A pups first season is full of adventure and a privilege to be apart of.
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| Meg at ten weeks old. |
In the sporting world, the bond between a bird hunter and dog is extraordinary. We share our passions and experiences. Our bonds run deep, and there is a mutual understanding and affection for our pursuit. Bird dogs are born from long lineages to hunt and pursue game: setters and pointers, spaniels and Labradors, they own an ingrained spirit of the hunt. The cultivation and care for this spirit is key in the first year of a hunting dog. Some dogs naturally develop into great hunters and sporting companions easier than others. Each breed has its own attributes and tendencies, and with those come challenges and opportunities. I am partial to the Labrador Retriever. The AKC says of the Labrador Retriever: "Physical features and mental characteristics should denote a dog bred to perform as an efficient Retriever of game with a stable temperament suitable for a variety of pursuits beyond the hunting environment. The most distinguishing characteristics of the Labrador Retriever are its short, dense, weather resistant coat; an "otter" tail; a clean-cut head with broad back skull and moderate stop; powerful jaws; and its "kind," friendly eyes, expressing character, intelligence and good temperament."
Our family was happy to bring in our newest Labrador two Christmases ago as a Christmas puppy from Santa. Meg quickly found her way into our hearts as a family dog and companion, and found in her own heart a passion for bird hunting. Meg has a soft golden coat, and a sturdy frame. Her deep brown eyes seem to look deeply to you for leadership and companionship. Our first female Labrador, I have found her to be softer to train and sometimes meeker to discipline than male dogs I've hunted with in the past. She longs to please her family and is happy to sleep the day away nestled in our family vehicle on road trips. Labradors are intelligent sometimes getting into mischief, and often bringing along their own brand of comedy.
Meg came to us first as a family companion, but with hopes to be a great hunting partner, and she has not disappointed on either. We introduced Meg to birds for the first time when she was twelve weeks old. I acquired some pigeons from a friend with an ever growing flock and introduced her to them in a cage on the ground, quietly and gently. Her first experience with birds was a positive one, and it was evident from the start that she had the heart of a hunter.
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| Megs first exposure to birds. |
Throughout the spring and summer, Meg developed into a fine hunting companion. We worked in the cool morning and evening hours gently introducing planted upland birds and mild gunfire. Water retrieves in a small pond near our home became a game she loved and longed for. The eagerness in her eyes for you to throw a dummy or rubber bumper, for the chance at a retrieve, to please her handler is indescribable. As the summer progressed she learned to master double and triple retrieves in the yard around our home. Training sessions are kept short, and session of play are added to keep things fun.
As the summer days turned cooler and the sun moved south, the days grew shorter and Meg's first hunting season was at hand. We spent many days afield, both upland and waterfowl hunting this past season. Meg quickly developed a passion for quail hunting, she longs for it. It didn't take long for her to figure out how to use the wind, to work cover towards her hunters, and I can honestly say we didn't lose a single bird that was shot down all season. Meg works a downed bird with confidence; aggressively working cover, her nose tight to the ground. As a team we have learned to hunt together, to read each other and to work birds together.
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| Modern Wild Man, Meg and Wild Man friend after a quail hunt! |
Meg's first few waterfowl hunts brought a new aspect to her resume. Learning to sit quietly and calmly in a blind is a skill that many retrievers struggle with. Practicing restraint at the sound of the gun and making the retrieve when called for is another aspect of blind hunting that takes a dog time to master. Swimming through decoys, watching for birds in the air and making water retrieves with greater Canadian geese are all aspects of a versatile water retriever. Meg happily and honestly worked all the tasks asked of her on the pond and river this season. We purposely hunted small bodies of private water this season to keep things quiet and under control. The bird numbers were good, and shot opportunities on most of our hunts seemed to come along nicely. Meg has grown to love the sight of decoys going into the back of the pickup. She has learned to mark downed birds on the water and to use the bank as well as the water.
A pups first season afield, their growth and the adventures are a privilege to be apart of. Meg has matured into a faithful companion in the field and at our home. The opportunity to hunt with a partner who always has time to go, who is never too tired, and is never critical of the weather brings a sense of satisfaction and goodwill to a sportsman. There is a joy in helping a bird dog develop their skills and instinct, and with it comes a responsibility to take that dog somewhere wild!
Here is a quick video of Meg on one of many goose retrieves she made this season.
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