I am very excited about the deposit I have on a dual quality brittany litter in Texas. The breeding is between two outstanding dual champion brittany dogs DC T’Kalis Feel The Wind and DC TC’s Match Box Racer. These puppies are due on June 22nd and should be amazing dual potential quality dogs. This is a repeat breeding by David Downing of Blue Ridge Brittanys. Puppies from last years litter are undefeated in puppy stakes and are doing well in the show ring as well. I have been waiting for this breeding to take place as I wanted to buy a brittany puppy from parents that were dual champions. For more information you can contact Dave directly by phone or email by visiting his website.

Mowgli is the latest addition to our kennel. Mowgli was whelped on June 13th of 2008 and is a liver and white American Brittany. He was placed with us by some nice folks who found him to be more than they bargained for. He is a very high energy dog and has a little more size to him than the average brittany. He may be a little bigger than the brittany standard but after speaking with brittany expert Ben O Williams about hunting the open country I have been leaning towards the larger brittany males. Chasing chukar here in Utah requires a dog that can really cover some ground.

Mowgli was started immediately on bird introduction with a clipped wing pigeon and he showed excellent bird/prey drive. A few days later we fired the starter pistol over him while he was chasing a carded pigeon and he showed no signs of noise/gun sensitivity. We will try a 20 gauge shotgun fired at a distance and work up to a 12 gauge at closer ranges to be sure there is no problems with the gun. He loves to get out and cover ground and has won the hearts of my children. He handles well for my 6 and 8 year old daughters on walks to the park and is patient when they insist on combing his thick coat.

I sent in his AKC registration papers today and look forward to learning more about the pedigree and breeding which was from a small family kennel in Alpine, UT. Mowgli is at the perfect age to get serious about his hunting dog training so I am excited to have a second dog in my kennel while I am working on breaking Annie to be steady to wing and shot.

This past few days I had the pleasure of fishing for bass with some very classy hunting dog training folks. I have a share in a houseboat on scenic Lake Powell and the fishing this time of year is just fabulous. We invited hall of fame bird dog expert Dave Walker to join us when we learned of his love of fishing. We stayed on the lake for three days until a wind storm and cold snap sent us packing a day early. It was a true joy to spend time with Dave and get to know him better. He is a true southern gentleman and an amazing teacher and dog trainer. If you ever get the chance to attend one of his seminars or buy his books or dog training DVDs don’t hesitate for one minute. Dave Walker is the real deal.

My good friend and training partner Chris Colt of Cove Mountain Kennels was the mastermind of this bass fishing getaway. He planned the menu and bought all the groceries for the trip and hosted Dave Walker at his home the night before we left. Chris is one of those rare dog trainers that can soak up information from experts like Dave and apply that new knowledge for instant results. Most of Dave’s tips and tricks went right over my head but I could see the light bulbs going on in Chris’s head.

Russ Peterson of Rooster Valley Pheasant Farm was our bass fishing guide and was kind enough to share some of his honey holes with us on Lake Powell. Russ has run a successful pheasant farm in central Utah for nearly 20 years now. A real accomplishment in a world where hunting preserves seem to come and go with the changing winds. Russ also trains and raises some nice german shorthairs. Thanks to all of these great guys for spending time with me. I had a blast. Let’s do it again next year.

I got my shipment of 800 quail eggs yesterday from cumberland gamebirds. I was a little disappointed because they were supposed to arrive on Friday which means they sat in a cold truck somewhere over the weekend. I am hoping the hatch will turn out okay. I am using the old GQF Sportsman 1202 incubator with the updated float and humidity pan. My friend came over to help set the eggs since he knows a lot about raising birds. After a little tweaking into the evening I got the temperature and humidity stabilized at 99.5 degrees and 51% relative humidity. I am anxious to try this strain of bobwhite quail called Georgia Giants. They are supposed to be nearly twice the size of normal bobwhite and stronger flyers.

Now I need to get my plans together for building a better flight pen. I have read that it is important to keep the birds isolated as much as possible to keep them wild. One online quail farmer even suggested feeding the birds at night with the use of a headlamp. I have been looking at some very cool quail pen designs like this one at quail ranch ok or this one from Mississippi State University extension service. One of the nicest quail pens I have found is at Straubs Game Farm in PA. I like their sight barriers and their innovative waterer.