2019 Western Open Shooting Dog Championship winners are (from left) Tim Schillereff and his wife Angela with pointer Tian Elhew Verbena, Bill Owen (in tan shirt) and his setter Northwoods Charles.
How extraordinary!
Whether it’s ever happened before or not doesn’t really matter. It’s extraordinary. Both the winner and runner up of the 2019 Western Open Shooting Dog Championship were bred by Betsy and me—and one was a pointer and the other a setter!
The trial, held in mid April in Reno, Nev., attracted 15 pointers and eight setters. The dogs were handled from horseback and run on native birds with additional liberated chukars.
Tian Elhew Verbena, owned by Tim and Angela Schillereff of Suave Island Kennels near Portland, Ore., and handled by Tim, was named champion. Runner-up champion was Northwoods Charles, owned and handled by Bill Owen of Santa Barbara, Cal.
Both dogs were whelped in 2013 and sold as eight-week-old puppies. Verbena is out of our first breeding of CH Elhew G Force to Northwoods Vixen. We chose another champion, CH Ridge Creek Cody, to pair with Northwoods Chardonnay. Both dogs have also won prestigious placements in other field trials.
Genetics play a part of course, but it also takes a lot of time, effort and expense to develop a dog into a top notch field trial competitor. Congratulation to Tim, Angela, Bill and their dogs!
Flint (Northwoods Blue Ox x Northwoods Chablis, 2015) is owned by Ben Kurtz of Colorado. They are the epitome of Wes Siler’s “good dog” and “good dog owner.”
Minnesota neighbor and good friend Jeff Hintz frequently emails links to various dog-related pieces he’s discovered on the Internet. Some are strictly about bird dogs; others concern canine medical issues such as a recent in-depth article about Lyme’s disease. He also sends comics which are good for anything from a smile to a guffaw.
Not too long ago, Jeff shared a post that Jerry and I thought worthy of passing on. “There’s No Such Thing as a Good Dog,” subtitled “Only a good dog owner,” was written by Wes Siler and first published on April 25, 2017, in Outside magazine. We think the message is excellent for both new puppy buyers and seasoned dog owners. https://getpocket.com/explore/item/there-s-no-such-thing-as-a-good-dog
As a young puppy, Ben exposed Flint to camping in the mountains.
On socialization: “A big reason Wiley is calm around other dogs, kids, loud motorcycles, gunfire, parties, and you name it is because I put a lot of effort into exposing him to those things during the critical first few weeks after he came home. And because I continue to allow him to explore those circumstances on his own terms.”
Ben exposed Flint to all sorts of situations, including loud airplanes, different people and new places.
In addition to the socialization his dog receives, Siler believes a good dog should be “well-trained” and “exhausted.” It’s also clear that he loves his dog with “unwavering devotion.” He notes: “Wiley is as important a part of my life as my job, family, or friends.”
Flint was brought along on fishing trips, too.
While Jerry and I agree with Siler on almost everything, there is one contentious issue. In a concluding paragraph, Siley writes: “What makes him a good dog in people’s minds isn’t the product of some genetic lottery—it’s not luck.”
After being around hundreds of dogs in all kinds of different situations, we know that genetics do matter. If nothing else, good breeding makes everything about owning a dog easier.
Photos above of Flint (Northwoods Blue Ox x Northwoods Chablis, 2015), owned by Ben Kurtz of Colorado. Ben and Flint clearly epitomize Siler’s themes through exposure, training and exercise whether hunting, camping, fishing or traveling.
