Happy Holidays from Grayhart!

Photo and Design by Sara Renee

Gray-t Weekend for the Grayhart Girls! Delaware Water Gap KC Show

 Sunday was the Delaware Water Gap Kennel Club show and the Weims had an 8:00 am ring time.  No sleeping late for the princesses.  Trudy stayed with Pat in his room and my girls enjoyed going back and forth between Kel's room and mine in our suite.  They are truly creatures of comfort!

 Sunday was a repeat performance of Saturday.  Ike was Winner's Dog and both Savi and Trudy won their classes.  Pat stayed on Trudy and I took Savi in for winner's.  I was thrilled when the judge pointed to Savi and she was Winner's bitch.  There was a major in dogs so Savi would have to go Best of Winner's to get the major.  Again, Michelle, our Weim friend, took Savi in for me while I showed Jam.  Michelle worked hard to show Savi off.

Jam showed really well and was full of attitude.  After all the champions were examined and lined up, the judge had the one dog special and Ike gate around together.  She then pointed to Jam and had us go to the front.  Then placed Savi second and then Ike.  She had the group go around together and the final results....Jam won Best of Breed, Savi was Best of Winners and Ike was awarded Best of Opposite!!!

This gave Jam a Grand Champion major and also earned Savi her second major.  Savi now only needs one single point to finish her AKC championship title.  We were just floating after the judging was over.

Jam - Best of Breed (unofficial win picture)

Since Jam went Best of Breed, we needed to wait around for the Group competition. The Sporting Group, was the last group before Best in Show. We had a lot of time to kill, so Kel and I bundled up and took the dogs for a long walk and then went out for Chinese food for lunch. We then visited the many vendors and did some shopping. It was a thrill to watch our friends show their Vizslas and see Jenna go Best of Breed with her special, Miles. Miles won the breed on Saturday and had gotten a Group 2.

The Sporting Group was late in the afternoon and since it was full of professional handlers and some of the top dogs in the country, my goal was just to have fun with Jam and make her shine.  Kel got some terrific shots of Jam and Miles in the group.

 It takes about 20 minutes for each of the seven groups to be judged.  It is a long time for the dogs and you want to make them look their best when the judge is looking.

Congrats to Jenna and Miles for winning the Sporting Group and competing for Best in Show!!!

A wonderful end to a great weekend!  We look forward to the dog shows in 2012 and finishing Savi and Trudy's championships.  We plan to breed Jam in January so she won't be back in the show ring until after her maternity leave and she's in shape.

Gray-t Weekend for the Grayhart Girls! Lehigh KC Show

Kellyann and I headed off early Saturday morning to Allentown, Pennsylvania, for the last show weekend of the year.  We were looking forward to seeing friends and hoping that we could finish the year with a win.  What an amazing weekend it turned out to be, beyond our wildest expectations.

Savi, Winner's Bitch for 2 points!

 Saturday was the Lehigh Kennel Club show.  I showed Savi in the bred-by-exhibitor class, which we won.  Pat O'Brien, who was there to show both our Trudy as well as a very nice puppy named Ike, out of Pat's dog Duke, littermate to Zeke, Trudy's sire.  Pat went winner's dog with Ike and then won the Open bitch class with Trudy.  Since Trudy is so attached to me, Pat and I decided to switch dogs and I took Trudy in for winner's and he handled Savi.  We were afraid that if I was standing behind Trudy, she would keep trying to turn and look at me.  Trudy was quite the happy girl and tried kissing me nonstop while I stacked her.  The judge even commented on my happy girl.  The judge pointed to Savi and she was Winner's Bitch for 2 points!

Next was the Best of Breed class and a fellow Weim friend took Savi in for me as I had to handle Jam.  Ike was picked for Best of Winners and Jam was awarded Select Bitch, earning Grand Champion points.

