A publication of the North American Pudelpointer Society
January – March 2020 • Volume 2

The mission of the North American Pudelpointer Society is to bring together North American Pudelpointer owners to improve and protect the Pudelpointer as a superior versatile gundog while also fostering the stable temperament of a quality companion through the proactive use of performance testing, evaluation to breed standard and breeding requirement minimums.

1st Annual General Meeting

On the sunny eastern shore of Florida lies a 1350-acre hunting preserve known as Quail Hunting Florida or QHF. This would be the site of the first NAPS annual meeting. QHF was a tremendous host and location for this Pudelpointer enthusiasts’ event. It was February 22, 2020 and the weather was nearly perfect for the members that were able to make the journey. Sunny, with highs in the low 60’s and a light breeze. For the members who were unable to make the journey to the southeast corner of the United States, the board had set up a teleconference to maximize participation.

The day began with a light catered breakfast on Saturday morning. Members gathered and mulled about, socializing and talking dogs. Present were several dogs representing various kennels from across the country. These ranged in age from 8-week-old puppies to more seasoned veterans of the fields and marsh. Some new NAPS swag was introduced to the members by our President, Pat Saunders. Pat out did himself putting together an assortment of NAPS logo hats and t-shirts. The appreciation was quite evident as sales began quickly. The remaining swag has been added to our member store on the website. Members began to circulate the property; some training, some assisting with training. Shortly after, Dr. John Salassa gave a very interesting, informational and thought-provoking talk on the topic of coat and furnishing genetics. Afterwards, he led a nice Q&A session. Around noon, the members were corralled for a delicious catered lunch. The business meeting took place immediately after and was led by President Pat, where he directed each board member to their portion of the meeting’s announcements. Vice President Calvin Harpe spoke about the Board’s goals for the year 2020, Treasurer and Secretary Alycia Baird gave a full financial report, and Director of Marketing Chad Bumb spoke about all that has been accomplished with the website in the inaugural year and what’s to come for 2020. Additionally, I want to give a huge thank you to Alycia Baird and Chad Bumb. The technical skills they bring to the board are invaluable and very much appreciated. We did have a slight glitch during the meeting, but they were able to overcome the challenges in a very positive and professional manner to keep the meeting moving forward. The membership really showed their professionalism and respect as they spoke passionately on the discussion topics. Once the meeting was adjourned, Calvin Harpe led a brief training demonstration on steadiness using a program he had learned from Bob Farris.

Sunday was an extra day for the membership to gather and socialize. Some were up early for a hog hunt, while others chose to relax a bit longer. We were able to watch some very nice young dogs prepare for their upcoming UT duck searches. The grounds at QHF are impeccably managed. This duck search pond was newly dug and once the cover grows in, they will have a great place to train and test. Keep in mind that this portion of training in many areas of the South runs a huge risk as alligators are always a potential threat. Yet the staff at QHF are diligent in their efforts to maintain a safe training/testing environment for dogs and people.

You can find a recording of the annual business meeting on the member site under Annual Meeting Recap. Please don’t be shy. NAPS is seeking recommendations on a location for the 2021 annual meeting. I’m sure we would be welcomed back to QHF, but the board recognizes the need to move the location of the annual meeting in an attempt to better serve all members.

I am happy to announce that there are plans in the near future for NAPS to host both an eastern and western Pudelpointer event. Look for more details soon.

Thanks to all the folks that have joined in support of our breed. I invite all Pudelpointer owners to become involved for the future of the breed!

 

Announcements

New Publications Director and Board Member

First and foremost, we would like to welcome Susan Ravenhill as our newest Board Member. Susan has graciously offered to volunteer as our new Director of Publications.

Sue is the owner/breeder of Harvesthills Pudelpointers, out of Alberta, Canada. She is currently the President and an active member of the Prairie Vista NAVHDA chapter. She is also an active NAVHDA Judge. Her primary profession is a Registered Nurse – working with seniors in Home Care.

Sue was born and raised in Calgary, returning there after a short stint in Central Alberta. Sue’s first pudelpointer was a “gift” to her 11 years ago. She had never owned a dog before that time. Talk about jumping in with both feet! Look at her now! Owner, breeder and NAVHDA judge – it’s been a ride. That first dog was so tolerant of her training errors – they rode the crazy training life together to an NA 112 Prize 1 and a UT 200 Prize 1. Since then she has trained and run several Pudelpointers in NAVHDA with admirable success.

Every litter Sue has produced has achieved an NA Breeders Award!

She is committed to the breed and maintaining the standards of the breed she loves!

