JOY
IN THE JOURNEY
Joy is the first and youngest female pointing Lab west of the Rockies to have earned the rare trifecta of hunt test titles in APLA, AKC, and HRC: 4xGMPR - MH - HRCH. Also a phenomenal waterfowler and upland bird dog, Joy is the epitome of everything you want in a versatile gun dog and family companion. Pointing Labrador Retrievers: one dog to do it all!
JOY'S STORY
Born on June 5, 2019 in Chanute, KS, Joy was the last female left unclaimed in a repeat breeding of Winston x Lacey. This itself was an anomaly, as usually Blackjack Kennels' pups are all claimed before they're born. Sight unseen and following a vague but strong intuition that I was supposed to buy this puppy, I purchased her, trusting her pedigree would prove itself as good in real life as it looked on paper. And it turned out that gut feeling was right...
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
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* MPR title at 13 months of age.
* 3xGMPR just before turning 16 months of age at the conclusion of the 2020 hunt test season.
* Completed her 4XGMPR, AKC SH, and HRC HR titles the following spring (2021) at the age of 2.
* Qualified for the 2021 APLA Triple Crown Invitational (did not enter).
* Earned her HRC Hunting Retriever Champion (HRCH) title on her 3rd birthday and her AKC Master Hunter (MH) title a few weeks later, qualifying for the 2022 AKC Master National (scratched due to heat).
* Qualifying Score at the 2023 APLA Triple Crown Invitational to earn the title of Triple Crown finisher.
* Qualified for the 2023 AKC Master National and earned a qualifying score to earn her first MNRC plate.
* Qualifying Score at the 2024 APLA Triple Crown Invitational to earn her second TC title and APLA Hall of Fame designation.
GENETIC CLEARANCES
UKC Reg: R293-730
AKC Reg: SS13026611
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Paw Print Genetics 3/26/2020:
CNM: LR-CNM3226/10F-PI, CLEAR
EIC: LR-EIC5946/10F-PI, CLEAR
PRA: LR-PRA3053/10F-PI, CLEAR
OSD: LR-SD2-246/10F-PI, CLEAR
DM - CLEAR
HNPK - CLEAR
SD 2 - CLEAR
Stargardt Disease-CLEAR
CMS (Labrador Retriever Type)-CLEAR
MCD (Labrador Retriever Type)-CLEAR
Color: yellow
Coat genotype: eeBb
D LOCUS: LR-DL2014/13F-PI (non-dilute)
Embark DNA Testing, May 2023: clear on all 256 genetic health conditions that Embark tested for at the time.
Embark DNA Testing, July 2024: clear on 273 genetic health conditions that Embark tested for at the time; carrier of the laryngeal paralysis gene but unaffected.
HEALTH CLEARANCES
OFA CHIC Number 160190 (ALL NORMAL)
OFA Hips: LR-256195E24F-VPI (Excellent)
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OFA Elbow: LR-EL104463F24-VPI (Normal)
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Advanced Cardiac: LR-ACA3279/31F-VPI (Normal auscultation, EKG, echo)
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Eye CERF/CAER: LR-EYE20936/38F-VPI (Normal, with breeder option, 08/10/2022)
ABOUT
US
My foray into the dog world started off as a volunteer puppy raiser for Guide Dogs of America. After a decade of puppy raising, I was ready for a different canine challenge, so my husband and I decided to pursue upland hunting as a new joint hobby. My experiences had always been with Labs but we wanted a pointing breed to hunt over, so I thought my Lab days were done.
That's when we discovered naturally pointing, purebred Labrador retrievers! I immediately became enamored with the breed and was intrigued by the training involved in producing a finished upland pointing retriever. I founded the Northwest Pointing Labrador Club in 2014 to nurture connections with other pointing Lab owners and build a network for training and hunt testing.
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Since then, I've trained all three of my pointing Labs to the highest level in the APLA, earning the 4x Grand Master Pointing Retriever (4xGMPR) title on each of them. In addition, my second and “heart dog” Dillon, also an AKC Master Hunter (MH) and HRC Hunting Retriever Champion (HRCH), earned a qualifying score at the 2021 AKC Master National Retriever Club invitational. Joy is my youngest dog and has already surpassed her unrelated older "brothers," earning her 4xGMPR, MH, and HRCH titles, all by just over 3 years of age. In 2023, she entered her first APLA Triple Crown invitational in Idaho and passed, earning her 4xGMPR-TC1 title. A few weeks later, in Georgia, she competed in her first AKC Master National invitational and earned a qualifying score, taking home her first AKC MNRC plate.
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I didn't set out to become a breeder, but Joy so impressed me with her biddability, intelligence, line manners, marking ability, perseverance, and nose, that I had to see if I could produce an even better dog using her as the foundation. Besides the talent that makes her a phenomenal hunt test competitor, a quiet but observant waterfowling companion, and an energetic bird-finding upland dog, her good looks, playful personality, and easy temperament make her a natural family pet and hiking buddy as well.
KEEP
IN TOUCH
We proudly feed our dogs
Kinetic performance dog food
