Jam at the 3rd Annual Westminster Masters Agility Challenge

Jam, GCH Grayhart's Purple Haze, CD, JH, MX, MXJ CGCA, SD, VX, posing in front of Sensation, the Westminster Kennel Club's official logo.

Jam competed and although we did not qualify for the finals, I could not be prouder of my girl, who was the only Weimaraner entered out of 330 dogs. She was a wonderful representative for the breed, both in and out of the ring. It was such an honor to be part of this amazing event.

Jam was clean on a very challenging Masters Jumpers with Weaves course but sadly over time. The turf proved to be very slippery for her causing her to fall and made her much more cautious. Only 10 dogs in our class qualified, and only two more, Jam and another dog, had clean rounds but were over time. 



In the Master Standard course, handler error caused her to get a refusal at the tunnel, darn, we almost got one of those fancy Q ribbons. She was 10 seconds under standard course time in this run. It was a fun course with a tricky opening. Lots of good things in this run and we always celebrate the positives. 


This was our first big agility event and Jam handled it all in stride. I think that having been a show dog, she even showed here 3 years ago in breed, she is used to the crowds, noise and distractions and was not stressed like some of the other dogs. We had fun, spent time with friends, met many awesome dogs and handlers from all over the country and although we did not make the finals, we were included in the TV broadcast of the finals on Fox Sports 1, showing the special relationship between Jam and me. Watch the whole clip to see me feeding Jam treats and then her kissing me!

Jam got into the Westminster Kennel Club Masters Agility Trial!!!!

I am beyond excited that Jam and I will be competing at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club Agility Trial on February 13, 2016! 

This trial is limited to dogs that have their Masters level titles, both MX and MXJ, and only the first 330 dog's entries were accepted.  As far as I know, Jam is the only Weimaraner that will be competing there.

Jam competed in the Westminster Kennel Club Show in 2013 and strutted her stuff in the conformation ring.

Jam is GCH Grayhart's Purple Haze, CD, JH, MX, MXJ, CGCA, SD, VX, Pet Partners Therapy Dog.

Jam at the Keystone ESS Agility Trial

Jam, GCH Grayhart's Purple Haze, CD, JH,MZ,MXJ,CGCA,SD,VX, competing at the Keystone English Springer Spaniel Agility trial in Master Standard. These awesome photos are by Rich Knecht.

Jam stars in Lane Crawford department store Christmas video

Jam, GCH Grayhart's Purple Haze, CD,JH,MX,MXJ,CGCA,SD,VX, starring in international department store, Lane Crawford's Christmas video appearing on their website.

Jam new MXJ Title!

Jam earns her 10th MXJ leg at the American Chesapeake Club agility trial at Paws N Effect in Hamden, CT, to finish her MXJ, Master Jumpers with Weaves title!!!!

She is now Jam, GCH Grayhart's Purple Haze, CD, JH, MX, MXJ, CGCA, SD, VX!!!

New MX title for Jam!!!!

I am so proud to announce that Jam earned her MX, Master Standard title on November 6, 2015, at the Irish Setter Club of America Agility trial held at Gloucester County Dream Park!  It takes 10 perfect runs to earn this title.

Jam is now GCH Grayhart's Purple Haze, CD, JH, MX, AXJ, CGCA, SD, VX, Pet Partners Therapy Dog.

Jam has been rocking the agility ring!

Jam has been busy this fall competing at the Masters level in AKC agility.

We have gotten much more consistent as a team and our "Q" rate has risen tremendously.  She finished her MX, Master Standard title last weekend at Dream Park and the same weekend, earned MXJ, Master Jumpers with Weaves legs #8 and #9! It takes 10 qualifying runs to earn each Master title. She now only needs one Jumpers leg to complete her MXJ title.

She also qualified in both Master Standard and Jumpers on Sunday, giving her a Double Q! This is her first Double Q and counts towards a MACH, Master Agility Champion title, which takes 20 double Qs plus 750 points, which are seconds under the standard course time. 

New CGCA titles for Jam, Savi and CeCe! Plus other big show news

Me with Savi and Jam who were melting from the heat.

It's been awhile since we've updated the blog and have so much news to share but that will come in time.  Last weekend, the Grayhart crew was in Bridgewater, NJ for a 4-day show circuit.  Sunday was the prestigious Westchester Kennel Club show with all-breed judging and announcing by the famous David Frei. One of the wonderful things they offered was free CGC (Canine Good Citizen) and CGCA (Canine Good Citizen Advanced) testing.  

We were so proud of our three Grayhart girls, my girls, Jam, Savi and her daughter CeCe (owned by KellyAnn and Chris Kwiatek and co-owned by me), who passed this real-life AKC Community Canine test with flying colors! The test was conducted under the busy show tent with lots of dogs, people and distractions and the dogs have to work without treats or toys.  Now we can add the CGCA title after their names!  We did have a group photo taken and cannot wait to see how that turns out.  

