| How We Got Into Springers! |
| I think it was in the Summer 1988, when my girlfriend (now wife) and I were vacationing in Chatham, MA. along the Cape Cod National Seashore. There he was a puppy of about four months, old prancing around with a piece of driftwood in his mouth like he was a king! Black and white with those cute flowing floppy ears, he was a bundle of energy. We didn't even know what type of dog it was until we asked his owner. We knew that when the time was right, this would be the dog for us! Both Lisa and I are very athletic, so a dog with this much energy would be fun to play with. Of course we never dreamed how much fun! It was time. We picked him out of a litter of 6. He was sort of the independent one of the bunch, with a beautiful zig-zag black marking on his body. After much trial and tribulation, we named him Boswell. We got the name out of a baby book ( if you must ask), but it fit perfectly. He looked like a Boswell, very regal and dignified. When Boswell was four, much to my dismay my wife came home with a chocolate Lab-mutt female puppy. We quickly named her Murphy (no not after the Law or Brown, but after an Irish Pub). Murphy being the puppy, was constantly antagonizing Boz. They loved each other and played constantly. Boz would retrieve, then Murphy would steal the toy when Boz came near. They would then chase after each other until Murphy had enough. She would lie down, on top of the toy, and wait for Boz to take it back. Then a new chase would commence! Bozzie, was our companion until he succumbed to lympho-sarcoma (cancer of the lymph glands) at the age of 8 1/2. As he suffered from PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy) already, we made the toughest decision of our lives. Enough said. We spent several months in mourning. Then we felt it was time for a new pet. I scoured the internet and books trying to see which breed I would I like best. There would only be one Boz, so I wanted something different, yet something that matched our lifestyle. No matter how many times I tried to come up with a different breed, I would always come back to the beautiful English Springer Spaniel. We were destined! Now, we needed to select a reputable breeder, one that might be able to guarantee that what happened to Boz wouldn't happen again. You see, we bought Boz from a backyard breeder that was not experienced at breeding. There is a definite art and science to breeding. After asking around, and scouring the internet, we came across Stoneybrook Kennels in Vernon, NJ, owned by Michelle Pulis. We bonded with Michelle as she explained what she does and how she does it when breeding. Michelle was having a litter soon, as it turned out. Lisa and I immediately requested a black and white male (Springer litters are often mixed with liver and white pups as well, and occasionally tri-color (black, tan, and white)). A few weeks later, we got the phone call. The ENTIRE litter was black and white! Since most of the deposits were taken for liver and white females, we would have the pick of the litter! We made the car ride out to Vernon, NJ. and got our first glimpse. He was adorable, full black blanket and full of springer playfulness. We named him Stoneybrook's Reverie, "Trevor". It was very apparent from the way he stood, and the way he moved, that Trevor was destined for the show ring. We were guided by Michelle to either show him ourselves, or to acquire the services of a professional handler. Since we were both novices, we decided to interview a handler that she recommended. We were introduced to Howard and Heidi Huber and their wonderful family. Howard thus took the reigns and began training and showing Trevor periodically (once a month for the first 6 months). At about 14 months, it was apparent that Trevor was a special dog. To make a long story short (or depending on your point of view...even longer!), Trevor was a huge success. He competed from the ages of 6 months until 18 months, winning his first Major (a 4 pointer!) at age 9 months, then following that up in the early Summer with a 3 point Major and in the same weekend, a Best in SpecialtySweepstakes which in the Show World is very prestigious. Later that Summer at the English Springer Spaniel Nationals dog show, Trevor won his Class and finished 4th in the Sweepstakes out of over 250 dogs. So at the ripe 'ole age of 18 months and one day, Trevor gained his Championship status by taking Best of Winners at the Newton Kennel Club. This in the "Dog World" is a pretty big thing. Just as Trevor was completing his Championship, we decided to make our lives totally crazy by getting another Springer! So from our friend Karen Kirmeyer (Serenity Kennels) we purchased our little "Storm", Serenity's Sand Storm. Storm, now 8 months old, is about to begin her show career. Will she be as successful as her brother Trev? We'll see. But what a fun ride it will be! Showing a dog can be a fun and wonderful experience, but it requires patience and a know-how of what is going on. For more on Dogs in Competition, please see that hyperlink on our home page. So now we are a family with THREE dogs, all complete total loves. Hoping one day to add that fourth-- a puppy made by Trevor and Storm. So we would like to thank Michelle Pulis, Team Huber (Howard, Heidi, Howard, Jr., Eric, and John), Karen and Robin, Evelyn and Tyce, Debbie Evans, Claire and Kelly, and Kendra for befriending us. We have loved every minute of it. |
| Puppies |
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