Posts filed under ‘Phoenix’
Belatarr wins Top HWV Kennel, Stud Dog & Brood Bitch for 2014!
It’s been a roller-coaster of a year, but at the end of it all we’re immensely proud to say that OurDogs have informed us that Belatarr has been awarded the Arden Grange Top HWV Kennel for 2014.
In addition Tarndair Phoenix of Belatarr is the winner of the Dog World/Yumega Top Brood Bitch for 2014 and Mingus, Morehays Lars of Belatarr ShCM, is the Top HWV Stud Dog for 2014.
These awards are a great testament to everyone’s hard work in and out of the ring this year, and the pinnacle of our achievements as a still very young kennel.
Wishing everyone a very happy and successful 2015! 🙂
Puppy Portraits: Week 5 (a bumper crop!)
THE BOYS
Mr Black 1.
Mr Black 2.
Mr Black 3.
Mr Blue 1.
Mr Blue 2.
Mr Blue 3.
Mr Bronze 1.
Mr Bronze 2.
Mr Bronze 3.
Mr Green 1.
Mr Green 2.
Mr Green 3.
Mr Red 1.
Mr Red 2.
Mr Red 3.
THE GIRLS
Miss Fawn 1.
Miss Fawn 2.
Miss Fawn 3.
Miss Lime 1.
Miss Lime 2.
Miss Lime 3.
Miss Orange 1.
Miss Orange 2.
Miss Orange 3.
Miss Pink 1.
Miss Pink 2.
Miss Pink 3.
Miss Purple 1.
Miss Purple 2.
Miss Purple 3.
Miss White 1.
Miss White 2.
Miss White 3.
Miss Yellow 1.
Miss Yellow 2.
Miss Yellow 3.
Puppies have arrived!
Tuesday saw the arrival of our excitedly anticipated new generation of Belatarr babies as, right on schedule, Phoenix and Mingus’ second dozen were born.
The whole gang together
Miss Orange was the first to arrive, at a very respectable 10:53AM, with 10 of her brothers and sisters duly following in quick succession and puppy number 11, Miss Lime, making her appearance at 15:15 that afternoon.
Miss Lime & Miss Orange.
All of the births had been very quick and very easy, with just one or two contractions and then a new arrival. So far so good. However, after puppy number 11 things ground to a halt, although it was very evident that at least one more pup was still waiting to arrive. After a few hours of waiting and no signs of any further action we all decamped to the vets (11 puppies included) where two shots of oxytocin, a 15 min IV drip of liquid calcium, a vigorous walk up and down the road and 5 hours later puppy number 12, Miss Fawn, finally decided to put in an apperance, arriving (in the car boot) fashionably late to the party, but (despite our fears over the worryingly long wait) very fit, healthy and at a good weight.
Mr Red takes centre stage.
Now, some 48 hrs later, all 12 babies – 7 girls and 5 boys – are feeding very well and all are gaining weight at almost identical rates.
Random puppy pile-up.
As with Phoenix’ first litter there are no tiddlers or weaklings amongst the bunch and all twelve are vigorous indeed! With mum having only 6 functional feeding stations we have, as before, divided the pups into two teams and feed them one team at a time, every two hours, night and day to ensure that everyone gets their share.
Team 1 take their turn.
Whilst team 2 wait to be called into action.
Phoenix herself has been a wonderfully attentive mother, as ever, but today she surprised us by deciding that she wanted to go out with the boys for a swim in the river and a quick hurtle around the land before thinking that she really should zip back up the hill to return to her offspring.
Mum forms a comfy resting spot for Miss Yellow.
That’s the story so far.. .more pics follow below and watch this space for ongoing puppy antics and the ever-popular weekly puppy portraits too!
Mr Black and Mr Green.
Mr Blue hangs out his teeny-tiny ears.
Miss Purple.
Mr Bronze, who is so dark that his collar often looks as though it’s disappeared…
Mr Black, on the other hand, is the palest of the pups.