Jam in the Best of Breed class

This show has a Bred-by-Exhibitor competition and Savi was Best BBE Weim, so we waited for the BBE groups which did not start until mid-afternoon.  The BBE Sporting group was last.  After a long wait, it was finally our turn to show.  The group was quite competive, with eight sporting dogs, most of which had gone winner's for majors in their respective breeds.  Savi showed well and we had fun in the big group.

 Yay!  The judge awarded Savi a Group 3!

Savi doing a bow while we played and had fun in the BBE group.

After a long day at the show, we rushed off to the hotel to meet Pat and Ike's owner, Sandra, and went out for a fabulous celebration dinner.  Back at the room, Savi and Jam had a wild play session, well deserved after being crated all day and strutting their stuff in the show ring.

Off to bed to get our beauty sleep for Sunday's show...

Longchamp Spring Summer 2012 Campaign with Coco & Jam!!!

Jam & Coco, photo by Dane Shitagi

So excited to see the first released shot of Longchamp's Spring Summer 2012 campaign.  Supermodel Coco Rocha has been chosen as the face of this campaign and we are thrilled for her.   Of course, it is also thrilling to see Jam, CH Grayhart's Purple Haze,CD,JH,OA,OAJ,SD,VX, in this beautiful shot.  We had a great time on this shoot.  Stay tuned for more images and video!

Handle this

It wasn't a Weim only class but with four Weims training, we definitely had the majority.  From left to right above, Jam with me, Bebe with Bonnie and Steve working the puppy.

What better way to spend a rainy Tuesday morning than go with friends to handling class and then out for a scrumptious lunch?  An added bonus was the shopping at Total Pet Care, where they have terrific prices on food, treats, toys, collars and everything your dog would need.

 Savi practicing her free stack

 This shot of Savi is actually the reflection in the mirror on the other side of the room.

 another free stack of Savi after our go around...

 Jam, out for some ring practice as we get ready for the Delaware Water Gap and Lehigh shows in two weeks.

 Good girl!  She remembers how to be a show dog.

 Jam loves Steve and he took a turn working her...

 And around we go...

 More treats please!

 Jam above and Savi below...

 Kel tried her best to take shots of all the dogs without intruding on the class.  It was challenging with the poor lighting and constant moving but I appreciate the pictures she took.

Savi

After class, we all went to a Long Island favorite, Maureen's Kitchen.  They have the most awesome menu, hard to decide between their yummy breakfast options or creative sandwiches.  Lots of comfort food and great company = a perfect day with friends!

Therapy Thursday

  

 I've mentioned before that Jam is a certified Delta Society Pet Partner.  Over a month ago, we were asked by a social worker who is also a Delta Evaluator, to be ambassadors and do an initial visit to a residence that is part of the Rockland County Association for Learning Disabilities and has wanted a pet therapy team for a long time.  Jam was a hit and I was honored to be asked back and offered to do weekly visits.  The residents or consumers as they are called, are mostly men in their mid-twenties with ASDs (Autism Spectrum Disorders) plus developmental disabilities and neurological issues and are non-verbal.

 Our visits have been powerful, for me and also for the positive effects of the therapy visits on the consumers.  Jam seems to be a calming influence and the staff see wonderful reactions, such as smiling, laughing and the individual behaviors expressed by the men.  Each visit, the men, especially the one pictured, get more comfortable with Jam and it was exciting to see him initiate petting her - a truly big deal for him.

The consumers enjoy petting Jam and helping me give commands for her to do tricks.  It is important to understand the population and know what to do to make them feel comfortable and safe when interacting with Jam and to also keep her safety paramount.  Jam loves going on the visits and gets extra special treats!

More Jam Agility

 Fabulous photos by Barry Rosen, taken at the SICDTC Agility trial in November.  These were from Jam's Excellent Standard run.

