4.27.2010

New Family Member

It looks like our newest family member is going to be joining us much sooner than September! No, I haven't gone into early labor. We are adopting. One of these guys. Aren't they precious? Remember that deal I made with JP so long ago? I get my camera, he gets his hunting dog? These puppies are a very special breed called Large Munsterlanders. They are a very elite breed of hunting dogs. They are true versatile hunting dogs, which means they don't "just" point or track or retrieve -- they do everything, and darn well, on both land and water. You have to be a hunter to even purchase a Munsterlander. The breeding of Munsterlanders is extremely regulated. They have to pass all sorts of tests for hunting ability, health, temperament and conformation. These puppies come from an award winning line. We have a male puppy reserved. They are 5 weeks old now, and can't be sent out into their new homes until they are 7 weeks old. JP had been researching hunting dogs since last fall. He learned about the Munsterlanders after walking into a hardware store on a crappy day and being greeted by a beautiful, calm, friendly dog at the door. JP was impressed with the dog and asked the owner about him. The owner explained the breed to him, and JP's bad day turned into an exciting one as he learned more about this breed that are not only fantastic hunters, but also wonderful, calm-tempered family dogs. He's had his eye on them every since, and all of his research kept on bringing him back to this one breed that he found so appealing. To top it off, we found out one of the very, very scarce breeders of this dog lives just up the road from us -- barely more than 5 minutes away. We are excited to welcome one of these little guys into our home. The breeders keep an eye on the dogs and match them to the new owners based on personality, temperament, and hunting style. At four weeks old, they introduced the pups to a bird, and they were already naturally tracking and pointing! JP is excited out of his mind. I am excited and also wondering how I got myself into this! I never thought I'd see the day where I'd have three dogs before I have three kids. :) Updates to follow! (The last picture is of a full-grown Large Munsterlander, to give you an idea of what they look like once they grow up.)

3 comments:

Erin said...

Pretty dog! Is puppy #3 going to be hanging out with Caleb and Sadie or will he get special accommodations?

Missy said...

Crazy!! Cool dog! Sweet pics of the girls and the puppies!

bruce said...

Now those are cute puppies.