KellyAnn and the beautiful CeCe

Jam is GCH Grayhart's Purple Haze, CD, JH, AX, AXJ, SD, VX, CGCA

Savi is CH Grayhart's Shear Genius, CD, SH, OA, OAJ, NSD, NRD, VX, CGCA

CeCe is CH Grayhart's Almost Famous, BN, RN, RL-1, CGCA

From the AKC website, here is information about the CGCA test:

To earn the CGCA title, the dog must:

1. be registered or listed with AKC (AKC number, PAL, or AKC Canine Partners number) and,
2. already have a Canine Good Citizen award/title on record.

Dogs must pass all 10 items of the test to receive the CGCA title.

1. Dog stands, sits or lies down and waits under control while the owner:
   • sits at the registration table and fills out paperwork, or,
   • if the test is done in the community, dog waits while the owner sits and has a snack or visits with another person (e.g., at a park)
2. Walks on a loose leash in a natural situation (not in a ring) -- does not pull.
   • left turn
   • right turn
   • stop
   • fast and slow pace
3. Walks on loose leash through a crowd:
   • at a show or in class, this item is tested in a real crowd, not in a ring
   • in the community, dog walks on sidewalk, through a crowd at a community fair, park, on a trail, through a busy hallway, etc.
4. Dog walks past distraction dogs present; does not pull.
   This item may be tested along with #3 if there are dogs in the crowd, etc.
   • at a show or class, dog walks by dogs waiting in the crowd--dogs 2 ft. apart
   • in the community, dog walks by other dogs on a trail, sidewalk, in a hallway, etc.
5. Sit -- stay in small group (3 other people with dogs).
   Owners and dogs are in an informal circle/square while owners have a conversation.
   Dogs are all on the owner's left side, on leash; 3 ft. apart. (At least 30 seconds)
6. Dog allows person who is carrying something (backpack, computer bag, etc.) to approach and pet it.
   "May I pet your dog?" (Item is placed on floor/ground before the person pets the dog)
7. "Leave it." Dog walks by food and follows owner instructions, "Leave it."
   This can be food placed by the evaluator on the floor or ground in a food dish with a wire cover as in Rally.
8. Down or sit stay -- distance (owner's choice).
   Dog is on 20--ft line, owner walks away with back to dog, picks up an item (e.g., backpack, training bag, clipboard, folder etc.) placed on the floor/chair/ground by the evaluator and returns to the dog.
9. Recall with distractions present (coming when called). Handler goes out 20--ft. **(off center) and calls dog.
   Dog is on the 20--ft. line from #8 above.
   
10. Dog will sit or stand stay (owner's choice) while owner enters/exits a doorway or narrow passageway. Owner calls dog through door when ready.
    Owner may also choose to:
    1. send the dog through first and have the dog wait for the owner, or
    2. the owner may choose to have the dog go through the doorway at the owner's side.
    Whichever method is used, the dog must not pull the owner and must be under good control. Think of the handler having the leash in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.
    Doorway or gate can be real or simulated with ring gates, two chairs, or a natural passageway (e.g., entrance to trail) in the community.

Jam earns her 5th MX leg with a 4th place!

After a long time without qualifying in agility, I was thrilled to have Jam not only qualify but do it with a placement on a very challenging course.  In a large 24" class at the Schooley's Mountain Kennel Club Agility trial, only four dogs qualified in Master Standsard and Jam was one of them. She ran the course in 59 seconds and the Standard Course Time was 70 seconds. In general, she has been running well however, her handler has been a member of the one-little-thing club.  We've been working hard on perfecting our runs and it is finally paying off.  Jam is run with speed and enthusiasm and we are having a ton of fun - Q or no Q!

To earn the AKC Master Standard or MX title, a dog needs to have 10 qualifying runs.  At the master level, a run must be perfect to qualify so no refusals, wrong courses or time faults are allowed. Jam is halfway to her MX title.

J-C Pups: 8 week and final stacks!

With the conformation evaluation and temperament testing completed, we have matched all these lovely pups to their new homes.  We could not have been happier with this litter, one of the most consistent and typey litters we have produced.  

Miss Purple will be our keeper and she not only a beautiful package but full of sass.  

J-C Pups: 7 week stacks

Our Holiday litter out of Chaz and Jam are maturing beautifully.  At 8 weeks, we will do the final conformation evaluations by respected Weimaraner breeders along with the Avidog Puppy Evaluation Test (temperament test) and use this information to decide which home each puppy will go to.

