Mia, CH Grayhart's Special Request, CD, RA, NSD, NRD, V

What's in the tree?

2011-12-04T21:07:00.000-05:00

The other day, I noticed that Mia seemed particularly interested in a tree in the backyard. I didn't think much of it...until I watched her go up on her hind legs. I still don't know what's got her so intrigued, but she likes checking it out. So today while I was working in the yard, I decided to take my camera and get a few pictures of my goofy girl:)

Checking it out

Mama, do you smell that??

Back to check it out again

I'm exhausted now...investigating is hard work!

Mia's Thanksgiving Visitors

2011-11-30T20:36:00.000-05:00

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, Mia had some visitors staying at our house. My aunt, who comes down every year from Virginia, had 3 doberman puppies she didn't want to leave with the dog sitter. Mia did an amazing job with them (even my aunt was impressed with how well she did). They tried to nurse on Mia a few times and Mia let them know there wouldn't be any of that. She then redirected them and invited them to play instead. Good girl, Mia!

It was really interesting to watch the puppies over several days. Even at a young age, you can really see personality differences. They were very good house guests (or sun room guests)...but I think Mia was pretty worn out by the end of the week and was happy to have her yard back to herself:)

Don't worry, I won't be getting a puppy anytime soon.

Fall Show-N-Go

2011-10-29T22:28:00.002-04:00

Retrieve over the high jump

We participated in the Azalea Dog Training Club's Fall Show-N-Go at a nearby park. A show-n-go is like a practice competition. I entered Mia in Open Obedience and Novice Agility Jumpers. I don't have any pictures of the agility runs but Mia did pretty well and improved with each run. Her drive and enthusiasm is quadrupled in a trial/show atmosphere (practice or not) so it will probably be a while until we trial. We both have to learn to control all of that energy:) Mia did really well in her obedience run. Since we NQ'd on a down stay at the Simpsonville shows, I was ready to correct her if she moved too much. Sometimes in practice, dogs don't make the mistakes that they make at trials so you don't get the chance to correct them. Mia did move a little on her down stay so I did get the chance to correct her. We still have some work to do but overall, I was very pleased with how she did.

Drop on recall - I purposely waited to drop her, because you never know when the judge will signal

Figure 8

Retrieve on the flat - I'm trying to get her to straighten her front

A Run on the Beach

2011-10-28T18:08:00.001-04:00

A great start to the weekend!

What??

Mia's First CDX leg!

2011-10-24T21:08:00.000-04:00

We traveled to Simpsonville, SC this past weekend to compete in Open Obedience. Mia had a nice run on Saturday and qualified for her first CDX leg with a 4th place. We competed on Sunday and even though Mia had a beautiful run that would have earned us a 194.5/200, we NQ'd on the 5 minute out of sight down stay. Apparently, the princess had a hard time getting comfortable and shifted around too much. Even though we didn't qualify, it was great to have such a nice performance. 1 leg down, 2 to go!

Requirements for Open Obedience:

Heel off leash (including a figure 8)
Drop on recall
Retrieve on the flat
Retrieve over the high jump
Broad Jump
3 minute out of sight sit stay
5 minute out of sight down stay

To qualify, the dog and handler team must earn at least 170 points out of 200 and at least 50% of the points on each exercise.

Novice Retrieving Dog

2011-10-09T19:41:00.001-04:00

I just wanted to share some pictures from the ratings practice and test last weekend. The first 2 are from the practice and the others are from the actual test.

Mia has a really nice retrieve and delivers the bird to hand every time - which is not required in novice but something that I've come to expect from her

For the RDX test, I was asked to throw the second bird (a dead pigeon) and fire the blank pistol. In the picture above, I'm getting a lesson from Mary Ann Hall on proper throwing techniques. In the picture below, I think I'm telling Debbie (who was taking the picture) that 2 years ago, I never would have believed that one day, I would be carrying a bag of pigeons while holding a dead one and a blank pistol...my how life has changed!

Getting ready to send Mia on the land retrieve

Mia bringing the pigeon back (with a lot of enthusiasm)

Water retrieve

Delivering the bird to hand...at this point, I knew we had passed and was *so* proud of my girl!

Mia gets her NRD!

2011-10-02T17:43:00.000-04:00

Mia in practice Saturday

I am thrilled that Mia earned her NRD today (Novice Retrieving Dog)! She had 2 beautiful retrieves, both on land and in the water. This makes her now...Ch Grayhart's Special Request, CD, RA, NSD, NRD, V. Since she has so much retrieving drive and did such a great job this weekend, I'm planning to compete in the retriever hunt tests which are now allowed by the AKC. Hopefully, she'll be ready for senior hunter next spring.

Debbie took this picture on her phone Saturday. The picture was taken from a good distance away so we zoomed in as much as possible, which is why it's a little fuzzy.

We also want to congratulate Debbie Moody and Sky, Grayhart Lightfoot Early Morning Rain, RN, JH, TD, NSD, NRD, V for qualifying today in NRD as well.

And if that's not enough, Mia's brother Mason, Grayhart's Daily Special finished his bench championship on Friday and Mia's sister Trudy, Grayhart's Special Reserve, went WB Friday for 2 points and then went on to win a 3 point major today! She now just needs 3 singles to finish her bench championship! It was a grayt weekend for team Grayhart!

Mia retrieves her first pigeon

2011-10-01T19:08:00.000-04:00

We traveled to Clayton, NC to practice for the retrieving ratings tomorrow. I felt confident that Mia would pass the NRD test but wanted to make sure she would carry a pigeon. She had no problem at all! I actually ran her in practice at the RD level (retrieving dog) and she did really well. She had an awesome double on land but did struggle with the water retrieve. The RD test requires the dog to complete a double retrieve with decoys in the water. She did great with the first bird but got a little confused with the decoys. We were able to work through it and I was so proud of my girl, especially because she had never worked with decoys before. She is also a little out of control at the start because she's so excited. In NRD, you an hold the dog's collar but you can't in RD. Even though she is steady in training with bumpers, it's hard for her to contain herself when she's working birds. We will stick with NRD tomorrow but I know we'll eventually get that RD and even RDX.

If working Mia on birds wasn't enough fun, I also got to play with 5 week old puppies, thanks to Betta Brehaus. They were so adorable and I even had 7 asleep in my lap at one point. Miss Pink was the first to crawl into my lap (which I find fitting, since Mia was a Miss Pink).

