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Congratulations to Christie and Winee for completing the requirements for the USDAA ADCH! This requires not only qualifying, but also placing and/or being in the top 15% of dogs for some of the runs. All this in the highly competitive 20" class! Woohoo! and a very Happy New Year!
This has been quite a year for the Fire Litter, with Momma Tango earning her MACH, Christie and Winee earning their MACh and their ADCH, Chris and Tux earning their MACH, Deb and Zahra completing the Obedience Dog Hall of Fame requirements and earning their OTCH, and Pat and Bang for completing the requirements for the OBHF and also earning their OTCH - WOW! is all I can say as well as a huge thank you to all the pups and their owners for this truly remarkable accomplishment.
Happy New Year!
A few of us were out and about playing in agility this past weekend and there were a few q's to brag about.
Biggest brag - Tux and Chris were an amazing team this weekend, running three days and earning three QQ's! I think there were some placements as well over the weekend. Wow! It takes quite a bit of teamwork to make this happen. That is also six QQ's out of the last six trialing days! They are now up to 13 QQ's towards MACH 2 and 26 QQ's and over 1300 points for the 2011 agility year. That's quite a record - Congratulations to the two of them.
Winee earned a QQ double placement with a 1st in STD (you were smoking!) and a third in JWW. Woohoo!
Jester earned a QQ with a 2nd and a 4th and another JWW leg with a 4th placement and a STD with a 2nd placement.
Bang earned a QQ on Sunday with some fast runs and a Ex STD and an Ex JWW leg over the weekend as well.
Tango earned an Ex STD Q with a 2nd place.
WOOHOO! CONGRATULATIONS! AWESOME!
A big congratulations goes out to Pat Kavanagh and Mr. Purple from the Fire litter for earning their Obedience Trial Championship at the Catoctin Kennel Club Obedience trial in West Friendship, MD this past Saturday! They earned the last point (and more) that they needed by winning the Utility B class with a 199.5.
They went on to win the Open class with a 196, earning a High in Trial and High Combined for the day. They also won another class on Sunday, finishing the weekend out by earning 53 points! Wow!
What a year the Fire Litter has had starting with Momma Tango early in March, earning her MACH. Then daughter Winee earned her MACH in June, son Tux earned his MACH in September, daughter Zahra earned her OTCH in October, and son Bang earned his OTCH in December. I'd say this was quite a year! Four Championship titles in one year at four years old - I'm truly in awe.
Thank you to all the Fire Litter owners for taking on these pups and helping them achieve the special things they have been doing. I know it's hard work and I appreciate all your efforts. Please give each of your pups a big hug and a fat smooch on the top of their head from me.
Several of us played agility at the Thanksgiving Cluster at the Big E this past weekend. I was also Vendor Chair which makes me very busy, as well as running the dogs. Let's see if I remember it all.
Chris and Tux earned three QQ's! Wow - you guys are awesome!
Christie and Winnie earned a QQQ - Woohoo! - on Friday, as well as other Q's - honestly, I can't remember exactly what.
Deb and Zahra came and competed in obedience and took a 3rd in Utility B and a 2nd in Open B - Congrats!
Bounce and Anita earned their 2nd MX leg and their 2nd AXJ leg with a first place.
Tango earned a QQ on Saturday, and earned a Ex STD leg on Sunday and another on on Monday with a 2nd place!
Jester won the Time To Beat Class on Saturday and earned a 3rd TTB leg on Monday, as well as earning one more Ex STD leg.
I would like to send out a very Happy Birthday wish to Brio and Jester, the Parrotheads! I can't believe these pups are three years old already - I know I keep saying that, but really, how does the time go by so quickly?!?
Lucky for me, Nancy and Sara came to the Cluster of Dog Shows at the Big E with Brio, so I was able to have a wonderful birthday visit with all of them. It was quite a nice surprise!
Nancy also took some pictures and I'll udpate them on their pages as soon as I can. In the meantime, here is one of them together.
Brio on the left and Jester on the right. Neither one of them could keep their tongues in their mouths ;>D
Brio on the left and Jester on the right. Neither one of them could keep their tongues in their mouths ;>D
Oh, boy, Here I go again, being late with the news!
Bang and Pat Kavanagh earned the final High In Trial needed to qualify for the GRCA Obedience Dog Hall of Fame Award - big WooHoo! They have also collected 87 OTCH points and are getting close to this title as well - Congratulations! We're cheering you on from afar!
On the weekend of Nov 19/20 - quite a few of us ran agility under judge Deb Hunt at the Quinnipiac Poodle Club agility trial in Hamden, CT.
Winee & Christie earned another QQ - this one with double placements! Winee took a first place in Ex JWW 20" and I believe a third place in Ex STD 20".
Tux earned two more Ex JWW Q's.
Tango earned an Ex JWW Q with a 4th place.
Jester was the star earning two QQ's with three placements. These QQ's finished both his Master Agility and Master Agility Jumpers titles. From Novice to MX/MXJ in just short of 11 months. These were his 4th and 5th QQ's. One of those QQ's also included double placements towards his GRCA ADHF award. Hard to believe he is still a baby in agility, but he is! We need to work on lots of stuff to become a better team but the foundation is in place and time will help us keep coming together.
This is Jester at HVGRC on Nov 6, 2011. Sure looks like he is having a good time.
This is Jester at HVGRC on Nov 6, 2011. Sure looks like he is having a good time.
It has been quite a week and a half around here in CT. On October 27 and 28, I ran agility in Hamden, CT. Jester earned his 2nd QQ, with double placements.
The weather forecast for Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning was for a Nor'easter to blow through our area bringing a foot of heavy, wet snow. It did it's job impacting CT severely with power outages, trees down, branches down and quite a mess for everyone to contend with.
We lost power for 8 days but were fortunate in that my Mom in Law had power for the entire time so we were able to go live with her for the time. I'm sure she was ready to get her place back to herself when we went home. Also lucky was the weather cooperated after that and was mild for the most part with cool nights. Too cold to stay in our non heated home, but cool enough to keep my freezer and all its contents intact. Phew!
Chris Marinelli, Tux, myself, Tango and Jester left for Hudson Valley and the Goldens Only agility trial in Montgomery, NY on Friday, November 4th looking forward to a nice weekend with great weather forecast and fun with all our golden friends. Tux and Chris are now at 7 QQ's towards their MACH 2 Title - you guys are fabulous!
It was a ton of fun and a much needed break from the power outages and problems at home. Chris and Tux earned two QQ's with double placements. Congrats!
Jester earned his 3rd QQ with double placements and placed 2nd in Time To Beat. Some helium balloons scared him on Sunday morning and he didn't run with quite his same attention for the rest of the day. We are working through this with balloons hanging out in our family room now. I've gotten him to poke the balloons with his nose for a click and a treat ;>D
Tango Q'd in STD on Saturday, but had a fabulous run on Sunday in JWW winning the 24" class and taking the High Scoring Golden title. Showing that old goldens can still rock and roll.
This was really special as she celebrated her 8th birthday on Thursday, November 3, 2011! I can't believe she's now considered a senior golden - she doesn't run like it in agility, for sure.
Deb and Zahra competed in Obedience again in Bloomsburg, PA taking a 2nd in Utility with a 197.5 earning 9 more OTCH points. She finished 5th in Open with a 198.5 - wow, 5th with a 198.5. There was a three way tie with 199 scores.
BIG BIG News! Deb D'Elia and Zahra had a phenomenal day today earning the last points they need to complete their OBEDIENCE TRIAL CHAMPIONSHIP! They were at a small show and needed everyone to show up in both Utility and Open in both show on one day and not only that - they needed to win all four classes! And they did it! WOOHOO! What a way to finish your OTCH - four first places, 2 HIT's and 2 HC's and 12 points when you need 11. Amazing day, amazing dog, amazing trainer and human partner! Congratulations to the two of them for this huge accomplishment. Enjoy your feeling of success.
Since the biggest news of the past two weeks comes from Pat Kavanagh and Bang, I'm using purple ink to celebrate.
Pat & Bang earned their WCX, their VCX, their MX, MXJ, their OM1 and their UDX. They also received a HIT and HC award while earning enough OTCH points to bring them up to a total of 78! WOW!
Chris and Tux earned thier 23rd and 24th QQ's toward their MACH 2 as well as several other legs with placements.
Tango earned her 25th and 26th QQ's towards her MACH 2, as well as placements. She also earned a bumper Upland Leg at Guns Up in ME.
Jester earned his 2nd QQ with two third places, and these also included his 6th and 7th MXJ legs with placements. He also earned two UKC Upland Hunter legs at Guns Up HRC in Bangor, ME last weekend.
Deb and Zahra took at 2nd in Open B and are still holding at 89 OTCH points - almost there!
Winee also keeps earning more MX and MXJ legs, as well as QQ's towards MACH 2.
Jester over the A-frame, May 2011
Jester over the A-frame, May 2011
Through the grapevine, we have heard that Bang is having fun at the Golden Retriever National Specialty. According to rumor, he and Pat have qualified in FAST in Agiltiy, earned his CCA which gives him the GRCA VCX certificate, and got a first place in Versatility in Obedience! Thanks to Pat & Bang for showing what the Fire Litter is all about!
NEW CDX! Wahoo! Congratulations to Anita and Bounce for completing their Companion Dog Excellent in short order this past weekend. Three trials, three Q's and three first places make for an excellent showing! Amazing job - on to Utility!
Randy and Jester went to the Saco River HRC regular hunt test on September 10 & 11 and earned the first two passes in the Seasoned stakes. (This is similar to AKC Senior.) They did a good job with some learning taking place on both their parts. Congrats!
September 17 & 18, 2011 News
Congratulations to Anita and Bounce for venturing into the Open ring in Obedience last weekend. They earned their first and second CDX legs, with two first places and scores of 195 and 195.5. Very good job! They trialed outdoors which we all know is very tough with all the distractions - what a good Bouncy boy!
On the 17th and 18th, Chris and Tux earned QQ #21 and another JWW Q. Woohoo!
Christie and Winee earned another QQ as well, I think it might be #23. Congrats to them, too.
Big Woohoo! and Congratulations! goes out to Chris Marinelli and Tux for completing their 20th QQ to earn the AKC Master Agility Championship title! This team is amazing and have gone from Novice A to MACH in 18 short months. Great Job - we are all very proud of the two of you!
