Excitement in New Mexico

The first weekend in November we headed down to Rio Rancho, NM for the Sporting Dog Fanciers of New Mexico specialty show. As mentioned previously, Georgia just needs a major to finish, and we were hoping she would get that last major at these shows. We entered Sasha and Hazel as well, largely because we needed them to make sure we had enough bitches to make a major. Carter was entered because we're trying to get those last few grand championship points for him, but we ended up leaving him home.

We've been to these shows before, and the weather at the beginning of November in New Mexico is usually fairly pleasant. Not so this year, though. The forecast was for cold, rain, and wind. Saturday morning was chilly and windy, but no rain yet when we headed to the show site at 7 am. Grooming at these shows is outdoors without power, so we brought the EZ Up tent for cover. As we were getting the tent set up, the wind was a concern, but the threat of rain made it necessary. Just as we got the first dog on the grooming table the rain started and the wind picked up, though. it quickly became apparent that the tent wasn't going to stay up, so we had to break it down, as the hailstorm started. They ended up delaying the start time of the show for an hour and a half, while we took the top off the tent, tried to secure loose items, and got the dogs back into the car in a hailstorm. Then we spent the next few hours huddled in the van, trying to dry off wet clothes and do what grooming we could on the dogs from inside the van.

The rain cleared up after a couple hours but it was still very cold, with winds of up to 40 mph, when the show finally started. Definitely not the nicest weather to show in, but it turned out to be a good thing that we stuck it out. Sasha and Hazel were entered in the 12-15 month class, with Georgia in bred-by. Hazel was first and Sasha second in their class. Georgia won bred-by, so was only one step away from the win she needed. However, a big surprise came in the winners class when Hazel went winners bitch for her second major, And an even bigger surprise came when Sasha went reserve. I was disappointed Georgia didn't win, but couldn't really complain. Especially when Hazel also went best opposite over two specials, making it a 4-point major and bringing her point total to 10 points, both majors at 15 months old.

Sunday's weather was chilly, but sunny and not too windy. Results were the same in 12-15, but Georgia was third in bred-by, ending her hopes of finishing that weekend. Hazel ended up going reserve, but no points that day. So Georgia is still on the hunt for that second major. Not sure when she'll be able to get it. Shows are probably on hold at least until after the first of the year now, as we get into the holidays and have weather considerations and family obligations.

Breeding plans are unfortunately affected by our show results. I want to finish Georgia before breeding her, as the time to get her back into shape after a litter to get that last major would be considerable. She is due in season again in January and I would have bred her then if she had finished before, but now it will probably have to wait until the season after that. So it looks like our next litter will not be until fall

In other show news, the same weekend we were in New Mexico, Faith was entered at the ESSFTA supported entry in Fort Wayne, IN, where she was BOS in sweeps on Sunday. What a great win! And to round out the good news from the weekend, I also learned that Mali (Kalwa's Keeper of the Flame), who lives in Georgia, has earned her NA title and has one leg toward her NAJ. She is the first Kalwa springer to earn an agility title, and we're very proud of Mali and her owner, Marilyn Davey. What a great weekend all around for the Kalwa crew across the country!

October Update

Not a lot of news to report for October. Carter and Georgia went to the Greater Las Vegas English Springer Spaniel Club specialty shows in Primm, NV October 14-16. We were hoping for that last major for Georgia, but didn't get it. Carter did win a 5-point grand champion major by going select dog at the specialty, though, and only needs 7 single points now to complete his grand championship. And on the east coast, Faith picked up two more points in October, bringing her total to 7.

We are heading to the sporting dog specialties in New Mexico next weekend, for another chance at that last major for Georgia. Fingers crossed for her to finish! That will most likely be the last of our shows for the year. If she does finish her championship, Georgia will likely be bred in January 2012, but if she isn't finished yet, we will probably postpone breeding her until fall.

Hope everyone has a happy Halloween!

Update. Finally.

It has been a long time since I updated this blog, and even longer since updating my website.  I apologize for that, and plan to make an effort to keep things more up-to-date.  So, let's catch up on recent Kalwa news.

The Elements litter are over a year old now, and are doing great.  Of the four that are being shown, Hazel (Kalwa's Elements in Harmony) has been the most successful.  She currently has 6 points, with one major.  She earned her major under judge Pat Trotter from the 6-9 month puppy class, going Winners, Best of Winners, and Best Opposite (over 2 specials).  Very exciting!  Her sister, Faith (Kalwa's Elements of Faith) has also done very well, with 5 points so far.  And brother Sterling (Kalwa's Elements of Sterling) has already picked up his first two points, as well as 3 reserve wins in only 3 weekends of showing.  Sasha (Kalwa's Elements of Style) is holding her own, with a puppy group 3, but generally places behind her sister for now.

In other show news, Georgia (Kalwa's Sweet Georgia Brown) is close to finishing now, needing just a major for her championship.  She has earned 7 points, including a major, in her last two weekends showing.  We're heading to Primm, Nevada for a specialty in two weeks; fingers crossed for Georgia to finish!  Carter (CH Kalwa's Incense and Peppermints RN) has been working on his grand championship and he has also done well in the past few months.  He now has 13 grand championship points, with 3 majors and 4 wins over other champions, so he just needs singles to finish now.