Back to retrieving practice

2011-09-23T18:36:00.003-04:00

We've had a very busy September and since I've been back at work, I haven't had much time to update the blog. Plus, we haven't really done any traveling. No worries though - October is going to be packed full of fun stuff - I have plans to enter Mia in the retrieving ratings, obedience trial, and the local show here in Wilmington. We are also going to do some field training to get ready for the upcoming hunt tests. We did a lot of work over the summer with our retrieving practice and Mia made a lot of progress. We haven't really done any water work in the last month so it was great to get back out there today. I took Mia to the pond nearby just to do some fun retrieves and she did an awesome job!. The time off hasn't set her back at all. We have the ratings next Sunday and our fingers are crossed that Mia will qualify for her NRD (novice retrieving dog).

Last Friday, I did get to meet up with Diane to work Mia on duck and she did a really nice job. Diane even did some work with her before I got there. I was thrilled to see Mia's drive, especially when she realized there was a bird out there. She also showed a ton of drive today when we practiced with the bumper.

On her way to get the bumper

Too bad I have to work everyday...if not, I would definitely spend as much time as I could with Mia...doing all these things we love:)

Good Girl!

Mia's official Champion win picture

2011-08-29T17:16:00.000-04:00

CH Grayhart's Special Request, CD, RA, NSD, V

Winners Bitch and Best of Winners

Carolina Kennel Club

August 14, 2011

Champion Mia...and a new Versatile rating!!!

2011-08-14T20:18:00.001-04:00

I am beyond thrilled to announce that Mia is now...

CHAMPION Grayhart's Special Request, CD, RA, NSD, V

Mia went winners bitch and best of winners today for 2 points at the Carolina Kennel Club Show in Greensboro, NC under judge Karin Ashe to finish her bench championship. This win also gives Mia her WCA versatile rating. Mia was owner handled to all of her points, including her majors. I am so proud of us both!!! The above picture is Mia waiting patiently to go pick out a toy from one of the vendors. And because I was in SUCH a good mood - I bought her 2 toys:):)

Sunday Evening Hike

2011-08-07T19:24:00.000-04:00

It was great to get out this afternoon for a nice hike at the Carolina Beach State Park. Mia has been in season so she's been stuck at home and hasn't really gotten a chance to run. I haven't been to this park in a while mainly because it's been too hot. On the days when the heat wasn't too bad, it's usually packed full of people. Fortunately today, the weather wasn't as bad and there weren't many people on the trails. Mia had a blast running wild and spent a good deal of time hunting...for what, I'm not sure but it'll be nice to get her started back on birds this fall.

One of the things I love about this park is that part of the trail runs along the Intercoastal Waterway. Of course, Mia didn't miss the chance to take a swim and cool off.

Pure joy!

Retrieving Practice

2011-07-11T16:04:00.000-04:00

Mia is doing really well with her retrieving practice. Today, she did her first 2 retrieves off of the launcher which required her to swim farther than she ever has. I'm so proud of her and how much progress she's made! I'm planning to enter her in the retrieving ratings this fall and hopefully get her NRD rating (novice retrieving dog). She is hard to see in some of the pictures, but I wanted to show how far she had to swim.

Watching and waiting from the shoreline.

Hey! I wanna go!

Ransom note for Mia!

2011-07-05T20:53:00.001-04:00

The following message was received regarding the capture of Princess Mia:

"If you ever want to see your princess again, I'm gonna need $5000 and a Diet Sundrop!"

Needless to say the ransom was paid (at least the drink part of it) and Princess Mia was safely returned to her owner.

**My sister Anna, Mia's aunt, picked her up one day while I wasn't home and sent me this text and picture. And no, I was never really worried because Mia adores her aunt and visa versa...but the look on Mia's face is priceless! ***

Mia's Official Best of Breed Photo

2011-06-30T23:17:00.000-04:00

Mia's win picture from the Asheville Kennel Club where she went Winner's Bitch and then went Best of Breed over a special for her 13th show point!

Point Number 14 and Open Obedience Debut!

2011-06-20T14:33:00.001-04:00

We traveled back out to Waynesville, NC this weekend to compete again in conformation. Mia went Winner's Bitch and Best of Opposite on Saturday to earn point number 14. She just needs 1 more single point to finish her bench championship.

We also made our Open A Obedience debut. Open A is considered the "heartbreak" class because it's difficult to qualify and many people NQ several times before they get their 3 legs to earn the CDX title. We didn't qualify either day (Mia decided to go around the jump instead of over) but I was beyond thrilled with her performance. She showed a ton of drive and enthusiasm and I had a great time with her in the ring! We have some things to work on but we are definitely well on our way...and she's only 2 years old. Here are some clips of our runs

Saturday - Drop on Recall, Retrieve on the Flat, Broad Jump

Sunday - Drop on Recall, Retrieve on the Flat, Retrieve over the High Jump (even though she went around, I still loved her attitude).

Mia goes Best of Breed!

2011-06-13T16:10:00.000-04:00

Mia not only went Winner's Bitch but also went Best of Breed over a special at the Asheville Kennel Club Show under judge Helen Lee James. Mia only needs 2 single points to finish her AKC championship title. Thanks to Debbie (Sky's owner) for taking this picture on her phone. The official win picture will be posted later.

Since we won best of breed, we got to go into group and even though we didn't do anything in group, Mia looked beautiful and represented the breed well.

And because these shows were in Asheville, we got to stay with Debbie and Sky (who went winner's bitch today - big congrats!). Here are the girls relaxing on the couch.

Mia's First Duck Retrieve

2011-06-06T17:22:00.000-04:00

We were very lucky to get to spend the day out with our friend, trainer, and mentor, Diane Gallagher, to do some field work. Diane works mostly with labs but since weims are versatile hunting dogs who can and do retrieve, we were invited to a duck day to work live birds. Mia has developed a really strong retrieving drive which has helped tremendously with getting her to swim. When she first tried to pick up the duck, she wasn't sure how to handle it. After a little patience, a lot of encouragement, and some time watching other dogs retrieve (she is a competitive little thing), Mia took off into the water and completed her first duck retrieve.

Novice Retrieving Dog, here we come!

Mia and Remi's Day at the Beach

2011-05-30T19:07:00.000-04:00

The girls spent Memorial Day on the beach with their mama's (Erin and me). We had a great time and so did the girls - and they were so well behaved. Needless to say, we will be spending many more summer days just like this!:)

Retrieving Practice

2011-05-21T17:21:00.000-04:00

I've been working really hard on getting Mia to swim and it's paid off - not only is she doing water retrieves but she's really starting to like it. When I first started trying to get her to swim, she wanted nothing to do with the water and if I pushed her out, she turned right back around and swam to shore. I worked a lot on building her retrieve drive and that has helped tremendously. The more she goes in, the more she likes it and the less scary it is. Hopefully, we can get our Novice Retrieving Dog Rating (NRD) this fall. I am so proud of Mia and how far she's come. LOVE her!!:)

Goofy girl!