…and a good contortionist too!
Miss Yellow.
A snoozy heap.
…and another.
Everyone together once again.
Belatarr: The Next Generation
We’re delighted and excited to be able to announce that we have a forthcoming litter, confirmed yesterday by ultrasound:
This snapshot shows a few of the pups as they are now, at 31 days gestation, only around 1cm in size and each sitting at the top of a gestational sac (the dark, circular areas on the image). Amazing to think that these small marble-sized embryos will have grown to the size of  plump guinea-pigs in just another 4 weeks or so! We saw approx 7 or 8 pups, which is exactly the same result as our 2011 litter, which turned out to comprise 12 pups…
We have been absolutely delighted with the uniformly healthy, sound, happy and high quality pups from our 2011 litter and have been fortunate to be able to watch many of them regularly and at close hand as they have grown into the superb young dogs that they are today. Four of the pups from that litter have gone on to have great success in the show ring and several others of their brothers and sisters could undoubtedly have followed suit, so it was an easy decision to undertake a repeat mating, using Mingus as sire, when Phoenix was ready for her second litter.
After an initial mild panic when the progesterone testing lab that we were using had their machinery break down, resulting in a 3 day delay in getting Phoenix’ blood test results back (urghhhh!) we achieved 3 very easy matings, all with excellent ties, commencing on the same day in Phoenix’ season that her previous litter was conceived.
Phoenix’ due date is 23rd/24th July and we are now able to take enquiries from show, pet and working homes, about this forthcoming litter.  All puppy homes will be carefully selected to provide the best possible start in life for this next generation of Belatarr HWV’s.
If you would like to be considered for inclusion on our puppy list or would like to discuss Belatarr dogs and life with this wonderful breed in more detail then please do contact Tim directly at: Â renfromail@aol.com.
Puppy Updates.
It seems hard to believe that the Belatarr dozen are approaching 12 months old, but next month will see them celebrate their 1st birthday. Meantime it’s been as busy as ever in the lives of the pups:
Django, with his ever more luxuriant facial furnishings.
After a slightly delayed start in the ring our own Django is finally now becoming quite the showman and has racked up a series of Champ Show 1st places from his handful of appearances so far. His (usually!) superb carriage even won him a Best Puppy and then Best in Show award and the local DHK Pedigree Charity Dog Show where he beat approx 60 other (mostly adult) show dogs to collect his first ever trophy.
Like Phoenix & Mingus before them Django & his brother Finley also successfully completed their Puppy Gurus Advanced training this month, during which time Finley developed an evident love for agility – a whole new string to the Belatarr bow!
Their brother Otis lives with his Hungarian pack over at Nansavallan Vizsla in Cornwall. Â Much like his father before him he has rapidly developed a superb deep red harsh wire coat and is proving to be a complete natural at gun dog training:
Otis demonstrates his new skills.
Otis at 11 months.
Meanwhile, in a well-earned break from the show-ring, brother Charlie Parker has been enjoying the sights and sounds of rural France along with his big brother Oz the Chocolate Lab:
Charlie learns a new skill.
…and another.
A happy boy.
and a well-earned snooze.
Back on this side of the channel, and following their successes in the show-ring, brother and sister act Gryphon (Belatarr Dizzy Gillespie) and Billie (Belatarr Mahalia Jackson) have also been learning new skills as they try out for both working and obedience tests:
Gryphon, who has clearly learned to read.
Gorgeous head-shot of Gryphon (courtesy of Sharon Newman)
Billie, demonstrating her retrieve from water whilst showing off her perfect top-line. (courtesy of Sharon Newman)
….and the dried-off version.
Gryphon & Billie awaiting their next adventure. (courtesy of Sharon Newman)
Bristol resident Milo (Belatarr Thelonius Monk) has also been over to France this summer, and looks to have picked up a new interest of his own:
Milo waiting to be served at the pub.
Starting with his muzzle Milo now has a super, tight wire coat developing over his whole frame.
