It has been busy days with several invitations to go hunting with the dogs the last couple of weeks.

Some were far away – others closer by. The advantage of having to drive a bit is that I get to see places and areas that are unknown to me. Last week I went to Drenthe and the small game was low in numbers. We did get to see a beaver enjoying lunch and Rumi found a rubber balloon in a waterway. Of course we took that one to the bin where it belongs. I hope that people realize that it is potentially harming nature to release balloons in the air.

Last week I got a call from an unknown number: “I heard you have great working gundogs and we need someone to assist us hunting in the thick cover”. I was of course flattered but saying that my dogs are great somewhat puts the pressure on. I might feel they are good working dogs – but the factual judgement to that is the amount of game that is retrieved and if necessary rescued.

Anyways, I promised to come and help out at this hunt. It was in the south of NL where a lot small game can be found, especially hare.

Keeping the number of hare at a certain level is important to have a healthy population which also allows farmers to grow our vegetables.

A hare hunt is extremely exiting for the dogs. I therefore keep them on the leash if there are many hares around. I do not want to take high risks.

A hare was shot but not to death unfortunately. The hunter reacted promptly by giving the hare a second shot and called for a dog loudly. Injuring an animal is what all hunters try to prevent – and even though we spent many hours practicing on the shooting range this do happens occasionally. That is the reason why it is a responsibility to have a well trained gundog who can quickly run out and retrieve the hare. I send Rumi as soon as the hunter called for a dog and she ran a perfect and efficient chase and retrieved the hare. It may have taken less than a minute and the suffering of the hare was reduced to a minimum. I am really proud of my girl – she is such a keen worker.

Later she managed to push out a fox together with Kaspar and she tracked down a pheasant runner. Wauw Rumi – there is really nobody like you.. so yes today I can truthfully say that my dogs were great. Of course we keep on training to remain in shape. For now we all need a bit of rest. Expect Lotte – she is enjoying her “maternity leave” and she gets some recreational walks where she simulates her own hunts.

Friday morning the 22nd of November we had Lotte’s progesterone tested for the 3rd time. It showed that she had just had ovulation and the vet predicted best mating moment to be Saturday and Sunday. It took some deliberation as Kaspar was supposed to run the WFRG Trophy on Saturday. The weather forecast was too bad for me to dare risk any delays.. we decided to cancel the Trophy and drive to Germany.

Lotte was lucky to have Rumi to accompany her and we were all staying in the lovely family cottage of Cajus’ owner.

Lotte resembles Rumi a lot – knowing what she wants or not. She did not want any hanky panky from Cajus on Saturday. In fact it left Maike and I rather depressed that she was that rejective.

Sunday mornings are always something special, don’t you think? Well Lottte thought the same and pulled me right out the door turned her behind towards Cajus and we had a very good mating with almost half an hour coupled. Cajus had some leg support from his owner. The two lovers had a sweet after play licking each other and rolling in the sand together.

After that Lotte had had enough lovemaking and was back to saying no with a deep bark. No more hanky panky for my little red monster.

We are happy that we got a good mating out of our trip and are looking forward to the ultrasound in about a months time.

On Sunday afternoon I had the joy of training with a couple of young gundogs – lovely time we had. My deepest thanks to the Marschke family for the “gastfreiheit”.

The waiting list for this litter will be open until birth.

As the title suggests I feel called out to talk about my love and passion for working my dogs and the joy we share in nature.

I am the daughter of a man who has hunted his whole life. My father is a farmer’s son and his family had to work hard to have any food on the table after the 2nd World War being small farmers. He started hunting at 16 years of age – helping my grandfather to provide for his family. My father kept hunting and build his lifestyle around this “hobby”. As a child I ate more game than any other protein source.

When I was in the hunting cabin with my father I used to make little burial crosses for the individual animals that had been shot. I took great pride in thanking them and honoring their lives and natures gift to us. I remember how the hunters smiled at me and talking about the fact that I had a burial ceremony for their prey, their laughter never felt as if I was ridiculed but rather sympathetic instead.

