Some cool puppies from 2019 litters

Northwoods Big Bang (Northwoods Rob Roy x Northwoods Minerva, whelped Feb. 6, 2019)

Hands down, my favorite job responsibility at Northwoods Bird Dogs is the whelping and raising of puppies. Jerry’s favorite is their development.

Besides obvious distinctions such as color and gender, it’s hard to tell much difference in personality, conformation, mature size, instinct or talent when our puppies are younger than about 12 weeks of age. By about four months though, when Jerry begins their formal training in earnest, we begin to notice individual traits.

Northwoods Stardust (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, whelped Feb. 7, 2019)

Puppies from our four Big Bang* (explained below) litters are now five and seven months of age and Jerry and I are really excited. They represent the very best of our setter lines and our single outstanding pointer line.

Our 2019 puppies are:

Northwoods Cosmic Ray (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Nickel, whelped Dec. 4, 2018)
Northwoods Comet (CH Rock Acre Blackhawk x Northwoods Vixen, Dec. 18, 2018)
Northwoods Atom, Northwoods Big Bang, Northwoods Super Nova (Northwoods Rob Roy x Northwoods Minerva, whelped Feb. 6, 2019)
Northwoods Cosmos, Northwoods Stardust (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, whelped Feb. 7, 2019)

* Almost as much fun as whelping and developing all these puppies is naming them. The thing began, innocently enough, with our first pointer CH Dance Smartly. Her call name was Dancer—and it perfectly suited her. She was strong and graceful, poised and confident. Dancer’s first litter by CH Brooks Elhew Ranger in 1997 produced a handsome liver-and-white male that Jerry and I named Dasher, continuing the reindeer theme. Next came Prancer, Vixen, Blitzen and, our newest, Comet.

Northwoods Comet (CH Rock Acre Blackhawk x Northwoods Vixen, Dec. 18, 2018)

Comet, fortunately for us, coincides with this year’s naming theme. Due to our joint fascination with astrophysics and the hit tv show, we decided on Big Bang for 2019.

Our first setter theme was in 2004 when we honored NBA Los Angeles Lakers players Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. (We had rooted for The Lakers for many years, although latter teams could never touch the alchemy and power of the Magic Johnson/James Worthy/Kareen Abdul-Jabbar era.) Other good years include Beer and Wine, Luxury Designers, Gods and Goddesses, Cheese, Cocktails, Geology and elements of the Periodic Table.

Northwoods Cosmic Ray (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Nickel, whelped Dec. 4, 2018)

Northwoods Cosmos (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, whelped Feb. 7, 2019)

Northwoods Super Nova (Northwoods Rob Roy x Northwoods Minerva, whelped Feb. 6, 2019)

Northwoods Atom (Northwoods Rob Roy x Northwoods Minerva, whelped Feb. 6, 2019)

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