Excellent JWW Agility leg #1

We had perfect fall weather for this weekend's Staten Island Companion Dog Club's agility trial.  Jam made me proud with her jumpers runs and earned her first qualifying leg on Saturday, in the 24" Excellent A class with a 3rd place!  To earn the AXJ or Agility Excellent Jumpers title, Jam needs to earn two more qualifying legs.  Jam also has one AX or Agility Excellent standard leg so she is on her way to earning these high level titles.

She came very close to qualifying on Friday in JWW, with a terrific run but slipped on the mud and missed the tunnel entrance at the end of the course.  The standard courses were a challenge for us with a very difficult weave pole entry on Friday, that wasn't doable for us and on Saturday, Jam slipped off the teeter.  She did manage to nail her weaves in three of our four runs and had awesome start line stays.  We'll be working on speeding up her weaves as well as teaching independent weaves and difficult entries; important skills at the excellent level, especially if we want to be competitive.  I also tried to apply some of what we learned at the Tracy Sklenar seminar and I feel that although we are a work in progress, Jam was more responsive and my handling was improved.

A highlight of the trial was seeing many friends that I have not seen in a long time since we have not trialed locally in awhile.  It was exciting to see how well their dogs ran and cheer them on.

Jam-in at the Tracy Sklenar Masters Agility Seminar

Always looking to learn and improve my handling, I was excited to have the opportunity to participate with Jam in a Tracy Sklenar Masters/Advanced Agility Seminar.  The seminar covered course analysis and how motion, footwork and position can give your dogs information for fabulous runs.  Tracy Sklenar is a world class agility competitor and a great instructor, bringing humor and her excellent eye to help handlers get faster, more accurate and consistent runs out of their dogs.

Jam and I were up to the challenge and as hard as it was to learn a new handling method, running for acceleration and less arm and verbal cues, I had to trust my dog and it worked!  We also enjoyed and learned from watching the other dogs and handlers, many of whom we've taken classes with and known for years.

Therapy Thursday

 Jam, all dressed up and ready for an official Delta Pet Partner Therapy Dog visit.  This was our second visit to this residence for mentally disabled and autistic adults who are all non-verbal.  It is truly amazing to see the positive impact that is made by Jam's interactions with these gentlemen.

New WCA Ratings Titles for Jam and Savi!!!

Jam & Savi with their qualifying ribbons

We had a great time today at the Delaware Valley Weimaraner Club (DVWC) WCA Ratings tests visiting with friends and seeing many talented Weimaraners.  The DVWC and Garden State Weimaraner Club's put on a double ratings test at Assunpink Wildlife Management Area, with morning and afternoon tests with a delicious potluck lunch in between.  

We are proud to announce that both Jam and Savi qualified and have new titles!  Jam ran in the Shooting Dog (SD) rating, which is similar to the AKC Senior Hunter test but not as stringent, and had a terrific run that would have been a pass in a regular AKC Hunt test.  She was braced with her half brother, a Parker son, who already has his Senior Hunter title, and they ran very well together.  Jam had a nice honor in the backcourse.  In the birdfield, Jam used the wind and pointed the Chukkar on scent from at least ten feet away.  She held her point while I located the bird and was steady to shot and then retrieved the bird to me.  

Jam is now CH Grayhart's Purple Haze,CD,JH,OA,OAJ,SD,VX!

Savi was entered in the Novice Retrieving Dog (NRD) rating test.  This test includes both a land and water retrieve.  Savi had awesome retrieves to hand on and and in the water.  Friends commented that she has a Master Hunter retrieve!  

Savi is now Grayhart's Shear Genius,JH,NSD,NRD,CGC!

Bumming in Bridgehampton

Well not exactly bumming.  Jam was called at the last minute for a modeling job in Bridgehampton, part of the famous New York Hamptons, home of the rich and famous.  The day was glorious and after a 2 1/2 hour drive, we arrived at a fabulous beach house for the location of the shoot.  Jam posed on the beach, in the house and even in front of a Maserati, for this clients upscale product line.  I'm not sure when the ad campaign will be out but I will sure look for it and post when available.

