These Charter Standards are designed to help KG-USA Preservation Breeders produce litters with improved genetics in hunting performance, health, conformation, and temperament and to assist the KG-USA in fulfilling its mission of preserving and protecting the breed as it was originally envisioned by Eduard Korthals to be the ultimate walking hunter’s gun dog.  
 
As a PRESERVATION BREEDER, I certify that I have:
— Bred at least 5 litters of wirehaired pointing griffons from at least 2 different females with at least 2 different sires.
— Produced at least 3 dogs with a Conformation Championship or Conformation Rating of Good or higher, which is three points or higher in Conformation on the KG-USA Achievement Ratings Schedule.
— Produced at least 3 dogs with an Intermediate or Advanced Field Title, which is three points or higher in Field Performance on the KG-USA Achievement Ratings Schedule.
— Joined KG-USA and will keep my membership current so long as I am a Preservation Breeder.

And I certify that I will:
— Breed using sires and dams of appropriate qualities in relation to the official UKC Conformation Standard for the wirehaired pointing griffon.
— Breed with the intention of producing high quality hunting dogs that strongly represent what the wirehaired pointing griffon is intended to be, a hunting breed.
— Only produce litters from bitches that are older than 24 months at the time of conception.
— Not produce more than two litters in back-to-back heat cycles without resting the bitch for one heat cycle.
— Not produce more than 5 litters from a bitch in her lifetime. 
— Not breed my stud(s) to any female who has an eliminating or disqualifying fault as detailed in the UKC Conformation Standard for the wirehaired pointing griffon.
— Abide by other generally regarded best breeder practices (see list on KG-USA website).

As a PRESERVATION BREEDER, I also certify that my breeding dogs will meet the following standards:
1. Registration: 
— Both parents must be registered with at least one of the following canine registries: UKC, AKC, CKC, NAVHDA, or FCI, and have their DNA on file with the same organization, whenever required by the applicable registry.

2. Health:
— Both parents must be certified free of hip dysplasia by OFA (receiving a rating of Excellent or Good), PennHip (receiving a maximum distraction index of 0.50 on each hip) or the French SCC hip rating system (receiving a rating of A or B). Other similar foreign organization ratings will also be considered by request. 
— Any parent born on or after December 16, 2022, is required to have their Elbows and Eyes reviewed at least once by OFA and receive a rating of Normal. It is highly recommended, but not required, that any parent born before this date do the same. Other similar health testing organization’s ratings will also be considered by request.
— Both parents must have their K-Locus tested or proven by parentage. No KyKy dog may be bred. Any KbKy dog may only be bred to a KbKb dog.
— Neither parent may have a severe genetic defect.
— Bitch and stud dog (if alive) shall be found free of brucellosis by a licensed vet within 30 days of a natural breeding.

3.. Conformation:
— Neither parent may have an Eliminating (curly or wooly coat) or Disqualifying Fault (unilateral or bilateral cryptorchid, viciousness or extreme shyness, black coat or nose color, albinism) as defined by the then current UKC Conformation Standards.
— Neither parent may have a Class 2, 3, or 4 malocclusions (genetic defect in their bite).
— Neither parent may have entropic or ectopic eyelids or a total absence of undercoat.
— Starting 12-22-28, both parents must have their height and length officially measured (using a wicket) by a KG-USA approved Evaluator. Dogs under the standard listed below by more than 1 cm or over the same standard by more than 2 cm shall not be bred to other dogs with the same fault.  For the purposes of this clause, standard height for males is 55-60 cm, and is 50-55 cm for females.

4.  Field Performance:
— At least one parent must have been awarded an Intermediate or Advanced Field Title, which includes work before and after the shot. Approved field titles are NAVHDA UPT and UT (prize III or higher), UKC Gun Dog or higher, AKC SH or MH, VHDF AHAE test (6 pts or higher) or equivalent from other approved organizations. Intermediate and advanced titles that do not already include a water retrieve, must include a separate water retrieve test.
— The other parent must have been awarded a beginning level field performance title. Approved beginning level titles are NAVHDA NA prize III or higher, UKC TAN, AKC JH, VHDF HAE Good level or higher, or equivalent from other approved organizations. 

