David,
I hope this email finds you well. I just wanted to give you a quick update on a puppy I purchased from you. I took the 2nd male from the 2017 breeding of Riley and Hawk. I always have my dogs’ hips and elbows certified shortly after their 2nd birthday, and I’m happy to report that Knox received OFA grades of normal for elbows and Excellent for hips. He’s a strong and muscular 50lbs, a little longer than he is tall, and in my opinion perfectly built for the grouse woods of Maine. We receive a lot of compliments on his build from our vet as well as most people he meets. A testament to the quality of dogs you breed. I have attached a few photos from this year.
He really came into his own this fall during his first real hunting season and is developing into a very good wild bird dog. His drive and quality of nose were obvious at an early age but his intelligence and cooperation really showed in the grouse woods this year. I hunted him about 30days this fall but it didn’t take him long to start identifying what the most productive bird cover is and how to hunt those objectives within the larger cover. He always knows where I am and works to produce birds for the gun. In my opinion these are skills a smart and cooperative dog will work out for themselves. He is a strong natural retriever, a good marking dog, and is bold in cover. He’s maturing quickly and is doing well to pick up complex training ideas. I’m looking forward to advancing his training and trying our hand at hunt tests this summer.
He has a good temperament and is great in the house living with an older dog and two kids under the age of 4. There’s not much more you can ask for in a hunting/companion dog.
I’m a year or so out from adding a 3rd dog to the string but you will be the first call when the time comes.
Take care,
Tom Daniels
