Rocko photo selected as finalist for Orvis Magazine Cover contest!

I think it was about 4 seasons ago now I snapped this photo of Rocko on the last day of our hunt in North Dakota. I entered it in a couple of more or less for fun photo contests and won both of them. The first one, the Coverdog Message Board contest, which I think ended up having nearly 400 entrants, and last year the No Limit Outdoors photo contest, which had nearly 500 entrants. This winter I was probably bored, and came across an outdoor photo contest for Orvis Magazine, and decided to enter it there. We have just been informed that we are one of 20 finalists for the cover, with over 13,000 entries. The final 20 photos will go to a panel of judges for a vote, and will find out in a month if we were fortunate enough to win. Either way, we are happy to even be considered, just goes to show how beautiful the outdoors is on a daily basis, especially when you are walking behind a setter!

Pups at 1 week

Luke is having a good time holding the puppies. He gets excited, but they are still secondary to tractors to him!

Below: The male pups, all 5 of them. Three have a tricolor even mask, one has a half mask, and the other one is pretty white with a few specks of black. Still have 2 unspoken for.

Below: The females, all 4 of them. Three have tricolor all on their face, and one is white with a black ring part way up her tail. Still have 1 unspoken for.

On May 21st Coco whelped 9 pups, 5 males and 4 females, all tri colors. All seem to be doing well, look healthy, and are feeding without any encouragement. I have possibly 1 female available and 2-3 males available, 616 438 1427 if anyone is interested. 

This was about an hour before labor, she looked very comfortable, oh wait, uncomfortable.

Getting Fat

Coco getting fat, she was bred to Terhaar's Elvis in March and is due around May 20th.

 This is Fricke N Banjo, he is about 14 months old and is out of Coco's last litter. He is coming along nice, I have been doing yard work with him for the last few weeks and am hoping to start breaking him sometime in the next few weeks. I built a new pigeon coop, and am waiting for my pigeons to call it there home before I get going with him.

 Luke is giving me a hand getting him whoa broke!

 He doesn't waste much time, has him in the field and ready to go.

 This pic is from earlier in the spring, he is good at hitting the button!