 The house had incredible views out every window and the 2nd floor deck area had this amazing infinity pool with ocean views.  The man from the management company for the house told me that this special house has been used on episodes of Royal Pains, a USA Network show and many other commercials and movies.  Jam's career takes us to the coolest places!

Weimaraner Wednesday

 Fall is definitely here and we had a perfect day for field training - cool, crisp and sunny!  I forgot my camera but snapped off a few shots of the dogs running in the field before we began training.  No, I didn't get a German Shorthair Pointer.  This energetic girl belongs to my friend and training partner Jeff and I took her for some obedience and socialization training with Jam, Savi and Trixie.

 Becky, the GSP, is a friendly 9 month old pup but needs to learn some manners with other dogs.  Jam took on the role of teacher and gave Becky a number of appropriate corrections until Becky learned how to behave.  All dogs need to learn dog language and if they don't it can be dangerous.  Becky runs in hunt tests and needs to know when another dog doesn't want to play or not to get in their face.

 Once Becky was comfortable with my grey girls, she had a blast running and playing with them in this huge field.  It also helped get burn some of her endless supply of energy off.

 Training was very satisfying.  Jam ran with Becky's housemate, Beau, who received his 1st Senior Hunter leg last weekend.  The two ran well together and we were able to steady them and shoot for retrieves.  Jam broke before the shot and I was able to correct her before she grabbed the bird.  I then made her stand and then released her for the retrieve, which she did well with.  Unless a dog makes a mistake in training, it is difficult to fix problems encountered during the actual test.

 Even though Becky is a green dog and working on her Junior Hunter, she is extremely birdy and the perfect running mate for Savi.  Savi had a gorgeous point, sorry no photo, and we shot over her for the first time.  I did attach a check cord before we flushed and released the Chukkar in case she broke.  Well, so proud of my girl who stood through the shot and waited until I released her for the retrieve.  She had to search for the bird as she didn't mark the fall but when she found it, had an impressive retrieve to hand.  We are also training her to honor and she's starting to understand that not every bird is hers.  I'm very excited at the progress she is making and hope to have her ready to run in Senior Hunter in the Spring.

Ooh La La Jam!!!

Jam behind the scenes with Coco.

Jam was back at work today and what an exciting day it was.  We arrived on set in Brooklyn, New York, to find that she was hired to be the co-star with supermodel, Coco Roche in a commercial and advertising campaign for a very special client.

This will be part of a 2012 Spring/Summer campaign and of course, we will let you know when it is launched and show the final product.

Coco and Jam in deep discussion behind the scenes during a set change.  

We loved working with Coco, who although a bonofide supermodel, was down to earth and a true animal lover.  She told me all about an amazing charity that she is involved in.  From her website,  Senhoa is a great charity that supports victims of human trafficking in South East Asia by providing income-generating opportunities, social reintegration and programs for self-empowerment. Some of the children they work with are as young as 4 years old.

This weekend I flew to LA to finalize jewelry designs which we hope to have available within a few months. The Jewelry ‘Coco Rocha For Senhoa’will be made in Cambodia by the older girls in the program, with all proceeds going back into the program.  

Weimaraner Wednesday

Jam, enthusiastic in the fields!

 Weimaraner Wednesday fun spent field training with our friends and their dogs.  The weather was a bit hot and muggy with little breeze, so challenging scenting conditions for the dogs.

Jam on point

 The girls found the birds and had decent retrieves, especially our little retrieving machine, Savi, who does it with such gusto and retrieved to hand, it brings a smile to everyone who watches her.

Savi, air scenting as scenting as she hunts for birds

The leaves are already beginning to change color, reminding us that fall is upon us.  I just long for some nice cool weather.

 And only in New Jersey would we have such wild distractions in the bird field!  The preserve where we train is said to have one of the best Halloween Hayrides in the state!

 The dogs are so used to these freaky figures that they pay no attention to them.