Lets hear about your dog.

[Dutch Dog]

Seems as if of late there has been a bunch of talk about dogs/training etc. Lets hear about your hunting buddy...things like his/her name, are they registered, ukc, akc or both, Do they have any titles? color (lets not pick on those of us with brown dogs), age...did you train him or her..did you send them to a pro to be trained etc...Just sound off about your dog. I'll start by telling everyone that I have 2 dogs now. one of them is 4 yrs old this month and the other one is about 6 months old. Dutch is my 4 year old chocolate dog he recently got his HR title and we're shooting for getting his HRCH this fall. Missy is my black dog, she comes from an impressive bloodline to say the least. I am currently working with her on simple tasks like single marks and slowly initiating the "force fetch" stage of her training. Dutch was akc registered from the start, and I recently sent off for his ukc registration when we decided to start running him in hunt tests. I have Missy's ukc paperwork and need to send if off and the akc paperwork is still with the breeder I got her from. I did most of Dutch's initial training up until the fall of last year. After that it was hunting season and we kinda put training on hold. After hunting season I decided to send him to a pro to "finish" him for me. I can say without question that it was worth EVERY penny so far. Dutch's first retrieve in an actual hunting situation was when he was 4 months old...I took him on a Teal hunt and of the 8 we killed that morning he retrieved the only one he saw fall. Where we were hunting and the way we were having to hide the only duck that fell where he could actually see it he retrieved and brought it straight to me. It was a really pretty sight seeing a little pup bringing back a bird that "fit" him. After that we hunted him a couple of times that winter when he was 7 and 8 months old. He retrieved a few birds including one of about 75 yards.

[Wildfowler]

My dog is probably like most. She has a really good pedigree some 4, 5 & 6 generations back, but nothing too noteworthy in her immediate family tree.

What she lacks in recent championships, she more than makes up for in fearless drive and determination as far as I'm concerned. First and formost, she is my buddy. She lives in the house with me, and loves to fetch my newspaper every morning. As poor of quality as the Clarion Ledger is most of the time, she is the only reason that I keep subscribing.

Anyway, her nickname is the Squealer, and she does everything that I expect her to. She's probably pretty rough in her retreiving style. Sometimes I will have to try to correct her mid-retreive to get her back on track. Honestly, her abilities are limited by my laziness, and my lack of training abilities. But I'm very proud of her, and am quite happy to have her. I have no intention of ever participating in any sort of organized field trails.

The only thing that I would like her to do, that she doesn't currently do is stop when commanded to, so she can look back for a signal. If, I can get her attention without yelling too badly, she will respond to my hand signals. I would love to be able to stop her on a dime with a whistle. Unfortunantly, I never took the time to learn how to do that, so she doesn't know how to do that. She's 5 years old now, I suppose it's too late to try now. Unless anyone knows any techniques, I suppose she'll never learn that.

Since I'm on that subject, can anyone summarize the technique of stopping a dog mid-retreive using a whistle? PM if you prefer.

Thanks.

[SCOOTER]

My new pup is a mole digger, shes just to young to say any more.

[sportsman450]

I have a 6 month old choc lab.Her name is Jig,AKA the anti-Christ.I have one bit of advice.If you are unknowledgable(sp),and,or the least bit lazy,let somebody who knows what they are doing train your dog.

[dukdawgn]

Welp,

First real hunting dog.... chocolate hefer named Sallie. Good hunting dawg lines, and thats what she does....hunt. She don't care to be around a lot of dogs, just give her a rub on the head and go hunting. She's the buddy any kid should have. Protective of anything in the "domain" she would call home.

Second dog..... "HR" Dusty Deltaland Snowman....
UKC and AKC registered. Runs HRC hunt tests. Rock Solid, bust booty duck dawg. Never tires of it. Picked up just as many 200 yard sailing ducks as he did ones in the decoys (not that great a shot). BIG BUS-HEAD yellow male. Trained to the whistle, blind retrieves, multiple marks, walk ups, diversions, honoring, etc. Good pedigree. I just sold him to a man in upper Kentucky for a very nice amount. I still call him my dog, cause basically he is. The gentleman even refers to him as "our" dog. Very nice to see your buddy go to someone who still keeps you involved in their life. Looking forward to getting his "HRCH".

