HAWKWISE BRITTANYS

Any falconer's dog must be sensible around the birds and must understand its role in the whole proceedings - in short it must be hawkwise and this is why Steve's Brittanys are all registered with the Hawkwise  kennel suffix. Steve, and his late wife Barbara, first met the breed at Crufts in the early 1980s. Although not actively seeking a hawking dog at the time, because he was still beating Warwickshire flat with a stick, the advantages of a pointing dog were obvious.

When Heart of England Falconry was started in 1985 an appreciable part of the winter income was generated by hawking parties. Without a dog this was hard work and not as successful as it might have been. A dog was a necessary investment but they already had a pack of ageing whippets and were reluctant to inflict a large, boisterous German pointer on some of the older dogs, who were slowly rusting away. A Brittany seemed a suitable choice but they were very rarely available. However Barbara found an advertisement for a litter in the local paper and, after a little research, bought one both as a surprise present and an act of faith in the success of the infant business.

This tiny, black & white scrap was to become their foundation bitch. Registered by her breeder, Kathy Gorman, as Walgoreg Emerillion she was given the pet name of Nem. This was short for Eneme ( French for enema on the basis she could flush anything out). Nem started pointing flies in the back yard at only eight weeks of age, thus answering the old question of "how do you teach the dog to point".

She continued to hone this skill on our rabbit pen and on a pair of aviary-kept silver pheasants. By the time the hunting season started Nem was ready to go, and proved to be a zealous huntress. She was to work on many different kinds of terrain and proved her worth many times over. At nine and a half she finally paid the price of too many hard miles on the clock and picked up a wrist injury which was to force her retirement. Given to a friend she continued to do limited work until finally passing on at the grand age of 16.

Nem was shown just once, at the Brittany Club Open Show in 1988. She won 2 classes and ended up Reserve Bitch to her mother. She was also bred from, on the advice of Mike and Pauline Bevan she was mated to Rosevale Dominic and produced 5 bitch puppies. Of these Hawkwise in the Brambles (pet name Villain) was kept. She worked in tandem with her mother and eventually carried the baton by herself. Like Nem she was a truly dedicated worker and won many new admirers for the breed. Villain was a 'false' tricolour, being a rich mahogany with black tips to her ears giving a 'burnt toast' look. Again she was shown only once,winning a good Novice Bitch class at the Brittany Club Open Show.

Villain had two litters. The first to the Bevans' Sh. Ch. T'Chao de l'Hospitalier at Brittyhill produced 6 pups. There was only one bitch, which was an exact replica of her mother, and Steve thought it would be difficult to work two such identical girls together. He therefore opted to keep a dog, a fairly bold decision as there were few Brittany dogs that displayed the biddable nature that he was seeking. Careful selection resulted in "Trouble" (Hawkwise Highlander) being kept. A boldly marked false tri like his mother he was so pretty that several people remarked that he was "too pretty to be any good as a worker". He was quickly to prove them wrong. Going up to Scotland for a six month  hawking season it was intended to let him run behind Villain for an hour a day to "educate his nose". However an injury to her left him carrying the burden of being a full-time hawking dog, working in front of clients, from the tender age of 5 months! This put an old head on his shoulders and gave him more  experience, before his first birthday, than most dogs get in a lifetime.

Villain's injury never cleared up and she was mated again, this time to Foscott Phlash Gordon at Aberdon. Of the 6 pups it was decided to keep another dog as Trouble was doing so well. This pup was named "Hassle". He was much larger than Trouble but suffered from completely hero-worshipping his older brother. If worked together he simply followed Trouble and never developed any real intiative as a result. In the end he was sold and now does track & search competitions.

Hawkwise Highlander

On point

Trouble became very well respected by all who saw him work but this is a tiny number of people. As Steve's admiration for his abilities grew so he felt that his dog was of a quality that would be good for the breed as a whole. In consequence Trouble was entered, in 2004, at a Brittany Club Championship show where he qualified for Crufts, without winning anything more. The following March dog and owner turned up at the NEC - and failed abysmally. Trouble had just finished a hawking season and was "as thin as a kipper". He was also totally badly behaved and did not show to advantage. Not an impressive debut.

Mortified by this Steve and Trouble attended the local ringcraft class. In time they entered the Brittany Club Open Show under Mick Young. To Steve's great surprise and gratification Trouble went Best in Show and a few weeks later was Best of Breed at the Three Counties Championship Show,  judged by Mrs K Clements. From there they travelled on to the Bournemouth Championship Show and won the Reserve Dog CC (Challenge Certificate). This time the judge was Pauline Bevan. Bournemouth proved lucky for him as Marion Reeves gave him his first CC there in 2006. All four of these wins were under Brittany breeders.

Hawkwise Highlander at Stud

Details
Whelped 23.06.2001, KC Reg. No. AB024398002, Stud Book No. 2450CQ. Docked.

Proven sire, patient but keen stud. No known epilepsy, patella luxation, etc. in his breeding. Hip Dysplasia score 4/3. Height to shoulder 48cm.

Working abilities are excellent. A fast but thorough and stylish hunter, reliable, steady on point and very accurate. He is particularly responsive and willing - qualities he seems to be passing on to his progeny. Throws all colours, including roans  and clear marked pups. Litters to date have been very level in size. On the show side his pups mostly seem to have very short backs and good heads.

Stud fee is £400 but would like the option of a bitch pup instead from selected bitches. Return service or refund for unsuccessful matings.

Litters
1. Trouble's first bitch was Kilimazing Russet, a poaching dog from Coventry. Russet was a proven worker and a good example of a typical Brittany. She had 5 orange & white pups of which 3 went for work with falconers.