2011-05-15T20:33:00.000-04:00

Mia was actually sleeping like this today (notice the bone in her mouth). Her eyes were closed but she opened them when she heard the camera...here she is 15 seconds later:

Goofy girl!

Mia wins her second major!!!

2011-05-01T18:26:00.001-04:00

I am thrilled to announce that Mia won a 3 point major at the Myrtle Beach Kennel Club show in Florence, SC under judge Susan St. John-Brown (handled by me). This was Mia's second major which means she only needs 3 single points to finish. She showed beautifully both days and came close to winning yesterday. Here are a few pictures taken at the park last week by our friend and mentor, Diane Gallagher. Our official win picture should arrive in the mail in a couple of weeks.

Tracking Seminar

2011-04-24T09:30:00.000-04:00

Back at the beginning of April, we took part in a tracking seminar. Here are some of the pictures taken by Kristi Whitworth who was also participating in the seminar with her male weim, Remi.

Waiting and watching

After we finished our track

Mia wants to keep tracking even though we had finished

Working the turn

Good girl!

Big stretch...while chewing a stick

Debbie and Sky's Trip East - Part 2 - Downtown and The Beach

2011-04-21T21:53:00.000-04:00

Of course, Debbie and Sky's visit included a trip (or 2) to the beach. The girls had a blast running around.

Mia

Sky on the letf, Mia on the right

Mia in the front, Sky in the rear

We also got to take the girls downtown for a nice walk...and a few pictures:)

Mia

Sky

Two tired puppies! Sky on the left, Mia on the right

Debbie and Sky's Trip East - Part 1 - Tracking

2011-04-19T09:57:00.001-04:00

We were thrilled to have Debbie and Sky (Grayhart Lightfoot Early Morning Rain RN, TD, JH, NSD, V) come to Wilmington to visit for a few days. Of course, the majority of our time was spent doing all kinds of fun dog stuff including....tracking.

Mia and me getting ready to start our track

Article indication - Mia has been taught to lay down when she finds articles. She then gets rewarded from me.

On the scent

Debbie and Sky are working on TDX so Sky's tracks were aged 2 hours.

After the girls tracked, we let them romp around in the field. Mia especially enjoyed playing with the soccer ball she found.

Our second day tracking

Good girl Mia

Debbie laid a track for Sky that went into some woods making it a little more complex. Sky did great!

We also got to spend some time in historic downtown Wilmington and the beach, of course. Pictures from those adventures will be posted later.

Happy Birthday Mia!

2011-03-23T12:10:00.005-04:00

Mia turns 2 years old today!

Mia when she was 2 months old

It's been quite the journey so far...and we've only just begun...

I can't wait to see what the future holds for us!

Princess Mia

At the Charleston shows in 2010

Obedience in Asheville, NC, November 2010

Love this girl!

Field Training on a beautiful morning

2011-03-20T12:05:00.001-04:00

We had an awesome morning field training today. I've just recently found a really nice place near me to train. Unfortunately, the season is almost over so we probably won't get to do much until the fall. Mia is doing so well - and gets better and better every time we go out. There is something truly wonderful about watching a dog do what it was born to do.

Tired girl!

Mia weaves 12 poles

2011-03-10T21:40:00.001-05:00

So...I know I have a lot to learn about handling...especially in agility. Mia has a ton of drive, is really fast, and jumps big...which makes handling her a challenge, especially for a novice handler. She does not like to slow down or stop when she's running a course. So if I mess up at all and don't tell her where to go fast enough (or if I get mixed up in the course), she will often make her own decision as to which obstacle to do next. With all of that said, I am beyond thrilled that she weaves 12 poles and does so pretty independently. I'm gradually working on guiding her less and less until I can send her into the weaves by herself. Last night in class, despite how fast she was running, she hit her entrance to the weaves beautifully. However, her speed and enthusiasm sometimes catches up with her and she popped out after a few poles. Mia is young and still learning to control herself. The good news is, I just started her over at the weave poles and she weaved all 12 beautifully. In time, we will get there. All of these things that make her a challenge to handle are also what make her so much fun to train and watch.

Patience, patience, patience:)

Here she is in our backyard weaving 12 poles

Show-N-Go Spring 2011

2011-03-05T14:11:00.004-05:00

We took part in the Azalea Dog Training Club's Spring Show-N-Go this morning. A show-n-go is like a practice competition where owners/handlers can fine tune things in the ring and correct and reward when needed. Being the truly versatile girl she is, I decided to run Mia in open obedience, rally excellent, and novice agility jumpers (standard agility was not offered). She did her obedience runs after one of her agility runs so unfortunately, she was super tired (and a little hot) and did not perform as well as she usually does. However, her out of sight stays were perfect. She even stayed when a bird flew over and landed on the ground in front of her. Needless to say, I am very proud of her for working so hard for me. We had a great time on a gorgeous day and received numerous compliments on our performances.

Getting some tips from the "judge" on our off-lead figure eight (another great thing about show-n-go's - the "callers/judges" offer some great advice and notice things you may not realize you are doing).

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Mia is starting to drop for the drop on recall

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Retrieve on the flat

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Broad Jump

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Couch - 5 minutes after we walked in the door:)

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Unfortunately, we don't have any pictures from our agility or rally runs. Mia did well and showed much improvement in her second agility run.

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Best part of the day - spending it with my girl:)

Mia's Obedience Run - Winston-Salem, NC

2011-03-01T15:36:00.003-05:00

Here is the video of Mia's obedience run in Winston-Salem December 11, 2010. Unfortunately, Mia did not hear me call her on the recall so we NQ'd. Other than that, she had a great run and I was very proud of her. Thankfully, we qualified the next day with a first place and Mia earned her CD (companion dog title).

A Hike in the Mountains

2011-02-24T20:08:00.005-05:00

Last weekend, we traveled to Greenville, SC for 3 days of shows. We got to spend some time with Debbie and Sky and even had a chance to take the girls for a hike in the beautiful NC mountains. We didn't win any points, but Mia showed well and placed in the open class everyday.

Mia and Sky were very intrigued by *something* in the ground.

Mia wins a Specialty Major!!

2011-01-31T17:42:00.005-05:00

We had an awesome weekend in Charleston where Mia went Winners Bitch for a 4 point specialty major at the Greater Charleston Weimaraner Club Specialty. Mia now has nine points towards her AKC championship.

So proud of my girl! We had lots of supportive friends watching us, many of whom commented on how well we showed and how good Mia looked in the ring.