Milo on top of the world (well, the cliff, at any rate).
Across town is Digby (Belatarr Oscar Peterson), another Bristolian Belatarr with a super red wire coat:
Digby at the beach, back in summer.
Whilst down near the south coast are two of the Belatarr girls, Ruby (Belatarr Nina Simone):
Ruby says hello.
Ruby, keeping up the family tradition.
and last, but most definitely not least, is our very special little girl Ella (Belatarr Ella Fitzgerald):
Ella, in full bloom amongst the heather.
Ella with hew new big sister Ilka.
Ilka showing Ella the ropes….or is it the other way around?
Much more Puppy action coming to the blog very soon with a report/ photo-montage from the Belatarr litter reunion day…
Big Beach day out.
After seemingly endless rain the sun has finally made a return, so what better time to take everyone to the beach for a sandy romp! Little Django is now 9 months old (time certainly flies…) and is looking not so little and all-grown-up all of a sudden….looks can be deceptive, however!
Django in a rare moment of stillness.
This is a more usual pose.
Racing with dad.
…and with mum too.
The family emerges from the surf.
Django leads the charge.
A brief pause to pose with a stick.
…and swiftly back to bounce mode.
Strutting his stuff, showing off that awesome stick, whilst Phoenix looks on and hatches a plot.
In tandem with Mum…who, having hatched her plot, now has ownership of the stick.
So much sand, so little time.
And relax.
Mingus hits the big-time!
This last weekend saw Tim & crew set off on the 950-mile round trip to the Scottish Kennel Club Championship Show at the Royal Highland Showground on the outskirts of Edinburgh.  Mingus was up against the big boys in his first Champ Show Open class, presided over by breed expert Jonathan Parry. Despite being the youngest in the class Mingus well-and-truly rose to the occasion, driving round the ring in great style, and we were absolutely thrilled when he was awarded 1st Open Dog – beating the Crufts 2012 Best of Breed, along with the only UK male Champion HWV plus the only male currently with 2 CC’s in the process.
Moments later things got even more exciting when Mingus was awarded Best Dog and won his first Challenge Certificate – given to HWV’s at only 8 shows each year, these are the ultimate accolade in showing:
The CC means that Mingus is granted a Kennel Club Stud Book Number and an entry in the revered Stud Book, which in turn means that he is also now qualified for Crufts for life and is one third of the way to becoming a champion, and all at just 2 years of age! We were delighted that his breeder Jacqui could also be at the show (en route to a working test with Mingus’ sister Love) to witness her baby all grown-up and hitting the big time in the show ring! We’re just so very proud of our beautiful boy.
Mingus back on home ground – wet and muddy in the garden.
A little later in the show Phoenix (who had most definitely never looked better – motherhood certainly becomes her!) also put in a great performance and qualified for Crufts 2013 at her first Champ Show for nearly a year, and also her first since her humongous litter of 12.
…and speaking of the Belatarr Twelve, Charlie Parker was the first of the baby boys to take to the ring, and went straight in at the deep end earlier in the month at the National Championship Show, where he thrilled Tim and also attracted a lot of other attention ring-side with his ultra-stylish and ultra-sound movement, not to mention his super-affectionate personality and beautiful head. Owners David & Jenny’s hard work and dedication certainly paid off when Charlie also qualified for Crufts at his (and their) very first show – cue excited squeals all round! Charlie took the whole thing in his stride and proved that he’s definitely made for the ring…his journey is only just beginning!
Puppy Portraits – The Final Week!
Where has the time gone?? This is the last week for the Belatarr babies before most head to their new homes and start their lives away from the pack. Sadly the appalling weather (incredibly low-light levels, freezing temps, endless hail sleet & rain) meant that the final week head-shots were very tricky to get, and not very high quality and very washed-out when we did get them, with pups (and us) shivering and looking rather glum in the driving sleet…but at least we have something to represent them as they were at 7 weeks old and before they all change once again into mature young dogs.