Winee & Christie earned another QQ and a Super Q in snookers (USDAA) on Labor Day weekend.
Deb and Zahra won Open B Sunday and Monday, Sunday with another 198.5 and HIT. They are now up to 89 OTCH points and are closing in on their next goal.
Deb and Zahra also received confirmation from the AKC that they finished in the top four in Region 2 and will be getting an invitation to the 2012 NOI in Orlando, FL. That is a very big Yahoo! for the two of them. Great Job!
Jester and Pat (and Aunty Chris) earned their 3rd MXJ leg and their 4th and 5th MX legs, one with a 2nd place.
Bang now has 8 UDX legs and 47 OTCH points as well as all of the necessary class wins.
New Master Agility Champion
MACH Gaylan's Fireside Affair "Tux"
and Chris Marinelli - Congratulations!
New Master Agility Champion
MACH Gaylan's Fireside Affair "Tux"
and Chris Marinelli - Congratulations!
Well, the biggest news this weekend is the marriage of my son, Doug, and his new wife, Kirsten. The groom was handsome, the bride beautiful, and the best man did a fabulous job! Everything went off without a glitch and Doug and Kirsten are now honeymooning in Jamaica. Can't believe I'm a Mom in law ;<D
We had a bit of other news:
Deb and Zahra competed in three days of obedience in Bloomsburg, PA qualifying five out of six runs, and placing in the ribbons each qualifying run. They finished their UDX with a 199.5 in Open and HIT. They also earned a HC golden award on Sunday as well as their first leg towards UDX #2 and now are up to 76 OTCH points. If all goes as expected when the show super completes the scoring, this show should qualify Deb and Zahra for the National Obedience Invitational to be held in Orlando, in December 2012. Woohoo!
Brother Bang and Pat earned their 7th UDX leg with another HIT - almost there. They also have all their class wins and are up to 47 OTCH points. Big congrats to the two of them.
Christie and Winee earned a Super Q in USDAA agility and I'm sure are getting pretty close to their ADCH.
We have been in the middle of a heat wave the last couple of weeks here in CT and in the Northeast - but that is not the only thing that has been hot!
Zahra and Deb D'Elia earned their 9th UDX leg, winning both Open B and Utility B for another HIT and HC today! They are now up to 59 OTCH points and on the downward slope - amazing!
Chris & Tux earned their 19th QQ, one more to go, they are a terriffic team!
Jester and I earned his 2nd MX leg and his 1st MXJ leg today, for his first QQ - what a man!
Tango earned an Ex JWW leg with a third place.
Next on my list - getting my son married next weekend - will post more news after that time!
It has been a busy month for me since the SBGRC trial, but I'm going to try to catch up on the news that I know. If I've missed anything, please let me know.
On June 25th, Chris M. and I ventured to Staten Island to watch Deb and Zahra do obedience. Although Zahra provided some interesting ways to do the articles, she and Deb still managed to qualify in both shows on one day, earning UDX legs #7 and #8. Woohoo! Deb - are you still doing the flying send for the articles ;>D?
On July 10th, 2011 Jester earned his AXJ with a first place in N. Smithfield, RI.
On July 9th, 2011 Tango earned her 23rd QQ with a first and a fourth place and this qualifies her for the 2012 AKC National Agility Championships. We don't plan to attend as it's a tad far away in Reno this upcoming year, but maybe in 2013 when it's in Tulsa, OK.
Tux earned QQ #18 at the MCKC trial in North Smithfield, RI on July 10th.
Bang has been having fun in obedience - he took a 2nd in Utility B on July 1st earning 5 OTCH points.
He then took another 2nd in Open B on July 4th.
On July 16th he won his Open B class with a 198.5 and a HIT and on his birthday, he won both his Open B class with a 198.5 and his Utility B class with a 199 and a HIT and High Combined. This finishes the class wins he needs for his OTCH and he now has 32 OTCH pts! Wow! What a way to come out in obedience. Congratulations to Pat & Bang!
Can it really be? Are the Fireballs really four years old today? How can that much time have gone by?
They have turned into good looking and great working golden retrievers that are doing fabulous things in any venue they participate in.
Sending very Happy Birthday wishes to all the pups and Momma Tango says "Have some fun!" and of course, get some goodies.
I'm using raspberry text today to celebrate Miss Raspberry from the Fire Litter. At the SBGRC/CHE agility trial in Tolland, CT, Christie and Winee earned their Master Agility Championship title with two beautiful runs for their 20th QQ! WOOHOO! Congratulations to the first Fireball, but I'm sure not the last Fireball, to earn this title. You can see Winee's MACH runs by going to her page below.
Christie and Winee also completed their USDAA Master Gambler's title the weekend prior.
Deb & Zahra earned their 5th and 6th UDX legs this weekend, also taking HIT and HC each day. They are up to 41 OTCH points and 183 OM points as well. What a fabulous job they are doing in obedience - Congratulations!
Tango earned her 22nd QQ on June 10th, 2011, her 5th QQ towards 2012 AKC NAC qualification. She took a first and 2nd place with this QQ and had a great time.
Jester earned his Excellent STD title with a first place on June 11, 2011.
Tux had a STD Q and a JWW Q over the weekend, too.
Rosie and Brass were at this trial, as well, and ran the matches both evenings. Good for them!
Chris and I were busy running the agility trial and boy is it hard to do that and run your dog, at least, run them well. We are looking forward to showing in July where we can concentrate on our own dogs!
Christie and MACH Winee with judges, Lisa and Dan Selthofer, July 10, 2011
At SBGRC, Tolland, CT
Photographer Pat McKinney & Proud Co-breeder
Christie and MACH Winee with judges, Lisa and Dan Selthofer, July 10, 2011
At SBGRC, Tolland, CT
Photographer Pat McKinney & Proud Co-breeder
We were still doing agility at Granby, MA in Dufresne Park.
Tux earned his 17th QQ - almost there.......
Jester earned his 2nd EX A STD legs with a first place.
Happy Memorial Day!
Jester in Ex A STD, over the A-frame
May 28, 2011
Jester in Ex A STD, over the A-frame
May 28, 2011
It's Memorial Day weekend and I'm a bit behind in the news department, again! These Fire babies are keeping me busy with the updates.
May 28 - 30, 2011
Deb and Zahra shined very brightly this weekend in obedience winning their Open B class with a 199 on Saturday for their 5th High in Trial. This qualifies Zahra for the GRCA Obedience Dog Hall of Fame Award ! WOO HOO! They also earned UDX Leg #4 and the last first place needed for their OTCH. They are up to 33 OTCH points now and well on their way to earning this prestigious obedience title. Congratulations to the two of them.
Tango earned QQ #21 on May 28 and the LEAP trial in Granby, MA as well as a STD Q on May 29th.
Winee earned QQ #19 on May 28 at the LEAP trial in Granby, MA and a STD Q on Sunday.
Tux earned a STD Q on May 28 and QQ #16 on Sunday at the LEAP trial in Granby, MA.
Jester earned his first Excellent A STD leg on Sunday with a lovely run and a first place.
Phew! These guys are exhausting me (not really ;>D)
Keep up the good work!
May 20 & 21, 2011
In her first three weekends of showing in the Obedience B classes, Zahra and Deb have earned two of the three 1st places needed for her OTCH, three UDX legs, 22 OTCH points, a High in Trial and two High Combined awards. I had the privilege of running Tux in agility this weekend and double double Q'd to bring his QQ total to 15!
NEW OPEN AGILITY! Jester, won his Open Standard class to complete his OA title and won his Excellent JWW class for his first AXJ leg. Bounce, Gaylan's Fireball CD RE JH AX OAJ NF CCA CGC (Anita Lupcho) earned his CCA and this also qualifies him for the GRCA versatility Certificate.
Deb and Zahra, High In Trial, May 8, 2011 WOO HOO!
Deb and Zahra, High In Trial, May 8, 2011 WOO HOO!
First of all, Happy Mother's Day to all! Several of the Fire Litter pups were out playing and also Jester from the Buffett litter.
Friday, May 6, 2011 Zahra won her Open B class with a 198 and it was enough for a HIT and a couple of OTCH points.
Sunday, Zahra won the Utility B class with 197.5 and came in 2nd in Open B with a 196.5 and went High Combined and got another UDX leg and some more OTCH points. Deb and Zahra are up to 17 OTCH points and 2 UDX legs in their first two weekends of showing.
Winee and Christie earned their 18th QQ and are getting pretty close to their MACH - woohoo!
Jester earned his Open Jumpers title with a 2nd place. He also won the 24" division of Time To Beat, a demonstration class that TMAC held early Sunday morning. This is going to become a titling class beginning in July, 2011.
Tango earned a JWW Q with a 2nd place and 24 MACH points! This puts her over 3000 points for her career.
Brass earned a bumper Junior Hunter Leg last weekend.
More news from the weekend!
Pat Kavanagh and Bang completed their Utility Dog title with a class win - WOOHOO! Congratulations. I heard from a good source that the judge was very impressed with this golden boy in the obedience ring. Good job Pat & Bang! Bang earned three legs in three trials all with first placements. He then earned a bumper leg with a first placement. He's also been out doing agility and is now up to 7 MX and 7 MXJ legs.
Also, found out that this weekends' agility points qualified Chris and Tux for the 2012 Agility National Championships! It's only April and they have earned 7 QQ's and 409 points since the beginning of last December - that is very impressive! Congratulations to the two of them!
I am so lucky to have such great puppy owners - thanks a million for all you do with these guys!
Happy Easter! I am so far behind with the news from the pups, I'm afraid I'm going to forget something. If I do, please send me a note and I'll udpate the latest news.
Tango and I went to the AKC Agility National Championships and had a grand time. Tango did a wonderful job on Friday on the ISC day finishing in 5th place overall from both STD and JWW. That was awesome. I totally had a "ooops" moment in JWW on Sat am for a NQ, then ran a good STD run for a 95 and had a beautiful Hybrid class on Sunday finishing in 8th place out of 118 dogs! For our first time in this kind of competition, it felt really good.
Winee had two qualifying runs at the agility National Championships, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. She also did a great job for her first time out at the AKC NAC. I'm sure it's not her last time to go ;>D
Tux, Winee, Tango and Jester played agility this weekend in North Smithfield, RI and let's see if I can get the results straight.
