Being a celebrity living in Kalispell, Tana Montana is even recognized at the gas station.
The 3-year-old brown-haired Pudelpointer has become well known in the local hunting community because of her rare breed and skillfulness as a bird dog. Tana has appeared in parades and at outdoors conventions and is a regular fan-favorite customer at Murdoch’s Ranch and Homes Supply.
Just recently Tana’s owner, Todd Wirthlin, was at Town Pump when someone recognized him and asked about Tana. When the man heard Tana was sitting in Wirthlin’s truck, he ran to get his wife.
“Honey, you got to see this dog!” the man exclaimed, according to Wirthlin.
That’s just another day in the life of Tana Montana.
“If I had a dollar for every time somebody asked me about her and what breed she is, I’d be a millionaire,” Wirthlin said.
Tana’s celebrity status is about to be elevated even more. Wirthlin’s prized Pudelpointer was selected to represent her breed at the National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic in Minneapolis next month. The trade show, which begins Feb. 15, brings outdoorsmen together for three days centered on wildlife conservation, upland game bird hunting, dog training and wildlife habitat management and restoration. The event, presented by Cabela’s, includes a “Bird Dog Parade” that features almost 40 different breeds of sporting dogs, which will include Tana this year.
Wirthlin discovered last week that Tana had earned the exclusive honor after submitting her for consideration on a whim.
It was a surprise, even though Wirthlin has known all along that Tana is a special breed.
Wirthlin is a longtime hunter and has owned sporting dogs all his life. After his Labrador passed away years ago, he began searching for a new sidekick while his wife Lee made some strict requirements that the next dog could not smell poorly or shed. Wirthlin canvassed the Internet for a long time before stumbling across a breed he didn’t recognize three years ago.
In the late 1800s the Germans wanted to engineer the “ultimate hunting dog,” as Wirthlin describes it. A group of breeders brought together an English Pointer, a breed known for its superior smell and stamina, and a standard poodle, spelled Pudel in Germany and a descendent from the Barbet, known for its intelligence.
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Tana Montana, a pudelpointer, yawns while hanging out in one of her “posts” in Todd Wirthlin’s office. Tana has been invited to attend this year’s National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic in February. – Lido Vizzutti | Flathead Beacon |
The result was a unique specimen that could track, point and retrieve. Pudelpointers are hypoallergenic and have webbed feet and wooly brown hair that does not shed or smell.
“Look at the BMW, Mercedes Benz; when the Germans get into something and they do something they always do it 110 percent,” Wirthlin said. “They wanted the dog to have courage, be able to take on water and weather. And then when you’re done hunting it will be right there by your side at the fire.”
He took a chance and ordered Tana at three months old from Northern California. When she arrived in Kalispell she had no previous training, including the basics. Wirthlin figured he had a large task ahead of him, but Tana quickly proved otherwise.
“She picked up everything so quickly. I was just totally shocked,” he said. “She can be anywhere within ear shot and I can blow the whistle and she’s dead back. No matter what she’s doing. I’ve never had a dog like that.”
Wirthlin and Tana have had great success together in the field. He has ended up referring other hunters to breeders, even though tracking down a Pudelpointer can be difficult. Wirthlin estimates there are only about 3,800 in the U.S. He was fortunate to find one, especially one as special as Tana.
“When I was able to get her I was totally amazed, and my wife is totally in love with the dog,” Wirthlin said. “She has turned into a family member, which of course they all are. But she’s the type of dog that is just cool to be around.”