We’ve all seen them. Comments suggesting that purebred dogs are unsound. They can’t work anymore.
Blah Blah Blah.
Our series, “Not Just a Pretty Face,” focuses on dogs who have demonstrated that they can do the job for which their breed was created, while proving that their conformation has “chops” in a show ring. In our view, the two are related.
To that end, meet “Noodle,” a five and a half year old Weimaraner bred by Julie Anne of Luxe Weimaraners.
Noodle has validated the success of a breeding program focused on versatility in both the show ring and field. With her owner, Jan Hare, Noodle has done it in spades. One need only look at her full name to see the level of her accomplishments: GCH CH Luxe All You Can Eat Spaghetti RI MH MX MXJ XF CGC TKP SDX RD VX3. For anyone unfamiliar with these acronyms, look at the range of this little lady:
GCH – Grand Champion
RI – Rally Intermediate
MH – Master Hunter
MX – Master Agility
MXJ – Master Agility Jumpers
XF – Excellent FAST Agility
CGC – Canine Good Citizen
TKP – Trick Dog Performer
SDX – Shooting Dog Excellent (WCA)
RD – Retrieving Dog (WCA)
VX3 – Versatile Excellent 3 (WCA)
Noodle got her championship title at the age of eleven months, and within the following year, she was a Grand Champion.
Piece of cake.
Noodle loves agility and has her Master Excellent Jumper title. She is halfway to her Agility MACH title. Piece of cake.
This photo was taken on the occasion that Noodle was the Versatile Bitch class at the 2019 WCA National Specialty. The class is for bitches who have earned their “Versatile” rating with the Weimaraner Club of America. She actually earned her VX3 rating, a “Versatile Excellent 3,” and that means she has achieved upper level titles in four or more show and performance categories.
In addition to conformation and agility titles, Noodle has a trick dog performance title (that’s three disciplines). She also has a Shooting Dog Excellent title, one that was bestowed by the parent club (Weimaraner Club of America), and in our view, a breed specific title carries heft.
Noodle still isn’t done. The dogs we love do a lot to please us, but there is always that one thing that they obviously love to do, and for Noodle, it is hunting. She is almost finished with her Master Hunter Advanced title, which requires five additional Master Hunter passes all with scores averaging eight or higher.
If you admire balance, function, and form, the photo below is a thing of beauty:
Noodle lives life with intensity, and loves her people with the same ferocity. She loves to work, but when the day is done, she insists on her big fluffy, plush bed on which to chill. But just in case, she naps with one eye open in case something fun is about to happen. Jan tells us that her favorite thing is anything hard she can really chew on – especially marrow bones, but when it comes to toys, she doesn’t care what it is as long as it can be thrown and she can retrieve it. True to her breed, Noodle is happiest when she is given a mental exercise to work out.
In return, all Noodle asks is that she sleep on the right side of her mistress’ bed at night.
Jan describes Noodle as having been a crazy, out-of-control puppy that she had to work hard on to develop focus. Once the focus came about, Noodle was all business and started knocking off titles in every event the duo tried. Classic description of an intelligent, talented dog bursting to be challenged, and living up to every one of them.
To see the other dogs that have been featured as part of this series, simply do a search on our website for “Not Just a Pretty Face.” If you have a dog who has proved that he or she is not just another pretty face by having excelled in both conformation and other disciplines, email us your over-achiever’s “resume” and photographs to us here.