Jester - two Open STD legs, both first places
Tango - two Ex B JWW legs, both 2nd places
Tux - QQ #13 and 58 more MACH points. Plus another Ex B JWW leg
Winee - QQ # 17, QQQ#1 and more MACH points as well as another Ex B JWW leg on Saturday
Deb & Zahra did obedience and earned their first OTCH points! Woohoo! They also got their first UDX leg, with three Utility Q's and one Open Q.
It's been a busy couple of weeks getting ready for the AKC Nationals, but some of the Fireballs have also been doing great things.
Deb and Zahra earned their Utility Dog title with four straight legs and four first placements! Zahra had a great time each run and was admired by many of the exhibitors and the judges. Great Job, Deb, that truly is an amazing accomplishment!
Winee & Christie earned QQ's #15 and #16, almost all the way to their MACH. They are going to the AKC National Agility Championships, too, and we all wish them the best of luck and fast clean runs.
Tux earned his 12th QQ (I got the privilege of running this amazing agility boy) and 30 more MACH points. They are also on the downward slope to their MACH. Keep up the good work.
Jester and I finished his Novice STD title with a first place yesterday at the LEAP agility trial. He did a great job in a very busy venue with tons of distractions like kids running, soccer balls being kicked and buzzers going off. He only had eyes for the job at hand and was a very good boy.
BIG NEWS FLASH - Tango earned her Master Agility Championship title at Dreampark in Swedesboro, NJ on Sunday, March 6, 2011! WOOHOO! It's been a long time in the making because of my learning curve with this very quick girl. Tango has certainly taught me to become a better handler and team partner. We are off to the AKC NAC in a couple of weeks and looking forward to having fun running at the Nationals.
Tango also finished her Master Excellent FAST title on Saturday, March 5 at Dreampark.
Bounce earned his first MX leg and MACH points on Sunday, March 6 at Dreampark as well. Congratulations to Anita & Bounce!
Pat & Tango with her MACH ribbons
Dreampark, Swedesboro, NJ
March 6, 2011
Judges: Barbara Diaz STD and Mary Mullen JWW
Pat & Tango with her MACH ribbons
Dreampark, Swedesboro, NJ
March 6, 2011
Judges: Barbara Diaz STD and Mary Mullen JWW
Let's see.....whoo, I'm far behind! We've had a lot of snow and ice this winter and have been dealing with water damage in the house and still trying to do all the dog stuff. Sorry, the Simplesite was the last to get worked on.
Anita and Bounce completed their third AX leg for their AX title at Dreampark on Sunday, February 27, 2011! Congratulations to the two of them on this accomplishment.
Chris and Tux went to Dreampark in NJ the weekend of Feb 18 - 20 and earned their 11th QQ with two 2nd placements. That is quite an accomplishment at a large venue with lots of 24" dogs. Congrats. They also earned another STD and another JWW leg.
Tango earned her 9th MXF leg at Dreampark with two more Q's in STD; we just couldn't quite Q in JWW.
Jester played agility in Hamden on Feb 26 and earned his first NOV STD leg with a first place and a beautiful run with great contacts, weave poles and start line. He also earned his 2nd Open JWW leg with a first place.
Tango earned another JWW Q in Hamden, but took a bar down in STD.
Winee earned another QQ, I think #12 up at AK9C a couple weeks ago.
Bang earned more MX and MXJ legs and I believe one more QQ at Dreampark, too.
Jester had fun playing agility with me up at AK9C in Amherst, NH this past weekend earning his Novice Jumpers title with a lovely run and a first place. He also earned his first Open JWW leg with a first place. Nov STD was hard for his Mom, but we'll get those next.
Tango also had a great time earning QQ #19 and another STD leg, all with placements. One more to go!
I do believe I heard that Bang and Pat K. earned a QQ a couple of weeks back, too. Congratulations!
For the last two weeks we have been bombarded with snow and ice. We have had to snowblow paths for the dogs around the yard and I have found Tango a couple of times on top of the snow looking over the fence which is only a 6" jump at this point. In all the years we've lived in CT, I don't think I've ever seen this much snow piled up at one time. Enjoy the pic below.
Jester in the snow.
Jester in the snow.
WAHOO! and Congratulations to Chris and Tux for earning their 9th and 10th QQ's both with double placements (three fourths and a second) which finished the requirements for their GRCA Agility Dog Hall of Fame Award! This is a special accomplishment for such a young team, who are having a great time together running agility. I'm so proud of Chris for working so hard with this amazing boy from the Fire Litter. Enjoy the feeling and celebrate!
Jester and I finished his Novice FAST title (his first agility title) with a 1st place and earned a bumper Nov FAST leg. He also earned his 2nd Nov JWW leg with a first place. He's already having fun playing this game with me.
Tango earned QQ#18 with a 2nd in JWW; and got another STD Q with a 4th place on Saturday.
Agility has been the name of the game for the last few weeks as snow and ice and cold has kept us out of the field.
Tux has been the big star finishing his MXJ on Dec 18th, as well as earning his 7th and 8th QQ's. He's almost completed the requirements for the GRCA ADHF, too!
Christie and Winee earned their 12th QQ at the YGRC trial on Dec 11/12 - woohoo!
Tango has gotten some Q's, but no doubles, and did earn her 8th MXF leg on January 2, 2010 at AK9C in Amherst, NH.
Jester started his agility career on Jan 1/2 at AK9C in Amherst, NH running Novice FAST on Saturday and Sunday and Novice JWW on Sat only. He did a great job bringing home two blue ribbons and one red!
We are looking forward to a busy winter and early spring in agility and then getting back out into the field as soon as the weather cooperates. Jester is beginning his obedience training and hopefully this fall or early 2012 he'll be ready to come out in obedience, too.
The other news is that we have a wedding in July! Doug and his fiancee, Kirsten Lazar from PA, will be getting married on July 30, 2011. Hard to believe I have a son old enough to be getting married, but it's true! Congratulations to Doug and Kirsten for their engagement and their upcoming wedding.
Let's see, I may forget a few things so please remind me if I have.
Biggest news: Chris Marinelli and Tux earned their MX on November 29, 2010 at the Thanksgiving Cluster of Dog Shows at the Big E, in W. Springfield, MA. They also earned their sixth QQ on Friday, Nov 26, 2010.
Christie and Winee earned their 11th QQ and more MACH points at the Thanksgiving Cluster. They also qualified in Ex STD on November 20, 2010 and qualified to attend the 2010 National Agility Championships with Momma Tango in Lexington, VA next April. (Winee's housemate Pi, also qualified at the same show.)
Tango earned her 17th QQ with double placments at the ABA trial up in Amherst, MA the weekend of November 20th. She also earned her 7th MXF leg with a 2nd place at the cluster and a couple of STD Q's and another JWW Q; alas no doubles as they weren't all on the same day ;>D.
Well, I'm behind again! It's been a few weeks since my last update and there is news to tell.
Tango, Tux and Winee went to the Hudson Valley GRC Goldens only agility trial in Montgomery, NY. It was a beautiful weekend (how do they always have nice weather early in November for an outdoor trial?????), a bit chilly in the early morning and later in the day, but sunny and nice for the most part.
Tux qualified in STD on Saturday earning his 5th MX leg and then went on to earn his fourth QQ with a 2nd in JWW and a third in STD; these are his sixth MX and MXJ legs. The following weekend Paula Orcutt ran him up at AK9C in Amherst and earned another Ex STD leg for MX Leg #7! Karen Hocker took a fabulous picture of Tux lifting off from his starting position, take a look:
http://www.karenhocker.com/catalog/index.php?album=1204%2F110710%2F27&image=ad_110710e_120.jpg
Winee and Christie earned their first QQ with double placements, a 2nd and a 4th on Sunday at the HVGRC trial; this was their 10th QQ! They also finished their Open FAST title with a first place. Winee is also closing in on the necessary points (already has the QQ's) to qualify for the AKC NAC in 2011. We'll let you know when that happens. Her housemate Pi is right on her heels for the NAC.
Tango earned MXF leg #6 with a third place, another Ex STD leg and one more Ex JWW leg at HVGRC, alas, not on the same day. However, she and I went up to AK9C on November 14th along with son Tux and she earned QQ #16 with a first and 2nd, earning 70 MACH points in one day! It's getting closer to that elusive 20 QQ's......
Tux at Granby, MA, back on Labor Day, 2010
It sure wasn't a scary weekend for the Fireballs! They had awesome times at whatever they were doing.
Anita and Bounce completed their fourth leg for their Junior Hunter title.
Christie and Winee earned QQ's #8 and #9.
Chris and Tux earned QQ #3, with a third and fourth place for their first QQ with double placements. This was Tux' 5th MXJ leg and 4th MX leg.
Rosie & Brass completed their Graduate Novice and Rally Novice titles, too.
Tango and I earned another Ex B STD leg with a 2nd place.
Christie and Winee did agility together this weekend and earned QQ # 7. This was also Winee's MX title - WAHOO - with a 4th place in STD. Congratulations!
Chris & Tux went to Hamden, CT at the Longshore - Southport KC Agility Trial and earned QQ#2 with 33 more MACH points! Congratulations! That is MX Leg #3 and MXJ Leg #4.
Brass passed the ATTS temperament test with flying colors. http://www.atts.org/ if you are interested in seeing what it was all about. He also passed her CERF, too.
Pat & Tango earned an Ex B STD leg with a third place.
The third Fire baby earned it's CCA today! Deb D'Elia and Zahra participated at the Garden State CCA today and brought home a CCA Rosette with nice compliments from all the evaluators. Congratulations!
Tux and Chris went to the TMAC trial close by in Somers, CT and came home with their first QQ and more MACH points, as well as earning their 2nd MX leg and their 2nd and 3rd MXJ legs. Tux also completed his Novice Fast title with a first place. Tux and Chris are really burning up the courses!
Tango earned another Excellent STD leg.
Brass & Rosie went to the PVGRC WC/X test on Sunday, September 26, 2010 and came away with their WCX! Way to go to an awesome team. These Fire Babies sure love their birdies.
Tux earned his first MXJ leg and more MACh points today. What a good boy!
Rosie & Brass field training at the Gaylan's Reunion in 2009 - WCX in 2010!
