Happy Holidays from Moniker!

A very Happy Holiday season from us!

This year it is warm (10C/ about 50F) and rainy, but hopefully the dogs will get to run around in the snow again soon!

We wish you a happy and healthy 2016!

Freddie will return to Switzerland Dec 20th until Jan 10th!

Our very own Fallilou du Sangre Bleu "Freddie" will be spending the holiday season with Simon in central Switzerland. 

Freddie kommt aus der Schweiz für Weihnachten (Dec 20-Jan10)!

Freddie is available at stud to approved females

Freddie has to following merits to his name:

Germany/Deutschland:
Sfk
Sp (TS)
BHP-1 & 2
BhFK/95

Italy/Italien:
SchwhK
SchwhK/40-CACT
Fbja (Fox trial)-100pts RCAC
BhFK95-100 pts

Sweden/Schweden:
1st prize Grytanlagsprov (artificial underground with badger)-->"J"- Jaktmerit, Grytapporterungsprov (underground retrieving),
Gryteftersökhund (Underground tracking and retrieval dog)
Swedish Blood Tracking Champion
Has been practicing drev/hunting/stöber. Loud on hare and deer, will be tested in 2016.

PRA & Katarakt Frei (ECVO: 30.01.2012 & 29.12.2014) 

Gene tested: crd-PRA(NHPH4) free (N/N); OI-frei (N/N)

Formwert & Wesenstest Approved (While in Switzerland)

Parents: CIT, CIB, GS Ch. Kobeddus Effendi x Canaille de la Meute a Cheops (Sp, St)

More info: https://monikerkennel.wordpress.com/fallilou-du-sangrebleu/

Contact Julie (English oder Deutsch): whdackel@gmail.com

First go out at Drev

This was a post I meant to post more than a month ago... but, well, life got in the way.

After a year in Sweden, making connections, and trying hard to find land to practice on, we were kindly invited up to the Northern part of Skåne to try Freddie on Drev.

The only way I can describe Drev is that it is real hunting. The dog is released into the forest to search for animals. The dog then, hopefully, takes up the fresh scent of a deer, fox, or hare and chase it through the land. This was Freddie's first go out, and even though he did great on Spurlaut, it was hard to say how he would do with the "real life" situation.

In our area of Sweden there isn't the vast area lacking major roads that are ideal for Drev. Furthermore, as I am not yet out hunting, it is a really big deal to get an invitation. Well, a contact from our local dachshund club was so kind and she and her husband offered to let us go to them and try Freddie in their forest! 

For Drev, there are always risks, wild boars, wolves, cars, etc... but as Freddie is a smart dog and wolves (the biggest threat in my opinion) are not as common this far south and not in that area, we thought we would try. We were lent a GPS collar so we could see where Freddie was, how fast he was going, and how far away from us he was.

The first thing we did was go out and basically tell him that he could go search. Freddie was very good at going out and circling back to check where we were. While on one of his first searches, he opened a little, but it didn't lead to anything and we didn't see any animals (though their bedding and tracks/poop). After being out about 1.5-2 hrs, we headed back to let Freddie rest a bit and have lunch. We then took out Anna and Joachim's 11 year old shorthair Pixie, who was fantastic. She did indeed find something out in the forest, but by the barking and GPS track, Joachim thought it was a boar and called her back. When we went closer to pick her up/call her back, we definitely smelled boars and I am happy that Joachim had his rifle with "just in case."

We then took Pixie back and decide that as the weather hand turned beautiful for the end of October (15c and sun... see photo above) we would try a different area and see if Freddie found something. We did a little initial searching, then we came upon a glen and in the very back corner, Joachim noticed a couple of Roe deer. Freddie followed him into the glen (above) and Joachim and Simon told him to search. Then a few minutes later there was music! Freddie had taken up the deer scent and was off. I wish I would have thought to get a video! It would have only been barking, but who cares! Freddie worked really well for his first time out- roughly 30 min and about 300 m away from us. Anna said that we couldn't have asked for better work on his first time out. We only called Freddie back because he must have lost the scent and started circling in an area about 100m from us. Simon and Joachim went, called him back (with name and whistle) and you could watch him march slowly back on the GPS. Getting the dog back to you is a huge and important aspect of Drev, so Fred coming back was just as important as him taking up and chasing the deer.

