Meet Will's litter.
Meet Will's parents.

Will was owned and loved by Nick and the rest of the Funke family. He was lucky to share in all the family adventures and also proved successful at dog showmanship with junior handler and trainer, Nick. Unfortunately, Willow's life was cut short due to a tragic accident, just one week after earning his first points in the breed ring with handler, Nick, at the helm. I am very grateful to Nick and the Funke family for making the most of a life cut short.

Full of soul and loaded with wags, Will is a happy-go-lucky chap who loves snuggling and adventuring alike. Calm and easy-going, Will is one thoughtful youngster, often wearing a contemplative expression as he processes the world. That's not to say he isn't playful, and he is quite the instigator of chase games with his litter-mates and the big dogs. Will has been extensively socialized, and has yet to meet a stranger. Aside from playing with my own dogs, he has been coming to my agility classes to meet a number of different breeds and fearlessly greets each one with the same waggy tail and sweet kiss. He's been quick to learn doggie language from the older dogs, and has nice doggy social skills - friendly, without being too obnoxiously enthusiastic with his greetings (but he is a Flat-coat afterall ;-). Will's true love is people, and he will eagerly invite himself onto any open lap available. He is naturally quite gentle and has been quick to learn bite inhibition.

Will already makes great eye contact, and is eager to please while not lacking in the drive department. In fact, he is birdy to the max! When I dry out training ducks on top of the agility A-frame, Will sniffs them out and tries his darndest to scale the frame. Despite his birdiness, he is no bird-hoarder and is a natural retriever and carrier - he even holds his birds while he stops to pee! I've been taking Will out to field training sessions, and he is happily retrieving ducks and pheasants, and will confidently drive out through some very thick cover to get to his birds. Will is swimming and is already quite bold in the water for his age. His nickname is "Hippo" on account of his antics in the puppy pool - sticking his head underwater, grabbing the hose, and rolling on his back. Will is an overall nicely balanced pup - fearless, without being reckless; independently bold, while attentive and eager to work; driven, while thoughtful. Will is also a great chaser and tugger.

To complement his trainability and work ethic, Will is very nicely put together. Will has a masculine, yet typey head, with a lovely profile, nice fill-in under his eyes, a proper ear-set, soft expression, and what appear to be dark, almond-shaped eyes (it's hard to tell eye color at this age). He sports superb angulation in the front and rear, a solid front with pronounced prow, a level topline, and a correct tail-set. His structure and balance translate into some beautiful free-stacks and clean movement, with a lot of reach and drive. Will has substantial bone and coat, tight feet, and a natural showman's attitude.