Tux and Winee both completed their CCA's (Certificate of Conformation Assessment) at CT River Valley's CCA on September 19, 2010 at Tails U Win in Manchester, CT. This is a GRCA award that shows both these guys are structurally correct according to the GRCA Breed Standard.
Tux also earned his GRCA Versatility Certificate by earning his CCA, because he has titles in conformation, field and performance! He's an all around great guy!
Winee also earned her 6th QQ and 9th MX leg on Saturday, September 18, 2010. Two events in one weekend, she's a versatile gal, too, just needs her JH earn the GRCA award. She's working hard on that venue, and hopefully next year, the JH will be added to her list of titles.
Tux and Winee with their Momma, Tango, at the EESSC trial in Granby, MA on September 6, 2010
I am so far behind on posting the latest news - please forgive me! It's not for a lack of effort on the Fire Litter's part!
Let's see if I can remember everything -
Tango became a GRCA Outstanding Dam on September 4th, 2010 when Tux earned his AX title at the Eastern English Springer Spaniel Club agility trial in Granby, MA - thanks to Bang, Winee and Tux for accomplishing the titles needed for this award for their Momma! A kudos goes out to all the Fire Litter pups who are doing so well in all their venues.
First, Tux earned his AX and AXJ between August 28th and September 6th, helping his Mom become a GRCA Outstanding Dam, along with his brother Bang and Sister Winee. Tux then went on to earn his first MX leg and first MACH points! Great Job!
Winee finished her USDAA MAD title on September 10th after a particularly trying summer for her. She and Christie are anxious to get back out there having fun in agility - this was a great start back!
Anita and Bounce earned their first two Junior Hunter legs in Pittsburgh, PA on September 11th & 12th. Both Anita and Bounce are very new to field work and have done a great job learning the sport and having fun! Woohoo! for Anita and Bounce - I see a JH in Bounce's future.
Deb D'Elia and Zahra went back out into the Obedience ring in Open B while they are training for Zahra's UD and earned another bumper leg with a 2nd place, in a run off against their instructor. Zahra also won a special award for highest scoring dog without an OTCH! Wow! Good for the two of them.
Tango also earned QQ #14 with Paula at the Yankee GRC agility trial in Amherst at AK9C on August 29, 2010.
Finally, my foot has recovered from surgery and I got to run Tango myself at the Old Colony Kennel Club agility trial in Amherst and got QQ #15! I was hoping to just run and have fun, but Tango had other ideas about those runs and wanted to QQ herself. Thank you to Paula for all her hard work with Tango and also for having so much fun running her while I was laid up! Tango had a blast!
Jester and Randy participated in the Yankee Waterfowler's AKC Hunt Test held at W. Thompson Dam in W. Thompson, CT on Sunday, August 15th and brought home a bumper JH leg. They did a really nice job, running off leash and steady in preparation for Senior some time next year. Good job Guys! There was only a little back seat driving from me ;>D.
The Red Hot Momma, Tango, went up to American K9 Country in Amherst, NH to play agility with her back up agility handler, Paula. They were fabulous earning QQ #13 and also bringing home a 3rd place in STD and a 1st place in JWW. This was also a very important QQ, as it was the 6th QQ Tango has earned this year which qualifies her to participate in the AKC Agility Nationals to be held in April 2011 in Lexington, VA! WAHOO and THANKS to Paula for helping us attain this goal!
Several of the Fireballs competed at the All Star Dogs Performance Association Tournament in
York, PA on August 6 - 8, 2010. They came home with some awesome accomplishments.
Zahra, Bounce and Bang all competed in Agility, Obedience and Rally.
Zahra won her class, the Open Obedience Class, as well as being a part of the "Triple Threat" team that finished in 2nd place (along with brother Bounce) in Team Obedience.
Bounce finished 4th in Novice Obedience, as well as being a part of the "Triple Threat" team that finished in 2nd place (along with sister Zahra) in Team Obedience. He also finished 8th in the Combined class, which included obedience and Rally.
Bang finished 10th in Open Obedience and also competed on the "Fire & Ice" team and finished in 5th place. He also placed 8th in the 20" Agility Class with two clean rounds and two rounds with scores of 95. This awarded him 4th place in the Ultimate Dog competition, which combined the scores of Obedience and Agilty.
Congratulations to all the Fireballs who had the heart and the courage to go out there and give it their best shot - you certainly made us all proud!
Zahra with her Open Champion ribbons from All Stars, August 2010
Deb and Zahra competed in Open B and scored a 199.5 and won her class for a bumper leg with a first place. This also gave her another High in Trial! What a team!
Chris and Tux earned their Open Agility title with a first place at the CCNE trial in N. Smithfield, RI. What a great job these two are doing.
Paula Orcutt has started running Tango in agility for me while I'm recovering from foot surgery and had a blast together. Paula and Tango earned a Q in Ex STD on Saturday and a QQ with a 4th place in STD and a 2nd Place in JWW on Sunday for her 12th QQ and her 5th QQ towards qualifying for the 2011 Nationals. One more to go for the Nats! Congrats to Paula and Tango!
Jester went to four junior hunter tests between April, 2010 and July, 2010 and earned four straight legs for his Junior Hunter title at Southern Berkshire's Hunt Test on July 4, 2010. His Mom earned her Senior Hunter last year on July 4, so it's only fitting that he earned his JH exactly one year later. He did a good job, although there is still lots to work on, but now on to Senior!
Jester bringing back his duck, July 2010
Jester earned his third JH leg at the Shoreline Retriever Club's hunt test on June 20, 2010. Three tests, three legs! Woohoo! One more to go......
There has been a lot going on over the last couple of weeks. I'll start from the biggest news and work my way down to other accomplishments.
First - Tango completed the requirements and is now a member of the Golden Retriever Club of America's Agility Dog Hall of Fame! Tango also earned another QQ, that makes 11, and her 5th MXF leg.
Second - Zahra earned her CDX with three trials, three legs, two first and one second to finish her CDX in short order.
Third - Jester earned his 2nd Junior Hunter Leg at Hudson Highlands HRC on June 6, 2010 under Judges Carol & Dan Lewis.
Fourth - Anita and Bounce earned their Novice Fast title finishing with two first places and their first Excellent A STD leg, also with a first place.
It's been a busy couple of weeks.
First, Anita and Bounce earned their second AX Leg on May 15/16.
Jester earned his Started Hunting Retriever Title from the UKC HRC program in Woodstock, CT at the YWHRC Regular Hunt.
Winee earned her MXJ and her NF titles the weekend of May 15/16 and then went on to earn QQ #5 on May 23, 2010.
Tango qualified in Ex B STD, Master Excellent Fast, and Ex B JWW on May 22 & 23, 2010.
Congratulations goes out to Rosie and Brass for completing their CDX today, May 1, 2010, in West Virginia! Brass won the class, as well as finishing his title! Woohoo for a job well done.
Jester was out at Nod Brook today, April 24, 2010, earning his first Junior Hunter leg under judges Kathy Hartley and Paul Botelho. He did a good job, but showed there are things we need to work on. It will be a while before he goes back out for an AKC JH leg. He certainly has enthusiasm for the hunt test game and hopefully for hunting with Dad!
I'm behind in posting, but would like to send congrats out to Chris and Tux for earning their OAJ title at the LEAP agility club trial the last weekend in March, 2010. Can you believe they are going to Excellent already! Wahoo!
Congratulations to Chris and Tux for earning their Novice Agility title with three beautiful runs and all first places. Chris and Tux also earned two Open JWW's legs, again with all blue ribbons. They are making agility look very easy!
I also learned that Oakley and Susie have completed their Companion Dog Title recently. Congratulations on that accomplishment also!
I also noticed that Winee and Christie have been busy; Winee now has 8 MXJ legs, as well as five MX legs, 4 QQ's and l32 MACh points - that is a huge Woohoo! Keep up the good work you two.
It was quite the weekend at Dreampark in Swedesboro, NJ when the Fire Babies had a mini reunion with Tango, Tux, Bang and Bounce running agility and Zahra came to visit. We had a great day on Saturday and the weather was beautiful, enjoyed watching each other run agility (Deb got to see what it's all about) and then went out to dinner for companionship and conversation. There are some brags to share about that weekend, too. They are:
First - Chris and Tux debuted in agility this weekend running so smoothly you'd never know it was their first trial ever! Chris and Tux earned their Novice Jumpers with Weaves title with three first places. Tux also earned a Novice Fast leg with a first place and his first Novice Standard leg with a first place! What a beginning and look out in the future! Tux was fast and focused, especially for a Novice dog.
Second - Bang earned his first MX Leg and MACH points, running well and having a good time. Bang is very fast and is going to make heads turn as he continues to rack up legs and points and starts to earn those QQ's.
Third - Bounce earned his first Excellent A Leg and had several more good runs, just little bobbles. Bounce reminds me so much of his Momma, Tango - he just wants to go!
Tango earned several Excellent B JWW legs, but no QQ's as our contacts were very elusive this weekend. She also earned MXF leg #3, but then we decided to use the rest of the weekend's fast classes for training contacts. Didn't quite work - she LOVED Dreampark, thought she needed to go even faster than usual and contacts - who needs them?!?
Zahra showed off her "It's not too hard" trick and had a good time watching her siblings run agility. She brought along friend Bryce to watch and hang out, too.
I hope we can do another one of these weekend's in the future - it was great fun!
Left to right - Bang, Zahra, Tango, Bounce, and Tux, and yes that's us behind them, too! March 6, 2010 Dreampark, Swedesboron, NJ
Pat & Bang went to Dreampark to run agility on the weekend of February 27 & 28; and they had a great time earning both of Bang's Excellent Titles! Congrats on earning your AX & AXJ on the same day. Now on to Master's!
Bounce and Anita went to Dreampark this past weekend, February 20 & 21, 2010 and earned Bounce's Open Agility title with a second place. He just missed earning an AXJ leg because he took the first bar down on his run. They are having a great time running agility together and that is what really counts! Look for more titles from the two of them in the future and lots more fun.
Tango and Winee played in agility up at AK9C in Amherst, NH this weekend with Winee taking top honors by earning QQ #3 and #4, placing in Std both days. This makes MX legs #4 and 5, as well as MXJ legs # 7 and 8 - if I've checked back correctly! She's also racking up the MACh points, too. She also earned her Advanced Snookers title at couple of weeks back.