Mia enjoying the sun after the shows.

Mia at the beach!

2011-01-18T20:54:00.007-05:00

We took a weekend trip to Myrtle Beach and had a blast. Mia especially enjoyed the trip to the beach where she got to run and chase the birds.

Is there something on my nose?

With Aunt Anna

What do you see Mia?

Here I come!

I wonder if I could catch them...

I'm gonna try...

Almost...

Hi Mom! This is fun!

Back to the birds...

Nice ears Mia

On the prowl...

My baby:)

What's this I smell?

Fun in the Snow!

2011-01-10T12:06:00.006-05:00

Even in southeastern North Carolina, we occassionally get snow. It's not a lot, but it's enough to entertain Mia!

The zooms

Here I come!

What?!?

Yippee!

There's something on my nose

Yum!

Best Friends!

2011-01-01T18:51:00.006-05:00

Mia had a New Year's Sleep-over with her best friend, Remi. It's always fun to watch them curl up together after a day of wrestling and playing keep away.

Conspiring...
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Looking back on 2010, I am so thrilled with all of the things Mia and I have accomplished this year. I never would have thought we would do all of these things but the more we do, the more fun we have. Mia is such a sweet, loving dog who has an awesome temperament and personality that makes it easy to do all of this stuff with her. I'm looking forward to another exciting year!

Highlights of 2010:

Completed her rally novice at 11 months old with placements
Completed her rally advanced title at 16 months old with scores of 97 for all three legs (2 first place ribbons and a 4th place)
Completed her CD (Companion Dog title) with scores of 193, 193.5 and 191.5 (all first place) at 20 months old
Placed 4th in her class at the Southern Futurity, owner handled
Earned 5 conformation points, all owner handled
Earned a reserve to a major, handled by Pat O'Brian
Earned her NSD (Novice Shooting Dog)
Earned her CGC (Canine Good Citizen)
In addition, Mia began training in agility and is doing wonderfully! If she continues to do well, we may be able to compete before the end of 2011.
We also got to travel to Maryland and New Jersey to spend some time with Mia's breeder, Linda Hartheimer. On our trip, we met some wonderful weim people and had a awesome time! We also learned a lot and got some great tips during our field training, obedience classes, and handling class. I'm very thankful for all of Linda's advice and mentoring she has provided me, and am looking forward to hopefully seeing her in 2011.
In addition to our big trip North, we got to meet up with Debbie and Sky several times throughout the year. Debbie has been a wonderful mentor and friend, and we're looking forward to seeing her in a couple of months.

I feel truly blessed to not only have Mia in my life, but the mentors and friends we've been fortunate enough to meet. Their support means the world to me and I'm thankful to have them in my life.

Winston-Salem Win Photo

2010-12-30T17:04:00.003-05:00

Winners Bitch

December 2010

Winston-Salem, NC

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T08:29:00.002-05:00

Mia was delighted to wake up and find Santa Paws had come to see her last night. She got a lot of toys but then again, she's been a very good girl this year. Here are a few pictures...more to come later:)

Working on a tentacle of the octopus

Mia loves to nook on a stuffed hedgehog. This year, Santa brought her a giant one...and she couldn't be more pleased.

Awesome Weekend!

2010-12-12T19:08:00.006-05:00

We had a wonderful weekend in Winston-Salem! Mia competed in conformation and went Winners Bitch Friday and Saturday for 2 more show points. We also competed in obedience Saturday and Sunday. Unfortunately, Mia didn't hear me call her on Saturday so we NQ'd on her recall. The video of her run will be posted later - even though we didn't qualify, it was still a beautiful run. The good news is she qualified on Sunday with a first place. That was her 3rd leg which means she now has her CD (Companion Dog - novice obedience title). This makes her:

Grayhart's Special Request, CD, RA, NSD, CGC

Hopefully, her win photos with the judge will come out well and I will post them to the blog. Debbie and Sky were also in Winston-Salem and we had a wonderful time visiting with them. And - Sky went Winners Bitch and Best of Opposite today:) Congrats to Debbie and Sky.

Mia and Sky

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-07T21:50:00.003-05:00

Obedience Pictures

2010-11-19T13:12:00.001-05:00

Here are some of the pictures the photographer took in Asheville where we earned the first 2 legs of our CD. I've found that when I compete, I don't really remember much about what happens in the ring and the pictures and video help to see what we did well and what we could improve. They can be a great teaching tool as long as you can accept constructive criticism and are willing and able to critique yourself.

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Heel free (Saturday)

Recall

Finish (after our recall)
You can tell she is a little crooked

Figure 8 (Sunday)

Stand for Exam

Recall

Down Stay

(Photos: Dean Lake)

Mia earns the first 2 legs of her CD

2010-11-15T16:26:00.000-05:00

So I have to start this post with the big news - Mia earned the first 2 legs of her CD this weekend at the Obedience Club of Asheville's show in Asheville, NC! Woohoo! Mia had 2 awesome runs and scored a 193 Saturday and 193.5 Sunday, earning 2 first place ribbons as well. I was so proud of my girl!

After our run Sunday, we met up with Debbie and Sky (whose house we were staying at, of course) and went for a wonderful hike in the NC mountains. The weather was beautiful and the girls had a fabulous time running all over the place.

At first, Mia didn't want to get her feet wet (she is a princess) but after a few trips through the creek, she decided that running through the water was pretty cool!

I love this picture of Mia and Sky looking out over the mountains.

On Saturday, Mia and I went to Lake Junaluska to walk around.

There were geese everywhere and Mia was quite fascinated by them.

Mia passed out at Debbie's house Saturday night.

Mia on point

2010-10-31T12:17:00.001-04:00

We traveled to Charleston, SC this weekend to take part in the Greater Charleston Weimaraner Club's Pointing Dog Day. This event is designed to help novice owners get their dogs started on birds. Mia and I stayed with Linda Garrett who owns and handles "Strider," a Master Hunter who also got to demonstrate what master hunters do in the field. We got a lot of tips and advice from everyone and had a wonderful day. After the demonstration of master hunter, senior hunter, and junior hunter, the club went over all of the rules for the different tests. They also gave us some ways to get dogs started on birds. To see which dogs were interested in birds, they were each "teased" with a freshly killed quail wing on a fishing line. Mia was sort of interested in the wing, at least enough to point it.

Mia pointing the quail wing.