Since then quite some time has passed. I have had periods of being vegetarian after learning how our society has arranged how we eat and use animals as production units and feeding ourselves with them, often offering them poor living circumstances. I have also learned about the cutting down of ancient forest grounds for having soy beans growing and palm oil. These products are used in many (vegetarian) food products. For some reason my farmer’s and hunter’s genes have been pressing me forward to have interest in food and our food systems- the so called “bio-industry”. Since many years I have my own biological vegetable garden and being non chemical has let our garden to become refuge for several bee swarms, insects and hedgehogs- next to our vegetable supply.

Even though I have not had the ambition to hunt from an early age, my love for nature and eating game has slowly grown over the years – via the horses and later the dogs.

Working the dogs when hunting requires focus and lots of training in advance, same goes for a hunter – it takes years to become a skilled and good hunter. In order to acquire game to the table – one puts an enormous investment in time and effort and this builds a certain value and respect towards the meat that in my opinion has been lost due to the fact that we too easily can buy meat from the supermarket at any time we wish. Taking a life yourself – will without doubt add weight to the value of the life taken and the respect it deserves.

The past weeks my dogs have taken me through at least 50 different shades of green so to speak. On different hunts in Belgium and in the Netherlands I have worked my dogs with and without the gun. All for the purpose of bringing home game for the table.

We are merely at the beginning of the season but I am already utterly thankful for the journey the dogs are bringing me. From learning to shoot and hunt, learning about nature and taking the first steps into hunting and preserving.

I am very grateful for the opportunities offered to me by hunters and friends, but most of all the all loving Mother Nature. She is giving to the extend one could consider it to be the ultimate love declaration for us humans. In humble thankfulness 💚🍃🍁☘️

Our wonderful little girl Flatastic Red Strength “Lotte” is enjoying couch time – favoring attention from the male part of our family. This is not without reason – she is in heat. ❤️

In a few weeks we will travel to Germany for a romantic visit with her one and only Arved von der Wichmannsburg “Cajus”.

We are very excited and thrilled to start our adventure…

Waiting list subscription is still open for active (working) homes. The pedigree of this litter is 8+ generations of working gundogs.

On the 26th of October 2024 Hans & Spyke gained their first B1 certificate at the WFRG Working Test in Lochem.

Congratulations Hans with your accomplishment 🐾

Thursday evening the 10th of October we received a heartbreaking phone call from the owner of sweet girl Fien, Flatastic Green Compassion. Fien had two days earlier had a collapsed lung that had been treated by the vet. Unfortunately her lungs collapsed again and she died on her way to medical treatment. We are heartbroken that this little gem of a Rumi daughter has left us far too soon. Even though our tears seem to have no end I feel the urge to pay this wonderful soul a tribute. I am forever grateful for her being a part of our lives – and as a breeder I am very proud of her. She was a fantastic flatcoated retriever.

Puppy Green:

Fien was as a puppy a little energy ball. She would run around with a toy in her mouth most of the time and she loved challenging the boys to do a play of chase. If any of the boys got to close she would jump up to a higher place and tell them off. In this manner she was a copy of Rumi – having the exact strong spirit and motivation as her mother.

When I met Laurine I noticed how their energy matched – even though it was Laurine’s first working flatcoated they proved to be a great couple.

Youngster:

Fien remained one of the smallest of the dogs of the Aura nest. Her charisma and energy was however one of the largest. Fien showed very early that she was very clever with a strong mind of her own. She was very quick to develop and learn – challenging her handler to be a step ahead all the time.

Grown up:

I had the pleasure of enjoying a couple of hunting days together with Fien and her owner Laurine. Fien showed great stamina and eagerness in retrieving and she worked very well together with other dogs in the field. She had a keen nose and kept her head calm even in a busy shoot. With her 24 kg she was at the small end of the scale for her breed – but her speed was on of a kind.

