it is obvious that their hard work is paying off.

 Bonnie Lane, President of the Long Island Weimaraner Club, had a nice informational booth set up with handouts and thanks to KellyAnn Kwiatek, samples of Natural Balance rolls and food.  The puppies, 4 month old, Martha & littermate Louie plus 11 weeks old, CeCe, were a big draw.

 A little show training for Cece...hard work for a little pup in the heat...

 I also did a rally run though with Savi, who has been training for her CD (Companion Dog) obedience title so the Novice Rally course was a piece of cake for her.  She had terrific attention and was happy to be working.

CeCe was a little star her first time in the ring - stacking like a pro!

 We had an entry of 5 Weimaraner puppies in the match show and it was a group effort to get all the pups in at the right time, figure out who would handle which pup and take photos. A match show is a practice dog show, a great way to get the pups used to the show ring and procedure, as well as get new handlers in the ring for practice.  Match shows are not worth points towards a championship but to win a match show with a big entry, is always nice.  Our Savi, was Best in Show Puppy at this same match show three years ago with an entry of 400!

 The puppies, Martha and CeCe were in the same class.  See what difference a month in age can make!  Martha won the class but I was thrilled with how well baby CeCe did.

Ten-month old Littermates from our Rockstar Litter (Summit x Jam), Ember, Grayhart's Light My Fire, up front with me and Ella, Grayhart's How High the Moon, shown by Steve Lane, in the 9-12 class.

 Ember was up first and the judge told us both girls were so similar she had a hard time making up her mind.

Steve did an awesome job showing Ella (above) and she won the class.  Then all the winners of the 3 classes went in for the judge to pick the Best of Breed (BOB) Puppy.  Ella won and was awarded BOB.  Steve then took Ella in for the Puppy Sporting Group and we were thrilled when she won a Puppy Sporting Group 2!

 Aimee didn't complain when she was asked to hold CeCe...taking her responsibility very seriously!

 Jam was along for the ride and got to play with one of her favorite people, Steve!   Steve showed Jam to her Championship and occasionally takes her in as a Special.

Then it was CeCe's turn for some puppy show and play!  Teaching her how to gait on a show lead and what fun it can be!

Ember at Agility class

Ember, Grayhart's Light My Fire, Summit x Jam, only 10 months old and already running short agility courses!  Kudos to her handler, Josh, for doing such a terrific job training her. She is already showing nice speed over the jumps and two on, two off contacts. 

This Rockstar is on her way to the top of the charts!