Pam Catalani on December 8, 2009
I received my puppy,Sawyer,out of Maggie and Nitro litter born 07/27/09. I couldn't ask for a better dog. He started obedience at 8 weeks and can sit, down, heel, stand, fetch, do a finish and is working on tricks and doing some jumps as I'm hoping to work with him in agility. He has a great personality, loves everybody and is just jolly all the time. I've owned a lot of dogs of different breeds and I'd have to say that he has the best attention span and eye contact of any dog I've had. He's just great!
Tom Zoller on December 4, 2009
Jim, I could not be more pleased with our puppy, Jenny (whelped 7/27/09). Besides having classic markings, she has a wonderful temperament, is very smart and has adapted well to our 2 1/2 year old lab. They are inseparable. Quite the personality! I thought Labs were the end all in terms of temperament and lovability, but I have been educated. She has a great nose and is working well with pheasant and quail. Her stature is quite "majestic" on her early "points". She weathered the flight from you to Long Island, NY very well. Thank you again.
Tom
Ralph Niemeyer on March 25, 2009
Jim,just a little note to let you know how pleased I am with the pup I purschased from Rick Wallace that was sired by your male setter "Nitro". I've been working with bird dogs for lots of years an this female sired by Nitro is one of the nicest I've ever had, with perfect body conformation & markings, looking like her sire. She is now 20 months of age, has lots of point and very stlish, high on both ends. She was sight pointing and holding pigeons @4 months of age and it only improved from there. At 4/5 mo she was bird crazy and loved anything else that flyied. She was very easy to train showing a good nose early on and the desire to please. I wild bird hunted her this past season and she continued to show her abilities in the field always holding her own with the more experienced dogs. Thanks to you & Rick for providing me with a great pup.
Mal Parsons on January 14, 2009
May of 2008 I received a tri-colored male puppy (star} out of Maggie and Nitro litter in March of 2008. To ask more of a puppy would not be fair.House broken at 9 wks. and land and water retrieving at 11 wks.At 3 month he was pointing planted birds with his tail at 12 o'clock. Received his first 2 legs of his A.K.C. Jr. Hunt Test title at 6 months and 2 days old and his Hunt Test Title at 7 months.During the month of Oct. he handled NewEngland game birds ( woodcock,pheasant and grouse ) as if he was a seasoned dog.He is beautifully marked and has drawn rave from the judges and people that have seen him perform.Jim has gone out of his way to answer any question and to help in anyway he can. If anyone is looking for a great family or hunting dog then call Jim at Hillcrest Kennels.
Gabriella Lamorte on September 15, 2008
I bought a female puppy (Lilly) out of Maggie and Nitro’s litter from hillcrest kennels this spring. I can’t ask for anything more from a dog. She is absolutely wonderful. She is just a joy to be around and is extremely well behaved. She is an incredible dog. She is an excellent listener and learns quickly. She learned to sit, stay and give you paw within the first few weeks. She house trained easily too. We never had a problem with her in the house. Not only is she a great house dog , but she also shows great potential in the field. She is constantly pointing at anything that moves. She is also a marvelous retriever!! She has been playing fetch since the first few days we brought her home. Just the other day she captured and retrieved a loose pigeon from our barn and brought it right back to us. The one thing that is absolutely extraordinary about her is her appeal. She is beautifully marked and has a great presence. I am constantly getting complements on her. Lilly is just a all around great dog. I highly recommend hillcrest kennels to anyone interested in a great hunting and family dog. Jim was also a pleasure to deal with. He was full of useful information and was easy to get a hold of. He even was kind enough to drive and meet us half way on mother’s day in order for us to pick up our puppy!
Scott Hamby June 11, 2008
I can't say enough positive things about the Setter I got from Jim at Hillcrest Kennels. She's an Orange/White with absolutely fabulous ticking. But there's more to a gun dog than looks, a lot more... and this dog has it.
At less than six months she was naturally pointing anything that she discovered would fly. By nine months her tail is at a beautiful 12 o'clock position and front paw comes up picture perfect. Without any formal training, I've watched her hold a point for 15 minutes in the back yard... ON A 9 MONTH OLD WITH NO TRAINING.
She naturally retrieves to hand and this past weekend, with her first real introduction to water, was water retrieving the dummy from as far as I could throw it.
She has a loving gentle nature but with an aggressive, energetic hunting sense when out in the woods or open field. All the basic commands were literally learned within an hour. I've never had a dog learn this quick and I've had my fair share of dogs.
I drove over 500 miles to pick this pup up from Jim and Hillcrest. After having her for almost a year now, I would have easily driven twice that (even at today's gas prices!)
Thanks Jim!! A fantastic animal.
William Van Bonn, DVM May 8, 2008
We have a female pup from an August 2007 litter out of Maggie by Nitro. She is awesome. Excellent temperament, a pleasure in the house as well as in the field. Obvious desire and talent on grouse. We will be testing her this fall. Thanks Jim.
Lawrence Bradford April 26, 2008
Received from Hill Crest Kennel a male tri-color setter - Boone at 6 weeks old back in 09/10/06. From the very beginning he retrieved and has a great nose.
Rick Hayden February 19, 2008
Neutron recently turned 6 months and has been on live birds for almost 2 months now. I was very pleased with his progression thru basic commands and yard work at such a young age. I wish I could attribute his progress to my training skills but its obvious he has a great deal of inherent ability. He has a gentle disposition when not in training and is certainly a welcome addition to the family. I would recommend Jim and Hillcrest Kennels to anyone looking for their next or first setter.
Tony and Cindy Byerly November 6, 2007
We purchased Sadie from Hillcrest Kennel at the end of Aug '07, at 6 wks of age. We wanted a dog that would be great in the field, as well as a lovable pet in the house. What we got was all that we hoped for and more. She truly is a joy. She shows great hunting skills even at her young age of 4 months. We highly recommend Hillcrest Kennel and look forward to purchasing another pup in the coming year. Working with Jim has been a pleasant experience, his communication over the year since we had sent in our deposit was exceptional. Thanks again Hillcrest.
Monty Nohren October 11, 2007
I recently purchased a seven week old male English Setter " Ike " from Jim Norman at Hillcrest Kennels.I previously purchased two other pups from Jim that are excellent gundogs as I am confident young " Ike " will be also. Hillcrest English Setters have the right temperment, are easily trained, and look good in the field.Jim's integrity and dedication have made getting an English Setter from Hillcrest Kennels the right choice.
Rick Wallace September 23, 2007
In meeting Jim I didn't only find a gentleman knowledgable and professional, I found a friend. He helped so much in getting my female bred, he as been in touch quite often to check on the progess and health of the pups. These pups out of Nitro look to be the real deal. I thank you Jim for all your help and dedication to the English Setter breed.
Chad Lowry November 12, 2006
An experience with Hillcrest Kennels has been nothing short of a joy! My setter Cody was showing tons of potential from the day I picked him up. Hillcrest Kennel is genuinely dedicated to the preservation of the quality gundog, that is the English Setter. The kennel and I are still in contact even after a year, checking on the progress my puppy has made. Whether or not you want a field trial ranging dog, or a close working dog for the foot hunter, Hillcrest Kennels can match you and your next hunting partner.