Third dog..... Bailey's Lonestar Dakota....
11 weeks old this week. Already retrieving mallard wings, teal, and canvas bumpers. Real attentive puppy. Loves to play and make you happy. Sire is "Grand Hunting Retriever Champion" Missy's Cajun Dakota "Master Hunter". Cody is the all-time do-all stud dog in the HRC history. He has more than 1850 HRC/UKC points. He has passed the Grand test a total of 10 times, is entered again this spring, passed all six consecutive Master tests, won the 2002 Mack's Prairie Wing World Duck Dog Championships, and literally hunts all year long...whether it be real hunting or testing. Cody is out of a Field Champion/Amateur Field Champion (FC/AFC) Super Bounce Andre and Grand Hunting Retriever Champion Missy Hollowdale Autrey. He is trained and owned by Mr. Bill Autrey, and was selected as the "Purina Dog".....
'Super'Stars momma-dawg is "Upland Hunter/Hunting Retriever Champion" Jessica Bailey of Goodwill "Master Hunter". Bailey is an 80lb black female (good match to the 90lb black male Cody), and is a very obedient, hard hunting dog. She is entered for her first run at the Grand in Memphis this spring. She hails out of Houston, Tx, and Cody is from Bentley, LA. Bailey sprang out from a pedigree of Master Hunters in the AKC registry...... Star already has a couple of "Puppy Stake" ribbons she won at a few hunt tests this spring. Looking forward to really getting started this fall..... man, you gotta luv a LAB!

[Wildfowler]

Since I'm on that subject, can anyone summarize the technique of stopping a dog mid-retreive using a whistle? PM if you prefer.
Thanks.

Thanks guys. It took her about two whistle blasts to understand how to "sit" when I told her to. I really think it's just going to be a matter of repetition and consistency from this point forward, on my part, to get this drilled into her between now and season.

Thanks again.

[goosebruce]

UH HRCH Online's Cheap Thrills... aka the rowdy dog. HR (hunting retreiver) title at 17 months, Upland Hunter title at 17 months, HRCH (hunting retreiver champion) title at 22 months old. Currently 29 months old, 28 out of 30 tests lifetime record, 10 straight this spring and hasn't handled on a mark (be assisted on a bird he saw fell) this spring. Rowdy's parents are both hunting retriver champions, his daddy has 1000 hrc points, and 1 grand pass, and his pedigree from there back is solid fc/afc's. Rowdy is OFA Good & Elbows ok, microchipped, and is advaible to approved hrc bitches only. This dog was bred, bought, and trained to be a kick ass hunt test dog, and to be the most awesome thing in a pit you can imagine, and he is both. Intense drive and focus, explodes with an audible squeel when he is relased, and never moves or makes a sound until then. Rowdy's first trip to the grand is later this month, and his entire life has been devoted to being a grand dog. He WILL be a grand hunting retriver... timeframe unknown, but he will be. Rowdy can hunt pits, blinds, boats, timber, remote in a coffin, you name it, he can do it. There isn't a hunting situation or a hunt test judge we'll shy from, because he has already been there, done that. The Online in his name is from my training partner/mentor's business.. Steve Vires from Online Labs. While steve didn't train rowdy, he did train me, and has been a great assett to me, and my inspiration to train a dog like this. Rowdy gives a 110% everytime he comes out of the box... training, yard work, hunting, or a test. He's a pleasure to train and campaign and hunt, and lies in the house with the kids as laid back as you could ever want. Rowdy's picture has been in HR magazine several times, and he did demo's at DU show last year, & worked the HRC booth. 74 pounds, all muscle, all black dog. travis

[laduck]

My dogs name is Boeuf. She is a cho lab and akc registered. This July she will turn 11, so she is getting to be an old lady. I trained her myself. She is a good duck dog and my best friend. My wife an I have no children, so she is our child. Jack

[KCM]

Here is "My Rowdy Friend Hank", Hank for short. Just a little over 1 year old, all training by me except force fetch, I let a professional handle that part. He has not run in any field trails as of yet but possibly will start this summer. Of course last season was his first and I have to say it was an expierence, mostly good but being a puppy he wanted action and wanted now. His first in the field retreive was a double and he did it perfectly. He managed some long retreives on some drifters. Got plenty of action. By end of season he would sit on platform patiently like the best of veterans waiting on his commands to perform. Wish I had some picks of our last hunt he was a popsicle and never once complained. He is part of the family, he stays outside mostly except when I'm home then he is playing with the kids and chillin by the couch. Best thing about him has to be his drive, most compliment on how steady he is and how fast he is to retreive and bring back to hand.

