German Shepherd Dogs for Show, Sport, Security, Service

--- or Simply Sleeping on your bed!

FOCUS ON JUNIORS - HAYDEN MOLNER

Nine years old. A skinny little towhead with a shy smile and intense mischief shining in his eyes.  The dogs were bigger than he was.  But young Hayden Molner clung gamely to the leash.  Mom, Tammy, needed help to showcase the dogs from her kennel, Clearcreek Bauernhof located in Franklin, Ohio.  And so one of the most delightful teams in our show dog world began!  When asked what it’s like to have your double handler double as your mother, Hayden quipped that he was “mostly” happy with the arrangement and “I don’t have to put my finger up!”  Hayden’s “debut” puppy, Yaz v.d. Blauen Bergen, a daughter of VA-Ronaldo Zellergrund, is now V-rated, SchH 1, KKl 1 and an integral part of the Clearcreek Bauernhof breeding program.

German Shepherd Dogs have always been an important part of life on the Molner farm.  The kennel, founded in 1998 when Hayden was a two year old toddler, is home to a dozen or so dogs.  Besides the Shepherds, the family enjoys the company of two petite10-pound canines—a furry Shih Tzu and a hairless Chinese Crested Dog.  Hayden likes all of the dogs, from baby puppies to the working dogs.  Speaking with wisdom beyond his years, he says, “They all have their plusses and minuses.”  The Molner family team travels to half a dozen dog shows every year.  Those of us viewing from the sidelines have taken great pleasure in the unfolding skills of both handler and double handler. Hayden always sports a smile and a joyful, non-stop competitive grit.  (How many kids get to tell their Mom where to go and what to do?)

Hayden is at once a middle child and an oldest child in his blended family.  Brothers are Matt, 23, Alex, 19, and Griffin, 7.  Older sister Erica, 22, joins baby sister, Cayley, 5.   An especially talented guitarist, Hayden favors classic rock.  He also enjoys swimming, video games and, of course, girls.  School?  Seventh grade highlights are lunch, football and intervention (recess, to those of us hailing from a different generation).

Now a budding teenager (he will be 13 years old this March), Hayden has more than 25 dog shows under his feet.  Typical of his age, Hayden is sprouting “running bones” and muscles!  Gone are the days when some of us wished that Mom would buy the kid a pair of cleats!  Hayden ran with the big boys at the recent North American Sieger Show in Lexington, KY, more than holding his own with V-Enko v. Moorbeck in the Working Class Males.  Hayden was especially impressive handling Tyvek v. Clearcreek Bauernhof, 9-12 month males to his VP-6 position.  This fine young man has enjoyed patient and persistent coaching from his Mom and many others within the dog community.  We have caught a glimpse of our future—and we have visions of just how “ground-covering” those powerful running bones will be!  Mom, will you share?