Three Doves

05/29/2026

05/27/2026

Day Two for the Game On litter — and what a morning!

Etta and her eight puppies (five girls, three boys) made their first trip to Franklin County Animal Medical Center today. Dr. Hannah Kruse McDowell did a careful wellness check on Etta (who came through her whelp beautifully), examined every puppy from nose to tail — including the all-important cleft palate check — and performed the breed-standard tail docks and rear dewclaw removal. Mom and babies are home, resting comfortably, and nursing like champs.

The full story is up on the blog, including the "quarter method" we use for tail docks and a big thank-you to Dr. Hannah, Dr. Hunt Tainter, and the whole FCAMC team — who have cared for every Three Doves litter to date:

https://three-doves.com/?p=2167

# ThreeDovesPerformanceDogs

  The whole Game On crew, bundled into one warm basket and ready to head to the vet. By Albert & Terra Collver · May 27, 2026 It is day two for the Game On litter – eight tiny passen…

05/27/2026

Springers make excellent SAR (Search and Rescue) dogs!

The AKC does a fine job of offering titles that reflect not only what our various breeds were created to do—earthdog, field trials, herding, barn hunt, farm dog, coonhound field work, gundog, hunting, coursing, scent and water work—but also what they *can* do: therapy work, dock diving, flyball, obedience and agility, tricks, FAST CAT, and being a Canine Good Citizen. We’re still waiting for a title that recognizes excellence in begging.

Another title the AKC offers is the Search and Rescue (SAR) title, part of its title recognition program for dogs certified by recognized search and rescue authorities. These canines can mean the difference between life and death for people who are missing or lost, or who are impacted by natural disasters, wilderness emergencies, or mass-casualty events.

The AKC formally launched the SAR title program in September 2012 to recognize FEMA- and state-certified Urban Search and Rescue dogs, and in 2013 expanded the program to include Wilderness Search and Rescue dogs. While the AKC does not publicly maintain a running tally of titleholders, the number of dogs carrying SAR designations on their pedigrees has grown steadily over the years, reflecting the enormous training, discipline, and real-world deployment experience required of these teams.

The titles are recorded as permanent suffixes on a dog’s pedigree:

SAR-U1: FEMA or State Urban Search and Rescue Type I

SAR-U2: FEMA or State Urban Search and Rescue Type II

SAR-W: Certified Wilderness Search and Rescue (minimum five active deployments)

The first dog-and-handler team to receive the SAR title was “Juno,” the English Springer Spaniel Pride ’N Joy’s Juno-Lupa, and her handler, Beckie Stanevich, AKC Delegate for the Mountaineer Kennel Club and a member of FEMA’s Ohio Task Force One. The pair was honored at the September 11, 2012 AKC Delegates Meeting after becoming the inaugural recipients of the new title. Sadly, Juno crossed the rainbow bridge on December 26, 2018, leaving behind a profound legacy as a pioneer in the working dog community.

If your dog has earned a SAR title, please may we see their photos below and learn more about them?

05/26/2026

🐾 The Game On Litter has arrived! 🐾
Etta × Blaze did it — 8 beautiful English Springer Spaniel puppies, all born in just 2.5 hours in the wee hours of May 26th. Five girls, three boys, everyone healthy and nursing. Etta was an absolute champion. We're exhausted and over the moon. 😴🥹
We still have a few puppies available! Read the full story — including the whelping record and puppy photos — on the blog:
👉 https://three-doves.com/?p=2156

The Game On Litter Has Arrived! – Blaze × Etta, May 26, 2026 We knew it was coming. Etta’s temperatures told the story. One of the most reliable signs that whelping is imminent is a dro…

05/26/2026

Introducing the BlazE x Etta “Game On” Litter, 2026 May 26

05/24/2026

We are getting close! No labor yet but within the next 8-24 hours we should be having some news!

05/23/2026

Daily temperature taking has begun! Once we get a drop delivery will happen within 12-24 hours. Etta is still in the “safe” zone.

05/23/2026

🐾 THE REVEAL IS IN! 🐾

Thank you everyone for guessing — the results are officially in on Etta's Game On Litter (Etta × BlazE)!

The vet clearly confirmed 8 puppies… with a possible 9th hiding in there! 👀 (The 9th is likely a ghost image).

Etta is doing great and whelping is on track for around May 27. We are SO ready. 🎉

Stay tuned — the real fun starts very soon! 🐶

Litter info 👉 https://bit.ly/4t5LCH4

05/22/2026

🐾 X-RAY DAY at Three Doves Kennel! 🐾

Etta (Three Dove's At Last) is officially in the home stretch with the Game On Litter — her breeding with BlazE (CH Vinewood Three Doves Plays With Fire) is confirmed and the X-rays are IN! 🎉

Take a look at those little skeletons packed in there and DROP YOUR GUESS below 👇 — How many puppies do YOU see?

We'll post the official count later today! Whelping is expected around May 27, so things are getting REAL around here. 🐶

Both parents are OFA CHIC certified (Hip · Elbow · Eyes · PRA · DNA Repository) — these are bench-bred English Springer Spaniels built to be guns and game ready. 🔫🐦

Litter info 👉 https://bit.ly/4t5LCH4

05/22/2026

Puppies due next week. Accepting applications http://www.three-doves.com/

05/22/2026

Tomorrow we go to Xray Etta for a puppy count- how many do you think she is having??