Tango earned her second MXF leg with a first place, an Ex STD leg with a second place, and a Ex JWW leg with a third place, earning 50 more MACH points. She is over the 1000 point mark now, just need to keep those QQ's rolling in.
Any other news; please send it in!
Tango earned her Excellent Fast Title on February 6, 2010 at American K9 Country in Amherst, NH at the TarTan Gordon Setter Club agility trial. She had a fabulous weekend, earning five out of six Q's, including her 9th QQ and her first QQQ! She earned three blue ribbons, and two red ribbons as well as 73 MACH points! Wow!
I'd like to send out big, and I mean BIG, congratulations to Anita and Bounce for finishing up their Companion Dog title on February 5th 2010! Three trials, three first place finishes and lots of compliments on how Bounce works in the obedience ring. He is following in his Momma's footsteps for being a truly versatile golden retriever. Woohoo!
The agility season is beginning again in earnest up here in the Northeast, although everything is indoors, but that is okay since there is snow, ice and cold weather outside!
Pat Kavanagh and Bang did agility last weekend earning their second AX leg with a first place, running 15 seconds under SCT! He now has two AX and two AXJ legs; one more to go for each title.
I went up to New Hampshire to American K9Country and did agility with Tango where she earned her second Ex Fast leg with a first place and her 8th QQ, again with double placements. She came home with three blue ribbons and one white ribbon, qualifying in four out of her six runs. She had some beautiful runs and we had a great time together! More fun to come in a couple of weeks.
The Fire babies are off to a fine start for 2010, after a few quiet weeks preparing and enjoying the holidays. Happy New Year to all!
Christie and Winee (Miss Raspberry) went to the BARK USDAA trial in New Hampshire on Jan 2 & 3 and earned her Starters Gamblers title, her Starters Standard Title and her Agility Dog Title. She also qualified and earned her second Q forAdvanced Snooker; all of her legs coming with placements in the 20" Championship class. Congratulations to the two of them. As Christie told me - "Winee was smokin'!"
From checking the AKC website, I see that Oakley (Mr. Turquoise) and Susie out in Michigan earned a CD leg a few weeks back. Congratulations to the two of them, too!
We had a little sad news to pass on, that Pat Kavanaugh (Bang - Mr. Purple) lost her older golden girl, Tibby. Tibby was a MACH, VCD2, with her Rally Excellent and Open Fast title. I'm sure that Pat and Bang will miss Tibby terribly.
We have lots of news from the past weekend, December 5 & 6, 2009!
First, Anita and Bounce earned their Rally Excellent title with a perfect 100 and a first place. On Sunday, they entered the Novice B Obedience ring for the first time and came home with their first leg (195.5) and a blue ribbon! Congratulations to the two of them!
Next Winee, Tango and Becky played agility in New Hampshire at the Yankee GRC trial. It was a great weekend, a small one ring trial, where you got to watch all your friends play. Of course, typical of the YGRC trial in December, it snowed!
Winee earned MX Legs #2 and #3, as well as MXJ Leg #6 with her 2nd QQ and more MACH points! She finished in the top six dogs of her large 20" Excellent B Class. She and Christie have become quite the beautiful team to watch!
Tango earned two Excellent B STD legs with a second and third place, just missing two double Q's when I overhandled a tunnel entrance and didn't collect her enough to make a weave pole entrance. She did a great job!
The big news of the weekend, though, was Miss Beautiful Becky - this was her last weekend to run agility and she made the most of it! She loves to run indoors and ran fast and happy. She earned two PAX QQ's and four blue ribbons, qualifying in ALL her runs! These runs finished her MXP and MJP titles, so it's a nice place to stop with her. It didn't matter to me whether she Q'd or not, just that we had a fun weekend together and that we did!
Becky at Hudson Valley in November, 2008.
Winee and Christie went to Fitchburg today, November 28, 2009 and worked in obedience. Winee and Christie earned their Companion Dog title with a second place and their Rally Advanced Title with a third place. Yipee for Winee! Nice work and keep it up - The Fireballs are proud of you and so is Momma Tango and Aunty Pat!
I can do a down stay! Winee in September, 2009.
Can't believe it, but the Jimmy Buffett litter is one year old today - Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 2009! Both Jester and Brio are doing well and having fun learning new things and having new adventures. I'll add new pics as soon as I can.
It's my party! Jester, November 26, 2009
It was an agility weekend at the Thanksgiving Cluster of Shows at the Big E in W. Springfield, MA. They also hold Breed & Obedience at this location so it's a very busy venue.
Winee and Christie earned their second Rally Advanced Leg with a first place and their second Companion Dog Leg with a 185.5 score. Then they changed hats and played agility, earning MXJ Legs #4 and #5.
Becky earned a QQ for her 9th MXP and 9th MJP legs on Saturay and Tango earned QQ's #6 and #7, placing in the top eight dogs each run. She also earned another Ex STD leg finishing in 8th place on Friday.
On November 14, Rosie and Brass drove all the way to Maryland to visit with Sharon Albright and participate in a WC Test. Brass did an excellent job earning his WC easily. He also cross entered into the WCX and was one bird short of passing that test, too. He'll get it next time! Good job, Rosie & Brass!
Bounce and Anita earned their OAJ title with a second and a third place at Dreampark in New Jersey and earned their second OA leg with a second place.
Pat Kavanagh and Bang earned their second AX leg with a second place and he also has two AXJ legs now.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009 - Winee and Christie passed their Therapy Dog International (TDI) test last evening at Four Paws Academy in MA. They also passed their CGC test - Congratulations!
Tango and Becky went out and about on Sunday, playing agility at the Bullmastiff trial in Amherst, NH.
Becky ran clean in STD but had her Q taken away because she ran out of the ring - too bad - as it was a lovely, fast run. She loved the 24" weave poles! Hard to be upset at her as she had such a good time running. Becky also Q'd in JWW, earning a first place in 16" preferred.
Tango earned her 5th QQ, with two second placements. She ran fast and focused and had two very lovely runs. It was fun!
Winee earned her first QQ on Saturday at the Bullmastiff trial and now has MACH points and one QQ! She also earned her second Novice Fast leg, too.
Congratulations to everyone!
This is Winee in September at the Wachusett KC agility trial. She looks like she's having a good time!
We have quite a bit of news to add; thanks for the Fire Babies for working so hard!
Bounce earned two Rally Excellent legs, both with first placements and one OA and one OAJ leg with a second placement, both on the same day, so that's a QQ! Of course, it doesn't quite count yet, but is good practice for the future.
Zahra is in the AKC's Front and Finish Magazine this month celebrating her Obedience Platinum Award - congrats again to Deb and Zahra.
Rosie and Brass ventured into the Obedience ring and earned three straight CD legs on the same weekend, all with first placements and two High in Trials! Wow! What a great start!
Bang also completed his Novice Obedience title and earned three first placements with a High in Trial for his Companion Dog title! Again, Wow!
I'm so impressed with everyone! Enjoy these growing pups.
Here is a
photo of Jester with his ribbons from 2009.
Jester, 2009, CGC, First YGRC 7 - 12 mos puppy singles, First SBGRC 7 - 12 mos puppy singles, First, YWHRC Junior Singles, Working Certificate
Bounce and Anita played in agility this weekend and earned their first Open JWW leg with a first place! Good for this teriffic duo!
Jester and Becky went to Southern Berkshire's Fun Field Trial and Jester took first place in the 7 - 12 month old puppy singles and Becky took 2nd place in the Veteran's Division. Becky had a great time picking up her birds and delivering to hand. She was so much fun to watch; she had a grand time.
Tux also went to the Fun Field Trial for SB and took home a beautiful 4th place ribbon in the Advanced Singles Stakes. He did a lovely job with some very talented goldens. Congrats to Chris and Tux for their placement.
This is Tux along the shore in October 2009.
Well, a lot has been going on over the past couple of weekends.
First, I found out that Bang and Pat Kavanagh finished their Open Fast title as well as finding out that Bang also finished his Open Agility title sometime back in the spring - Pat didn't quite realize that had happened until a friend pointed it out. Congrats to the two of them.
Sister Winee finished her AX title at the TMAC trial in Somers, CT this past weekend, running well and having a great time. Now she gets to start earning MACH points and QQ's!
Brother Tux earned his WCX at the Yankee GRC test at West Thompson Dam in CT on Saturday, September 26, 2009! This was his and Chris' first attempt and they did a great job! Especially considering this is Chris' first field dog and she has done a wonderful job training Tux for field. I know he's also getting ready to come out in the spring for agility - can't wait to watch them there, too!
Our little man, Jester, also played at the Yankee GRC WC/X test and earned his WC with Randy running him. The judges enjoyed watching him and almost made Randy honor since he did such a nice job - ooops! can't do that until the X - thank goodness!
Randy also ran him in the 7 - 12 month old Puppy Singles at the YGRC test and Jester took first place and followed in his Mom's footsteps - she won the YGRC puppy singles when she was about 7 months old!
Congrats to all of the above!
Brass and Rosie ventured out into the obedience arena participating in an AKC Sanctioned Match this weekend (September 20, 2009) and took High in Match from Novice! Woohoo! for this terriffic team. Good luck in the future!
It was an agility weekend (September 19 & 20, 2009) in the Northeast and Tango earned an Ex B STD leg with a first place at the Wachusett Kennel Club Show in Lancaster, MA. Becky earned MXP legs #5 and #6, both with first places. It was a beautiful weekend weather wise; you couldn't have asked for nicer days. Sunny, breezy, warm and perfect!
Perfect it was for Christie and Winnie, too, Q'ing in both her EX A STD and EX A JWW runs both days - so double Q'ing! She placed first and second yesterday, first in STD today; I'm not sure about her JWW run, but I'm sure there was a placement. This was also her AXJ title! Woohoo for Christie and Winnie! Keep up the good work. Look out for this duo, they are burning up the agility ring.
Congrats!
Jester has earned his first title, the American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen, on Wednesday, September 16, 2009!
He also went to Saco River, ME to participate in an HRC hunt test and came home with his first two Started passes on September 12 & 13, 2009 - he did a fine job and had a lot of fun finding and bringing back his birds!
What a good boy!
