Exciting news came at the end of November, in the form of confirmation that Flint had achieved his Junior Warrant. He will now be known as Grasilva Little Rock Avec Gilkaro JW.
He is the first male Norwegian elkhound since 2008 to be awarded this title by the Kennel Club. It is probably the hardest title to attain in the breed these days, as there must be 3 dogs in each of the qualifying classes and there is a time limit on a dog's eligibility for the award - they must be between 6 and 18 months of age at the time of the class wins. The poor registrations in recent years have had a negative impact on the number of young dogs in the lower classes, and it has been all but impossible to achieve the title. A young bitch belonging to another exhibitor attained her JW just a few weeks before Flint (congratulations to her also), so hopefully this is a sign of a resurgence in numbers. Of course, where there are at least 3 dogs in the class, you do still need to have an exhibit that is good enough to take the others on and beat them!
He is the first male Norwegian elkhound since 2008 to be awarded this title by the Kennel Club. It is probably the hardest title to attain in the breed these days, as there must be 3 dogs in each of the qualifying classes and there is a time limit on a dog's eligibility for the award - they must be between 6 and 18 months of age at the time of the class wins. The poor registrations in recent years have had a negative impact on the number of young dogs in the lower classes, and it has been all but impossible to achieve the title. A young bitch belonging to another exhibitor attained her JW just a few weeks before Flint (congratulations to her also), so hopefully this is a sign of a resurgence in numbers. Of course, where there are at least 3 dogs in the class, you do still need to have an exhibit that is good enough to take the others on and beat them!