J-C pups day 25 - Puppy Training

The Holiday litter continues to thrive.  They all weigh around 5 lbs which is amazingly consistent, a rare thing to have them all the same size. The pup love to play and as seen above, already have terrific focus and held their positions while I took photos.  We've started litter box training by adding wood pellets (safe, non treated) to the whelping box to encourage them to do their business on the wood pellets instead of the fleece pad.  Starting in the whelping box will make their transition to the litter box in the puppy pen easier.  They will move to their new digs in a few days and have luxury accommodations right in our living room.

The pups have spent almost a month in our family room where they have been exposed to all kinds of sounds, a number of different surfaces and toys.  We completed the BioSensor Early Neurological Stimulation exercises last week which we did along with Early Scent Introduction.

Once the pups turn 4 weeks and make their move to the new pen, we will continue to introduce all kinds of new things and many visitors to help create sound, healthy puppies.

Merry Christmas

J-C Pups Day 3: Momma Jam is the best

How lucky am I to wake up to this?  Momma Jam is awesome with her babies, keeping them fed and immaculate.  Jam is an experience mother which makes my job easier. She is also very happy, notice the tail wagging.  And yes, she is a talker.

I sleep next to the whelping box for at least the first two weeks after the pups are born to make sure that they are safe, not accidentally rolled/stepped on and doing well.  They have been eating nonstop and the daily weigh ins show they have all gained weight.

J-C Pups Birth to Day 2 - Cuteness Overload

We have been super busy getting the Holiday litter settled and just spending time with these adorable pups. I had time to upload the photos we took during the whelping and the first two days. Jam had an easy time whelping the pups, which made things less stressful for us and it was a textbook whelping. As soon as the first pup was born, we broke the sack, made sure the pup could breath, dried the pup and then took care of cutting and cleaning the umbilical cord. These pups came out screaming and were so vigorous, there was no need to suction fluid out of them. We then let Jam take over, as she was anxious to do, and the pups began nursing. We would then clean the whelping box and get ready for the next pup.

After each pup was born, Jam was given a bowl of premium vanilla ice cream - she loved that part!  It wasn't just a celebratory treat but a needed boost of calcium to help with the contractions and extra nourishment.  She licked the bowl clean!

 Weim pups are born with stripes which fade within a few days.

 We use colored Velcro collars to safely identify each pup. In a few weeks, the pups will get their first set of real collars with a plastic snap release buckle.

 Jam spends all her time in the whelping box nursing the pups.  We also have a heat lamp and thermometer to ensure that the pups stay warm as at this age, the pups cannot regulate their own body temperature and if get too hot or too cold, can die. The fleece pad also helps to keep them warm and dry plus gives them traction as they crawl around the box.

 The white railing around the box are called pig rails and are a safety feature.  If the dam rolls onto a pup, the pup will be pushed under the pig rail and protected.  Jam is very careful with her pups but you always have to be vigilant to make sure an accident doesn't happen.

 The Holiday 6 are a robust bunch and spend lots of time at the milk bar!

 The pups are born deaf and blind and with their amazing sense of smell, find their way to the nipples to nurse.  They are also unable to defecate on their own and it is Jam's job by licking them to stimulate the pups to urinate and have bowel movements.  She also eats their poop which keeps the box clean.  This will go on for a few weeks.

And J-C stands for Jam-Chaz pups aka the Holiday Litter!

Welcome the Grayhart Holiday Litter!

Introducing Grayhart's Holiday Litter (Chaz, BIF/BIM GCH Roschel's Dauntless of Graykin x Jam, GCH Grayhart's Purple Haze,CD,JH,AX,AXJ,SD,VX), 4 girls and 2 boys whelped on December 19th! Making their appearance on the third night of Hannukah, all six are little miracles. Jam did a terrific job and all the pups are vigorous and eating well. Weights ranged from 15.5 oz to 18 oz.

In order of appearance and weight:

• Miss Pink         15.7 oz
• Miss Purple     15.9
• Miss Teal         18.0
• Mr. Black         17.6
• Miss Red          15.5
• Mr. Blue           17.8

Weim puppies are born with stripes which fade after a few day.  They are also blind and deaf but have amazing sense of smell to find their mother and nurse.

Jam is a fantastic mother, keeping her pups fed, cleaned and loved.

Getting closer to pups

The first official photo of the Holiday litter (Chaz x Jam).  Today, we took Jam to our reproductive vet for an x-ray to confirm how many puppies she is carrying.  Many breeders like to x-ray within a week of the due date to get an accurate count so that they can have this information during the whelping to make sure all the pups have come out or if there is a potential problem and a c-section is needed.  Our vet numbered the pups, matching skulls and spines and identified six pups - a perfect litter size.  We still have no idea of the sexes and wait in anticipation for Jam's labor to start which should be sometime on Thursday or Friday.  Her due date was based on LH surge and progesterone testing to pinpoint her ovulation and then a 63 day pregancy.  The whelping box has been assembled and all the supplies are ready, now it is up to Jam to start the show.