CV:

HD A EL free Patella free ECVO clear (except distichiasis) – Gonio mild height 54 cm

Show results: 

Excellent junior class WFRG KCM. Very good junior class FRC KCM

Working results:

SJP-C WFRG Heerle – SJP-C Wijchen – SJP-C Gieten 

Practical hunting experience in Belgium

Fien you have left us far too early leaving our hearts sore and sad. We will never forget your sweet, funny and energetic soul. Your name “green compassion” is a quality we need now the most to heal from our loss.

Run free sweet girl – run and chase those rabbits in the forever hunting fields.

After our poop failed attempt at the SJP Rhenoy – Lotte and I had the opportunity to make our true premiere at the SJP A in Delft Monday the 16th of September.

Conditions were not easy – eastern winds and a terrein with high plants and many distractions

Lotte started very well on the first cast, a few corrections and the first blind of 100 meters came back.

After the first blind we were up for the second – most difficult of all. 130 meters crossing a walking path, a ditch and situated up against a wall of water plants. Lotte listened very well and I managed to keep her out of the water. All up until the ditch she did very well and then the whole thing collapsed and she ran full speed ahead to the place first dove.

One may argue that it was a poor ending – I went home with a big smile. She did very well for 85% of the time. This is certainly not bad for a first time.

14 participants on the double blind (I proef) and no one passed.

I am feeling very hopeful with Lotte and our work together. Good girl she is.

All photos by Sanne Romijn “Dog Portret”

The Dutch Gundog Show is traditionally every other year and used to take place at a castle location with lists of “hunting” atmosphere. This year the show was unfortunately held elsewhere and it sadly took out some of its he characteristic spirit of the show. Nevertheless team Flatastic showed in full style and our dogs were valued with good critiques and nice placements.

Flatastic Red Strength 1st place excellent working class bitches & 3rd place couples class all breeds

Flatastic Black Peace 1st place excellent working class males, BOB working & 3rd place couples class all breeds

Flow of Spirits Silver Skipper 2nd place VG Veteran bitches

Thursday morning my husband asked me to take care of a “rear” situation. Rumi had some loose stool..as she was smelly to start with she got a nice clean bath with shampoo too which she was deeply offended of course. I normally do not wash my dogs – only in cases like this when they have done a “scent camouflage” out of something that does not go well with our noses.

Friday Kaspar was at the MAP Bilthoven. He had been a bit restless at night but looked fit in the morning. The first post was a total failure. He ran out hunting the forest far too deep and I suspected him to hunting for deer instead of cold game. The second station he did nothing at all after running out. This is very unlike Kaspar. Third station he picked up a crow and then ran out as if he had forgotten at all what he was doing. I decided to pull him back. The rest of the day he was sleeping in a corner and the next morning he was having diarrhea too.

The Saturday I was with Lotte at the SJP Rhenoy. She obtained a good 75 point B certificate and we were ready for the A part in the afternoon. She ran out on a very nice cast – stopped for a large poop and ran further to get the dove and came back, stopped and had to poop again. What an onfortunate situation.. of course I pulled her back from the test at that point. Next day was full of stomach trouble and by the time she was better we had another SJP test in Gieten. Our 2nd station: a mark in the plowed soil. Let’s say she was not on top of her game and lets say that the judge and I had different insights on what happened but I had a hard time finding value in any discussion and considered that this experience was a good closure of a weekend in the theme of “shit happens”. My smile is though unaffected as I have passed the hunting exam past Thursday and I received some gorgeous photos from Fred Bekema of Lotte and I in Rhenoy. So even with poor results – I am still smiling feeling very content.

On Saturday 24th of August Flatastic Blue Intelligence achieved his SJP B certificate with 71 points in Woudenberg at the test of Jachthonden opleiding Heuvelrug.

Big congratulations to Hans & Spyke.

Spyke is Hans’ first gundog and flatcoated retriever so their learning curve have been one of growing together.

We are very proud of this couple.