Membership Dues

For those of you who purchased 2019 only memberships, your 2020 dues are up for renewal. Please log in to the members site and find membership renewals in the shop. If you have not renewed your membership by April 30th, 2020, you will be dropped from the membership list.

New Swag!

We have posted the remaining swag from the annual meeting on our member store. There are limited quantities available, so get them while they’re hot! There are short and long sleeve Hanes Workwear with a front pocket in blaze orange. There are only 2XL available in the long sleeve. Short sleeve sizes available are L and 2XL. The designs for both are the same front and back.

Breeder Program

After numerous requests and a great deal of planning, we are very excited to announce that we are rolling out a new program for our breeder members. NAPS will maintain a public list of breeders and stud dog owners who have submitted documentation for review and have been determined by the Breeder Program Committee to meet the current breed standard and breeding requirements of NAPS. This list shall reside on the NAPS website for the general public to see. Additionally, these breeders will be allowed to advertise litters on the NAPS website and social media platforms. There will be opportunities for breeders to purchase additional advertising such as website banner ads and newsletter ads, if desired.

The goal of this program is to connect prospective pudelpointer puppy buyers with breeders who have been confirmed to follow the NAPS breeding requirements and breed standards. By directing buyers to responsible breeders, NAPS is helping to improve and protect the pudelpointer in North America.

Members seeking approval for the NAPS Breeder Program must be NAPS members in good standing. The breeder must submit an application and fee annually. Members wishing to promote their stud must apply with the same documentation and a fee annually. Each year a breeder renews they shall update the committee with documentation of any new breeding stock. If a breeder is found to be in violation of the Code of Ethics or falls out of good standing, they will be removed from the list for a period of at least 1 year.

Cost: Breeders with a female, females, or females & studs will be charged $100 annually, per kennel. Members wishing to promote a stud or studs will be charged $50 annually. These will be billed upon application approval.

Required Documentation:

  1. North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) pedigree, or equivalent, with valid test results. *
    1. If test results are not on the pedigree, documentation showing test results will be required.
    2. The NAPS Board is currently working to develop a list of acceptable equivalents for both registry and testing requirements. In the interim, we will make decisions regarding non-NAVHDA registry and testing on a case by case basis.
  2. OFA or PennHIP documentation.
  3. Picture of the dog.

* NAVHDA judges may make comments about a dog’s potential health issues, such as bite or eye problems etc. If a dog’s NAVHDA pedigree states that a dog has a disqualification the breeder may supply a written health certificate, from a board-certified veterinarian, stating that the dog does not have this disqualification. The NAPS Breeder Certification Board will side with a board-certified veterinarian as to the condition of the dog’s health.

The Breeder Program will be run by a volunteer committee of three NAPS members, in good standing, who have been appointed by a majority vote of the NAPS Board of Directors. The committee shall consist of at least one breeder and at least one non-breeder. The current committee members, who have graciously volunteered to take on this pilot program, are Mike Baird of Lone Pine Pudelpointers, Chris Randell – NAPS member and pudelpointer owner, and Doug Rogers of Juniper Creek Kennel. This committee shall not act as breed wardens. The committee will not evaluate every breeding by breeders on the NAPS list, nor does the committee have the authority to approve or disapprove specific breeders, instead they will make suggestions to the NAPS Board of Directors on these matters. The committee’s sole role is to evaluate that a breeder’s breeding stock meets the NAPS breeding requirements and breed standards.

To apply for this new program, please visit the NAPS Breeders Application page or email us at breeders@pudelpointersociety.org.

Rescue & Rehoming Program

One of the objectives of NAPS is to “Actively participate and assist in pudelpointers rescue activities, such as the distribution of information on pudelpointers requiring rehoming or other placement assistance.” We are pleased to announce that we are getting that objective underway in Q2 with a Rescue and Rehoming page on our website. In the coming months we will be consulting with people experienced in this area and developing a plan for our own program. If you are interested in volunteering to be part of this process, please let us know. If you are looking to rehome a pudelpointer, please go to the rescue and rehoming page on our website and fill out the contact form.

Call for Volunteers

Like most non-profit organizations, NAPS is only as good as its volunteers. We currently need volunteers in the following areas. If you are interested in any of these positions, please contact us at contact@pudelpointersociety.org for more information.

