Large Munsterlander Association of Canada

LMAC commits to maintaining the Large Munsterlander (LM) as a dog for hunters, their families and ethical hunting. This commitment includes:

• consideration of hunting performance, health, temperament and conformation to maintain an intelligent dog that excels in the field and provides companionship in the home
• fostering a results-oriented community of hunter-owners who jointly are best positioned to maintain a sound companion for the hunters of today and tomorrow
• respectful use by the community of LM owners of the Animal Pedigree Act of Canada as an institutional tool for today's breed development
• respect for the original breed goals of 1919 and the working and conformation standard maintained by the Verband Grosse Münsterländer e.V. of Germany, and the Federation Cynologigue International (FCI)
• emphasis on upland and waterfowl hunting and retrieving, with blood tracking of big game where this is permitted
• strategic use of science in the breed's management keeping breed goals, benefits and burden in balance

The Large Munsterlander Association of Canada (LMAC) was formed in late fall of 2011, after it became clear that several members of the executive of the Large Munsterlander Club of North America no longer were willing to abide by the Animal Pedigree Act of Canada. LMAC continues the long tradition of breeding only proven hunting dogs that began in 1977. It officially began on January 1, 2012.

LMCNA incorporation was transferred to LMAC.

Tracy Fisher is a veterinarian practicing in Regina, Saskatchewan. She and her husband have been Large Munsterlander owners since the addition of Sunnynook’s Purdey in 2001. They have had one litter under the Prairie Fire Kennel name in 2019. They currently share their home with Muddy Waters Dora and Prairie Fire’s Alba.

She became a LMAC Conformation Judge in 2024.

• email Tracy Fisher
• Regina, SK

Rainer in 2015 with (left to right) Hunt Mountain's Doonerak (Drake), Snowy Oaks Fen, Sunnynook's Rook, and Sunnynook's Erro.

Rainer Knopff, a professor emeritus of political science at the University of Calgary, has been hunting with pointing dogs for over four decades. He switched from Setters to Large Munsterlanders in 1990, and the entire family has enjoyed the companionship and field work of these versatile black-and-whites ever since. Rainer and his sons, Kyle and Joel, typically run a small pack of LMs. Rainer became LMAC president in 2015.

Photo: Rainer Knopff with the family pack.

Derek Oderkirk, Viscount, SK

My name is Derek Oderkirk, and I would like to be considered for a position on the board. While I am relatively new to the world of versatile gun dogs, I've hit the ground running.

Recently, I finished my apprenticeship to become a VHDF-Canada certified judge, judging both HAE and PE tests last year, on top of successfully testing my own Munsterlander in an AHAE. Sunnynook's Fergus and I have completed the first two levels of VHDF testing, and he is now certified for breeding. One of his pups, Sunnynook's Iltis, came to live with us too.

I became a LMAC Conformation Judge in 2024.

Growing up in the Maritimes, I hunted mainly Ruffed grouse and Woodcock. Since moving to Saskatchewan I’ve hunted most species of upland and waterfowl, often times with other LM owners.

I've enjoyed the knowledge and comradery that has come from being a member of this small group of dedicated owners, and I'd like to do what I can to help keep that spirit alive.

Sheila Schmutz

I was pleased to stand again for a Director position on the LMAC Board of Directors for a 2023-2024 term, my last, and would be willing to continue to serve as Webmaster. My husband Joe Schmutz and I founded the Large Munsterlander Club of North America (LMCNA) in 1977. Sunnynook Kennel celebrated its 45th anniversary in 2022! I have actively participated in the breeding decisions and whelping of pups at Sunnynook Kennel. We are committed to continue breeding for a few more years because the dogs have always been, and will continue to be, a huge part of our lives. We take breeding very seriously. I'm a geneticist and do not hunt, but help train the dogs, especially the puppies. I only ran a pup once a NAVHDA NA test. For many years I've acted as Test Secretary and "cook" at the annual field tests held near Saskatoon.

I have served as Webmaster of LMCNA and LMAC since the website began. I have served as Secretary in the past and again recently for LMAC, and in the early years of LMCNA as the Newsletter Editor. However, I believe it is now time that I step into the background.

I firmly believe that the Large Munsterlander should continue to be first and foremost a fully versatile hunting dog and to that end we have only breed dogs that have passed a hunting level test.

