Birdy dogs….

[Ugly Sauce]

View attachment 1115802 Lily at the national derby championship.

Yep, Black Labs. I had a pure-bred named "Rooster". He was big, even for a Black Lab, (was supposed to be a "King Lab", which I've never heard of before or since) saw him swallow a ground squirrel whole one time. Great duck hunting dog, he'd jump in ice water in January and retrieve. Never barked until I had him for about a year. Then just a few times. ? Took him back-packing too, he could carry quite a load in his dog-packs. He was an outside dog, had a nice dog-house, but sometimes would curl up and sleep in the snow, like a husky or something.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

And another named "Red"...

Red, Rice, and Beans...!!!! Or would that be, Red, Beans, and Rice?

 

[BigBlue 94]

Yep, Black Labs. I had a pure-bred named "Rooster". He was big, even for a Black Lab, (was supposed to be a "King Lab", which I've never heard of before or since) saw him swallow a ground squirrel whole one time. Great duck hunting dog, he'd jump in ice water in January and retrieve. Never barked until I had him for about a year. Then just a few times. ? Took him back-packing too, he could carry quite a load in his dog-packs. He was an outside dog, had a nice dog-house, but sometimes would curl up and sleep in the snow, like a husky or something.

I grew up with yellow labs. We lived on a small private 40 acre lake, with a patch of woods that i could explore without fear of getting in trouble. They ran loose and had a blast. The small one, the runt of his litter, was the fastest dog ive ever seen. He would catch cottontails on a dead sprint in an open field.

He got run over by my dad, because he liked to chase cars. He lost an eye and was blind in the other. Lived another 7-8 years to the ripe old age of 15. He got to know our house so well, he could go up and down the stairs (with a 180° landing) at will. He would even go swimming. He was a good boy.

His partner in crime was 110 pounds and could devour deer carcasses. That was an expensive vet bill... I got them both when i was about 5 years old. Not having brother or sisters, those two were my best friends.

 

[.308 Norma]

Our daughter in Missoula, Kathy cut up a couple of Halloween pumpkins and threw the pieces out in her yard to attract the neighborhood deer - which in turn attracted the attention of her dog, Ellie.

 

[BigBlue 94]

Murphy thinks he is a bird dog... Got the nose for it thats for sure.

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

*Wipes away a tear*

Makes me miss "Daisy", my springer spaniel from English stock. Hunted pheasants with my friend Keith and his springer "Belle" in Kansas. Belle was so impressive that when Keith told me he was going to have her bred, I told him I wanted one of the pups. The next spring, we picked Daisy up in Fort Collins. This was in 1983. We hunted through the 80s and 90s, when my son was too young to hunt with me. Daisy knew that when I carried my gun case out to the pickup, that she was going to be the guest of honor. Sat right beside me all the way, looking out the windshield.

And, she was a great hunter. Always ranged out at 40 yards, one eye on me and the other looking for birds. She never did learn to retrieve, but that was my fault, not hers. She always found a way to get in a predicament, but she knew I would always get her out of it. I have dozens of stories, and memories.

Daisy's heart quit working in 1999. Yes, 17 years. There's a redwood marker at her grave on the river bottom now. It reads "Daisy - A Good Girl".

Memories.

 

[rabid wombat]

I learned the hard way that when Ralphie gets bored he’ll find his own entertainment.

No guilt on that face….love all the sentiment….