Forgot to post that Tango also went to the Saco River HRC test on September 12 & 13, 2009 in West Buxton, Me and earned two Seasoned passes, which included her UKC HRC Hunting Retriever title! She did a fine job and Randy got a lovely water bath to celebrate his and her work together. Congrats to Randy and Tango.
First, from Pat & Tango - Tango earned two double Q's with double placements over the last two weekends, Aug 30 and Sept 6, as well as a Ex B JWW leg with a 2nd place, also.
Zahra went out and earned another bumper leg in Novice B obedience, again with a first place and a score of 199 a the Morris Hills Trial on Sunday, August 30, 2009.
Winee has been playing in USDAA agility recently and earned a 2nd place in Starters Pairs, a 2nd Place in Starters Gamblers, and a first Place in Advanced Snooker. This happened in Westford, MA on September 5 & 6, 2009.
Wow - Momma Tango and the Fireballs have been very busy and having a ton of fun lately!
Woohoo! Pat Kavanagh and Bang debuted in Novice Obedience at the Oriole Obedience Trials this past weekend, August 22 & 23, 2009 and came away with two legs and two first placements! Pat said Bang was happy in the ring and the Judges enjoyed watching him perform. He scored a 196 on Saturday and a 198 on Sunday! Congrats to two-legged Bang - one more to go for his Companion Dog (CD) title!
Bang has also recently added his Novice Agility, Novice Agility Jumpers and Novice Fast titles, too! Boy, this Fireball is burning along!
The Gaylan's gang got together for a reunion and field seminar with Carol Cassity at Rover's Content in Cheltenham, MD on August 7 - 9, 2009. What a great time was had by all, including the Firemen, as we called the four boys who were attending from the Fire litter. Hard to believe, but they are not Fire babies anymore, but grown two year old goldens, who were showing their stuff at the seminar. Bang, Bounce, Brass and Tux all attended and did a fabulous job working and learning. Momma Tango and 1/2 bro Jester were there, too.
We had three days of working and watching every level from novice owners and puppies to the big dogs like Pam Martin's Dice, a Canadian Grand Master Hunter, who showed us what the end result looks like! Oh, yes, and showed us that even the best of dogs can make mistakes and need to continue training and learning.
Carol was a fabulous teacher and instructor and all around nice person! I couldn't have enjoyed myself any more than I did. Each evening we had a catered dinner which was teriffic and several discussions on gun safety (getting a chance to actually shoot a popper), collar conditioning and force fetch. We had fun raffles and goodie bags and there wasn't anything that we needed that we didn't have.
Congrats to the organizers for pulling off such a wonderful weekend and congrats to all the handlers and dogs for doing such a good job.
From left to right: Brass, Bounce, Bang and Tux, August 2009
Zahra and Deb ventured out againg into the Obedience Ring this past weekend July 24 & 25 in Bloomsburg, PA to play in Novice B obedience. Zahra scored a 196.5 and a 198.5 and earned first placements both days. Her second day with a score of 198.5 earned her a tie for HIT for a while until one of the last dogs in Open B took HIT with a 199. Deb was hoping that someone would keep her from having to participate in a run off with Petra Ford and Tyler who won the National Obedience Championship title last year! Wouldn't that have been a hoot - a run off with the National Champion - I would sure have been rooting for Zahra and Deb! Maybe next time  ! Time for a little break and some more training to get ready for Open in the Winter, but five shows, five first placements, and all scores above 195. Pretty good, Miss Pink!
Winee has been quietly earning her Open Standard and Open Jumpers with Weaves legs over the last couple of months. She finished both of these titles with several first placements, as well as a High Scoring Golden Award from the Southern Berkshire GRC trial back in June, 2009. Congratulations to Christie and Winee - look out Excellent, here we come!
Oakley and Susie came out in UKC obedience this past weekend and earned their first title, a U-CD! Congratulations to Susie who has been a very busy camper with a less than two year old golden, her border terriers, building a new home and having a new baby! Still, with all that, she managed to get Oakley ready to debut in competition obedience - hats off to Susie and Oakley!
Bounce and Anita went to Dreampark in NJ to play agility this past weekend, July 10, 2009 and Bounce finished both his NA and NAJ titles with wonderful runs. They had a great time with much fun and are looking forward to getting back out there again soon. Congrats to Anita and Bounce; the latest Fireball to add some letters after his name!
Randy and Tango hit the hunt test field today in search of her last Senior Hunter leg and title and Yahoo! was successful. Westchester Retriever Club put on a very nice, well run event with lots of workers and very nice judges at Stewart State Forest in New Windsor, NY. Tango did a very nice job earning her fourth leg and her Senior Hunter title. She truly is a versatile golden who excels in three different venues. Congrats to Randy and Tango and I'll take a little bit of the credit for all the training I help him with. Our next goal is to finish HRC Seasoned and hopefully go on to HRC Finished.
Even though Zahra was Miss Pink as a pup, I'm using blue to write this note as she brought home the Blue ribbons from her obedience debut at the Big E Shows in West Springfield, MA! Zahra showed three days, with three first places, a perfect score of 200 and a High In Trial, as well as her Companion Dog title. She also qualifies for a FFX Platinum Obedience Award as well!
What a teriffic start to her career, but I'm sure that Deb has more lofty goals for Miss Pink and I can't wait to see what stars these two reach for!
Congratulations to Deb D'Elia and Zahra for a job more than well done!
Zahra and Deb D'Elia have been having the time of their lives with their Novice Obedience debut at the Big E Fairgrounds in West Springfield, Ma this week. On Wednesday, July 1, Zahra and Deb not only had their first show, but were first in the ring, and came home with a first place for their first CD leg!
On Thursday, July 2, Zahra and Deb continued with their winning ways earning their second CD leg,and a PERFECT 200 SCORE under Judge, Denise LaCroix, and also brought home their first High In Trial Award.
This is a BIG DEAL for a not quite two year old pup and we are all so proud of them. I know Deb has worked very hard with Zahra to bring her to this point and now she is reaping the rewards.
Their heeling is like poetry in motion in the ring and Zahra is having such a good time with her Mom! Thanks a million to Deb for doing such a good job and for having such fun with Miss Pink! I'm sure there are many more awards to come to this team in the future!
CONGRATULATIONS!
Winee seems to be having the time of her life this Spring! She and Christie went to the Yankee GRC Specialty on Friday, May 29, 2009 and earned a Rally Advanced Leg with a first place and a Novice B Obedience Leg with a 2nd place! Not too shabby for a less than two year old girl! Then they went to Westford to play agility and earned Winee's first Open STD Leg with a 5th place. Congratulations to this special team - I see even more fun in the future!
Tango, Becky and Winnie all played agility at the LEAP Agility Trial in Granby, MA having a great time! Becky earned an MJP leg with a first place, running in the pouring rain and rumbling thunder! She really loves it when it's cool and wet! Tango earned another MXJ leg with a 5th place onf Monday, on a very challenging jumper's course. Even the judge complimented her on her enthusiasm and skills. She said "What a fabulous golden." Woohoo!
We also got to watch Winnie run agility and earn her Novice Standard and Novice Jumper's leg, and her first Open Jumper's leg and just miss earning her first Open Standard leg, too. She had placements all around on her Q's!
Congrats to Winnie and Christie for some fabulous runs, just like Mom!
Tango and Randy went to Yankee Waterfowler's HRC Hunt Test and earned their first Seasoned leg on May 16, 2009! Seasoned is similar to Senior in AKC, but there are some differences. They are making great progress towards learning the skills needed for Senior/Seasoned and having fun at the tests. Two more to go for her HR Title. Tango is really having a fun Spring, now that she is done having pups!
Brio went to her first flyer day on May 9, 2009 sponsored by Yankee GRC in West Thomspson, CT. She had a good time checking out the ducks and the water. Her Mom, Nancy, says she's doing really well bringing back bumpers and is very interested in the birds! Good job for a baby girl!
Yahoo! and Yippee! Tango and I finished her Utility Dog title at the Holyoke Kennel Club's outdoor show in Westfield, MA on May 8, 2009! As much as I love Utility, it is still quite an undertaking to train and also to qualify. I'm proud of Tango and her ability to play the many different games I ask of her! She's quite the girl!
Tango went to her first hunt test of the season sponsored by the Labrador Retriever Club of Greater Boston and held at Nod Brook in Simsbury, CT on April 26, 2009. She was a happy girl and did a lovely job on her doubles and a decent job on her blinds and earned her third Senior Hunter leg. One more to go!
She also played in agility on April 25, 2009 in Wrentham, MA and earned another Ex B JWW leg and 3rd place - she's running way better than good!
Tango has come back after having her second litter and is having a ton of fun working in agility, field and obedience. Most recently, she and Randy played in UKC, doing an Upland Hunt Test in Rhode Island. She had two passes from last year for her UH before she had to take a break to have the Jimmy Buffett litter. She did an awesome job this past weekend, earning four out of four passes, which included her title! She loves to hunt pheasant (in this case they used chukkars) and was pretty amazing! Congrats to Randy and Tango for their field work!
This past weekend, April 18 & 19, Bounce & Anita debuted in AKC Novice agility and had four runs and four Q's! That's pretty teriffic for his first weekend out. He is having a great time, having fun playing games with his Mom, and enjoying life! Congratulations to Anita and Bounce - keep up the good work!
Woohoo! Anita and Bounce earned their Rally Advanced Title on Sunday, March 22, 2009! This guy (who was the littlest pup in the litter) is really moving along in his quest for fun with Mom! We always knew he was one of the pups to watch and sure enough, it's turning out to be true. Congratulations to Anita and Bounce!
Pat Kavanagh and Bang were off to New Jersey yesterday, March 15, 2009, after getting a spot in their first tracking test. I'm happy to report that Bang earned his TD, being one of only two dogs that qualified (there were eight entered). Pat sounded very pleased with him and it's hard for me to believe that these babies at such young ages are doing so much!
Congratulations to Pat and Bang for earning their Tracking Dog title. Enjoy the celebration!
Tango and I went to Amherst, NH, at the Collie Club of NH's Specialty and All-Breed Obedience trial on Friday, March 13, 2009, and earned her third Rally Excellent leg.
She can now sport the RE title after her name. Although it was a qualifying leg and title leg, her handler made a silly error that caused her to lose major points by repeating a station three times! We'll have to keep working on that one. We'll see where we go from here!
