Piper (The Swiss Army Knife)
- Thread starter PineSapJunky
- Start date
PineSapJunky
Well-Known Member
It is finished. I originally set out on this journey with one goal. To raise a shed hunter. With no formal training experience I knew it would be a task. This past weekend Piper wrapped up her Master Title in Portland Tennessee at the Tennessee Shed Dogs NASHDA event. To say I am proud of her is an understatement. It was HOT! Probably too hot to be running our dogs but they all pushed through like champs. Piper's will to please is stronger than her hunt drive. That is the only reason why she does what she does. She'd much rather be laying on a couch being pampered. Piper ran an unprecedented 18 courses on her way to a master title. Passing all 18. I never heard the judge tell us "Time" with this little girl. We got close a few times but never felt defeat at the hands of the clock. That little girl has changed our lives. Getting into this sport we have made life long friends who all share the same passion as we do. During this journey I picked up Oberon along the way. He's one pass away from finishing his Senior Title and moving into the master division. Having Piper as a measuring stick is no easy feat but he holds his own. Probably my main goal in this whole scenario was to have Piper earn her master title before she has her first litter. Having accomplished that we are now looking forward to her having puppies. So as one chapter closes we open another with Ghost. Me and the family went Sunday and picked him out. He too will follow in Piper's footsteps just like Oberon and eventually the female we keep from Piper's first litter rounding us out with 4 shed hunting English Labs. For some reason my wife is set on the breed (and color). Thank you to all for the words of encouragement and advice. I'll keep our journey updated as time permits.
PineSapJunky
Well-Known Member
Ghost has made his arrival. There was a little concern at first. One of his testicles didn't descend and we were faced with having to choose another male. We kept putting it off hoping it would. The breeder just out of courtesy to me took him back to the vet a 3rd time check. Lucky enough for us it has started and he should be fine later down the road. I'm not worried about it since the breeder is a honorable man and stand by his pups.
Ghost is completely different then Piper and Oberon. He is stubborn beyond belief. Smart as a whip when he feels like it. None the less let the fun begin. My plans have slightly changed a little with him. It seems the politics at play has lead NASHDA down a path I'm not going to follow. I still want Oberon to finish his Master's Title but Ghost (along with Piper and Oberon) will be running UKC events in the future. Hopefully things will change and we can continue to support NASHDA in the future. I'll try to keep some updates coming.
Ghost is completely different then Piper and Oberon. He is stubborn beyond belief. Smart as a whip when he feels like it. None the less let the fun begin. My plans have slightly changed a little with him. It seems the politics at play has lead NASHDA down a path I'm not going to follow. I still want Oberon to finish his Master's Title but Ghost (along with Piper and Oberon) will be running UKC events in the future. Hopefully things will change and we can continue to support NASHDA in the future. I'll try to keep some updates coming.
PineSapJunky
Well-Known Member
A little update my my pack. Ghost is fitting in well with Piper and Oberon. He doesn't have near the drive as Piper and Obe but a lot of that is not being able to spend as much time as I need with him. We are still also a little unsure about his health. There was a slight issue with him from the breeder with one of his testicles not descending yet. It still hasn't. He has a vet appointment coming up to make the final decision as to where he will be good to go. If not he will be neutered and more than likely go to another home for someone else to enjoy. There would be no point in training him along with feeding him if I cannot eventually use him to breed English Labs. Might sound cold to some but that's just the way it is.
I've been hard at work on their new kennels. I've roughly doubled the size of space they have with the new runs. Also it will feature heated and cooled indoor kennels for them to go and come as they please. There is also a cross fence with a gate I can close off to separate the males and females when needed. Phase one is complete. Finishing the dog doors and indoor kennels is the next step. I also need to fill in the tops of the gates to further put my mind at ease along with running the electric fence. A lot of this will depend on when my knee surgery actually happens. Having issues finding the right donor bone for my leg.
I'm really pleased (more pleased that the wife is happy) about the design I chose for the fence itself. Its sturdy and eye appealing at the same time. Wasn't too terribly hard to accomplish.
I've been hard at work on their new kennels. I've roughly doubled the size of space they have with the new runs. Also it will feature heated and cooled indoor kennels for them to go and come as they please. There is also a cross fence with a gate I can close off to separate the males and females when needed. Phase one is complete. Finishing the dog doors and indoor kennels is the next step. I also need to fill in the tops of the gates to further put my mind at ease along with running the electric fence. A lot of this will depend on when my knee surgery actually happens. Having issues finding the right donor bone for my leg.
I'm really pleased (more pleased that the wife is happy) about the design I chose for the fence itself. Its sturdy and eye appealing at the same time. Wasn't too terribly hard to accomplish.
suburbhunter
Active Member
Look good!!!
