[Franco]

OK. I only have photos of him at 4 months, he is an old 5 months now. I'll load some photos onto this thread, just give me a minute.;-)

He is related to RTFer Howard N.

The Dark Knight II "Chevalier"
(named after my favorite Batman movie)

 

[Franco]

Tank is a handsome boy!

Howard use to own his grandam, so I refer to Howard as one of his grands.

He is FC AFC Wood River Franchise to a MH bitch from Minnesota.

As much bad luck as I've had with hips, I had his hips and elbows prelimed last week by the Vet that does Penn Hip. He said they look as good as they can look at 5 months! I had him CERFed at 15 weeks as well as his clearence for PRA. His sire and dam are both CNM & EIC clear so, I'm just hoping he can mark!

I'm doing the pre-basics mostly using Dobbs material. I have him sit holding a bumper for two minutes. Walking at heel on lead holding a bumper and doing simple casting, overs and backs. He goes to his trainer at 6 months.

I just took this photo 15 minuts ago...

 

[Franco]

When I have him sitting on that platform for a few minutes, he will revert to a lazy sit. The emphasis is on hold and sit so, I don't correct him for the lazy sit. On marks though, I don't allow a lazy sit.

I like to teach hold before they start teething. I do it on that little platform starting with my gloved fingers, then progressing to a bumper. With a highly excitable dog, I like to be very calm, deliberate and slow. I teach them sit on the platform and gradually get him use to placing fingers, then bumpers in mouth. This is where I also teach the drop command. They get real comfortable on the platform, then I start casting from platform to platform with bumper in mouth. It makes the transition to a plastic matt that much smoother and they already know how to cast holding a bumper. They can't leave a plastic matt until released which is the beginning of the steadying process.

Good luck with your pup!

P S I use all kinds of goofy nicknames for my dogs.

 

[Franco]

Skeet is from WindyCanyon's litter late November.

How ironic!

Had I not already made arrangements to get the pup I have, I was going to try and get a pup from that same litter.

That Skeet is a good looking boy.

 

[Franco]

Gosh no wonder I felt my ears burning!

Now do you want to see the girl that I'd have probably sent you??

Very nice Anne! Let me kow if you plan a repeat or any other breeding you may do that would have some field potential. The blacker the pup. the better!

Frank

 

[Franco]

Just in case anyone is interested....Skeet weighed in today at 49lbs! Whew, one solid little dude.

Also did a little hold work with him today since he actually delivered to hand finally after losing all his teeth and working on independent recall. Went beautifully and I still believe he's going to breeze through FF. We'll see how it goes!

I beleive my male is two weeks older, weighed 59 lbs at 24 weeks. I think he'll finish out at 75-80lbs, in shape and right in there with the breed standard.

Ran some good long land and water singles yesterday, just streching him out a little.

 

[Franco]

Email me a photo and good luck with your pup.

Chuck is first class!

 

[Franco]

Skeet and the rest of his litter are 23 weeks today according to my calculations. Born 11/30. Yours was born 11/22? So he's 10lbs behind at a week younger. At 4 months he was roughly 35 I believe so that would put him around 70, I'm thinking more like 75 though. Just my guess. Will be kind of nice to have a bigger dog again though.

Now that he's returning with the bumper again I'm hoping to get him marking more. Getting together with a training group tomorrow night so we'll see how he does. He'll probably make me look better than Kiela will haha.

Yup, 11/22. Cheval went through a growth period of two and a half months where he was growing 3 lbs a week. Now, just a little over a pound a week. I won't let him carry more weight than what he needs for his age, meaning lean for his build. He's tall and athletic, and should fillout by two years of age.
Finished teething two weeks ago.
Marks are all mechanics, run directly to bumper, return at heel, take bumper on drop command. Yesterday, we threw land marks at 60 to 200 and a water mark out to about 110 yards. Still using white bumpers and he will convert to birds when he goes to Smith on the 26th, except for marking drills where bumpers are used.

BTW, Shaq(FC AFC Wood River's Franchise) earned an Open 2nd and an Amateur 2nd this weekend. That probably puts him close to 25 AA points so far in 09!

 

[Franco]

Who is the dam of the litter?

Joe's Backwater Sadie MH
She's a good looking bigger bitch sired by FC AFC Rocky Moutain Star III to a FC AFC Crow's River Malarky Cougar dam. Star is by FC NAFC Little Duke Of Fargo.

 

[Franco]

Some needs to update her info on gooddoginfo. She earned her MH about two months ago.

 

[Franco]

That's a pretty nicely loaded pedigree. Will be cool to see how your guys' pups turn out.

I should know in about three years!

 

[Franco]

Nash looks like he is having fun!

Mine is at that tall and gangly stage. Kind of reminds me of his aunt Feather. At 9.5 months he's taken to his training well. Just keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[Franco]

I'll see him Monday a week and I'll see what phots I can get. What I really want to see is how readily he's handling to swin-by and and his marking. Probably shoot a flier for him too.

I may have gone overboard with my early OB. I had him steady to bumpers at 6 months when he went to his trainer. It took a lot of zip out of him. So, for the last 3 months, he is being released as soon as the bird hits the ground. Now he is flying to his marks. He'll be steadied soon enough. What I did do right was having him hold a bumper sitting on a platform for two minutes prior to going off. It made for a real sooth transition into simple casting and not a lot of wasted time and $ having his trainer teach those early fundamentals.

 

[Franco]

Not to worry Tim, we've agreeded to not run more than 5-6 Derbies.;-)

I don't think anyone in the near future is going to top Ammo's Derby career and from what I've heard seems like a great AA prospect. Besides, I don't want to spend the money on Derby! I've got to save those few precious dollars that I have in this Obama economy. I'll probably enter him in one of the Q's at the 3DQ at the end of Januray just for sheets and giggles.