Weekends are for sleeping in....

From l-r: Savi, Trixie, Jam (pregnant with that big belly) and sitting, Presley.

Presley earns her Junior Hunter title and CeCe get her 1st JH leg!

Presley, with Qualifying Ribbon #4 for her JH title!

 We are thrilled to announce that Presley has earned her AKC Junior Hunter (JH) title and is now, Grayhart's Another Star, JH.  Presley completed her JH, handled by her breeder/co-owner,  by qualifying in four straight tests with terrific scores and at only one year of age!

Presley earned her first two legs at the Nutmeg Weimaraner Club Hunt Test in Simsbury, CT at the beginning of November under very difficult conditions.  The first day brought torrential rain but that did not deter Presley as she made her hunt test debut in style by finding and retrieving four birds to hand!

Extreme conditions call for the right attire & it worked for Presley's 1st JH leg

The next day, the weather was cold with swirling winds, which can be very challenging especially for novice dogs.  Presley hunted well and found her first bird, although did not point it and after the bird flushed, searched in thick cover and retrieved the bird to hand.  There is a rule that the dog must point 50% of the birds they encounter so we needed to find another bird and have a solid point.  She did not disappoint and with only minutes left, she made game, then a solid point before she went in on the bird.  She also caught that bird and retrieved it back. Chasing and busting the bird is allowed in the Junior level but not in Senior and Master so we will have to work on her training. Two tests, two qualifications on her debut weekend.

CeCe and Presley

I also ran CeCe, Grayhart's Almost Famous, co-owned with KellyAnn, in the Sunday test and this birdy girl qualified for her 1st Junior Hunter leg.  Tough conditions with few qualifiers but our girls made us proud by bringing home those orange ribbons. Guess we could call it a double Q!

After the test was over on Saturday, we took Savi, and her daughter, CeCe, out for a run and some training on the leftover birds in the fields.  What a beautiful sight to see CeCe back her momma!  Savi has her Senior Hunter and hunting is her favorite thing in the world.

CeCe honoring her mother, Savi

Savi on point

Presley with JH ribbon #2

The weekend after Thanksgiving brought the final hunt test of the season in the Northeast with the Nutmeg German Shorthaired Pointer Club Hunt Test at Flaherty Field Trial Grounds in CT.  Things did not look promising as we had a major snowstorm on Thanksgiving eve and the ground was covered with snow and ice.  Arriving at the test, those coming off the Junior course reported poor scenting conditions and the birds, Quail, were not staying planted.  Challenging conditions to say the least.  Plus it was cold!  

We met Presley's bracemate, a handsome, 22 month old male GSP, who turned out to be a hunting machine.  They took off from the start and after playing a few minutes started to hunt.  The GSP found a bird right away and hearing the shot of the blank gun, Presley upped her game and was trying really hard tracking and hunting to find a bird.  She found a quail under a log and pointed before flushing the bird.  She did not catch it.  She continued to hunt until the judges told us time was up and leash the dogs.  Presley qualified for JH leg #3.

On Sunday, we returned to Flaherty and fortunately, warmer weather.  Presley immediately knew why we were there and once we entered the bird field, boom, went on a gorgeous point.  The bird flushed and flew away.  Presley continued to hunt and the judge complimented her on how methodically she hunted.  We then saw her make game, showing the signs she was on a bird and boom, another beautiful, staunch point and to my surprise, she was pointing a walking bird!  Presley was easily 20 yards away so I couldn't get to her in time before she broke her point to flush the bird.  Very impressive for an untrained dog to point a walking bird and hold for a good 10 seconds!  It was exciting to see her perform so well and this was reflected in her scores of 9, 10, 10, 9,

Presley will now begin training for Senior Hunter and will return to the show ring in 2015. Her owners, Bob, Meridith and I are thrilled with how well she is doing and just adore this girl.

Happy 1st Birthday to the Wonder pups!

Happy Birthday to the Wonder litter!

We can't believe these pups are one year old - the year has flown by! They are all doing well and loved beyond belief by their families.  The Wonder litter is out of Fala, GCH A GraytSky A La Fala Love'A and Jam, GCH Grayhart's Purple Haze, CD,JH,AX,AXJ,SD,VX.

A few of them have even started showing and earned titles.  The seven Wonder pups are: 

• Quest, Canadian CH Grayhart's Travelin' Man
• Presley, Grayhart's Another Star, JH (pointed)
• Siri, Grayhart's Conversation with GraytSky (major pointed)
• Zoe, Grayhart's Pretty Little Angel, CGC
• Blaze, Grayhart's Beach Stomp
• Brody, Grayhart's Master Blaster
• Ensign, Grayhart's Ebb Tide (hunting dog)