NOTES: (*) For the purposes of satisfying these Charter Standards, the words “Produced/Produce” and “Bred/Breed” shall include ownership of a litter’s sire or dam. (**) The approved systems for Conformation and Field Titles and Ratings are the UKC, AKC, CKC, FCI, VHDF, and NAVHDA. Other systems will be considered upon request. (***) December 22, 2022, is the date KG-USA was granted its official charter by the UKC as their national breed club for the wirehaired pointing griffon. (****) KG-USA is not currently requiring breeding dogs have their thyroid tested for hypothyroidism because the available tests do not certify a dog until they are eight years old, which is too late in a dog’s breeding life to make appropriate breeding decisions. We will continue to monitor the available testing and will update this position as new tests become available.

This Charter will be reviewed annually by the KG-USA Board of Directors. Any breach of these Charter Standards by a signatory may lead to expulsion from the Preservation Breeder group. The KG-USA Board of Directors shall have the exclusive authority to make changes to these Charter Standards and over all disciplinary decisions.

Larry got his first Griff in 1969, while he was still in the Navy. Her breeder kept her until Larry got out of the service. Koko was 7 or 8 months old when Larry picked her up. Kansas was like a statewide game farm at that time. Doves and ducks migrated through and then the upland season started. There were quail and pheasants everywhere. The hunting was great, and we soon fell in love with the WPG breed.

We started breeding as Aux Lake Wirehaired Pointing Griffons in Bellvue, Kansas in 2005, not only to extend the bloodlines of our terrific hunting dogs, but to help ensure the well-being of this phenomenal breed for generations to come. Our kennel’s foundation bitch was Aux Lake Annie. She whelped our A, B, C and E litters.

In 2006, we were invited to Philippe Roca’s Kentucky farm to meet Dominique Demers, a professional Canadian trainer. They introduced us to NAVHDA Utility Tests. We were excited to see that the Utility Tests were like some wild bird hunts we experienced in the 70’s and 80’s.

After several years of training with Dominique and testing in NAVHDA Utility Events, we set a goal to achieve 10 NAVHDA Versatile Champions. For those not familiar with NAVHDA VCs it would be like getting 10 medals at the Olympics. We now have 5 NAVHDA Versatile Champions of our own. Others with Aux Lake Griffs have achieved VC titles with their dogs. Along the way, we have bred many, many Natural Ability and Utility prized pups.

Our training is Larry’s own design. And we hope to someday memorialize his methods for the benefit of others.

Our goal is to produce healthy dogs with great temperaments that are exemplary representations of the breed. We strongly support the KG-USA Preservation Breeder charter and even helped design it. Preserving a breed is no small task and it takes good hard work of many dedicated breeders to stay the course.

See you in Kansas,

Larry & Paula

I have had a lifelong passion for dogs and have owned and loved numerous breeds. Once I got my first Griffon I knew this was the breed I would dedicate myself to learning about, preserving and sharing with others. I have served on the AKC parent breed club as a board member, and served on several committees including rescue and AKC Judges Education. My Griffons are active in AKC conformation competition earning Champion and Grand Champion titles. They are also active training and earning field titles.  I regularly train with my Griffons and seek out mentors both within and outside the breed. I love being a resource for others new to the breed and share in their excitement as they discover the versatility of the Griffon. 

I am proud to be an AKC Breeder of Merit and have met the standards to be a recommended breeder through Gooddog.

In 1999, Pirate des Bords du Dan arrived from Normandy, followed 2 years later by Toulouse des Bords du Dan. Some time later, Excel des Bords du Dan joined me in Canada. These are the very French foundation of DuValin breeding. 10 years later, DuChasseur Flèche was added and you have the basis of my lineage. The name DuValin relates to the Valins mountains, jewel of Saguenay and cradle of my link with hunting and fishing.

Until 2010, my activity with my griffons was limited to training, CKC tests, Navhda, and travel. In 2005, I brought Pirate and Toulouse to Pennsylvania where my two dogs got their VC (Versatile Champion) titles. It’s a big responsibility to become a breeder. The dog must be able to assume his hunting duties for at least 10 years. He must support the beauty of his race and Stay in shape all this time. Participation in the conformation shows is unparalleled to make a solid eye on what is invisible and incomprehensible to many: the structure. Even today, I produce puppies for myself! That is to say, keep appearance, condense the qualities of my ‘old’ in the young, try to challenge the probabilities to always be proud of my work and see my clients get their hours of glory, a little thanks to me.

