Hunting Dogs!!! Post your pics & stories!!!
- Thread starter Jay
- Start date
Pudelpointer
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Lethbridge, Alberta
Bit of an image dump coming on...
News year eve was a sad day around here. My first Pudelpointer, Parker, passed on at a few weeks short of 15 years. I had started a "Hunting Dogs" thread many years back (2007?), maybe it was "Upland Hunting Dogs," and iirc it was lost and Jay started this one when the CGN server was updated, correct me if I am wrong. Anyway...
Parker was a fantastic upland dog, and a great water dog. He found many 'lost birds' after other dogs and hunters (often me) had given up. He scored a perfect 112 in his Natural Ability test, and hunted harder than any dog I had ever seen. We killed hundreds of upland birds, ducks, and geese, as well as more than a few jackrabbits and an occasional fox, all retrieved back to me. His only fault was my doing; he HATED sitting in a blind, and would whine incessantly no matter how much I tried to dissuade him. Sometimes after a 1/2 hour, hour, or more of the high pitched "my life is sooooo unfair" whining, it would suddenly become quiet in the blind. Of course, it wasn't because he had given up complaining that we were just sitting there, it was because he had snuck off and was now a couple hundred yards or more away, often locked up on a pheasant... which you would have to get out of the blind and go flush and / or kill before you could drag him back. Parker wanted to run and hunt upland birds; he would retrieve ducks without hesitation, once performing the longest water retrieve I have ever witnessed; a blind start on a duck that the prairie wind had grabbed and was sending down the lake at a crazy fast rate. He was at least 250 yards away when he caught up to it. As frustrating as his Duck-Blind-Houdini behaviour was, it became funnier to me over the years, and looking back at those marsh edge points now leaves with a huge smile on my face.
He was also a low hassle, very healthy house pet, and a giant snuggle bug. He had a habit of sneaking into the beds of houseguests for a little late-night spooning; he knew it was a non-starter with my wife and I, but strangers (to him) were fair game! He will be missed by many more than just me.
To honour my hunting buddy, I wanted to share a few pics of our adventures. Tried to put them in order from youngest to oldest.
His first duck retrieves.
News year eve was a sad day around here. My first Pudelpointer, Parker, passed on at a few weeks short of 15 years. I had started a "Hunting Dogs" thread many years back (2007?), maybe it was "Upland Hunting Dogs," and iirc it was lost and Jay started this one when the CGN server was updated, correct me if I am wrong. Anyway...
Parker was a fantastic upland dog, and a great water dog. He found many 'lost birds' after other dogs and hunters (often me) had given up. He scored a perfect 112 in his Natural Ability test, and hunted harder than any dog I had ever seen. We killed hundreds of upland birds, ducks, and geese, as well as more than a few jackrabbits and an occasional fox, all retrieved back to me. His only fault was my doing; he HATED sitting in a blind, and would whine incessantly no matter how much I tried to dissuade him. Sometimes after a 1/2 hour, hour, or more of the high pitched "my life is sooooo unfair" whining, it would suddenly become quiet in the blind. Of course, it wasn't because he had given up complaining that we were just sitting there, it was because he had snuck off and was now a couple hundred yards or more away, often locked up on a pheasant... which you would have to get out of the blind and go flush and / or kill before you could drag him back. Parker wanted to run and hunt upland birds; he would retrieve ducks without hesitation, once performing the longest water retrieve I have ever witnessed; a blind start on a duck that the prairie wind had grabbed and was sending down the lake at a crazy fast rate. He was at least 250 yards away when he caught up to it. As frustrating as his Duck-Blind-Houdini behaviour was, it became funnier to me over the years, and looking back at those marsh edge points now leaves with a huge smile on my face.
He was also a low hassle, very healthy house pet, and a giant snuggle bug. He had a habit of sneaking into the beds of houseguests for a little late-night spooning; he knew it was a non-starter with my wife and I, but strangers (to him) were fair game! He will be missed by many more than just me.
To honour my hunting buddy, I wanted to share a few pics of our adventures. Tried to put them in order from youngest to oldest.
His first duck retrieves.
Pudelpointer
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Lethbridge, Alberta
Parker, my dad and his GSP Katy, who passed at 16 a year ago.
You can see a bit of white starting in his muzzle... I think he was around 3 here.
Busted ice to get these snows.
You can see a bit of white starting in his muzzle... I think he was around 3 here.
Busted ice to get these snows.
Pudelpointer
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Lethbridge, Alberta
Pudelpointer
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Lethbridge, Alberta
Great memories.
His attitude to fishing was the same as to waiting for ducks in a blind... and would often be found later locked up on point, somewhere.
Getting a bit white in the face. Kiva was 2 or 3 here, so Parker would be around 10.
A bit younger here... both of us.
After not showing the slightest interest in porcupines for more than 7 years, I stood watching stupified as he trotted up and tried to bite one of the largest pincushions I have seen. Moron...
Gonna miss him.
His attitude to fishing was the same as to waiting for ducks in a blind... and would often be found later locked up on point, somewhere.
Getting a bit white in the face. Kiva was 2 or 3 here, so Parker would be around 10.
A bit younger here... both of us.
After not showing the slightest interest in porcupines for more than 7 years, I stood watching stupified as he trotted up and tried to bite one of the largest pincushions I have seen. Moron...
Gonna miss him.
Pudelpointer
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Lethbridge, Alberta
Found some more from this past fall.
He was still trying hard to find the birds despite barely being able to walk....
Early December. He was really white as he aged.
His last drive; took the long way to the vets...
He was still trying hard to find the birds despite barely being able to walk....
Early December. He was really white as he aged.
His last drive; took the long way to the vets...
leveractionjunkie
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Kamloops, BC
Thanks for sharing pudelpointer. Incredibly difficult saying goodbye to our dogs. Specially amazing ones like Parker, wouldn’t want to miss out on the wonderful journey of life with dogs though.
Pudelpointer
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Lethbridge, Alberta
Thanks gents, for the kind words.
Beautiful stuff. I join you in grieving your loss, but also in celebrating a great and long life you shared with Parker. Everyone who subscribes to this thread has been where you are, or will be one day. To me, the lesson herein to those who have not yet experienced this painful part of sharing a part of your life with a gun dog is to take note of all the joyous times Parker and yourself (and family! 
) had together. They can’t have that life without us. We can’t have this life without them. To me, it’s the most beautiful part of my life as an outdoorsman. And this post really shows that.
RIP Parker
) had together. They can’t have that life without us. We can’t have this life without them. To me, it’s the most beautiful part of my life as an outdoorsman. And this post really shows that. RIP Parker
Pudelpointer
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Lethbridge, Alberta
Beautiful stuff. I join you in grieving your loss, but also in celebrating a great and long life you shared with Parker. Everyone who subscribes to this thread has been where you are, or will be one day. To me, the lesson herein to those who have not yet experienced this painful part of sharing a part of your life with a gun dog is to take note of all the joyous times Parker and yourself (and family!
RIP Parker
That is a lovely post Dreamwaters, and I fully agree. I sure someone, somewhere, before me has said this, but it is how I have viewed life for a long time: I measure the passage of time not by years, but by the hunting dogs (and non-hunting) that I have shared my home with; and by the memories of days spent afield in cooperative pursuit of a winged quarry.
This is one fabulous photo.
Parker, Browning Double Auto with some pheasants.
Not to take away from the rest of the photos.
Thanks