On February 28, 2009 Tango and Pat traveled back to Franklin, MA at Masterpeace Dog Training and trialed at the Labrador Retriever Club of Greater Boston's spring obedience trial. This time we showed under Judge, Jim Ashton, and Tango again qualified, this time for UD Leg #2!!!!! Yippee! One more to go and then we will concentrate on finishing up her SH title in Field and keep working on those QQ's in agility.
On February 13, Tango qualified in Utility A under Judge, Susan King at the Hartford shows. Unfortunately, the leg doesn't count towards her UD title because she got her first leg under Ms. King back in August at Masterpeace in Franklin, MA! She did a really nice job in a very busy venue, only three short weeks after the pups from the Buffett litter went home!
On February 22, 2009, Bang and Pat Kavanagh were certified to enter a tracking test. I think this is teriffic news and want to send out my congratulations to this duo - Thanks, Pat, for working so hard with this lovely boy!
January 31, 2009 - Bounce earned his second Rally Advanced Leg with a perfect score of 100! The judge was mighty impressed with this young boy and how well he did and even announced his score to the crowd! Thank you, Anita, for working so hard with this great guy!
January 30, 2009
Bounce had a very successful day today earning his first Rally Advanced Leg with a 97. It was his first opportunity to be off leash in the Rally Ring and he was a dream in the ring, giving Anita his total attention and earned lots of compliments from the bystanders! Congratulations to Anita and Bounce - keep up the good work!
January 30, 2009 - I am WAAAY late in posting this news, but I have an excuse! We have a new puppy in the house! The Jimmy Buffet Litter spent their last two weeks at Auntie Gayle's house in Cold Spring, NY and had their temperament tests, evaluations, woods walks, and health checks and I am happy to report that they are two teriffic pups!
Miss Yellow, now to be known as Gaylan's Changes in Attitude, aka Brio, is in Littleton, MA being loved by Nancy Green and Sara Dodd and will be doing agility, obedience, tracking and field work. She has two Corgi friends, Ricky and Lucy. Her page will be up on our site soon.
Mr. Blue, aka Jester, has come home to play with Randy and I in field, agility and obedience and also with Becky and Momma Tango. Jester's registered name is Gaylan's Jolly Mon Sing. Jester's page will also be up as soon as we can get to it.
Well, it's January 9th and we are getting ready to head off to Gayle Watkins in Cold Spring, NY and letting the pups finish their two weeks with us, by exploring new places and having lots of new things to do.
It's hard for me to believe that they are already 6 weeks old; but if you watch them play you know that they are growing each and every day.
Their personalities are coming out and they all do something that makes you smile or laugh! Mr. Blue has started to swim in his water dish, which doesn't make me laugh. Miss Green really has the puppy zoomies going. Miss Red picks up a toy and shakes it something fierce. Miss Yellow likes to walk the little dogwalk in their pen. They all like to shred the newspaper under the litter boxes - not so funny to me ;>D !
We will try to post some updates while we are there, but it seems to get very busy and is harder to do. So if you don't see anything in the next two weeks, please check back at the end of the month.
It's January 1, 2009! Happy New Year from the McKinney's, Tango, Becky and the Parrothead Pups, Mr. Blue and Miss Yellow, and the foster pups, Miss Red and Miss Green!
The pups have started to eat their raw food and are learning what click and treat means, as well as the "come in" whistle - all this happens during meal times.
When they are done eating, it's play time and they sure enjoy running around in the kitchen.
Unfortunately, it's VERY cold here so outdoor adventures are put off for a few days.
Check out Buffet Litter Week 6 for new information and photos.
If this is the start of our amusement park adventure, I like it!
We have added more photos of the Parrothead Pups and their foster siblings. This is the week they really become a ton of fun. We have had a short outdoor adventure, started on marrow bones, and gotten to play with a fresh pheasant wing. Tugging, romping, pouncing and biting ears, tails and noses are all the norm now. Check out the Buffet Litter Week 5 for updated photos.
I sure wish I'd been a summer puppy! Man, it's cold out here!
Be sure to check out the Video Christmas Card from the Parrothead Pups! It's December 20 and they are getting bigger and more fun every day!
Today is Thursday, December 18, 2008 and the Parrothead Pups are 22 days old. Miss Green is 24 days old and Miss Red is 20 days old and will be three weeks old on Saturday! It's hard to believe the time is flying by.
They are having a good time now, becoming more aware of their siblings and the toys and other items in the whelping box. They have started to wag their tails, yip, bark, yodel, growl, pounce, paw and while they do all these things they fall over a lot ;>D ! They have also started to have puppy zoomies; they are only about three feet long, but you can see it is the start of that much loved activity.
When you call "puppy, puppy" they now rouse and come over to the side of the box to say hello, getting up on the pig rail and trying to snuffle right in your face. At times I do try to sneak around the dining room as I'm not quite ready for them to wake up!
As if they weren't cute enough, they have upped the cuteness factor tenfold now. I hate to think what will happen in a couple more weeks.
Don't forget to check out their photos from Week 3 along with the video Randy put up. We'll add more pics and videos later this week.
Lying down is for those relaxin', I'm getting ready to head back to work!
Today is December 4, 2008 and the Parrothead Pups turned one week old yesterday. It's a little different around here as Miss Green is now 10 days old and Miss Red is only five days old! Kind of hard to keep track of!
Miss Green's eyes are really starting to squint open and Mr. Blue and Miss Yellow are starting to get dark in the inside corners. That means they won't be far behind. I've added a covering to the window to dim the sunshine (if we have any!) that might come in while their eyes are in the process of opening. That will last a little longer too until Miss Red joins the rest.
But don't feel too sorry for her; she's holding her own against the big guys. She fights for the best nipples and is gaining weight right along with the rest of the gang. She has definitely settled in, though, and is becoming a quieter puppy unless she's eating, then she has to say something about it the whole time.
Hard to believe the first week went by already; they will be ready to go home before we know it!
I may be smaller than you, but I can still be the top dog!
We have added our two honorary Parrothead Pups between Friday and today. Miss Green and Miss Red have fit in fabulously with Mr. Blue and Miss Yellow. Tango is being an awesome Mom, cleaning and nursing everyone. Miss Green weighed 2 lbs. 5 oz today, Mr. Blue weighed 2 lbs, Miss Yellow weighed 2 lbs 3 oz. and Miss Red is our littlest, youngest at 2 days old and l lb 3 oz. The way she is nursing, though, she won't stay the smallest for long! We have started the bio-sensor exercises and it will be interesting to see how pups from different pedigrees, but that are raised exactly the same turn out when they grow up. Stay tuned!
The Jimmy Buffett Litter, affectionately known as the Parrotheads, were born via C-Section on Wednesday 11/26 at about 4 PM. Tango has two beautiful, large pups:
Mr. Blue weighed in at 1 lb 5 oz.
Miss Yellow weighed in at 1 lb 8 oz.
Tango and the babies are doing fine.
Watch for photo albums to be added over the next few weeks.
Christie & Winee attended the Thanksgiving Cluster of Shows at the Big E in West Springfield, Ma the weekend before Thanksgiving. Winee was unfazed by the crowds, dogs, spectators and commotion and finished her Novice Jumpers Preferred title. She had a blast jumping into Christie's arms at the end of the run! Congratulations to Winee and Christie!
November 8th and 9th brought some fun to the Fire Litter.
Bang and Pat Kavanagh earned their third Rally Novice Leg and title in Maryland this weekend. Who said obedience and field was a lot of work? - these Fire litter teams are making it look easy!
Winee debuted in agility in New Hampshire and earned her first NAJ leg with a first place. There were lots of fun things to do in the ring, including making sure the photographer was getting a good picture of Miss Winee, but she did an excellent job for just a baby! Auntie Pat was there to watch her debut and cheer her on. She also earned a second NAJ leg (1st place) and a Novice Fast leg with a second place. So two first and a second on her first day out! Not too bad for a baby.
This is Winee; isn't she pretty?
YAHOO! Ultrasound confirmed Tango is pregnant! We expect the Parrothead Pups to arrive around the 25th of November, just in time for Turkey Dinner! The holidays are going to be a fun (and busy ;>D) time for us this year. We are looking forward to watching more babies grow up and have fun with their new families.
Rosie and Brass traveled to North Carolina this past weekend (October 25 & 26, 2008) to participate in a two day Junior Hunt Test. It was well worth the drive as Brass easily passed the tests both days earning Legs #3 and #4, as well as his Junior Hunter Title! He was the only golden running in Junior and did a smashing job, and the judges loved him. Congratulations to Rosie and Brass, JH!
The Fire Litter had a busy weekend this weekend playing in Rally Obedience and hunt tests!
First, Bang earned his Junior Hunter title in Cheltenham, MD. Even though his flyer on land was moving a lot, he wasn't going to let it get away and picked it up and carried it back to Mom. From what I understand, Pat K handed out celebratory oreo cookies to the Gaylan's gallery!
Anita and Bounce went to their first three day Rally trial and came home with his first AKC title of Rally Novice. He placed first, second, and had a 99 today! What a good boy - even if she does call him a "wild child"! He must do something right ;>D! Anita said the wind was blowing around, but he just wanted to play the game with her and the audience appreciated his performance and clapped for them at the end. Good for you!
This is Bounce, doing a recall!
Congratulations to Rosie and Brass who earned their first two Junior Hunter legs in fine style at a Hunt Test in South Carolina on October 11 & 12, 2008! They received high scores from all the judges and lots of compliments. Kudos to Rosie & Brass - keep up the good work!
Tux and Chris participated in Southern Berkshire's Fall Fun Field Trial on Sunday, October 12, 2008 and came home with a 2nd place ribbon in the Advanced Singles Stakes. This was a steady singles test and Tux had to run with no collar and leash from the blind to the line. The marks were long and the concepts were new to Tux and he did a fabulous job!
Congrats Chris & Tux!
One more brag from the Nationals! Christie Lee and Winee earned their third leg and Rally Novice Title at the GRCA National Specialty on Friday, September 26, 2008. Even the pouring rain and judge's raincoat didn't faze Miss Winee and keep her from finishing her Rally course. Congratulations Christie and Winee!!!
