Thursday, August 9, 2012
I left my house early Thursday morning and headed down to Moreland, Georgia. I was contacted earlier in the week by Today’s Breeder magazine and they needed photographs of Rich and Angie Louter and their award winning Standard Poodles. Until this point, when I thought of poodles I thought of dog shows and fru fru haircuts, but Rich and Angie have broken the mold of what standard poodles were thought capable of. The Louters have brought the dog breed back to its German roots and have won a multitude of awards for their hunting dogs. Yes I said hunting and poodle in the same sentence. For years Rich has trained their dogs to hunt and retrieve. Cooper is the couple’s six year old poodle and currently he holds all three major category championships for hunting. I visited the Louters for a photo spread for the magazine which published at the beginning of this month.
Rich Louter opens up the door to Charlie’s kennel at his training field in Moreland, Georgia on Thursday, August 9, 2012. Louter has been breeding standard poodles to use in hunting.
Rich Louter rewards Layla (left) and Charlie, two of his standard poodles, with petting at his training field in Moreland, Georgia on Thursday, August 9, 2012.
Rich Louter walks the training field on his property with Charlie (left) and Whiskey, two of the standard poodles he is breeding to be hunting dogs, in Moreland, Georgia on Thursday, August 9, 2012.
Whiskey trots around the training field with her owner Rich Louter in Moreland, Georgia on Thursday, August 9, 2012.
Rich Louter walks the training field on his property with Charlie (left) and Whiskey, two of the standard poodles he is breeding to be hunting dogs, in Moreland, Georgia on Thursday, August 9, 2012.
Cooper carries the duck shaped bumper in his jaws as he returns to his owner during retrieval training in Moreland, Georgia on Thursday, August 9, 2012.
Rich Louter uses hand signals and a whistle to guide his standard poodle Cooper to the location of a training bumper at his property in Moreland, Georgia on Thursday, August 9, 2012.
Cooper searches for a duck shaped bumper as he practices his retrieving skills in Moreland, Georgia on Thursday, August 9, 2012.
Rich Louter uses hand signals and a whistle to guide his standard poodle Cooper to the location of a training bumper at his property in Moreland, Georgia on Thursday, August 9, 2012.
Cooper carries the duck shaped bumper in his jaws as he returns to his owner during retrieval training in Moreland, Georgia on Thursday, August 9, 2012.
Cooper takes off after a retrieval command from Rich Louter at his property in Moreland, Georgia on Thursday, August 9, 2012. Louter and his wife Angie have spent the past five years breeding standard poodles that have returned to their German hunting roots.
Cooper sits as he waits for a retrieval command from his owner Rich Louter at his property in Moreland, Georgia on Thursday, August 9, 2012.
Rich and Angie Louter pose with Cooper, their six year old Standard Poodle, and all of the awards he has won for hunting and retrieving at their home in Moreland, Georgia on Thursday, August 9, 2012.
Cat tails line the pond where Rich Louter trains with his six year old standard poodle Cooper in Moreland, Georgia on Thursday, August 9, 2012.
Cooper enters the pond as he works to retrieve a training bumper in Moreland, Georgia on Thursday, August 9, 2012.
Cooper enters the pond as he works to retrieve a training bumper in Moreland, Georgia on Thursday, August 9, 2012.
Cooper paddles towards a duck shaped bumper as he trains with owner Rich Louter at a pond in Moreland, Georgia on Thursday, August 9, 2012.
Cooper carries the duck shaped bumper in his jaws as he exits the pond used for water retrieval training in Moreland, Georgia on Thursday, August 9, 2012.
Cooper swims carrying a duck shaped bumper as he retrieves it during training in Moreland, Georgia on Thursday, August 9, 2012.
Cooper carries the duck shaped bumper in his jaws as he exits the pond used for water retrieval training in Moreland, Georgia on Thursday, August 9, 2012.
Cooper tugs on the duck shaped bumpers held by his owner Rich Louter after a water retrieval session in Moreland, Georgia on Thursday, August 9, 2012.
Max trots with a dove shaped bumper in his mouth as he plays with owners Rich and Angie Louter at their property in Moreland, Georgia on Thursday, August 9, 2012. Max is a 12 week old standard poodle and represents the newest generation of the breed that has been trained to hunt.
12 week old Max carries a bumper in his mouth after a play session in Moreland, Georgia on Thursday, August 9, 2012.