In breeding news, I have decided not to breed Kali (mother of the Sweet litter and the Elements litter) again.  I was planning to breed her on her current season (she came in a few weeks ago), but the timing just isn't right for puppies just now for a variety of reasons, and Kali is already almost eight, so waiting and breeding on her next season isn't really an option.  So, the current plan is to breed Georgia next.  She is due in season in January, and will probably be bred then, as long as she finishes her championship by then.  I am in the process of considering potential stud dogs, and will update information here and on the website as plans are made.
  

Puppy Update

Things kind of got away from me, time-wise, in terms of keeping up with puppy updates.  The pups are all off to their new homes now.  I ended up keeping Hazel (formerly Palladium) in addition to Sasha (formerly Cadmium). I had originally planned to place her, but began to like how she looked more and more as she got older, and decided to hang onto her for a while rather than placing her in a pet home. We will see how she looks, and how she compared to her sister, as they get older. The other five are all in great new homes. Faith (formerly Platinum) and Sterling (formerly Tungsten), will be shown, which I am happy about. The three liver boys are in great pet homes across the country.


I did take eight week old pics, but didn't get around to posting them, so I'll do that now, with info about where the puppies are now and their registered names and new call names. 




Argon, now called Archie
Registered as Kalwa's Noble Element
Living in Grand Junction, CO



Archie



Krypton, now called Max
Registered as Kalwa's Magical Element
Living in Leesburg, VA

 

Max

 

Xenon, now called Teddy
Registered as Kalwa's Essential Element
Livingin Phoenix, AZ



Teddy



Tungsten, now called Sterling
Registered as Kalwa's Elements of Sterling
Living in Midvale, UT, where he will be shown in conformation and obedience.

Sterling

Platinum, now called Faith
Registered as Kalwa's Elements of Faith
Living in Williamstown, WV with her aunt, Grace (Kalwa's Waitin' for a Sunny Day).
Faith will be shown in conformation.

Faith

Palladium, now called Hazel
Registered as Kalwa's Elements in Harmony
Staying here at Kalwa, where she'll do all the stuff the Kalwa dogs do.

Hazel

Cadmium, now called Sasha
Registered as Kalwa's Elements of Style
Staying here at Kalwa (although living with my mother).
Sasha will be shown in conformation, obedience, and possibly agility.

Sasha

Available Puppies

I've had some planned homes fall through, so I now find myself with a couple puppies still to place.  Exactly which puppies are still available is somewhat up in the air at this point, as I haven't finalized puppy choices for the homes that are getting one.  Everything is pending outcomes of health clearances, even though I am starting to get a good feel for which pups may go where.  What I'd really like is homes that are interested in showing and possibly performance events for Platinum and Tungsten.  Both have outgoing, confident, personalities with strong retrieving instincts and will probably make decent perfomance dogs, and both are also shaping up nicely into show prospects, and I'd love to see them in the show ring.  So, if anyone out there is looking for either a dog or a bitch to show and/or do performance events, please let me know.  I'd especially like to find local (Salt Lake area) homes interested in getting involved in dog shows.  We'd love to increase the population of Springer people involved in dog events in this area, with the hope of creating a local Springer club at some point in the future.  So, anyone in Utah who already has a Springer and might be interested in joining a club, contact me, too.  kalwaspringers@gmail.com  

Show Brags

We made the trip up to the Helena, MT shows last weekend and had a good time there.  Tucker (Kalwa's Sweet Emotion) who lives near Helena was entered, and I brought Tucker's sister Georgia (Kalwa's Sweet Georgia Brown) and Carter (CH Kalwa's Incense and Peppermints RN).  We were at the shows Saturday and Sunday, and both days Tucker was Winners Dog for a point, Georgia was Winners Bitch/Best of Winners/Best Opposite Sex for a point, and Carter was Select Dog for a point toward his grand champion title.  Would have been even better if Carter won the breed, but he's hardly been shown since finishing his championship last year, and he's a little out of condition.  Not to mention that his competition in the breed is one of the top Springers in the coutry who has been heavily campaigning for a while, and who happens to be a very nice dog in his own right.  So, definitely happy with the outcome of the weekend.

Six Week Photos

So, once again I'm a little behind getting pictures up, but here are six-week-old photos of the puppies.  They got their first baths and haircuts the same day the pictures were taken, so there are before and after the haircut shots of each puppy, as well as stacked pictures.  I'm hoping to get another good set of pictures this weekend, when the puppies will be about eight weeks old.  I'm starting to think about who's going where, and final placement decisions will be made in the next couple of weeks, before they start heading off to their new homes October 16.



Argon (l/w boy) before his haircut



Argon after being groomed



Argon stacked

Xenon (l/w boy) before his haircut



Xenon after grooming






Xenon stacked





Krypton (l/w boy) before being groomed



Krypton after grooming

Krypton stacked

Tungsten (b/w boy) before his haircut

Tungsten after grooming

Tungsten stacked

Cadmium (l/w girl) before her haircut

Cadmium after grooming

Cadmium stacked



Palladium (b/w girl) before her haircut





Palladium after grooming





Palladium stacked





Platinum (b/w girl) before grooming





Platinum after grooming





Platinum stacked