Well, he did it again! Earned a title with such style and ease. Gaylan's Fireside Affair JH WC CGC!!!!!! Tux went to the GRCA National Specialty WC/WCX test on Sunday, September 28, 2008 and showed how well he has learned his job! Congratulations to Chris and Tux for earning their first ever Working Certificate!
Along with the National Specialty going on and her Mom taking care of the Vendors, Tango managed to time her breeding for the Best of Breed day at the Specialty! We went to NJ to Straws to Paws and her surgical implant was very successful - now we have to wait to see what transpires - hopefully lots of little bundles of golden fur for new owners to play with the end of January! Keep your fingers and toes crossed!
On Tuesday, September 23, 2008, Becky competed at the GRCA National Specialty in the Open Standard Preferred class and took first place - the blue ribbon, the pottery bowl, and her picture in the GR News! She is having such fun running at the preferred level, now that she has completed her Master Agility Championship title! You go, girl!
Mr. Aqua, Bounce, has been working hard to finish his requirements for his Therapy Dog title and did it with flying colors on September 24, 2008! Now he can truly begin his therapy dog career, touching the lives of not only his family, but other new friends, too. Way to Go, Anita and Bounce!
On September 20, Tux earned his 5th JH leg, a bumper leg, at the GRCA National Specialty. Tux did himself and his Mom, Chris, proud, by passing on a very challenging Junior Hunter test. Only 12 out of 36 dogs from his flight passed! All that hard work paid off; Congratulations to Chris & Tux!
Tango decided she couldn't wait till after the Nationals and came in season last Thursday. If all goes well, there should be some half siblings to the Fire Litter the end of November - keep your fingers crossed for a easy breeding with lots of puppies (especially a few boys for Randy and I to choose from!).
Woohoo! The Fire Litter has their first AKC title; Chris Marinelli and Tux earned their JH title yesterday at the Labrador Retriever Club of the Potomac Valley's hunt test in Cheltenham, MD. Chris and Tux went four for four and at the young age of 14 months can now sport the JH letters at the end of his name. Tux did a fabulous job, marking well, hunting well when he needed to, and having superb line manners and pick up and delivery. He also earned many compliments from the judges (I'm not surprised as Chris has worked very hard with him earning not only his first AKC title, but hers as well!), the gallery and of course, from the Gaylan's Gang or "cult" as we were called by one person at the test. But it was said with a smile and a happy face for Chris.
So, the two brothers did a fabulous job and I'm looking forward to hearing more news from the rest of the Fire litter! I'm very happy I was able to be in attendance and watch these two boys perform; how much fun is that?!?!
Wow! Pat Kavanagh and Bang are moving right along in their quest for their JH! They earned two JH legs this weekend in Cheltenham, MD at the Labrador Retriever Club of the Potomac Valley's hunt test. One more to go. They earned the legs in fine style, with many compliments from the judges and the gallery!
Congratulations Pat & Bang!
Congratulations to Mr. Purple, Bang, and Pat Kavanagh for earning their Working Certificate on their first attempt in Maryland on Saturday, September 6, 2008! Apparently, it was pouring rain from Tropical Storm Hannah, but that didn't seem to matter to almost 14 month old golden boy, Bang! See, goldens can get down and dirty! Good Job! I do think Mr. Purple likes his birdies!
Wow! What a weekend - Pat Kavanagh and Bang also went to their first junior hunt test and earned their first JH leg with awesome style! Congratulations to Pat & Bang for doing such a "bang-up" job! We are proud of you!
Tux and Chris went to their first Junior Hunter test this weekend (August 30 & 31, 2008) in East Berne, NY and came away with their first and second legs towards their JH title! They did a great job, earning many compliments from the judges; no surprise, to me! Congratulations Chris & Tux! Tango and Randy and I are very proud of you and the Tux-man!
Not only can I find the bird, but I can bring it back, too!
Tango was on a roll this weekend earning two senior hunter legs at the Penobscot Hunting Retriever Club hunt test this past weekend, August 23 and 24, 2008 in Dover-Foxcroft, ME! It was a long drive up to ME, but worth it to come home with two orange Senior Hunter ribbons! It was a great place for a test with friendly club members, a great tailgate, and all the participants cheering each other on - I would definitely go back in the future. I'm very proud of Randy and Tango for earning these two legs and wish them luck for the next two and title.
Winee, aka Miss Raspberry, has earned her second Rally Novice Leg at the Wachusett Kennel Club Show on Friday, August 15th, 2008! Not only did she earn a leg, she won the class with a score of 99 and won High Scoring Golden in Novice B! Congratulations to Winee and Christie Lee! One more for the title!
Tango earned her first Utility Dog leg at the ABA Obedience trial at Masterpeace Training in Franklin, MA on August 1, 2008! She did a very nice job, scoring a 194 and taking first place! Yippee! Two more to go.
Tango also earned her second Rally Excellent leg at the Pioneer Valley KC show in Greenfield, MA on August 2, 2008. She scored a 95 and earned 4th place out of 28 dogs. The off set figure 8 was a little difficult with hot dogs in the food dishes! We may have to work a little harder on food distractions in practice before the Nationals where we hope to earn her RE title .
Super Duper Congratulations to Pat & Becky for earning Agility's highest title, the Master Agility Championship Title! This happened at the Green Mountain Golden Retriever Club's Agility Trial held in Williston, VT on July 25, 2008. It was not without a little drama, but was celebrated by all their agility friends. Wahoo! MACh Becky!
Beautiful Becky and her MACH ribbon; Green Mtn GRC Agility, July 25, 2008
Gaylan's Fireball, "Bounce" earned his Canine Good Citizen just after he turned one year old! Hes also passed two tests for his Therapy Dog Title and has two more to go. What a good boy! July, 2008
July 17, 2008 ! The Fireballs are one year old today. It's hard to believe that the year has passed so quickly. The pups are doing well, growing, and having fun with their new families. They are learning new things like obedience, agility, field and swimming. Three of the pups - Zahra, Tux and Brass - have all earned their Canine Good Citizen awards before they turned one and Winee earned her first Rally Novice Leg at the Yankee GRC Specialty when she was just 10.5 months old! We are having a birthday/reunion party at Auntie Gayle's on August 3, 2008 and I will update the latest news with a photo after the party.
Tango was busy this spring earning the rest of her MX and MXJ legs, as well as her Rally Advanced title. She also has earned one Rally Excellent leg.
Becky has been finishing up her QQ's and keeps earning points towards her MACh.
It has been a fun and busy Spring!
2/9/08
The pups are just over six months old now. We are getting great reports about how smart they are, how much fun they are, and how much they love to work.
Check out updated photos on each pup's page.
12/22/07
Merry Christmas! The pups are growing so fast! They are all working hard learning obedience, agility, field, how to behave in a library, snuggling on beds, and bringing smiles to their families. Mr. Black (Tux) earned his Canine Good Citizen (CGC) award at 5 months of age - Way to go! The rest will follow soon, we're sure. Check out each pups page for updated photos.
We also added some photos to Tango's page from this years hunting season.
Enjoy!
9/21/07
A lot has happened since our last update. The Fireballs spent 2 1/2 weeks visiting Auntie Gayle's for socialization, daily woods walks, evaluation, and placement with their new families. Check out several new pages added to our site:
Fire Theme Photos
Visiting Auntie Gayle,
and a new page for each pup as it went to it's new home on the weekend of 9/15.
Check back with us as we will update the pup's pages whenever there is news to share.
8/26/07
The pups are almost six weeks old today and they enjoy everyday. It's so much fun to watch them romp and run and pounce and jump. Check out their latest photo albums "Fire Litter Week 6" and "Fire Litter Week 5 Portraits". On Wednesday, they will go to Auntie Gayles in New York and get to meet and play with the Irish quints from Michigan. Check back in a few weeks for their going home photos.
August 19, 2007
Another great week for the Fireballs. They are growing fast and starting to move fast too! They spent a lot of time outside this week and had many visitors. Check out their latest photos on the album "Fire Litter Week 5".
August 11, 2007
The kids are almost four weeks old and they had their first outdoor excursion. A picnic in the backyard is a lot of fun!
Some friends came and enjoyed the picnic with the pups; Deb D'Elia, her friend Lois, and Chris Marinelli got to play outside with the kids. Our other golden Becky also got to hang out with the pups, but when they started to check her belly out, she decided to go elsewhere.
The pups moved into their new "digs" on Friday; a pen set up inside the dining room with a litter box and lots of new toys including a huge red New England lobster to climb over.
Check out the new photos under Week Four! Hope you enjoy.
8/4/07
The Fireballs are 2 weeks and 4 days old today and there have been big changes this week! Their eyes are opened and their ears are getting there. But, the biggest change is they are moving (a lot!). They have also started to play with their siblings, biting noses and ears. They also have quite a repertoire of barks, yips and yodels depending on what they want. Tango is settling into a routine of feeding and cleaning every two hours or so, but is enjoying getting back to some brief training sessions and hanging out with the rest of the family. Check out the latest photos in the album titled Week 3.
7/29/07
The pups are 12 days old today and are growing stronger and more wriggly! We can see their cute little eyes and they are starting to take a few steps on "all fours" instead of scooting around. They still look like "potatoes", albeit big ones and with a lot more personality. Check out some week 2 photos in the album "Fire Litter Week 2"
7/17/07 8:15 PM
The Fire Litter has arrived!
Tango's first litter was born this morning. They are all beautiful babies, ranging in size from the smallest at 15 oz to 1 lb l oz. All the pups are nursing and look very healthy. Tango is doing a fabulous job with the babies and other than being tired looks terriffic.
5:21 a.m. Miss Raspberry 1 lb 1 oz
5:40 a.m. Mr. Gold 1 lb 1 oz
5:53 a.m. Mr. Turquoise 1 lb 1 oz
6:17 a.m. Miss Kiwi 1 lb
6:36 a.m. Mr. Purple 1 lb
7:46 a.m. Mr. Black 15 oz
8:32 a.m. Miss Pink 1 lb
8:52 a.m. Mr. Aqua 1 lb 1 oz
Check out their first photo album titled "Fire Litter Week 1"
7/16/07 8:55 PM
Tango's first litter, nicknamed the Fire Litter, is expected to arrive soon. Check back for updates. For more information on this breeding, please see the Gaylans Goldens website at
http://www.gaylans.com/puppies.html#tango
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