After being exposed to the quail wing, the dogs were then introduced to a live pigeon. These pictures are of Mia intensely watching the other dogs with the pigeon. In the past, Mia has always tried to grab the bird so when it was her turn, I was pretty shocked when she went straight in and pointed the pigeon...so shocked I didn't get a picture of it:(

After the dogs were exposed to the birds on the fishing line, it was time to see what they would do in the field. I was thrilled to see Mia really hunting for birds and not just running around. Unfortunately, as soon as she found the quail, she went in and grabbed it. I called her to me and removed the quail from her mouth. The quail flew so I sent Mia off to see if she could find it again and point it, but she was too quick and caught it again without me even seeing her do it. This time, she was much more reluctant to give up the bird but I managed to get it out of her mouth.

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After a lunch break, we took the dogs out again. We were ready this time and prevented Mia from catching the bird, but she still didn't point. Mia is super smart (and quick) and just figured she didn't need to point, she would save us the ammo and catch the bird herself. Because these dogs were novice dogs, the quail were dizzied first and planted under cover so they wouldn't fly as fast. In Mia's case, we need the quail to fly quickly so she learns that she can't catch them and when she runs up on them, they fly away. Then, she would figure out that if she slows down and points them, they don't fly off and someone will flush the bird (which she then gets to chase).

*******************************************************

We had one last opportunity to get Mia to point. Everyone had had their turns and the club had a few quail left so Mia got to go again. This time, the quail was planted in a place where Mia couldn't grab it and where the quail could fly quickly. She caught sent, went in to grab it, and corrected herself on the sticks that were sticking up around the quail. She jumped back and the bird flew. It landed about 75 feet away so I took Mia over to see if she could find it again. She did and she went right in and pointed! Yay!!!

Overall it was a wonderful day and we left with some ideas for how I can get Mia to slow down and point (instead of grab). Here she is, exhausted after the long day and ready to go to bed (as was her owner).

In a few weeks, the Tarheel Weim club will have their hunt day and I'm looking forward to taking Mia and seeing if we can continue to improve. If she does well, I will enter her in the shooting ratings the next day and maybe get her novice shooting dog. And if she isn't ready, no big deal, we will keep working on it. One of the biggest lessons I learned this weekend was that you never know when the light bulb will go on for these dogs. It's important not to give up just because they don't get it right the first time. You just have to keep at it and maintain a positive attitude. And if it doesn't happen, that's fine - there are lots of other things we are going to do...and that's what makes this all so much fun - it's all part of the journey you take together.

Where have we been?

2010-09-24T21:37:00.001-04:00

Mia loves her doughnut bed!

Not much has been going on in the month of September, and there are several reasons for that. After a truly wonderful summer break, I had to return to work. Mia also came into season and hasn't been able to go to any of her training classes. I also had to take a short break from showing and competing. As much as I love traveling and doing all kinds of neat things with Mia, the costs do begin to add up so it's important to slow things down every now and then, both for Mia and me.

*****************************************************************

So what is going on? Well...I started beginner agility class without Mia. She will start when she comes out of season. In the meantime, I have been working with some of the other dogs in the class to improve my handling skills. I've also been working Mia at home. I have the home version of jumps and weave poles so we can practice in between classes. Our next conformation show will be the one here in October. I'm not sure yet if any other weims will enter but I'm really looking forward to my family getting to come and watch us. Since we travel for almost all of our shows, they don't usually get to see us so it will be nice to have them there and to see what we do. I am also planning to attend some "Learn to Hunt" days with the Charleston Weimaraner Club and our own Tarheel Weimaraner Club. It's challenging to find qualified people to help you train in the field but I haven't given up on training Mia to hunt. She has the interest and instinct, we just have to teach her what to do with it. I'm also planning to enter her in novice obedience sometime this fall/winter and compete for her CD (companion dog). For right now, we're enjoying the not so hot temperatures (it doesn't quite feel like fall around here yet) and football weekends with the family.

*****************************************************

When we went to Atlanta this summer to visit with my grandmother, Mia thoroughly enjoyed trying out all of the comfy places to sleep.

Bed number 1

The couch is nice too!

Bed number 2

Bed number 3

************************************************************

This is from our trip to Debbie's this past summer in the mountains of North Carolina. The girls were exhausted after our hike and enjoyed a peaceful nap on the porch while we ate a nice lunch.

Taken on the way home from out hike. Poor babies! Mia on the left, Sky on the right.

Best of Winners!

2010-09-02T21:36:00.001-04:00

August 20, 2010

Winners Bitch and Best of Winners (2 points)

Greensboro, NC

2010-08-21T20:22:00.000-04:00

We traveled to Greensboro, NC to compete in conformation. So far, we've had a great weekend of showing. Mia went winners' bitch and best of winners on Friday (which gave her 2 more points towards her championship), and then went reserve on Saturday. She also earned her canine good citizen on Saturday and impressed the evaluator with her obedience and solid temperament.

Mia and Sky at the hotel

Loving my girl:)

Sleepy

Mia on the left, Sky on the right

We even had a chance to go to a park in Burlington and let the girls stretch their legs. Here they are going after a stick in the creek.

Sky trying to retrieve the stick.

Mia on the left, Sky on the right

Our adventure west - Part 2

2010-08-03T20:09:00.000-04:00

After the shows in Greenville, SC, we got to spend a few days with Debbie and Joe (Sky's owners) in Maggie Valley, NC. We had a great time hiking at Max Patch and hanging out at the house.

Standing at the front of the rhododendron tunnel at Max Patch.

Sky on the left, Mia on the right (still at the rhododendron tunnel)

Mia playing with George (Debbie and Joe's cat)

What have you been doing Mia????

Our adventure west - Part 1

2010-08-01T08:24:00.000-04:00

We traveled west to go to the Greenville, SC shows to compete in rally advanced and conformation. Mia showed well in conformation and even won her class Friday but unfortunately, we didn't get any of the points. Mia did awesome in rally and scored 97 out of 100 all 3 days, earning 2 first places and a fourth place (and her title, of course). Two of the days, we literally ran to the rally ring from conformation which left us no time for a warm-up (and I didn't get to walk the course...thank goodness for the maps). I was SO proud of my girl. Several people commented on how well she did and how great her attention was. Novice obedience, here we come:)

Waiting to get our ribbon

Leg #1

Leg #2

Leg #3 and our title!

Mia and Sky discussing who owns the hedgehog (of course, we were there with Debbie and Sky!)

"I so tired, mama."

Our adventure up north

2010-07-17T17:39:00.001-04:00

Mia and I traveled to Maryland for dog shows and then went to spend some time with Mia's breeder, Linda Hartheimer. We had a great time and came home with lots of advice from everyone. Everyone loved Mia's solid temperament and complimented on how cooperative and easy she was to work.

Looking out the window of the hotel room.