So, dozens of refuse bags full of soiled bedding, weeks of missed sleep, much cuddling and hundreds of chicken wings later, these are Phoenix and Mingus’ dozen, all now with their Kennel Names (Jazz themed, to follow on from Mingus) just before they leave us:
THE BOYS (minus one)
Belatarr Art Tatum (Finley)
Belatarr Charlie Parker
Belatarr Dave Brubeck (Otto)
Belatarr Dizzy Gillespie (Gryphon)
Belatarr John Coltrane (Otis)
Belatarr Miles Davis (Huxley)
Belatarr Oscar Peterson (Digby)
Belatarr Thelonius Monk
(pic forthcoming…)
THE GIRLS
Belatarr Ella Fitzgerald (Ella)
Belatarr Mahalia Jackson (Billie)
Belatarr Nina Simone (Nina)
Final Week Shots from the Dog Sofa (whilst Mum & Dad are out for a walk)
A Snoozy Ella Fitzgerald, with her fabulous (fathers) coat.
...nearly asleep...
Under scrutiny.
A very intense Thelonius Monk.
Adam & friends.
Puppy Pile-up.
Twin-Level Puppy Pile-up.
Complete take-over.
Tim & co.
Week 3: Pup Update.
Another huge week for the Belatarr babies – and for Phoenix too whose 3rd Birthday was on Friday!
With appetites growing daily and Phoenix down to just 5 functional teats, we started the process of weaning at 16 days of age, when the puppies still had only limited vision.
As with teaching any new babies to feed, much mess and general hilarity ensued, but all learned to lap on their first day of trying, and by day 20 they had progressed from their starter mousse (which looks and even smells just like Brussels Paté…though no, we haven’t tried it on toast as yet) to their first raw food – the same as the adult dogs get, but puréed for ease of digestion and blended 50/50 with the mousse.
Now, at 3 weeks of age, they are all feeding with what’s best described as frenzied enthusiasm, with Phoenix popping in to top them up with milk every 4 or 5 hours.
THE BOYS
Mr. Grey.
Mr. Indigo.
Mr. Green.
Mr. Red & White.
Mr. Red & Blue (he was very sleepy for this pic!)
Mr. Blue.
Mr. Brown.
Mr. Red.
Mr. Black.
THE GIRLS
Miss Orange.
Miss White.
Miss Yellow.
Week 2: Pup-update.
An eventful week for the Belatarr Babies:
Day 10: They doubled their birth weight.
Day 12: They started to walk, like wobbly spiders.
Day 13:  Mr. Blue & Mr. Red were the first  to open their eyes, everyone else more-or-less followed over the next 24 hrs, although they certainly can’t yet see and so tend to keep their eyes closed almost all the time.
Day 13: They hit 1KG each with only 50/60 grams difference between the heaviest and the lightest – so, all 12 are now pretty much identical in weight for all practical purposes.
Day 14: They all had their claws cut for the first time (that’s a total 216 claws!)
Day 14: Ears opened.
Also, due to some difficulties with instantly recognising which colour was which, (something that became increasingly important as the pups started trotting around much more speedily!) three puppies have been re-branded, so Miss Pink will, from now on, be know as Miss Yellow; Mr. Magenta becomes Mr. Green; Mr Purple morphs into Mr. Red & White (or candy-stripe, if you prefer) – we promise we won’t have to do that again! so without further ado….
THE BOYS
Mr. Grey.
Mr. Indigo.
Mr. Green.
Mr. Red & White.
Mr. Red & Blue.
Mr. Blue (with tongue just peeking out).
Mr. Brown.
Mr. Red.
Mr. Black.
THE GIRLS
Miss Orange.
Miss White.
Miss Yellow - waving.
SHOTS FROM THE WEEK
Pile o' Pups.
Peaceful Mr. Green.
Mr. Blue shows off his handsome ears.
Snuggled.
Brother & Sister.
Miss Orange flumps out.
Team A hard at work.
Everyone with Mum.
All very organised.
Belatarr Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla. 