Photo: Sheila with Sunnynook's Joli and Sunnynook's Gannet on the west coast of Newfoundland in August 2023. We rarely travel with one or more of the dogs with us.

• email Sheila Schmutz
• Saskatoon, SK

Rick Schryer with Saskelkana's Bones and Sunnynook's Cue after a hunt with his friend Steve, pheasants and Ruffed grouse.

My name is Rick Schryer and I have been hunting birds with dogs since I was 12 years old. I grew up in northern Ontario where we used black Labrador retrievers. I moved to Saskatchewan to complete my Ph.D. in aquatic biology. It is in Saskatchewan that I was introduced to versatile hunting dogs and specifically Large Munsterlanders (LM). I now own three male LM’s from three different kennels. We hunt a variety of waterfowl and upland game in varying conditions that provide a challenge for me and the boys. I have been President of the Saskatoon Gun Dog Club for the past several years and actively participate in club sponsored events such as demonstrations, training days and field tests. I have been a VHDF-Canada judge for a number of testing events. All of my dogs have been tested at all three levels of NAVDHA or VHDF with good results, and have had conformation evaluations. Scotty has also passed the VHDF-Canada blood tracking test. My now deceased male Bones sired 5 litters and received 2 breeding awards. One of his pups, Cue, has sired three litters to date with one breeding award. Training my dogs and helping other owners with their training is one of my passions. I would be proud to be a board member for LMAC.

• email Rick Schryer
• Saskatoon, SK

My name is Janice Staley, my husband is John Staley the newsletter editor and I would like to continue as a director for LMAC. We have been involved in LMCNA since March of 1990 when our first Large Munsterlander, Snowy Oak's Dove, was born. We have been the proud owners of 7 LMs and I have actively participated in their training, testing and hunting. Our Bear Hills' Ember is the foundation of our Eagle Rock Kennel providing 6 healthy and energetic puppies on January 16, 2018. My back ground as a Labor and Delivery Nurse came in handy. We are now waiting for Eagle Rock Alpine to go into heat for our "B" litter.

I have participated in the annual club hunts held in Saskatchewan for many years. While there I have had the opportunity to observe a large number of LMs in both the field and around the house. During those hunts I have taken hundreds of photos and hours of video of LMs and their hunting partners under all conditions from way too warm to 3 feet of snow on the ground. I’ve helped John train and handle 5 dogs in NAVHDA NA tests and VHDF HAE and AHAE tests. While John was working out of town, I took on a lot of the training in preparing Ember for her VHDF AHAE test.

I feel that at this time in my life I have the time available as well as the desire to stay actively involved in LMAC. One of the fundamental principles behind LMAC is the control the club maintains on the breeding program. This is what first attracted us to the breed. Well, that and the reputation for ability after the shot, we had an English Setter who refused to retrieve.

I've been helping my husband with the newsletter for many years helping with proof reading. I’m confident I’m up to date on the issues facing LMAC. I will be accessible and responsive to all members. I will respond to all e-mails and voice mails (that's if you have to leave one) and I am easy to contact by phone most of the time now that John and I are retired. I look forward to working with the other members in supporting the dogs that have become such a large part of our lives.

I became a LMAC Conformation Judge in 2024.

• email Janice Staley
• Evanston, Wyoming

Amber Sturlin, Conformation Coordinator (2024- )

• email Amber Sturlin
• Oregon City, Oregon

My name is Amber Sturlin, and I began bird hunting with my husband, Sam Sturlin, about 16 years ago. Our first dog together was our Chocolate Lab, Bailey. As I became more interested, I began the search for a dog who could “give us the best of both worlds”, and discovered versatile hunting dogs. I immediately fell in love with the Large Munsterlander and we brought home our first LM in 2015, Muddy Waters’ Deuce “Jigger”. I learned a lot through training and hunting him, and ran him in his HAE and AHAE tests. We have two additional LM’s, Anni vom Distelfeld “Millie” (2017) and Castor vom Bußhof (2021), both are from Germany.

In 2021, I began the process for becoming a VHDF-Canada Judge and completed the apprenticeship process. I helped to facilitate a VHDF-Canada test in the Oregon in 2023. I was approved as a Conformation Judge for LMAC in early 2024.