[Dutch Dog]

pretty pup! Nice story.

[Wildfowler]

I'd like to tell a story about my dog. During the last week of the duck season, a few years ago, and I found myself in a difficult situation of not having many reliable options to hunt. At least none that I knew about. So, my dog and I struck out one morning for the boat ramp on a river. I've had some really good hunts along this waterway in the past, and was looking forward to getting to relive those moments today if possible. Unfortunately, this morning did not pan out. The squealer and I traveled for several miles up the river, only seeing a small handful of birds that were using the river. So we turned around and left.

On the way home with the boat in tow, I decided that I would try another river. I stopped to buy some fried chicken to take with us to eat in the boat. At the very least, I could have a picnic with my dog. Before noon, we found the entrance to a creek that empties into the second river. Once on the creek, I quickly found a calm bend to anchor the boat using the nearby brush for overhead cover. I really wasn't too worried about having any ducks drop in since I haven't seen the first one during this second attempt at a hunt today. No need to worry out setting up the blind, or putting out decoys that I soon be picking up out of boredom. The dog and I proceed to eat our chicken together.

About this time, I heard a small group of Gadwalls noisily flying overhead. But the conditions where I had set up in made it difficult to pinpoint their location. I really couldn't see them, so I grabbed my call, thinking I might be able to coax them in a little closer. Or at the very least I could follow their audible flight path as they came in. Turns out these birds must have been going somewhere more important, because they never seemed to respond to the call. I heard them fly farther away overhead. Funny thing was that I did hear a Mallard drake respond to my call. I heard that telltale lonesome drake call. The sound that's always unmistakable. When you hear that single drake overhead, cry out with his voice in this way, you know he's committed to dropping in, no matter what.

But this scenario was different. This bird was obviously on the water. In all my life, I have never known of being able to call in a duck that was on the water like this. Since no one else was available to criticize my methods, I began to try to work this bird in. I suppose I could have compared my process with what a turkey hunter might go through before he actually sees the gobbler. I'm not a turkey hunter, so I don't know the process for sure, and I still haven't seen this bird. I just know that he's somewhere around the next bend, not too far off. Being no expert at this tactic, I didn't want to over do it. I sounded my usual 4 note hail call only when the drake first offered his wayward call. This process went on for several minutes. The drake would call, a few moments later, I would call. It sounded as if the two of us were long lost bed partners. It soon became apparent to me that this drake clearly recognized me for his future pair bond.

A few minutes after this started I just heard the unmistakable sound of a waterfowl achieving flight. My past experience with trying to call birds off the water has always produced tail feathers headed away from me in rapid order. But this time I didn't hear the usual hen distress call, this drake might be alone. The only thing I knew to do was to give a quick "come-back" call. I still haven't seen the bird and I now don't hear him, so I don't know where he is headed. I sounded another quick comeback call. Then another.

Suddenly I hear him, and he's close by. My instinct is that he is overhead. But I still haven't seen him. I switch back to my soft 4 note hail call. I hear him again. This time he's even closer. I know he coming in. He sound's like he's right on top of me. About this time I see the drake out of the corner of my eye. This bird was low, and he had managed to slip right in under my nose. This bird was flying about 10 feet above the surface of the creek, and had come right around the bend in the creek, and was within gun range as soon as he rounded the bend. I was expecting him to come in from above, and he had me completely flustered.

