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| Belle has an incredibly calm and affectionate demeanor along with plenty of bravery and curiosity in new situations. She’s especially fond of wrestling with her “big boyfriend,” Boon, and other dogs much bigger and more aggressive than she. Belle is deceptively agile and strong as well as very devious when it comes to playing with other dogs. Her favorite trick is to feign submission and then “counter attack” her unsuspecting playmates before proudly darting off with tail and head held high. She delights in being sassy! This smart and aggressive side of her personality also comes through clearly in her field work. It’s amazing to see a dog that is so sweet and loving at home transform into a driven and stealthy hunter when it’s time to go to work. Like many well-bred GSPs, she is obsessed with finding and pointing birds for the gun. However, it’s her outstanding nose and the intelligent nuances in her hunting style that make her a very special gun dog. Belle is very rarely caught off guard once she makes game – excelling at self-control at the critical moment when a lot of other dogs blow it due to a lack patience. Time and again we have witnessed her patiently working a bird’s scent from a long way off – playing the wind back and forth until she zeroes in on the game for a smartly placed point. Her patience & honesty in her field work makes it a rare thing for her to bump or pressure a bird into flushing prematurely. At the age of 8 weeks, Belle took to stylish pointing within about five seconds of seeing and smelling her first live pigeon. She’s also unbelievably enthusiastic about retrieving anything and everything directly to hand. She absolutely loves working as a non-slip retriever. We have used her skills on dove hunts where she's made over 30 retrieves in a single day & she's also broken ice on a frigid North Dakota lake to retrieve over-sized migrant mallards. Belle is stoutly muscled for a female GSP – especially in her forequarters – giving her the strength and athleticism needed to be a durable field dog. But even for her relatively stocky build, she still has an elegant and light-footed gait that’s a joy to watch. Her white and liver coat is very dense allowing her to tolerate cold and wet conditions better than most Shorthairs. Belle eased through her first big test in June 2005 by scoring a 110 Prize I in her NAVHDA Natural Ability Test. The judges commented about how well-mannered the 11-month-old pup was during her first time in the testing spotlight. Belle then took on the Utility Preparatory Test and passed it with 152 Prize III in August & then ran it again in September to achieve a 149 Prize II – not too shabby for a little dog that was still young enough to be running Natural Ability at the time! Belle’s most recent accomplishments are earning her AKC Senior Hunter title in April 2006 & passing the NAVHDA Utility Test with a perfect 204 Prize I in September 2007. She has come very close to her Versatile Champion in her three attempts. We'll continue to strive for that and her Master Hunter title in 2010. Belle is consistently our most effective dog for producing woodcock & handling wily “ruffs.” Literally dozens of grouse and woodcock have been taken over her stylish points. And during our recent hunts in North Dakota, she's handled wild roosters & sharptails with finesse. We’ve come to learn & appreciate that when Belle goes on point, something good is bound to happen – so be ready! Clearly, the little white dog can hunt! |
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