vMUNSTERLANDERS continued from page 11 editions have been printed to date. After the addition of Desi, and the passing of Mickey, two more Large Munsterlanders from Snowy Oaks Kennel, have come home to live with the Rothenberger family. Meeka, currently nine years old, and Vienna, now four years old, are related by a lineage of grandfathers, great grandfathers, and great great grandfathers. The American Large Munsterlanders breed have a proud, one hundred year history of performance based ability breeding. The Rothenberger dogs are no exception to this tradition. Lori and Todd agreed to test all their dogs when purchasing them from their breeder. According to the Large Munsterlander Association of America website: “Field testing is a cornerstone in the breeding management of the Large Munsterlander by the LMAA. They encourage owners, to help maintain/enhance the valued hunting qualities that excite all new and existing Large Munsterlander (LM) owners by pursuing some level of field testing for your dog. Even if you may not plan to breed your LM in the future, having your dog evaluated via one of the approved field testing programs provides important information to both the individual breeder as well as LMAA in general. It also provides you with both incentive and a timeline to plan your training, and provides objectives and milestones to gauge your dog’s progress towards being the ultimate versatile hunting companion. All LMs approved for breeding by LMAA have passed some form of field evaluation focused on heritable hunting traits prior to the age of 16 months (and/or have pursued more advanced tests).” The couple divides their Munsterlander chores and share tasks, Todd relates “Lori carries the heavier burden by far. She does all the day to day work, but there are times I pull my share too. I’m the wheelman for all the training sessions.” Lori feeds the dogs, does the poop-patrol, while Todd is the muscle in charge of the guns, wrangling the birds, and the packing and unpacking of all the gear for their hunting trips. Lori and Todd also have a long-standing agreement that after hunting, “Todd cleans the birds and Lori washes the dogs.” The Rothenbergers have recently had new joys and challenges with the birth of Vienna’s first litter, born January 31, 2019. Vienna is the first dog Lori and Todd have ever bred. All of the eight puppies have been happily placed with excited new families from as close as Sioux Falls, to as far as Texas and Pennsylvania. Todd and Lori kept one for themselves too, a sweet female they named Harley. Harley has already been to her first quail hunt, and is registered for her first go at testing in Sioux Falls with her mother; Vienna, this September. Some pearls of wisdom the Rothenbergers share for hunting dog owners are: “We’re always learning new things, all the time. We’ve learned that each dog is different, even though they are the same breed. You need to use different methods for training different dogs. Some dogs require more patience and time in learning new skills than others.” “It’s all about the journeys that we choose for ourselves. I’ve always loved dogs and working with them. This journey with my dogs is more than just a hobby. It’s a way of life. It’s something I can enjoy with my husband. It gets us outdoors in the fresh air, keeps us active and constantly challenged to improve my training and hunting skills. We get to go out and see such beautiful parts of the country.” Lori feels her journey in working together as a couple with their dogs has helped make her better at communicating with Todd. She learned she needed to be very clear and specific in her narration. The time spent together keeps the couple close and their marriage strong. Among the most popular hunting breeds locally are Shorthaired Pointers, and “people that have versatile hunting dogs, have a favorite breed and they’re probably never going to switch and that’s okay. We just want to share what our experience has been raising Large Munsterlanders. Todd and I want to breed good family pets that can hunt.” Todd chimes in, “We spend our time, energy, and resources in the field – under the big blue quonset, with an appreciation for God’s creation while being outside.” In asking the couple about what their favorite prey to hunt is, Lori is quick to respond, “I wouldn’t hunt if I didn’t have a dog. I hunt for the dogs, because I enjoy watching them work. I enjoy watching them do what they are bred to do. I love watching them flush, go on point, and retrieve. I could chase a golf ball around forty acres, but I’d rather watch my dogs.” When asking Lori how she decided which people to place puppies with she casually replied, “Oh, I just chose people who would treat them the way I treat my dogs.” That’s a tall order. Any versatile hunting dog that gets to live with Rothenbergers gets the best of both worlds. They get a family that adores them at home, and brings out their very best outdoors as well. n check out... hervoiceonline.com Call or Stop By For All Your Heating and Cooling Needs! 2018 Broadway, Yankton 605-665-4348 M-F 8am-5pm Saturday 8am-Noon We Stock Filters Brad Haas HERVOICEvMAY/JUNE 2019v15