Mia was expertly handled by Pat O'Brian (the owner of Mia's sire, Zeke (Ch OB's 38 Special). He showed her Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. Mia worked really well for him and looked beautiful in the ring. Mia even went reserve to the major on Sunday which was nice! On Friday, Bonnie Lane handled Mia in the ring. Unfortunately, they didn't win anything but Mia showed well (thanks to Bonnie) and had a great time!

On Monday, we got to go field training with Linda and some of her dogs. Mia had a blast running in the field (and needed the opportunity to run after being cooped up in a hotel room for 4 days).

Nice ears!

Mia was very interested in the birds but wasn't sure what to do with them. Hopefully, I will be able to do some more training with her and possibly enter her in the WCA ratings test this fall.

On Thursday, we got to take the dogs for a hike at one of the nearby parks. Mia had a great time running around. I even got a chance to try and get her to swim. She is still reluctant but was less resistant each time I took her in. Hopefully, she will start swimming on her own in the near future.

In addition to all of the shows and field training, I got to work with Kathy Santo on some of Mia's obedience. I plan to enter Mia in novice obedience this winter. In the meantime, we got some ideas and strategies to help us improve. On Tuesday, we got to go to Long Island to see Bonnie and Steve again and go to handling class. Janet, the instructor, gave me some great tips on how to get Mia moving well. Hopefully, those tips will help us get a major at the upcoming shows in Greenville, SC.

We had a wonderful time on our trip and especially enjoyed meeting so many "weim" people. They have offered a ton of support and encouragement and I am truly thankful. Hopefully, I will make them all proud.

Show-N-Go

2010-06-19T18:13:00.000-04:00

The Azalea Dog Training Club had a "Show-N-Go" recently at their facilities in Hampstead, NC. I took Mia and entered her in rally excellent, rally advanced, and novice obedience. The show-n-go provides an opportunity to practice in a competition like setting (but the cost to enter is much cheaper and we don't have to travel far). Since Mia already has her rally novice title, she is ready to compete in rally advanced. I thought it would be a good idea to try an excellent course to see how she did and what we still need to work on. These pictures are of her runs through the excellent course. She did beautifully on the advanced course as well, but my sister had to leave which is why there are no pictures. I entered Mia in novice obedience just to see what we still need to work on. She did an awesome job. So awesome that I think it's time to start competing for her CD (companion dog). We have a few minor things to tweak, including an enthusiastic recall that involved her sliding past me. Fortunately, an enthusiastic recall is better than a dog that's reluctant to come:) Other than that, we just need to work a little on figure eights and I think we're are set to go. Of course, you never know what's going to happen in the show ring...which is why you just have to take a leap of faith and give it a try...until then, you'll never know.

I've taught Mia to look at me when I say, "Ready!" That way, when the judge says, "Are you ready?" I can respond with, "Ready," and Mia looks at me.

270 Left

Moving Down, Walk Around Dog

Halt, Take 1 Step, Call Dog to Heel

Call to Front, Finish Right

Offset Figure Eight (The bowls of toys serve as distractions)

All Done! Good Job!

Learning to Retrieve

2010-06-12T17:41:00.000-04:00

The Tarheel Weim Club had a "Learn to Retrieve" Day in Clayton, NC. Mia did well retrieving the bumper and bird on land. She still doesn't want to swim but by the end of the day, I was able to toss the bumper a few feet in front of her in the water, and she would grab it before turning around to swim back to shore. That's more than she was willing to do last fall. Hopefully, we will be ready to enter the retreiver ratings next fall and go for our NRD (Novice Retrieving Dog).

Eagerly watching...

Retrieving the quail...good girl!

Watching again...

Off she goes...

Good girl!

Off to the water...

Maybe if Remi is out there, Mia will go out there...

Looks like I'm goin' in...

Come on Mia, you know you want the bumper...

Just a little push and off she goes. Good Girl!

The things we do for the ones we love...you can't tell, but I am covered in muck!

Guard Dog to Princess

2010-06-03T21:38:00.001-04:00

We are in the process of having our roof replaced, and Mia has been busy keeping an eye on the crew. Here she is perched on the couch watching them through the window. She does bark when she sees them come in the backyard, which is okay...as long as she stops when I tell her to quiet.

It's hard work being a guard dog!

"Mamma, I'm so tired"

So sweet...

I have to throw in a picture of Remi...here she is asleep with her head hanging off the chair.

Mia's First Conformation Point

2010-05-23T19:36:00.000-04:00

Mia went winner's bitch, best of winners, and best of breed today at the Myrtle Beach Kennel Club show in Florence, SC. Going winner's bitch gives Mia her first conformation point. We also got to show in group. We didn't place, but Mia showed beautifully which is all I can ask for:)

I traveled alone this weekend so there was no one to take a picture of us with the judge. Here she is back at the house showing off her ribbons. Her win photo with the judge should arrive in the mail in about 2 weeks.

On a side note, I graduated May 7th with my master's degree in Instructional Technology. I am so excited to have finished school after 3 long years of work. I am looking forward to a real summer off. Of course, I'm sure I'll spend most of it doing things with Mia (and what better way to spend a summer?)

Goofing off with the princess:)

"Mom...you're weird"

Silly weim!

Falling asleep with her hedgehog - she nooks on it and then falls asleep...so cute!

Mia and Sky

2010-05-03T21:04:00.001-04:00

Mia's Futurity Picture

4th Place

Sky's Maturity Picture

4th Place

4th Place in the WCA Southern Futurity!

2010-04-22T10:57:00.001-04:00

We traveled to Perry, GA recently to compete in the Southern Futurity. Mia placed 4th in the junior bitch class, handled by me. I was quite pleased since we were up against all professional handlers. Debbie also showed Mia in the sweepstakes and placed 3rd out of 11!

Debbie and Mia in the sweepstakes

Big congrats to Debbie and Sky who placed 4th in the Maturity! We are so happy for you two!

Poor tired Mia!

Working on pictures for the Blue Ribbon issue of the magazine.

Raleigh, NC

2010-03-31T22:51:00.000-04:00

We traveled to Raleigh, NC this past weekend to compete in 3 very competetive shows. We didn't win any points but did place 2nd in our class out of 4 Saturday. This placement was a big accomplishment for Mia and me since we were up against some top dogs and handlers. Our next big show is the futurity in April. We are starting a conformation class next week to help us get ready!

Erin and Remi traveled with us and made their Rally debut! They qualified all 3 days and earned their Rally Novice title! Not bad for a new dog handler and 8 month old vizsla!

Debbie and Sky were also there. Sky earned the first 2 legs or her Rally Novice title (and will compete for her last leg at the Nationals in May).

