Southpaw Weimaraners

06/02/2026

Shiner riding in from what would eventually be a major win in AGD. Thanks to Jess to stepping into the handling game and to Alan for scouting! And team Seabank, as always!

06/01/2026

Thank you to breeders, owners, handlers, and the WCA for recognizing ACE for top producing field sire for 2025!

05/31/2026

Otto looking sharp! 📸 Kyle Barlow
VC Felix x Syren MH

05/22/2026

FORM IS NOT FUNCTION

Form is not function.

Function is function.

Form is form.

Look at bird dogs -- every color and shape, and lots of sizes, but it hardly matters as the form is nonsense. The function is what matters, and the true judge is not in the ring, but in the field and it has feathers, with perhaps a secondary judge behind the gun (he or she has shooting glasses and earplugs).

The same is true for guarding breed dogs -- lots of types, colors, sizes, etc., and it's all just form, which does not speak to function. Function speaks to function, and the true judge is not in the ring, but in the field and it has large canines and tends to move at night, with perhaps a secondary judge behind the visor in the truck counting the tally of woolies left in the field in the morning.

The same is true for working terriers -- lots of types, colors, sizes, etc. and it's all just form, which does not speak to function. Function speaks to function, and the true judge is not in the ring, but in the den pipe underground, and it has large teeth and a slashing bite and an ability to get into very tight spaces, with perhaps a secondary judge with a shovel in hand and a locator box in his hip pocket.

I could go down the line for running dogs, sled dogs, herding dogs, and the like, but it's the same.

Form is form, and function is function.

Show me what a dog DOES, and under what circumstances, and I will tell you what it is. Color of coat, color of nose, the shape of the ear, the name of the breed, and the "lay" of the shoulders (whatever that is!) does not have much to do with it.

05/05/2026

One of the reasons I love my breed is the the family ties. Feeling part of a whole—and developing and producing the whole. It takes a village.

When I was approached about taking Ivy to breed by Jay Fleming I said okay I have more dogs than I need but I will do right by your program. He told me she was excellent and I promised to breed her well.

Fast forward. Jay has passed on. His wife Dubose and I have remained good friends. With the help of the team we have gotten it done! Producing incredible intelligent stable bird dogs who have proven his Windancer program.

Ivy earned her FROM!

Roux MH
Rona MH
Syren MH
And several field pointed pups!

Incredibly grateful to Dubose & Jay Fleming, Mike Mullineaux, Chris & Adrienne Waldrop Rosario, Andrew Campbell, David Melnick, Joe Petroski, MW Dresch, and all of the amazing owners of Ivy’s pups!

It takes a village—and I sure do love ours!

Ivy is our third FROM here at Southpaw Weims! The best bird dogs come from the best females!

04/22/2026

Couple days past 5 weeks old and if it moves it’s gotta die!

04/12/2026

Why it matters where you buy your puppy!

We aim for consistency in temperament and working ability. While it’s never as simple as “just grab the pup you like” the working ability develops at different rates. And your breeder should be a valuable resource on this!

A good listen!

This video was taken out of Leerburg’s online course with Michael Ellis titled Puppy Development Workshop. This course has over 20 hours of video filmed over...

03/23/2026

I sent one dog to the AKC NWGDC. The Weim competition was big—20 consistent dogs who had lots of experience on those grounds. Shiner won the Weim championship! Feeling honored that the judges found my dog in such a talented line up! Enormous thanks to the judges who spent a week in the saddle in everything from freezing to nearly 90 degree heat. And thank you to Kelli for scouting and as ever thank you to Seabank Kennel for training, conditioning, and handling my boy! Thanks to David Melnick for helping us get him to this point!
Thanks to the SAWC for hosting this event!
His first national title but not his last 🥰

03/05/2026

Preventing unwanted litters is a goal we all share, but it may be time to rethink the surgical approach. Hormone-sparing procedures such as hysterectomy and vasectomy can make dogs sterile while preserving natural hormone balance, and they can often be performed as early as 8 weeks of age.

A large peer reviewed analysis has raised important questions. In this hospital population, spayed female dogs showed roughly 30 to 80 percent higher odds of several cancers compared with intact females. However, age remained the strongest driver of cancer risk overall.

Researchers reviewed medical records from 150,063 dogs and cats seen at the University of California, Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital between 2000 and 2019. They evaluated which cancers were most common and how risk related to age, breed, s*x, and neuter status.

Spayed female dogs showed higher odds of several cancers compared with intact females:

• Lymphoid cancer (immune system cancers such as lymphoma): about 80 percent higher odds
• Mast cell tumor (a common skin cancer from allergy cells): about 60 percent higher odds
• Melanoma (cancer of pigment cells, often in the mouth or toes): about 40 percent higher odds

Download the free PDF with the latest research surrounding spay & neuter syndrome, link in comments.

03/05/2026

Team Beyond the Point did it again!
Congrats to David Melnick for his buddy Roux finishing his MH! Roux was steadied up by Chris Rosario, spent two seasons on wild birds with Seabank Kennel and then went 5/5 for his SH and 6/6 for his MH with Chris!

Although not official yet, this also finished up Ivy’s FROM! Our third FROM girl who comes with a special story of teamwork of its own.

Roux is SP Michelin Star Roux MH