He returned to another PWDCGC supported event in June where he went Best Puppy in Sweeps, and BOW for the 4 point major that gave him his championship!
Cuervo is "King" out of Helen and Samson litter. He is the first male that we decided to keep at home. We found that having Cuervo was a different experience than raising our girls. He seemed easier to train, asked fewer questions and challenged our authority less. In short, he has been a sheer pleasure to own.
While waiting to start his show career, Cuervo earned his Canine Good Citizen title at 9 months old. Hoping to enter him in conformation at the February IKC show in Chicago in a puppy class, we sent him to Missouri for some warm-up shows. He went Best of Winners all 3 days, coming home with his first 3 points. Apparently that was all the warm-up he needed. At the IKC, he took WD for a 5 point major at the Chicago PWD Club's supported entry. He followed that the next day with another 5 point major, going Best of Winners.
He returned to another PWDCGC supported event in June where he went Best Puppy in Sweeps, and BOW for the 4 point major that gave him his championship!
In August, we switched gears to water work. Cuervo took to retrieving easily, so we had been working in the water between conformation shows. At the PWDCGC trial in Sterling Lake, Cuervo earned his Apprentice Water Dog title on his first try (a first for me!). We attempted Working Water Dog the next day, and nearly succeeded. I had never asked him to jump off a boat before, and the first time I did, he hesitated too long and we went over time. He performed everything else (including subsequent jumps from the boat) correctly and on time.
Later in August, we traveled to Lake Elmo, MN where he still qualified to enter in the puppy sweepstakes class. He got his second Best Puppy in Sweeps there. Also while in Minnesota, Cuervo earned the first 2 legs toward his Rally Novice Obedience title.
In September, we drove to Rend Lake, IL for the PWDCA National Specialty. On our first day there, Cuervo earned his Working Water Dog title, performing like a seasoned pro. He even sat patiently on the boat platform while a boat from the neighboring trial rowed next to us to retrieve a wayward buoy ball. A few days later he earned his RN title, getting the 3rd leg he needed.
Cuervo had a busy spring in 2010. In April, we sent him to Canada - the first Marshview dog to show north of the border. He went Best of Winners each of the 3 days he was there, giving him half the needed points for a Canadian championship. Back in the USA, he followed that by picking up his first Best of Breed win as a Special in Michigan in May! He returned to Canada in June where a Best of Breed win and a Group 4 finish gave him the rest of points needed to reach CH. In the final 2 days of the show, he finished Best of Opposite over another male special.
He took another Breed win over 4 specials in Waukesha at the end of July. Must've wanted to show off for his girl Ruthie, who gave birth to 9 puppies August 3, making him a dad for the first time. In 2011, daughter Velma from this litter has already begun her show career, winning 1st in Futurity at the National Specialty in Georgia. Cuervo continued going to a few select shows and earned his Grand Championship, qualifying him to go to the invite-only Eukanuba show this December!
We've taken up agility again to get us through the long Wisconsin winter. In his first few trials last year, Cuervo forgot what weavepoles were (although he performed them consistently in practice). However, in January 2011 in Oshkosh, he got his game on. Two Standard qualifying runs, solid on every contact, gliding through the weave poles like a pro. We had a small mishap on Sunday - he ducked the tire, then jumped backwards through it before finishing it correctly - but that's what Novice is all about. Of course, just to remind me that he is a true PWD, he totally missed the weaves on both his Jumpers attempts. He was a real crowd-pleaser throughout.
Cuervo also competed in agility at the National Specialty in GA this fall. He dropped the first bar in his Standard run or we would have qualified, but it was downhill from there. Being outdoors for the first time was VERY distracting. His next trial is coming up in October - indoors!
October 2011. At our next agility trial - indoors - Cuervo qualified in 3 out of 4 runs. Three 1st place finishes with perfect scores. That gave him a Novice Agility title, and 2 legs toward his Jumpers title! The following weekend he qualified in 2 Rally Advanced trials, bring home the blue ribbon in both. The boy's on a roll!
When not out competing, Cuervo is a gentleman around the house, letting Helen be the boss, playing with grandkids and puppies (when available), and leading all visiting dogs down to the pond for a swim (even in October!). I can't wait to see what he still has in store for me. I'm sure it will be memorable!
