For those that haven’t had the pleasure of meeting this exuberant, full of life dog in person, most would assume that there is a story to his name….and you would be correct. 

Our family pours our hearts and souls into every puppy that we are privileged to raise.  Watching their personalities grow and develop as they experience new wonders over the 10 weeks they are in our care, is one of the most precious gifts a dog breeder is given.  As we analyze how each individual pup responds to stimuli and tackles challenges they are presented with, we begin to see insight into how they are going to learn when we send them on to their forever homes.  Determining a puppy’s personality traits can’t be analyzed in one solitary session with a series of “tests.”  True understanding of how a particular puppy is going to address training, learning and stressors is a growing development and as breeders our goal and hope is that we acknowledge the strengths in that particular puppy to advantageously select the right home that will grow those strengths and challenge that puppy in a manner that builds a foundation for that dog’s whole life.  More importantly than trying to “find the right home for the right puppy,” the skill sets that are taught at a young age stuck in the recesses of a puppy’s mind and help shape that young dog for their whole lives.  

As breeders, we try to scrupulously interview potential homes for our pups.  Conversations with potential families aren’t to determine who is or isn’t right for one of our pups, but to fully understand the expectations of that family and help determine if the “genetic package” that is living inside the bodies of a particular litter is going to mesh with those goals in the way we hope. We feel that the homes we place a part of our hearts with don’t only become a part of the “Surefire family” but become extended members of our family that we are connected with for the next 15 years; hopefully longer.  Sometimes even with the best intentions, homes don’t work out as planned. As breeders, we were very fortunate to be able to be involved and active in this  situation to fight for the best possible outcome.  Thankfully through some mutual dog acquaintances and incredible advocates, we were able to reacquire Laz and bring him home.

As a young puppy, Laz (known as Check in the Wyatt x Elsa page videos) was always self assured.  When presented with new situations, he was always so willing to take the time to analyze what was going on and develop a plan of attack.  He always moved with confidence and a definitive goal in mind.  Like all puppies, Laz loved rough housing with his littermates but he was always the first to climb into a lap to soak up some human attention. He truly had a sweet old soul from the very start.

When Laz rejoined our family just prior to his first birthday, it was probably one of the most emotionally driven experiences we have gone through as breeders.  There were a lot of obstacles that he would face in the upcoming months.  But like the self assured, confident boy that left our arms at 10 weeks, those same internal traits started to show themselves again.  While many pups never fully rebound from the types of negative experiences they might encounter, our hearts were overjoyed to see Laz flourish with praise, attention and mental stimulation.

This is where Laz’s story truly begins. We have been blown away by the talent in this young male.  Not only did we have to establish his foundations that were missed as a puppy, but his intelligence and eagerness to learn allowed him to take on high level training very quickly.  His first hunting season (as a coming 2 year old because he was unable to hunt the remainder of the season when we first brought him home) was incredible.  We were fortunate to take Laz to multiple states and hunt Sharptails, Hungarian Partridge, Pheasants, Prairie Chickens, Quail and Mallards behind him. There is such a learning curve to hunting wild birds on public land and Laz attacked each field and every species of game like a seasoned veteran. Due to his size, Laz is able to cover ground very effectively and does so in such a graceful, efficient manner that leaves you awed by his manner of work.  That larger range is so beautifully complimented by his incredible cooperation.  Without effort or direction, Laz consistently has a bearing on where we are at in the field.  The quiet teamwork is so evident and the sheer joy to be hunting with and for you exudes from every aspect of his being. Laz truly received the best of Wyatt and Elsa, the ultimate desire of any thoughtful breeding.

Unfortunately Laz didn’t run a Natural Ability test but he shows us daily the skill sets that he has been gifted by his parents.  We were excited to finish Laz’s foundational training and ran him in the NAVHDA Utility test in August of 2023 where he received a Prize 1 -204.  Throughout the test day, in the presence of new distractions, people and situations, Laz exuded the same calm, self confident demeanor that he is so well known for.  Laz will be running in the 2024 NAVHDA Invitational in Iowa along with his littermate, Faith. 

There is no shortage of quality in Laz’s pedigree with influences from DC Hillhaven’s Hustler, VC Jacob vd Westwind MH and Int CH VC Shooting Starrs Sharp Shooter MH; three dogs that have shaped the modern GSP. He comes from 5 generations of Versatile Champions: 10 total different VC’s and 11 other dogs that have achieved Utility Prize 1’s, Master Hunters and Field Champion titles.  The versatility and talent in Laz’s pedigree truly shines through!