Robert G. Wehle and Elhew Pointers were my first breed of interest. Then in 1975, I hunted over a Korthals Griffon at Blind River Ontario. A dog that would hunt deer, waterfowl, grouse, track wounded bears, and run a trapline greatly intrigued my interest and I fell in love with the breed. After that, I read and studied everything I could about Korthals and purchased my first Griffon in the early 1990’s. The Griffon has been my only upland field dog breed since then.

My interest in the breed led me to becoming a breeder of the Griffon about 15 years ago. My breeding dogs have been tested through the Versatile Hunting Dog Federation and NAVHDA. I am a function over form breeder. I have followed FCI standards for the breed and the German Wirehaired Alliance recommendations for breeding dogs. As no breeding standards alliances existed for Griffons. I expect my dogs to be able to compete with continental breeds in the field. I pay close attention to temperament, gate, bidability, coat type and nose. A field bred dog should be able to hunt all day and be excited about tomorrow’s hunt. My personal dogs are all guide dogs and so are many offspring. I hunt from September to April. You will see me at NAVHDA and VHDF training during the summer. It is an honor to become a preservation breeder.

We are a Korthals USA Preservation Breeder that raise, train, and hunt over Wirehaired Pointing Griffons. Our mission is to produce exceptional upland bird and waterfowl hunting dogs emphasizing health, temperament, and conformation. This is accomplished through selective breeding and validated through testing. – Sires and dams must hold a hunting title through the North America Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA), and/or American Kennel Club (AKC), and/or United Kennel Club (UKC). – Full health clearance are certified through the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) on both sire and dam. – Our dams have their structure and temperament independently confirmed to the breed standard through the UKC. Ruka, Zari, and Bo have retired from our breeding program. Three litters from Ruka and Bo earned NAVHDA Natural Ability Breeder’s Awards; our fourth from a stud dog placed in Massachusetts. If you send us an email and don’t get an immediate response, please check your spam folder. We make it a point to answer all inquiries within 24-hours of receipt. Here is a link to our client contact request form: https://www.jotform.com/form/250993125133050

Seaview was a life goal that began as a young boy in rural Arkansas, albeit one I discovered only after becoming a father myself. My family bred and field trialed English Pointers, but mostly we hunted … anything with feathers. The pure, raw excitement of waking up early to go quail hunting with my grandfather is forever etched inside me. Watching, wide-eyed, as his dogs pointed hard and held firm, so my 13-year-old self could flush the birds was absolute magic. As soon as my sons were born, recreating these memories with them became a priority, and I was quickly led back to upland hunting and pointing dogs.

In 2014, I got my first Griffon and, like many of you, it was a revelation to witness such “human-esque” personalities and hard-nosed hunting desire in the same dog. Within a year, I imported my second Griffon, this time looking to France, the custodian of the Korthals’ original vision, for the bloodlines I wanted. This male, Jimmy des Etangs D’Assat, became my dream dog. He earned his NAVHDA UT-1 at two years of age, introduced me to the amazing world of chukar hunting, and inspired me to follow in my grandfather’s footsteps by becoming a breeder.

Since then, I have imported many Griffons from France, bred over a dozen litters, and hunted chukar with my dogs for countless hours throughout California, Oregon, Idaho, and Nevada. Along the way, I have served as Vice-President of the Northern California chapter of the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) and a term as President of the American Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Association (AWPGA). Today, I am the President of Korthals Griffons United States (KG-USA) and am focused on continuing the legacy of Eduard Korthals by producing a true all-purpose, hunting companion.

As a breeder, thanks to my dogs, I have earned several NAVHDA Natural Ability Breeder awards. My dogs have whelped/sired numerous AKC Champions and Grand Champions, including a Westminster Best of Breed winner and National Championship Best of Breed winner, as well as a few NAVHDA UT prize winners, numerous NAVHDA NA prize winners, a couple of AKC Senior & Master hunters, and one NAVHDA VC competitor (next month).

I focus my breeding efforts on French imports and bloodlines because, for over 100 years, French breeders have prioritized creating great field champions, without getting lost in the beauty pageant world of showing dogs. While they understand and respect conformation, they breed using the maxim “Form Follows Function”, and this mirrors my personal breeding philosophy. Ideally, my clients feel this way too, as I give true hunters priority.

I am proud to qualify as a KG-USA Preservation Breeder. It is a high bar that took years of effort. Now, I look forward to working collaboratively with this esteemed group as we endeavor to create the finest versatile hunting griffons in the United States.