We've been busy over the last few months! We've got not so much competing to report, but we have been working and training nonetheless. In late September Casper and I went to an event called "Gals and Gundogs" and spent a weekend training in the dry lands of Eastern Washington with a bird dog trainer … Continue reading Fall & Winter – hunting, conformation, Flyball, and – girls!
Welcome, Huxley!
It's been three weeks since our new Kooikerboy, Huxley, touched down in the States. Huxley Ellis Finn van Crystalkooi, bred in Austria by Marion Weissenbrunner, will be living in Virginia with my good friend Elise, destined for a pampered life as a performance dog! I am so excited about our new co-ownership adventure and for … Continue reading Welcome, Huxley!
Travel Crates (and Casper’s Agility Debut!)
In Seattle, the joke is that summer doesn't start until July 5th, after you've had a miserable chilly night trying to enjoy July 4th. It was true this year as well, but now it is July 5th and that means summer is in full swing, and keeping dogs cool and safe in the car is … Continue reading Travel Crates (and Casper’s Agility Debut!)
Spring 2018
Well, we had a quiet winter which burst into spring with a couple major events. First, in March we attended the Kooikerhondje National Specialty in Louisville, KY. (We aren't allowed to call it a Specialty due to AKC rules about club sanctioning, but functionally that's what it was!) I took Casper and flew with him … Continue reading Spring 2018
Fall 2017 Summary (including Netherlands trip!)
I've been lax in writing blog posts - mostly because we have had quite a busy fall/early winter so far! We attended two Flyball tournaments, and Casper broke his personal best multiple times, now down to a new best time of 5.002 seconds. We started training for Agility in September and are entered in our … Continue reading Fall 2017 Summary (including Netherlands trip!)
Certificate of Merit!
Today we got some very welcome mail - Casper's Certificate of Merit arrived from AKC! A CM is the rare breeds' (breeds in FSS and Miscellaneous classes) equivalent of a Championship, and is a suffix title instead of a prefix. Since Kooikers will be fully recognized in January 2018, before Casper even turns 2 (and … Continue reading Certificate of Merit!
RBIS and adventures in birddogging
The first weekend of July is the UKC Washington Classic show series at Argus Ranch in Auburn, WA. This year I took only Casper, with the goal of winning the Total Dog award - this is given when a dog qualifies in a performance event AND wins a competitive placement in conformation, at the same … Continue reading RBIS and adventures in birddogging
Casper’s Flyball Successes
Casper has "flown" through his first four tournaments brilliantly! He really hit his stride this weekend in Langley, BC. He ran half Saturday and full-time Sunday (minus one race) and earned 492 points, finishing his Flyball Champion Silver title and setting a new personal best time of 5.192 seconds. Even though he is still handicapped … Continue reading Casper’s Flyball Successes
Miscellaneous Class Thoughts
Kooikerhondjes are in AKC's Miscellaneous Class. AKC has a program through which rare breeds have to clear their hurdles in order to receive full recognition: their Foundation Stock Service program. Rare breeds with an active club can apply to be FSS listed, and then they are eligible to compete in AKC's Open Shows (read: rare … Continue reading Miscellaneous Class Thoughts
Kooiker FAQ!
We do lots of Meet The Breeds events. But with the Kooikers, even walking down the street or posting a cute picture on Facebook turns into an impromptu MTB Q&A session. I do find that while there is plenty of information about Kooikers out there, most websites don't hit on the biggest questions people ask, … Continue reading Kooiker FAQ!
