GCH CH Elkhrn Mtn's Southpaw I Cross My Heart JH BCAT TKN RATN

Spunky is out of my first litter of Brittanys. The litter was between Tipsy, and DC AFC Beaver's Straight Arrow, whelped in February 2016.
Out of every puppy in the litter, she was a problem solver through and through. There wasn't a barrier I could put up, that also allowed Tipsy full access to her pups, that Spunky could not conquer, and because of her monkey like tendencies to end up in places she shouldn't be, that still stands true today. Fences are no match for this dog...

She's a sweet girl who loves to snuggle, but out of all of my Britts is the wild child, who will find something to do on her own if she gets bored enough, thankfully no longer in a destructive way, unlike in her puppy stage where cords were free game if she could reach them (So many chargers... so many headphones).

That being said, she's a super smart, responsive girl who picks up on things quickly, especially if I'm consistent enough. Eager to please. Sometimes. Sometimes her nose gets her into trouble and instead of following directions on an agility course she's sniffing the ground instead. And if there's food around, even food you forgot about, she'll find it.

Spunky started her field carrier at 6 months old at the Montana Brittany Club trial in Malta, MT, where she ran in either Puppy or Derby, I can't remember which at this point.Let's just say, it didn't go as planned. Her and her bracemate took off, she followed the bracemate, and next thing I knew she was this TINY little dot about 3/4 - a mile away up on a hill. But I kept walking up the hill (not the same one), hoping she'd find her way back. Which she did. Technically.

She made her way back to the start line, but I was half way up the hill at that point. Kept calling, calling, calling, she kept going from one spot to the next in search of me. As soon as I got back to the start line she was very pleased to see me.

One good thing that came of it though, is she naturally checks in after that when out in the field. She might be gone for minutes at a time, but I always know she'll find me, because she always keeps tabs on where I'm at.

In previous years when encountering a bird, Spunky's favorite thing to do would be 1) Find a bird. 2) Blow through bird. and 3) chase bird screaming the whole way. On occasion she'd flash point, but three seconds later I'd see a bird flush and there would be Spunky, right on it's tail feathers.

In recent months however, Spunky is turning into a well rounded field dog, slowly, but surely. We've been working with Emmet Sasser of Montana Training and Kennels, just half an hour from here, to get her past the chasing, get her pointing, and get her holding her birds.

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She no longer chases birds for miles at a time, no longer screams at birds period, and is starting to hold point long enough for one to at least get in range. I hope next year to be able to afford to send her to Emmet for two months to get her more fine tuned.

Her show carrier began at 7 months old in Helena, MT, though being super young, didn't do anything but have fun, which is the most important thing in my books, is that a show dog has fun. They're not robots.

She really started to pick up the pace in the show ring though at about 1 1/2 years old, where she finally started picking up points and majors.

She finished in style though going Best of Breed in Lewiston, Idaho out of the Bred By Exhibitor class under Mr. Guy Jeavons, beating her mother Tipsy and a top ranked female in the country at the time.

After that she was shown by her soon to be future (at the time) Jr co owner, Mackenzie, in Missoula, where they just had fun and learned how to work as a team. Mac was signed on as co owner soon after for her birthday so that she could show Spunky in Junior Showmanship. Of course, every time we tried entering her in Juniors she would come into season (can't show a dog in season in Juniors), but what can you do?

I wasn't originally going to Special Spunky in the Breed Ring, but at about the age of 3-4 I kept looking at her, thinking "Should I go after your GCH? Naw." then that "Naw" would turn into "Maybe" then back to "Naw" then back to "Maybe", and finally I just said "I don't want to look at you when you're 12 and think "what if I could have."
I have regrets with Spunky, like not getting her with a field trainer sooner, and I didn't want that one, that I could easily help, become one of them.

Spunky, outside of the show ring, has two legs towards her Junior Hunter title, two legs towards her Coursing Ability title, and one leg towards her Barn Hunt Novice title. Her JH title will be completed next spring at our next hunt test, and I hope to finish her Barn Hunt title next year as well. The coursing ability title will be the one I may struggle to finish, as no clubs offer it near me anymore in conjunction with a show. So we shall see about that one.

D.O.B

02/16/2016

Breeders

Tommie Dahl

&
June Cuthbertson

Owners

Tommie Dahl

Mackenzie Moore

Sire
DC AFC Beaver's Straight Arrow

Dam

GCHS CH Southpaw's I Can Do The Stray Kat Strut JH BCAT CGC TKN

Health Testing

OFA Hips
Good
OFA Elbows
Normal

CEAR Eyes
Normal (2021)

CHIC#

144459

Pedigree

Spunky's Show Record

2017

Spokane, WA 5/27/2017: Winners Bitch (first 2 point!)
Great Falls, MT 6/23/2017: Bred By Exhibitor in Breed and BBE Group 3 (out of five dogs!)
Missoula, MT 6/26/2017: Winners Bitch (2 points)
Missoula, MT 6/27/2017: Winners Bitch (2 points)
Helena, MT 9/24/2017: Winners Bitch (4 point major!)

2018

Lewiston, ID 4/20/2018: Winners Bitch/Best Of Breed (5 point major and new Champion!)
Coeur D'Alene, ID: 5/28/2018: 2 qualifying runs towards CA (Coursing Ability) title!
Blackfoot, ID 6/16/18: 1 qualifying run toward RATN (Barn Hunt Novice) title!
Blackfoot, ID 6/17/18: 22.16 points towards a FAST CAT title!
Helena, MT 9/21/18: Mackenize Moore and Spunky get Reserve Best Junior Handler their first weekend out as a team in Juniors!

2019-2023

Spokane, WA 5/26/19: Best of Breed handled by Co Owner, Mac, also earning her first GCH points!
Coeur D'Alene, ID 5/27/19: Select Bitch
Coeur D'Alene, ID 5/28/19: Select Bitch
Missoula, MT 5/30/2019: Select Bitch/Owner Handled (CH Defeat)
Missoula, MT 6/1/2019: Owner Handled
Filer, ID 6/11/2019: Select Bitch
Filer, ID 6/12/2019: Best Opposite Sex
Blackfoot, ID 6/14/2019: Select Bitch (First GCH major! 5 points)
Great Falls, MT 9/14/19: Select Bitch (5 point major!)
Great Falls, MT 9/15/19: Select Bitch (5 point major!)
Great Falls, MT 9/16/19: Select Bitch (5 point major and new GCH!)
4/15/2020: Earned her Trick Dog Novice title!
4/30/2022: Earned a leg towards her JH title at the Montana Brittany Club HT