Debbie and Sky also went Best Bitch in Sweepstakes on Saturday! Great job you two!

Mia and me in the ring Sunday

Happy 1st Birthday Mia!

2010-03-23T21:59:00.001-04:00

Mia celebrated her 1st birthday today! After our rally class, Mia had a few bites of pumpkin flavored cake with some of her DogTrain friends. She is a wonderful puppy and I am having such a blast training, competing, and just hanging out with her. It's been a great year and I am looking forward to what the next year is going to bring for us.

After the party...

At the barn

2010-03-20T19:44:00.000-04:00

Since our good friend Erin (Remi's owner) teaches horse riding lessons at a nearby barn, we get to go out occassionally and let the girls run free. Mia has been great with the horses - very curious and just a little bit wary (which is good). She and Remi have a blast running in the pastures and playing keep away with the sticks. And of course, they leave exhausted which makes for very happy owners.

"Here I come!"

Checking out the horses
Still checking out the horses

Mia and Cody (Remi's dad)

Tasty!

"Mom, this is so much fun!"

"And off we go again"

Land sharkin'

Back to check out the horses

Whatcha lookin' at, Remi?

"You can't catch me!"

Bouncing

Thirsty!

Chillin' in the new digs

2010-03-18T08:02:00.000-04:00

Not much has been going on in the last week - just getting settled in our new house. We did a rally show-n-go last Saturday and did pretty well - we still need to work on distractions before we compete in advanced. I am hoping Mia will be ready in June when we go to Waynesville.

"What?"

Pretty girl!

"Would you please quit taking pictures and let me out?"

"So tired, mamma....can't keep my eyes open"

Sleepy...

Moving Day!

2010-03-07T19:56:00.000-05:00

We moved this weekend to our new house! It will take a while but eventually, we will get settled. So far, Mia is having no problems adjusting.

Late Friday night still packing - poor Mia desperately wanted to go to bed!

Mia and Remi after a long day of moving (followed by a long evening of playing)

Mia has found her spot in the new house. In the afternoon, the sun shines into to the window - the perfect place to take a nap!

We still have a lot to do but we're not worried - it will all get done in time.

Getting ready for the big move

2010-02-28T19:30:00.000-05:00

We spent the weekend getting our new house ready for us to move into next week. Mia got a little curious about the paint - the evidence is on her nose:)

Exhausted after spending the day watching me paint. Too bad I can't teach her how to help.

Today, Mia discovered all of the decorations by the pond out back. She is especially puzzled by the alligator and turtle.

She had to spend quite a lot of time in her "place" and did really well for an 11 month old puppy. Unfortunately, when I spread out an old sheet for a drop cloth, she decided that sheet should be her new "place"and proceeded to curl up on it...against the newly painted wall. Luckily, she didn't get any on her:)
Good girl Mia!

Grayhart's Special Request, RN

2010-02-23T20:30:00.001-05:00

We traveled with Remi and her owner Erin to Greenville, SC this weekend to compete in both Rally and Conformation. We spent a couple of nights with Debbie and Sky (Mia's half-sister) and had a truly wonderful weekend of competition and fun! Mia not only qualified for her third rally novice leg, but we also placed second in our class with a score of 92. Since this was our third leg, we also earned our rally novice title. Mia is the first puppy from her litter to earn an AKC title. I am so proud of how hard she worked this weekend. It takes a lot out of any dog to do all that she did, let alone a puppy who wasn't even 11 months old yet. I am having so much fun with her and am excited about all of the wonderful things we are going to accomplish together.

Call to front with a finish left.

After getting our title! Debbie had a crate tag made that said "Grayhart's Special Request, RN" and Linda (Mia's breeder) sent us a beautiful weim tote.

Getting our toy for second place!

Before going into the ring for rally.

Mia

Conformation (because of the building and the lighting, getting good pictures was a challenge).

Sky

Fortunately, the weekend wasn't all work and no play. Debbie took us to a nearby neighborhood to get the dogs out and let them run. They had a blast romping around together!

Jessica, Mia, Remi, and Erin

Sky, Remi, and Mia

Sky, Remi, and Mia (such good dogs!)

We even took a handling class and learned a lot about stacking and gaiting. Mia even won her "class" in the handling class:)

We did an extra rally leg on Sunday and finished 3rd with a score of 87 (Mia got a little distracted by a barking dog)

At the hotel (silly girls!) Remi, Sky, Mia

On the way home - So tired! Mia's head is leaning back against her back...and she has slept like that since she was 2 days old. Don't believe me - check out her mother's blog at grayhartweims.blogspot.com. Go to March 25, 2009 and you will see Miss Pink sleeping upside down:)

Crashed!

Sleep tight girls! You deserve it!

Mia's first snow!

2010-02-13T12:07:00.000-05:00

It's not often that we get snow on the southeastern coast of North Carolina but we did! I had to take advantage of the opportunity and take lots of pictures of the princess. Mia seems to like the snow - especially eating it!

Can we please go back outside???

So tired!

2 for 2: Mia's trip to Charleston

2010-01-31T17:11:00.001-05:00

We met up with Debbie and Sky (Grayhart Lightfoot Early Morning Rain, JH, TD), half-sister to Mia, in Charleston for some shows. Big congrats to Debbie and Sky who won a 4 point major on Saturday!!! Mia also earned the first 2 legs of her novice rally title this weekend. We didn't make it for conformation in time Saturday, but we did make it in time Sunday. Mia didn't win any points but we had a great time, showed well, and can't wait to do it again!

Showing off our rally ribbon!

At the speciality: L to R: Sky, Jessica, Mia, Melissa

My princess and me!

Puppy Sweepstakes (unfortunately, our gaiting was all over the place in the sweepstakes but we made improvements throughout the weekend)

Don't be so serious girls!

Mia-belle

Sky on the left, Mia on the right

A little more stacking practice before we leave. (Thanks Debbie!)

The Adventures of a Weimaraner and a Vizsla

2010-01-27T22:20:00.001-05:00

Mia spent the evening with her BFF Remi while her mamma worked at DogTrain.

It doesn't get much better than this!

Well...maybe it does...

Yea, it does

Let me get a little closer...

Mia is scared of the big bad black cat...

But she's too curious to stay away

"Place"

Best Friends Forever!

Mia goes to work with mom...again

2010-01-22T16:58:00.001-05:00

We had another workday today since this is the end of our second grading period so Mia got to spend the day at work with me:)

"I'm bored"

"You have got to be kidding me"

"Fine...I'll just sleep then"

"There is so much I would rather be doing right now"

"I just want to go to sleep on my couch"

Mia's weekend with Remi

2010-01-19T08:55:00.001-05:00

Mia spent the weekend with her new best Friend, Remi (vizsla) while I was out of town in Myrtle Beach. Erin, Remi's owner, wants to compete with her so hopefully, we can all train together and maybe even travel to some shows together.