  • Treasurer – Alycia Baird is currently serving in both the Secretary and Treasurer roles. We are looking for someone who would like to fill the role of Treasurer. Some of the duties to be performed are to track and reconcile the monthly membership fees and swag purchases, reconcile the bank account, reimburse Board Members for approved out of pocket expenses, present quarterly financial statements to the Board.
  • Newsletter content editors – We hope to increase the content in our newsletters this year, but we need help from you to do that. We are looking for 1 or 2 individuals to coordinate with Sue on newsletter planning and content.
  • Swag Manager – This position would include creating and ordering swag as well as managing the order fulfillment process.
  • Rescue and rehoming volunteers – Experienced or not, we need volunteers to help gather the information and post and share when we have a pup requiring rehoming. Ideally volunteers in each quadrant of North America would be helpful.

 

Statistics

2019 Test Results

We have the final 2019 NAVHDA test results. Congratulations to all of our members who tested their dogs last year! We had 2 members pass the Invitational. Congratulations to Mark Olcott and Amanda Doak! In 2019, 49 of our members had dogs that tested and prized in the Natural Ability test and 14 had dogs that tested and prized in the Utility Test. Great job all! A complete list of all dogs tested by NAPS members can be found on the Statistics page of our website.

Overall in 2019, 295 pudelpointers were tested in Natural Ability with 168 earning a Prize 1, 7 were tested in the Utility Preparatory Test, 73 were tested in the Utility Test with 18 earning a prize 1 and qualifying for the 2020 Invitational, and 8 tested in the Invitational with 4 passing. There were more pudelpointers tested at invitational in 2019 than in any past year.

As always, we do our best to provide accurate statistics. However, if you find that we have missed something, please let us know so that we can make corrections. Additionally, if you have tested your dog using a testing system other than NAVHDA, please let us know and provide the results so that we can give you a shout out as well.

We have been trying to think of some information that our members might find interesting. If you have any ideas for statistics that you or others might find interesting, please let us know.

This quarter, we’ve charted the growing number of litters being produced every year. This data was compiled by using a count of the different whelp dates and sire/dam combinations of NAVHDA registered dogs. Data for 2019 is incomplete at this time but will be updated for the Q2 newsletter and on the website as soon as we have it. As you can see, the pudelpointer has experienced enormous growth and popularity in the past 5 or 6 years, making responsible breeding practices more important than ever.

Good Dog…

…Just 1 More Day …Just 1 More Hunt
…Just 5 More Minutes …Just 1 More Retrieve

By Steve Chenoweth

As my family (including my wife, my daughter and my two boys – (11), (9), (8)) wound down our annual family ski vacation in Steamboat Springs, CO in late January 2019, we were packing our bags ahead of catching the shuttle bus back to the airport to start our 10 hour long travel day back home, when my cell phone rang – it was our dog’s trainer, Brad. You see, we always left our (almost 3 year old) Pudelpointer – Churro – with the trainer while we were on vacation as opposed to boarding her in a local dog sitting kennel, simply so she could be “tuned up” from a hunting perspective and work with some professionals from time to time.

As Brad spoke, you could hear the stress and serious tone in his voice right away; I knew something was wrong. He told me she was suffering from bloat (GDV). I had never heard of this condition, but I was thankful she was with Brad and his team as they were the best equipped to identify this as it was happening and get her to the vet ASAP. 20 minutes later my phone rang again – before I could answer, my heart sank and the reality of the situation (all of a sudden) hit me; Brad told me she didn’t make it. Not only was I caught off-guard, but I had no idea what to do at this point. I simply couldn’t tell my family what just happened only to then have everyone travel for the next 10 hours on an airplane completely heart broken. If my not telling the family would give them 1 more happy day, it would be well worth it.

I made up an excuse to go outside as the family was still packing, just so I could cry; I called 2 of my hunting buddies just to tell someone what happened but I could hardly speak. As good friends would do, they simply listened and sat in silence with me because they knew I just needed somebody to be there with me (even if they could only be there over the phone).

The next 10 hours were excruciating; it was about 11:30 that night (after we arrived back on Amelia Island and put our kids to bed) before I could tell my wife what happened. She was inconsolable, heartbroken and in utter disbelief… just as our kids would be early the next morning as we gathered the family in our bedroom to give them the news.

Later that same morning, I drove the hour and forty-five minutes north to Jesup, GA to see the vet and speak with him about what had happened with Churro. On the drive, I kept hoping (albeit irrationally) that maybe, just maybe, they made a mistake; maybe the dogs got mixed up in the kennel; maybe it really wasn’t Churro that had passed. When I arrived, I was directed into the x-ray room to meet with the vet and to look at Churro’s films; all I had to see was her collar sitting empty on the exam table to know, there hadn’t been a mistake; my heart broke all over again.

