Nobelles Dances in the Moonlight - Call name Luna

I'm proud to show off our newest addition. Her name is Nobelle's Dances in the Moonlight and we shall call her Luna. She is a full blood sister to our other Nobelles GSP Cleo. Little Luna is 7 weeks old and isn't that little at all! When Cleo was 8 weeks she weighed 7.4lbs. Luna is a chunky monkey tipping the scales at 9.4lbs! But she is just about the sweetest little thing I have ever laid eyes on. We picked her up last night from her breeder Bob Corsaro, in Ridgewood, NJ.

Cleo Puppy Pic when she was 8 weeks old

Luna Puppy Pic from today at 7 weeks! She's a tank...and to think Cleo weighs 61 lbs now. 

We got her home and gave her some time to do her business outside before bringing her in and introducing her to big sis Cleo. Luna was a tad bit shy which is to be expected. I was really pleased with Cleo's reaction as she was very gentle with her and excited. Lots of Cleo tail wagging.

Playtime outside today!

We fed Luna and watered her after she settled in and then we stayed up to give her plenty of time to digest before taking her back outside to do more business which she did. I have to say it really broke my heart when we kenneled her up for the night. We expected her to cry and whine like Cleo did when she was a pup but Luna was asleep and snuggled in before the cage door was closed and locked. She never made a peep all night. She was actually still asleep this morning when we got up at 6:30 to check in on her.

Luna crashed out on the couch after a long day today....love the tongue

Such snuggly sweetness!

I think Luna had an awesome first day with her new family. She spent most of it tromping around the yard after her big sis. She hops like a rabbit and falls over like a drunken sailor. It warms your heart really.

Cleo keeping a close watch

Jim and I managed to work it out that one of us will be home with her all the time until Wednesday. So we will get in lots of bonding and loving time. We also have lots of time planned to just spend with Cleo who is being a champ about the new living situation.

North Dakota Hunting Trip with Schulhaus Kennel

Matt Smith with Nobelles Blues De Bertha SH - Call name Jazz

This picture was taken when she completed her AKC Senior Hunt Title

Jazz (pictured above) is Cleo's sister and littermate. She is owned by Matt Smith of Schulhaus Kennel in Woodstock, Virginia. A couple of days ago on facebook I saw Matt had posted some pictures from his recent hunting trip in North Dakota. I asked him if he would be willing to share a little bit about himself, his dogs and his trip with me so I could pass it along in a blog post. I was elated when he agreed. Below are some pictures from his trip and little about his life hunting GSP's.

Belle & Aldo with two sharptails

"My name is Matt Smith and I have owned and hunted German Shorthaired Pointers since 1994. I became involved with NAVHDA in 2004 with the purchase of Nobelles Schulhaus Belle. It was a requirement of the breeder Bob Corsaro of Nobelles Kennel, that I test Belle in a NAVHDA Natural Ability Test. It was there that I was introduced to this great organization and became a member of the Potamac NAVHDA Chapter. I was so excited after attending the first Potomac Chapters training day to meet so many people with the same interest and passion for GSP's and upland hunting as me. Through NAVHDA I became a better trainer and my dog's better hunters and companions.

Jazz, Aldo, Moon and Belle after their first stop in North Dakota

I bred Belle in 2008 and started Schulhaus Kennel. Our first litter was a home run and received a NAVHDA Natural Ability Breeder's Award. Out of this breeding we kept a male named Aldo. He has turned out to be our all time favorite GSP. My friends and I have been doing at least one hunting trip out of state for the last 12 years. I look forward to these trips all year long. This year I spent two weeks in North Dakota. This was our 6th year in a row to North Dakota. 

Moon backing Jazz, Cajun and Belle with friend Wade going in for the shot

North Dakota by far is our favorite destination. The state is made for bird dogs. We love it so much for its remote open spaces, public access, the variety of bird and most importantly the cover allows you to constantly see the dogs hunting work. We hunt pheasant, sharptail, grouse, hungarian partridge and a huge variety of water fowl in North Dakota.

Jazz pointing a covey of sharptail grouse

Belle, Jazz, Aldo and Moon on point with friend Wade Dellinger going in for the shot. This is Moon's first hunt in North Dakota. She is 5 months old.

I currently own 4 dogs and took them all to North Dakota this year; Belle (7), Aldo (3), Jazz (2) and Moon (5 months old). I was also excited to take 3 generations, Belle (Moon's grandmother) and Aldo (Moon's father). My friend Wade Dellinger also took Cajun (Moon's grandfather) and Blaze (Moon's Mother). I was unsure of taking Moon on such a big trip at such an early age. However, my fears were put to rest 2 minutes into our first hunt when she and Jazz went on point over a rooster which I shot.

Moon after her first day in North Dakota

 I was also impressed with how well she traveled. She rode in the back seat of the truck rather than the back with the older dogs. I wanted to be able to hear her if she started to whine and needed out. The trip out and back she never made a sound. 

Jazz backing Moon who was backing Belle

A heartbreaker of a tombstone

The main hazards for the dogs in North Dakota are barbed wire fence, porcupines, and skunks. Be sure your first aid kit is stocked for these encounters.