Two peas in a pod!

Mia made herself right at home!

Nice shot!

Mia spent Monday recovering from her busy weekend playing!

Hanging Around

2010-01-16T07:37:00.000-05:00

Not much has been happening with Mia lately so I decided to just post some pictures of her hanging out. We are getting ready for a busy weekend in Charleston the last weekend in January. I am showing Mia in a sweepstakes and 2 specialities, followed by 2 days of conformation and rally. We are going to be worn out, that's for sure!

Such a pretty face! No wonder she's spoiled rotten!

Mia likes to grab sticks that are bigger than her and trot around with them. I have to keep a eye on her to make sure she doesn't hurt herself. I keep telling her it's not safe to run with sticks but it doesn't seem to be working:) After all, persistance in a gun dog is a good thing!

Modeling

We will be moving in a few weeks which is why there are boxes everywhere.

"What do you want??? I'm busy."

Mama and her baby! Notice my shirt - down here, I get a lot of "what is she?" And then I tell people and they look at me like, huh?

Mia loves to get in the recliner with me and sleep in my lap.

A run through the park

2009-12-31T09:55:00.000-05:00

I took Mia to a nearby off-leash, unfenced dog park. I tried to catch some video but the batteries died in my camera:( It's pretty difficult to capture her on the move. I will have to charge the camera and try again this weekend:) Enjoy!

On the move!

Too fast to capture!

Taking a quick rest but still keeping my eye out.

Here I come!!

Let me just stand here and keep watch!

You are going out of bounds! No fair!

Catch me if you can!

Land sharkin'

Woud you puh-lease stop calling me?? I am trying to play here!

What's this?

Come on...you know you want to play! I'm a weim - you must love me!

Jake's Drop on Recall

2009-12-30T09:57:00.000-05:00

I was going through some old video and found one of Jake. This was a drop on recall with a call to front and finish left. I have some others that need editing. If I get around to it, I may post them as well.

Spare some couch???

2009-12-29T16:49:00.001-05:00

I guess Mia needs a bigger couch!

Mia's First Christmas

2009-12-29T16:19:00.001-05:00

With her Mama!

Mia's first present!

With her Aunt Sarah!

Mia goes to work with mom

2009-12-21T19:11:00.000-05:00

I got to take Mia to work with me today since the students were out. I think she enjoyed herself but was ready to come home and nap on the couch.

Mia goes to the Carolina Beach State Park

2009-12-21T19:03:00.000-05:00

These are from Mia's trip to the Carolina Beach State Park about 10 minutes from our house.

Updates

2009-12-15T14:44:00.000-05:00

I know it's been a while since I've updated. One of my goals for next year is to do a better job of posting and updating the blog. Mia is doing great - a bundle of energy for sure! She makes me laugh though...everyday. I am planning to compete her in January in conformation and rally. We will hopefully earn her first 2 legs of her novice rally title and gain some much needed experience/practice in the show ring (some points would be nice but it's fine if we don't). We have a lot of practice to do - especially on stacking and distractions. For right now I am just looking forward to the two weeks I have off for the holiday. Mia and I will continue to train in rally class and competition class every week as well as work in some time for conformation practice. These are some of the pictures from the last month. Enjoy!

These pictures were during Mia's first ferry ride in October.

Mia's First Christmas!

Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season!

Mia learns to hunt...sort of

2009-11-07T19:09:00.000-05:00

Mia honoring another dog

Watching the other dogs in the field

Mia and I traveled 3 1/2 hrs to Jackson Springs for a Learn to Hunt Day with the Tarheel Weim Club. Mia isn't quite ready for NSD but she showed potential. She even honored another dog on point while she was out there.

Mia's First Show

2009-10-10T20:46:00.001-04:00

Mia had her show debut today at the Hanover Kennel Club's show here in Wilmington. Mia was the only weim so she got to compete in best puppy in group and best in group. She placed 4th out of 4 in the puppy group and didn't win anything in the overall group but I was so pleased with how she did. Considering it was almost 90 degrees and she had to compete 3 times, I think she did beautifully. No worries though...we will kick butt in obedience...soon;)

Thinking about Jake

2009-10-02T10:10:00.000-04:00

I was looking back at some old pictures. These were taken last April at a show and go with Azalea Dog Training Club. The pictures were taken by Marny Temple.

Lounging around

2009-09-27T12:13:00.001-04:00

So tired!

The princess

Pretty girl!

Retriever Ratings Practice

2009-09-27T11:59:00.000-04:00

Stacking Practice

Mia and Sky

Trying to get Mia to swim

I hear something...

Mia at 6 months

2009-09-27T11:50:00.001-04:00

Here we are at DogTrain working on stacking Mia for her upcoming show October 10 and 11.

This is my best side!

We'll get it soon!

Update

2009-09-27T11:45:00.000-04:00

Originally, I created this blog as a way to keep people updated with what was going on with Mia and Jake. On July 13, 2009, Jake passed away. I debated about just deleting this blog and starting one on Mia but I decided to just keep this one going. While it will mostly be about Mia, I am sure I will occassionally share pictures and memories of Jake.

Enjoy!

Mia - 12 weeks

2009-06-16T20:41:00.001-04:00

Mia at 12 weeks - I (or should I say we) have a lot of work to do on stacking. Thanks to Diane for helping me and taking this picture.

Two tired puppies!

2009-06-10T07:34:00.000-04:00

"Let's just rest here a while."

Mia decided she wanted to sleep in Jake's crate...I guess she is trying to tell me she wants a bigger crate.

Watching me down the hall..."Where is she going???"

Two peas in a pod!

Reminiscing...

2009-06-08T14:26:00.000-04:00

Some of my favorites of Jake...they bring back memories...

Jake discovers mud...and he likes it!

Introducing Mia

2009-06-08T09:41:00.001-04:00

Picking her up from Linda in New Jersey. Mia's AKC name is "Grayhart's Special Request." Linda, her breeder, calls her Mia-belle (and we do too) as in Mia - Southern Belle.

"I'm in charge now!"
Mia took all of her toys and put them on Jake's bed.

Introducing Jake

2009-06-08T07:56:00.000-04:00

Jake when he was a puppy - this was taken in the winter of 2007.

Jake at the beach in the summer of 2008. At first, he barked hysterically at the waves but has come to love visiting the beach. He won't swim but I am hoping Mia can help convince him that the water is not as scary as he thinks it is.