I've read that your best shooting ability usually occurs when you are caught off guard. That's when your instinctive shooting ability comes into play. Today was no exception to this rule. I hit the mark, but the bird managed to sail off across the creek and onto the far bank still very much alive. He was about 150 feet away. Squealer had a very good mark on the bird and was barking manically, while waiting for her queue to retrieve the bird. Just a few seconds after the shot, I sent my dog in to collect her prize. She landed about half-way across the creek on her initial launch and quickly made it across to the other side. She never saw the pair of Mallards that flushed when I shot this bird. They were now straight overhead at about 50 yards away when I first saw them. I've got to admit that this is my all time favorite wing shot. A very tall, but also very killable, straight overhead shot. Often when I am presented with this exact shot, it's like a very conscience sixth sense overcomes my being and commands me to aim true. If this out of body experience doesn't occur, I have learned to recognize this by not pulling the trigger. Fortunately I received the go ahead to sound off with my top barrel. A quick tuft of breast feathers gave me first indication that my subconscious maneuver was once again successful. The bird instantly folded and fell dead within a cluster of partially flooded Swamp Privet nearby.

My dog is now out of sight on the bank. She has no idea that a second bird is dead on the water, and I have no idea if she's found the first bird. I tell her to "fetch-up". And instantly she appears around a tree, proudly displaying her shimmering greenhead. I briefly enjoyed the scene, then called her back to the boat to set her up for the second, and very "blind" retrieve. She knew that I had shot again and was clearly excited, because she didn't even take the time to shake off, but she had no idea where the bird was. This time I took her up to the front of the boat and pointed her in the direction of the privets. Being a young dog who's never been trained on a blind retrieve, she instinctively veered off coarse towards the open water where she most often finds the bird. I felt certain that I would have to get over there with the boat to help her find it. A normal blind retrieve for my dog usually consists of my throwing a live shell within the vicinity of the downed bird. It's always worked for us in the past, and I never spent the time to train her to make the true blind retrieve.

Today was different. Today I had the feeling that she could do it. I called to her in a soft voice, "no". She gave no acknowledgment of this command. I called out her a second time, "No". Again, she disregarded my message. I called her by name on the third time. Firmly, but without yelling, "NO". This time she instantly spun around, looking back at me as if trying to say, "what the heck do you want, I'm busy out here". As soon we made eye contact, I gave her a hand signal, which she masterfully followed straight into the brush top and found her bird.

She made me so proud that morning. She made a brilliant retrieve in spite of her current level of training. I simply couldn't have been happier with her. Dogs bring such a great joy in the life of a waterfowler. Even thought mine makes a lot of mistakes, I'm convinced that her only limitation is my limitation in patience and training ability. Training deficit and all, she more than makes up for it with her heart, and her drive and determination to please me. As far as I am concerned, she's the best dog around and I can't imagine hunting without a good friends like these.

Thanks for listening.

[mallardchaser]

Great story Wildfowler.

You need to get out of the cell business and become an outdoor writer.
Then those 50 day's a year you hunt, you'd get paid for. You would have to stoop to doing some deer hunting too, I'm sure.


Webfoot outghtta put that on his site, I'll email him.
Oh yeah, my dog is sally, I got her from hammer. She too has lots of drive and does most all of what I want her to do, bring my duck back. She like the squealer is limited by my laziness, as she has tons of desire.
She hurt her foot 2 years ago and I had to hunt the last 2 weeks without her, it SUCKED.

[judge jb]

he is a 16 year old black-lab named SAM...... his family tree is like mine, no forks in it..... retrieved ducks and geese for me in 5 states.... we have alot in common, like the hunt, but in a more relaxed way than years earlier.... if he should start to talk about our past, he may never see 17......haha.....

judge jb

[goosebruce]

Ya know what is neat about my dawg? He'll work for me so hard, then a few minutes later play so hard for my son. Then you see him work, and you think, that dog is bird crazy...nothing means anything to him except for birds... then you see him growl and bristle when he thinks something is a threat to my wife.
There is only 2 kinds of uncondtional love in this world. The love of your kids, and the love of a dog. I always feel sorry for those people without kids, or that have cats. travis

[Wildfowler]

Great story Wildfowler.

Thanks and BTW, those ducks were shot back in the "gar hole". They may have been breadeaters, but it makes for a good story.