On the way back to the car, Joachim asked if we wanted to swap a labrador for Fred. lol. I think he liked him. We are invited back out, but this autumn was a bit hectic for me as I was in the US for almost 3 weeks and writing papers at work. I recently bought a used GPS collar from another Swedish dackel friend and I am hoping we can get him out again this year for practice if the weather stays mild, otherwise, we are shooting for a few more practices and hopefully testing in 2016. Either way, Freddie definitely didn't disappoint! 

I really hope to also take Baxter out in the future to see what he's got, but we are taking one thing at a time at the moment. :)

A BIG Thank you goes to Anna and Joachim for allowing us to further work with Fred and offering their land!

Baxter's 2015 results & Return to Hungary

It was a show year for my boy! We had limited showing in Sweden (2x), but were rated "Excellent" at both shows and ended our show season with Best Male 2. Additionally, Baxter's biggest accomplishment was finishing his international championships! I am so incredibly proud of my beautiful boy!

Other than myself, Baxter is handled exclusively by my friend Nikos. In fact, I was SO happy with the team, that Baxter will do a little more showing with Nikos next year.

Therefore, Baxter will return to Budapest in March-April, 2016. While there he will be available for shows and mating. If you are interested in using Baxter as a stud, please contact me!

Liina is home!

After 3 months away, my little zwerg (Barbwired Champagne) returned home with me to Sweden. She was a good houseguest during her stay in Finland and came home with very nice results from the 5 shows she attended:

2xBOB

2xWinner

1xBOS

3xCERT

5xExc

4xExc1 CK

1xExc2

With these results, she should earn 4 new titles upon reaching 2 years of age. Not too shabby for the little girl.

Now we have a little bit of time to rest before the next shows start. Good to have you home my sassy little dog!

Liina BOB in Lithuania

Markku & Liina(Barbwired Champagne) took a show trip down to Panevezys, Lithuania on October 24/25 and came back with great results: 2xExc, 2xCAC, 2xWinner, 2x BOB!

 Furthermore, Markku also took Barbwired Austria-Liina's Mom-and Barbwired De Tomaso-Iita's puppy- who both did very well, earning the titles of Lithuanian Champion & Lithuanian Junior Champion, respectively. Great job Markku and the Barbwired Dogs!

On another quick note, 2 more of Iita's puppies were shown (bringing the total to 6/7) and have received Excellent with CK/CAC. What a super promising litter! Congrats to the owners and breeder and my little start Iita. :)

New Multi-Champion!

So as you all know by now, Iita (Barbwired Bella Bambina) is here in Sweden and staying with me for trials and show. Well, big news...

We passed our final tracking trial in 1st prize! Iita is a new Swedish Tracking Champion!!! Holy cow! It is one thing to work and pass with your own dog, but it brings a new confidence booster when you can pass with someone else's dog.

I am very lucky that Iita has the same personality as her brother and not only trusts me, but looks to me and wants to please me. She is very clever and a joy to have around. The one problem of her being so similar to her brother, is that Baxter is starting to get a bit jealous that he has to share "his" person with someone else. Let me tell you, I am not cold at night with a dachshund on each side of my feet!

So my "job" is now finished. We accomplished a whole lot in just 3 weeks... "unlocking" 4 championships (FI, LT, LV, WUT), earning 3rd Best Female with CK in hunting class and earning her Swedish Beauty Champion, and 3x 1st prize in blood tracking earning her Swedish Blood tracking Champion.

Iita came to me a great little dog and will be leaving as a multi-Champion! I am SO happy that I proved to myself I can be a good handler, both in show and in trial, and got to know this great girl.