Glacier Griff Owners
Steve & Barbara Osgood ~ Sunburst Montana
Stella and Ragnar
We began our relationship with Lisa and Allan Durand's Glacier Kennels back in April of 2007 with the purchase of Stella (Glacier's Morning Star Lake). This was our very first Griff. As a lifelong bird hunter, I have had many different breeds of bird dogs - Labs, Goldens, Springers, and even Airedales. Most were good hunters, but Lisa's Glacier Griffs have outshined them all! I cannot say enough about how impressive these Griffs are. As an older hunter with a broad interest in all bird and waterfowl hunting, I was looking for a cold hardy bird dog that could do it all. They hunt close in heavy cover and farther out when the cover is more open. Their solid bird pointing is amazing. These Griffs are very smart, responsive, and eager to please. Another especially important factor is Lisa's support in finding the right puppy to match our needs. We have never been involved in the AKC conformation show competition before, and my wife loves these competitions now! Through Lisa's expert support and mentorship, we got our 2nd Griff, Ragnar (Glacier Frontier Summer Better Than Others) in 2016. Ragnar climbed to the AKC Grand Champion Bronze level and was one of the top Griffs in the 2019 AKC listings. Not too bad for a young hunting dog! These are wonderful family dogs and our constant companions. We are part of the Glacier Family... it's a fabulous group!
Doug & Deanne Hildenbrand ~ Minnesota
Rica and Riley
When you get to know Lisa and get her talking Griffs you will fully understand that breeding is her passion. She consistently breeds great family pets that are show quality hunting dogs. She has this keen sense with genetics which is why her litters consistently excel.
I run a Lisa bred mother daughter duo that are lap dogs in the house, great with kids and people that really turn it on in hunt mode. Happy me! Happy wife! Happy life!
My grandson Isaac with Riley right and me on the left with Rica! Dogs hunted hard 3 days straight and still wanted more! We were just a few birds shy of a limit @ 9 birds each over 3 days for 11 hunters.
Matt & Brenda Kashur ~Belgrade Montana
Fynn and Sawyer
We met Allan and Lisa Durand in 2016 when we purchased our first griff Fynn (Champion Glacier Valleyz Take the Money N Run). My husband was originally a “lab guy”. We then converted and had Springer Spaniels for 13 years. When our Springers passed within a few months of each other, my husband had the opportunity to hunt with a couple of buddies who had Wirehaired Pointing Griffons. He was hooked! When it came time to begin our search for our first griffon, we contacted several breeders and completed a couple of applications. I still smile when I think of completing the application for a griff from Glacier Kennels. My husband and I looked at each other a couple of times wondering if these people thought they were selling us a baby rather than a dog. Looking back now, I understand that every single dog they breed is their “baby”. The level of love and devotion they feel towards their dogs is incredible. We could tell right away; we had made the right choice in breeders. Lisa stood by our side as she taught us all about NAVHDA and our breed parent club the AWPGA. She helped us to understand the importance of early bird exposure, nose work, training, the breed standard and the ins and outs of grooming our doubled coated breed. She was ready and available for any question we had. During our first training session with live birds, we knew we had a very special bird dog. His natural ability was quite evident with those very first steady points and retrieves. We were so thrilled; we added another glacier griff two years later. Sawyer (Grand Champion Glacier’s Walkin’ After Midnight) is just as talented as Fynn. Allan and Lisa breed beautiful conformationally correct hunting dogs. Like she always says, “There’s no sense in hunting behind an ugly dog when you can hunt behind a beautiful well put together dog”. She does an immense amount of research prior to deciding on a breeding. Pedigree research is her specialty. She cares a great deal about genetics and the health of the breed and as a Glacier Griff puppy buyer, we appreciate that a ton! We consider ourselves to be blessed to have found this “Glacier Family” and to be part of this incredible program.
Brady and Jill Ellis ~ Stanley, ND
Indy and Scout
In 2016 I was fortunate to get my girl Indy (CH Glacier Valley Z Reverse The Curse NA Prize3). Before I got her I went thru the process of filling out an application for a puppy and having a phone interview with Lisa, after the first phone interview, I worried it didn’t go good at all. So, I waited 30 minutes and called her back. After a few more conversations, we were relieved to learn we were chosen and would get a pup. Indy joining our family is something I will always be thankful for. Lisa asked me if I would do a NAVHDA NA test with her, and as outgoing as I am, I said “you bet”. I had no idea what I was doing, and we got a prize 3. After the NA test, I was visiting with the judges, and they asked me how much training Indy had. I told them “none”. They chuckled, and asked seriously “how much training,” I told them absolutely no bird exposure. They smiled and said “that is true Natural Ability”. After the test, Lisa asked if I would be interested in showing her in Conformation. Again, I said “sure why not”. Indy exceled there as well getting her Champion title in the show ring.
In 2018, we added another Glacier Griff to our family. We brought Scout (GCH Glacier’s True patriot) home and right to the show ring and fields we went. She has also excelled in everything she is asked to do; I won’t bore you with another story..
What I’m trying to say is if your’re looking for a hunting dog with a ton of natural ability, can hunt all day and crawl into bed with you at night you came to the right place. Lisa is a great mentor and will take your calls day and night. Because Lisa has trusted me with two of her Griff’s I have met so many people and have become a member of a big Glacier family. If you’re lucky enough to get a Glacier Griff, welcome to the family, enjoy the ride and the occasional round of zoomies.
Matthew and Michelle Prepelka ~ Pennsylvania
Maisie
Our experience with Lisa Durand and Glacier Kennels has been nothing short of amazing. She has a passion for the breed that is unmatched in my experience. She is thorough and thoughtful in all of her breeding decisions and she has stayed engaged with us since we brought Maisie home. She is eager to help through puppyhood and on into NAVHDA training and beyond.
Maisie was our second Griff and her natural enthusiasm made her an immediate part of the family. She formed a bond quickly not only with my wife and I but also with our 2 year old WPG, Murphy. She is a pleasure to have around the house and is very affectionate. Maisie also has terrific hunting drive and is an absolutely gorgeous WPG. Lisa encouraged us to have Maisie tested for NA through NAVHDA and we enthusiastically began preparing. As a novice handler, I made quite a few mistakes during my training and on the day of the test, but was thrilled when Maisie scored a maximum 112 Prize One. Maisie’s score is even more impressive considering my frequent handling blunders.
One example of her overcoming my handling errors was during the track. We had worked on the track ahead of the test but it was clearly our weak spot. When it was our turn, we learned that our bird had made a significant hop when initially released leaving a sizable gap between the feather pile and the track. Instead of taking three large steps (as allowed) and getting Maisie as close as possible to the track, I took two short steps and gave her the track command. Not finding a track to work, Maisie immediately went into a wide search. My heart sank thinking I had ruined an otherwise good day. Fortunately Maisie found the track, quickly put her nose to the ground and went off on a beeline rescuing me from my mistake and executing a perfect track.
We have taken Maisie to Kansas for her first hunt over wild birds and she worked hard through all conditions. We met another hunter from Colorado with two mature GSPs and Maisie hunted along with the group like a pro. Maisie hunted every morning handling high CRP, burrs and all sorts of challenges without hesitation. I could not be more pleased.
I am convinced that Maisie is a very special pup!