On the way home from the vet’s office, all I could think about was how much I just wanted 1 more year (she was so young); Gosh – just 1 more day (so it didn’t hurt so bad right now); Please just 1 more hunt with my friends and my kids; Heck, I’ll take just 5 more minutes (so we could at least say goodbye); Or how about 1 more retrieve (just for the sheer joy Churro had every time we hunted together). I knew I could ask and pray all I wanted (to) but I knew none of those wishes could come true.

It was a few weeks later when we were planning a small little memorial service for Churro (so our family could formally say goodbye) that I realized that I might have been wrong.

Two weeks prior to Churro’s unexpected passing, she and I headed to the delta in Clarksdale, MS for our annual end of the season duck hunt with a group of friends, their sons and 1 other dog, Cash (a good looking well trained black British Lab). Our group (affectionately and appropriately dubbed the ‘Jerk Strings’) knew this had been a particularly slow duck season with warmer than usual temperatures allowing the migration to stall north of the MS delta. We didn’t care – to our group, a successful hunt was less dependent on what we bagged and more reliant on the time spent with friends, the lies we would tell, and the deep roots we anchored each time we got together on one of these boondoggles.

The first 2 days were predictably and particularly slow with less than a handful of ducks hitting the water. We went to bed that Friday night during a torrential downpour only to wake up at 4am for our last hunt of the season with it still raining just as hard as when we went to bed the night before. Half the crew made the executive decision before they even rolled out of bed, to stay in bed. As my good friend Jay and I were sitting around drinking coffee waiting on the remainder of our group to arrive, he looked at me and asked, “What do you think”? We both shook our heads and listening to the rain on the tin roof, I said – “I don’t know…”. Then I looked at Churro, in her hunting vest, and she could’ve cared less about the rain, or the thunder, or the lack of birds… so we went – 3 dads, 2 sons, 2 dogs and our 3 guides.

We parked the trucks just below the levy and before we could get into our waders we were soaked to the bone. The ride through the fields on the ATV’s and the long slog through the slick, gray delta mud to our blind made us think we had made a mistake. Not only were we “not going to shoot ducks” (because they weren’t there) but we were going to “not shoot ducks” in a Mississippi delta frog strangler of a storm.

We finally got settled into the blind before dawn and as daylight began to break the ducks flew…and the ducks worked the decoys…and the rain began to subside…and we shot as well as we had ever shot.

As the morning slowed down, we counted the 13 ducks strapped and hanging from an old cypress tree. Mark (one of our guides) asked, “well, what do you guys think?” – Jay looked at me and I said, “let’s give it 1 more hour”. That hour passed with some high-flying birds but none that were working the decoys let alone looking. “What do you think…” was asked again; Jay looked at me and I said “5 more minutes”. Just then a group of 4 green heads started working our set; Mark and Adam hit them with an expert mix of feeding, comeback and hail calls… the ducks committed, gliding right into the decoys. We took 3 of the 4 “winged intruders” – high fives, hoots & hollers rang out from the flooded timber blind.


MS Delta – Clarksdale, MS 01/19/2019 (Johnny, Will, CASH, Jay, CHURRO, Steve, Will)

My best friend of over 40 years, Johnny, set his dog, Cash, onto one of the dead birds – I set Churro onto one of the other two. They both left their marsh stand and headed right to their birds (a thing of beauty). Cash promptly headed right back to his place in the blind with his head held high and bird ready to present to Johnny. Churro on the other hand picked up her bird and headed further away from the blind towards the 3rd mallard that was trying to limp out of the flooded soybean field we were hunting next to that morning.

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME???” I thought to myself – “the last retrieve of the season…you can’t pick up 2 birds at once – what are you doing??”. I tried to call her back but apparently, she was going to be “that dog” on that day. Churro apparently knew better; you see she wasn’t going to try to pick up 2 birds. She took the first bird over to where its wounded companion was still kicking, dropped her dead bird and picked up the would-be escapee. She darted back to the blind, assumed her place, I took the bird and after my command, she went directly back to the dead bird and retrieved it – Brilliant! I couldn’t have been more proud as a dog owner.

What I didn’t realize at the time, was that God had just granted me the wish that I would wish exactly 2 weeks later…

Looking back, I did have 1 more hunt – we probably shouldn’t have gone that morning considering the season we had had and the delta downpour that kept most of our group from hunting that morning; I did have 1 more hour – after Mark first asked “what do you think”; I did have 5 more minutes just before our final flurry of the morning; and Churro did have 1 more retrieve, and what a retrieve it was.