Mike pushing a North Dakota tumbleweed out of the road 

Moon and Jazz with a limit of pheasants

Matt, Aldo, Belle, Jazz and Mike on their last day in North Dakota

We had great weather and a great time on our North Dakota hunting trip and I am already thinking about next year. I encourage GSP owners to pick a destination and plan a hunting trip to experience your dog(s) doing what they were bred to do. "

Moon & Matt, Cajun & Wade, Eden & Bobby Boyce, Jazz & Mike

I can say personally its a dream of mine and Jim's to get Cleo out to the midwest on a hunt like this. We really had hoped to go this year but decided to selfishly run off and spend 10 days hiking through Canyonlands, Arches, and  Mesa Verde National Park instead. Hopefully next year we will get to experience some of the things Matt got to do this year with his pack of GSP's. I'd also like to say that Moon is quite the cutie! By now we all know I'm partial to those black and roan GSP's. And I love the fact that she's still pint size. Makes me that much more excited for when get our second Nobelles GSP in the next couple of months. I also want to thank Matt for taking the time to share his story and hunt with me. Check out his website here for additional info and pictures. And stayed tuned....hopefully I'll get some pics of Cleo and her sister Jazz this coming spring while Jazz finishes off her Master AKC title and Cleo her Seniors.  

To read about Cleo and Jazz's sister Kona click here.

Happy 2nd Birthday Cleo!

Now that's a party hat! I want to wish Cleo and her siblings: Molly, Kona, Bruin, Jazz, Griz, Montego, and Brandy and the other two I never got a chance to meet a super happy second birthday. The litter of ten was born September 1st 2009. Below are some pictures of them in the whelping box taken by their breeder Bob Corsaro from Nobelles Kennel.

The full litter of ten. Cleo is the furthest to the top and right with the Mickey mouse ears on her but and the two spots on her lower shoulders.

These are all the females from Cleo's litter. Again, Cleo is the chubby bunny all the way to the right with her left paw in the food dish with the sideways mickey mouse ears on her butt.

 
Getting Cleo was a game changing moment in Jim and I's lives. I can't even begin to explain how much we love her. The day we picked her up she weighed 8 pounds and was tiny enough to fit into a little cat carrier. Even though she was small she had a HUGE personality. At night she would get herself so wound up she would growl like a Tasmanian devil and then eventually crash out.

Cleo at 8 weeks

Snuggle time with daddy. Look at how small she was!

She still sleeps like this

Always the adventurer

What  a pup!

Cleo over the past two years has grown into such an amazing dog. She lives for birds, hunting, ducks and the water. She also loves to couch surf, sleep on my pillow and get rubbed behind her ears. She's full of sass and love. She's quite an amazing dog. And I love to talk to the people who own her siblings because everyone of these pups share the same endearing qualities.

I love my dog. She rides shotgun with me in my truck everywhere, we sleep arm in arm on my pillow for weekend naps, she eats all my favorite shoes, we go for long walks at night after dinner, she's always excited to see me. She loves me too. And how much she loves me doesn't even tip the ice berg of how much she loves Jim. I'm excited today that she is two. I'm not sure what it represents but it makes me stop and note how blessed I am to have this little beast in my life. Through Cleo and having a hunting dog we have met the nicest people. We have learned so much about a new hobby and spent allot of time enjoying life in the field hunting. But most of all we gained a beloved family member and true companion. 

Happy Birthday Nobelles Beautiful Cleopatra. :)

Nobelles Brewed to Perfection: Call name Kona

Kona is owned by Jason and Jen Frie of Vineland, New Jersey. She is one of Cleo's sisters and litter mates. The picture of her above was taken when we tested all the pups together last fall for their NAVHDA Natural Ability Test. She's a sweet pup with a big personality like her sister Cleo. Below is a picture of their litter of 10 when they were still in the whelping box. Bob Corsaro the breeder of these Nobelle's pup took this picture and sent it to everyone who was getting a pup from the litter. Kona is the pup furthest to the bottom walking to the right. She has big beautiful patches of liver.

Photo courtesy of Bob Corsaro

Jason plans on running Kona next year for her NAVHDA Utility Test. He's been working her on force fetch lately which she has been doing great with! He's planning on doing a duck drag this week and is planning to focus on working the stop to the flush and then steady through the fall.

Kona is quite a sassy girl. Jason shared a quick story with me about Kona that made laugh. It reminded me so much of Cleo....these pups sure love squirrels! Please see the pic and story below:

Kona loves chasing squirrels. I had a bird feeder out that attracted many of them that drove her crazy. She has not been able to snatch one yet due to their escape routes being only a few feet away from the feeder. I walked outside one day to find Kona pointing something as she was standing on the wall of the wishing well. By the time I went and grabbed my phone to get a pic, she wasn't pointing anymore, but she stayed up there for about 20mins. I guess she like the higher view. See attached pic.

Later that day Jen went outside to check on her and couldn't find her. She was looking around and said she finally seen her head sticking out of the well. Watching the squirrels eating. As Jen approached the squirrels went running and Kona gave chase. Jen said all day she would hide in the well and wait for the squirrels to come back out and try to catch them again. I wish Jen would have gotten video of that, is sounded comical. 


He also reported that her nemesis is the rabbit that lives under the shed. He said she's close to catching it but hasn't had success yet. Knowing these Nobelles pups I'm pretty sure she will never give up. He said she has figured out how to use the pool as cover so she can sneak up on the rabbit from behind. Sounds like that bunnies days are numbered! It's also been discovered that Kona doesn't mind making waves. She apparently has the ability to jump into their 4 1/2 foot high above ground pool without using the ladder. Jason said she has dock dog quality range! 

It warms my heart that these pups have such similar traits and such big personalities. I know I couldn't imagine my life without Cleo and I'm pretty sure Jen & Jason feel the same way about Kona. So stayed tuned for more Kona and Nobelles pup updates!