More recently, this theory about “softness” has been replaced with one about bonding: Make your hunting dog part of the family, put it in the house at night, treat it like one of your children, and it will more likely perform for you when afield.
Nevertheless, old lessons died hard for me, and my wife had no problem agreeing the Labs I subsequently purchased needed to stay outside. She said that with a Lab in the house, she would have to spend half her housekeeping budget buying those sticky rollers used to take hair and lint off garments and half her time vacuuming.
Yellow Labs (I’ve had five) have been the worst. Even if you spend an hour each day brushing their coats, the shedding never stops. If one saved the accumulation and had the inclination, one could crochet two sweaters and an afghan each year with Lab hair yarn and have enough hair left over to stuff an oversized pillow.
Several years ago, for nostalgia’s sake and to keep Jill — my duck and goose specialist — company, I added Lucy, a Brittany, to my kennel. I had some reservations about getting another Brittany, as my first one had not lived long. I’d had very little experience with anything but retrievers, but Lucy has turned out to be an excellent upland dog, considering all I didn’t know about the breed. She hunts big (no small consideration for a man whose legs are worn out from chasing flushing dogs), has a superb nose and will hold a point forever. I started calling her “Lucy Lou” after the first year as my affection for her grew.
Winter came in October the next year, bringing lots of snow, biting wind and single digit temperatures.
Denne historien er fra Winter 2020-utgaven av The Upland Almanac.
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Denne historien er fra Winter 2020-utgaven av The Upland Almanac.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Tailfeathers
The essence of fly fishing, I think I've decided, is time.
Ten Questions with Tim Flagler, Fly Tyer/Cook Extraordinaire
Culinary Creations from Gordon Hamersley
GREY on the Wing
Hands clutching the wheel of a large, lumbering vehicle whose vintage and purpose partially prompted the invention of \"powering steering,\" disengaged the clutch and applied the brakes, bringing it to a stop.
James Purdey & Sons Ltd.One of London's "Best"
At the conclusion of a recent breakfast meeting of the Shrewsbury Men's Club of Massachusetts, I was packing up my show-and-tell aids after giving a presentation.
WAWAWAI
I don't chase chukars anymore, but from the time I was 16, chukar hunting had been my favorite bird hunting endeavor.
A FAIR EXCHANGE
Among the concerns faced by many small community gun clubs here in the Northeast is our inability to attract and maintain new and younger shooters.
Coming to Heel
I'n the world of gun dogs, it's not unusual that retrievers are taught to heel.
Bird Dogs - Health Matters
Avoiding Medical Mishaps on the Road
MATT HART
Matt Hart, owner, designer and artist of Hartist Metals, is a highly skilled metal sculptor based in the picturesque Catskill Mountains of New York.
Luigi Franchi Imperial Monte Carlo Extra: One of Italy's "Best" SxS Doubles
As on London’s gun-maker’s row, Italians had skilled craftsmen who made “Best” guns of superb quality