I had lost pets before but never a pet that was also my kid’s (first) pet nor had I lost a pet that was my hunting companion. Churro’s passing hit us all harder than I would have expected. As a family, we took time a few weeks after she died, on a Sunday after church, to gather in our backyard. We each said some nice things about Churro while we prayed & spread some of her ashes where she grew up, where she pointed lizards & marsh rabbits and where she helped raise our kids. We then drove up to the little quail plantation (SSJ) about an hour from the house where she (along with my boys) refined the pointing side of her natural ability. There, we spread the remainder of her ashes and flushed 4 quail in her honor.

I still cry from time to time, especially when I see her picture or when I see the kids weepy & sad as it’s quiet, they’re alone and they start to think about Churro; but then I close my eyes and silently thank God for the almost 3-year gift he gave our family.

I’m also grateful to God for the 1 more hunt, the 1 more hour, the 5 more minutes, and Churro’s final retrieve. No, we didn’t get to say goodbye to her, but I can guarantee I won’t ever think about sleeping-in when it’s raining, and I could be hunting instead. You never know when you are going to get that opportunity for 1 more retrieve or 5 more minutes. Churro, better than anyone, understood you are not guaranteed a next hunt.

 


 

Boone’s Bird

By Dale Parker

Have you ever seen a bear ride a bicycle? Better yet, have you ever seen quadriplegic shoot a pheasant from fifty feet away? With my own eyes, I witnessed my nephew drop a rooster from his chair on the eastern plains of Colorado!

My brother Shane and his wife have two children. They live in the outskirts of Boise, Idaho. His son, Boone was developing into a fantastic high school athlete. Boone won a State Championship in track. Additionally, Boone had competed in the National High School Rodeo finals. However, while playing football in 2014, all of that was robbed from him during one play where he broke two vertebrae in his neck. This severe injury left him paralyzed and unable to feel his arms or legs. It was devastating for the entire family!

Our family is a strong family, and everyone rallied behind Boone giving him all the physical and emotional support he needed. Despite the doctor’s prognosis that Boone would never walk again or have much, if any, feeling in his hands Boone was determined to prove them wrong. After six agonizing years of hard work and rehabilitation, Boone would walk again. Not only that, but he also regained the dexterity and function of his hands. This would enrich his life in so many ways. He quickly began to take up old hobbies that he had not been able to do since his accident.

Shane and Boone like many in our family are avid hunters and outdoorsmen. Since the accident, they were unable to share in this family hobby. I own and operate Jackson Creek Kennel, but I am also a guide and dog trainer at Rocky Mountain Roosters in Calhan, Colorado and I received a phone call from Shane on a magical fall day. They were considering making the thirteen-hour journey from Boise, Idaho to my place in eastern Colorado to pheasant hunt. Shane elaborated that Boone had been donated an all-terrain chair that had tank like tracks in place of wheels. This gave him the ability to follow behind my Jackson Creek Pudelpointers.

The morning air was brisk, and we all tingled with pending excitement when the dogs hit the ground. Picking right where we had left off, Shane, Boone and I trailed behind the animated search of my Pudelpointers. As we enjoyed watching the dogs work, we were able to catch up on all the lost time.

It wasn’t long though before the dogs would establish point. The dogs held steady pinning the rooster as we eased into position. We had Boone in the middle with Shane about ten yards to the left and me ten yards to the right. On command, the dogs flushed that rooster into the sky. The bird was flying directly away from us when suddenly the sweet sound of Boone’s over/under echoed across the plain. In a single shot, Boone folded that bird. With trained precision, the dogs quickly retrieved up the bird and plopped into Boone’s lap.

In emotional silence, we all stood astonished as this was the first bird Boone had shot since his accident. The words from Boone’s mouth will forever live in my memory, “I bet you’ve never seen a quadriplegic kill a bird before”.

The remainder of the weekend consisted of much of the same action. We had tremendous dog work giving us the opportunity of many more shots. The dogs were not phased in the least by the all-terrain chair. Truly a memorable sight to see. I can only imagine the feeling Boone felt by proving the doctors wrong and overachieving in true family fashion by being able to pursue the family tradition of hunting again. Folks, that is how I was able to see a quadriplegic shoot a pheasant rooster from fifty feet away!

 

 

We want your pictures and stories!

Part of any good newsletter is hearing what our members are up to. We would like to feature one or two articles or stories with each newsletter. If you have something to share, please send it to us at contact@pudelpointersociety.org.