2. To further prove Trouble's ability Steve was lucky enough to be able to buy a young, black roan bitch from Debbie Mooney. Mia (Challowmoon Ukraine at Hawkwise) was worked for a season under the hawks and acquitted herself well. She proved steady and responsive. They were mated and she produced a bumper litter of eight pups. The litter of 8 looked like liquorice allsorts. There were 2 tricolour bitches (one of whom is now the dam of 11 pups) and a black & white. The dogs numbered 2 orange & white, 1 black & white, a false tricolour and an unusual  tricolour that looked like very dark mahogany. With the exception of one dog all the others were sold to working homes. To date all are earning rave reviews.

Hawkwise Woodworker - a very unusual tricolour. "It's the end of the season and he has had many compliments from people we went shooting with. He performed admirably and he is now finally starting a bit of retrieving... which is great!!"

3. Another liquorice allsorts litter of 8 was whelped to Hilda Whalley's Spring Special. This time there were 4 orange & whites, 1 black & white, 2 tricolours and 1 false tricolour.

4. A repeat mating to Challowmoon Ukraine, after a second successful season in the hawking field, produced 9 pups, the biggest litter yet. Seven of these are destined for the hawking field while 1 will be shown and trialled and 1 worked in agility and shown.

"Pup (Hawkwise Bonnie Prince) is doing really well. I am very, very pleased with him. He is an extremely fast learner, picks things up very quickly. He retrieves with enthusiasm and is working to the gun with a passion, and does not get mixed up when out hawking. He does know when and when not to retrieve, all skills he has basically taught himself. When he is told "No" he never needs to be told again. Honestly I have never known a dog so forward as Charlie. He still needs to be a little more steady when on point, but time and experience will do that. He quarters at a good pace (also self-taught) with only a little instruction and guidance. His scenting ability is amazing - the dog has the nose of 10 dogs. Charlie is also now working cover well, something that has required some encouragement, but he has got it. I could happily sing his praises all night, he is, to me, one in a million, a bloody good dog and will get better as this working season progresses. Good breeding, Steve, well impressed." Jeff from Yorkshire.

"She (H. Bisou) is the most intelligent pup for her age I have ever met. Here is a photo of her pointing her first pheasant at ten and a half weeks." Pete - Leicester

H. Babiole avec Badgerbeck won the Puppy TAN (Natural Aptitude Test) at the Brittany Club Championship Weekend in October 2006 - aged 28 weeks!

Hawkwise Bricoleur at 7 weeks.

5. Field Trial enthusiast Fiona Wensley brought her good working trials bitch Sif Goldbraid and had a traumatic whelping. Although losing one pup at this stage she still got 2 dogs and 2 bitches. She is keeping an orange & white bitch and a black & white dog to trial. The others, both orange & white are with falconers. The black dog "Kraken" has worked particularly well and has won in the show ring. Latest news is that Fiona is keeping him under wraps until he has some field trial success to his name. An orange & white bitch which went to Yorkshire is also doing well, working under goshawks.

6. Hawkwise Brittanys have also recently acquired the litter sister to Sif Goldbraid, Gudrun Ringmaiden, and she has whelped 2 bitches and 6 dogs on 4th of October, having already started to work with the hawks (see below). 3 have gone for hawking (H. Barrie was with us until 5 months and was pointing pheasant, rabbit and marking occupied warrens), 1 for rough shooting, 1 for obedience/agility.

7. Brittyhill Simone, a hawking bitch owned by Mark Belmonte (and dam of the Best of Breed at Crufts in 2007) whelped 10 pups in January 2007. These pups are mostly going to hawking homes. One has been bought for show. After their first season the reports are very favourable.

8. Brittyhill Simone made a repeat visit in March 2008 and produced another 10 pups. Mark is intending to keep a bitch for work and breeding, his first bitch being a full sister to Hawkwise in the Brambles.

9. Just one week later Challowmoon Ukraine at Hawkwise produced her third litter to Hawkwise Highlander. 4 bitches and 3 dogs duly arrived safely and are steadily flattening the plants in the back garden as this is written (June '08).

THE NEXT GENERATION
It has been a long time but Hawkwise Brittanys are buying in the next generation. Hawkwise Witchcraft at Broadwing (H. Highlander x Challowmoon Ukraine at Hawkwise) produced 11 pups to the same owners Amber Hawk at Broadwing and Steve purchased an orange & white bitch, Broadwing Corn Dolly at Hawkwise. If she works well she will eventually be mated back to her grandfather, but that is a long way ahead. Watch this space!

UPDATE: Dolly has finished her first season now and has worked enthusiastically. She is a happy and responsive girl and shows every sign of being a reliable worker. Like all Brittanys she has a sunny temperament but sadly her face will not be her fortune. Although qualifying for Crufts at her first and only show Steve does not think she is of show quality. Faced with a decision of whether to sell her on or keep her it was decided that the working ability was most important and that she would be retained and probably be bred from in the future. As Steve says "If she had been my first Brittany I would be overjoyed to own her."

TRAINING THE HAWKING DOG
Steve has been a dog trainer since he was in short trousers (a long, long time ago) and has worked 11 Brittanys to date. These have either been his own or dogs that have been loaned to him.  He has also seen a lot of other Brittanys in the hawking field.  While this does not make him an expert it does mean that he has reasonable experience of the breed.  Anyone wanting guidance, advice or counselling ( when HPR owners get together it can easily become a group therapy session!) can contact him at any time. Details are on the Home Page, see also Publications Page.

A useful link is www.thegundogclub.co.uk.

THE BRITTANY CLUB OF GREAT BRITAIN
Anyone who is thinking of owning a Brit, or who already has one, should join the Brittany Club of Great Britain. Through their website you will have access to a fund of knowledge, advice and support, contact www.brittanyclub.co.uk.