What Really Matters...
I just had the coolest morning ever, on so many levels.
Most of the puppies I breed become show dogs or family members (or both). Even though I believe that my dogs do have the basic instincts of hunting retrievers, which is after all what a Golden was designed to be, I never test those abilities myself and only the occasional person who hunts for himself actually takes one of my pups out in the field. When I bred Pearl to Andy (Am/Can CH. Chuckanut's Party Favour o'Novel SDHF, OS) I hoped for nice puppies in terms of looks, temperament and health, but I was not specifically looking for dogs who would work in the field. I can honestly say I was more interested in the longevity that the outcross of one of my very favorite American dogs to my Australian import could provide.
Enter Ken and Captain.
One of the reasons Ken loved Captain at 8 weeks was that we threw a pigeon wing on the ground and Captain grabbed it, shook it violently, and then hightailed it to the far side of the room to make sure his littermates could not take it from him. He just had that kind of instinct, and it was great to watch. Captain is now two years old, and Ken is working with him in several venues, one of which involves field work. He found a great trainer in the form of Brooke Jr. from Conway Kennels and invited me to come along to see their progress. They've only been working together a couple of weeks, so I did not expect to be overwhelmed, but MY OH MY was I ever! I learned a lot just watching and listening and was thrilled to see Captain, excited, alert, full of confidence and birdiness, taking on his very first pheasant and duck retrieves. I'm so glad I brought my camera! The pictures really tell the story...
Captain is watching Brooke Jr. take the birds out...he knows what is to come.
Getting ready...
The following shots are remarkable because the bird flew a LONG way before it fell...Brooke Jr. didn't really think that Captain was ready for that kind of retrieve. The wind was against him, too, so he actually had to move way out in the wrong direction to locate it by scent. He did not give up until he found his prize.
Next up...Captain's first duck & water retrieve!
The pride and joy I felt watching Captain today is pretty much indescribable, so I won't bother.
Afterwards at breakfast, Ken and I were talking about the different things he's doing with Captain and how easy it is to forget what really matters when it comes to our dogs. I know the first thing I did when I got home was to go out in the yard and throw tennis balls for my crew, who were covered with mud and joyfully tugging at each other's coats as they scrambled to be first to the ball. It wasn't exactly going out to a 100+ acre field and letting them swim in the pond, but that really didn't matter. What mattered was that we were truly enjoying each other away from the nail grinder, thinning shears, UltraPhix and blow dryer. I guess if this blog has a message beside how much fun I had this morning it's just this: Remember what really matters. Do something fun with your dogs today!
Not to say I don't appreciate a beautiful, typey Golden in the conformation ring. A beautiful show dog still takes my breath away. In fact, here's a dog that astonishes me in the ring, just to prove it!
Oh yeah. This is Captain, too.
:)
Deborah Blair
copyright 2008
