AFC Siskiyou Mountain Lunar Raider CD MHA OA OAJ NF OFP CGC WDX
– Luna –
Owned by Jack and Cindy Williams
- 2009: Junior Hunter, Senior Hunter
- 2010: Amateur Field Champion, Master Hunter, Working Dog Excellent, ESSFTA Multi-Titlist Medallion
- 2014: Novice Agility, Novice Agility Jumper, Open Agility, Open Agility Jumper, ESSFTA Multi-Titlist Medallion
- 2015: Novice Fast, Open Fast Preferred, ESSFTA Multi-Titlist Medallion
- 2016: Master Hunter Advanced
- 2017: Companion Dog, Canine Good Citizen
Luna was born May 3, 2006 and eight weeks later she introduced my husband and I to the joys and challenges of partnering with a field-bred English Springer Spaniel. Clearly, the first order of business was for Luna to make it clear that springers are not just any dog; they are happy, enthusiastic bundles of love and inquisitiveness. The first seven months after Luna came home were full of joy. Her tail never stopped wagging, she was ever ready to play, she exuded joy; Luna was the perfect family pet. At nine months, Luna was ready to move on to phase two of the education of her rookie springer owners. Never subtle, Luna brought her point firmly home when she took off after a covey of quail while in the middle of a back-country hike. It took us two hours to realize that wandering the hills and gullies was not productive and decide to hike back out to our truck (with the intention of getting our camping gear, setting up camp where our helpless puppy was last seen, and awaiting her return) … where we discovered that far from being “lost,” Luna was extremely proud of herself and happily waiting for our return! We got the message – springers are serious bird dogs – and we knew we needed to learn how to be a real partner to our energetic and talented pup.
As I learned about handling Luna in the field and she learned about the joys of working birds as one-half of a partnership, Luna blossomed from family pet to family pet with a purpose, and together we took our first tentative steps into the world of competition. Luna and I began with Hunt Tests, starting at the Junior level and moving briskly through the Master level, while picking up a Working Dog Excellent title along the way. At almost the same time we investigated Hunt Tests, Luna and I stuck our toes into the world of field trialing and found a welcoming home. Luna became the “Lady in Red,” placing 2nd more times than I can remember before completing her AFC with a win in challenging winter conditions on a downwind course. Eventually, Luna matured to an age where field trials were asking a lot of her. She still had the desire and heart, but serious trialing was more than I wanted to continue to ask of her, and she mostly retired at age 9 from the competition field. We did continue to run an occasional Hunt Test, and ultimately Luna earned her Master Hunter Advanced title one year later.
However, Luna didn’t believe in retirement or even partial retirement, so we took up a new sport – Agility Trials. Although there were no birds involved, Luna took to Agility with alacrity. We started with standard and jumpers, earning Novice and Open titles in both during her first year, despite only entering the limited number of local trials that were available. The second year, Luna added Fast to her repertoire, quickly earning her Novice Fast title, then completing Open Fast Preferred before retiring for the second time at age 10. This retirement didn’t last much longer than her first, and the following year we ventured into the world of Obedience, earning Luna’s CD over the course of our first competitive weekend. Now 12 years old, Luna is trying retirement once again; although who knows what might yet be in her future. Certainly, Luna has trained us well and equipped us to be full partners with the additional springers that have joined our family. We know that a good springer will turn themselves inside out to do what you ask, but that, no matter what, they are first and foremost “always a bird dog.” And, what a gift that is. I still get a burst of joy every time I watch Luna work a bird. Nose to the ground, working the wind, and tail wagging a mile a minute, she has to be one of the happiest dogs on earth.