doublegunshop.com - home Forums Pup progress.

Ted,
No offense taken. Not all Springers are the same. My dogs are are out of some field trial stock that a gentleman from Kansas had been working on for many decades. Roy French had been winning field trials at least since the fifties maybe longer and my dog Maggie's Grandfather was a national field champion. Roy was still active in the field trial game to well over 100 years of age. If I was going to own a pointer it would be setter just like yours Ted. I really enjoy those dogs as well. Here is a picture of her at about 3 years old. A short morning in Montana and a full limit for myself and my hunting partner. I really miss that dog even though I have her Granddaughter now who is just sweetheart.

King,
We will see. First season, with a setter, in my world, has always had a fair amount of comedy, with whistles, bells, and screaming. It takes a season or two after that one to become a team.
Man doesn't make dog. Contact with wild birds, does. Man just provides the truck.

Best,
Ted

Ted,

I'll post one once my tablet recharges. No hurry on the pistol. Make sure you're done with it before you send it back.

King,

Now is the time to get another dog. Find one that needs a Home. I'm sure there's plenty out there. One of my best dogs was a cross of Brittany and Springer Spaniels. You should have no qualms about getting a mature dog, they've always worked out for me.

Since my Setter is seven, I'm on the lookout for another pointing dog that needs a home. Maybe even a Springer, then I'd be set up like the Brits, with one dog for pointing and another for retrieving. A one or two year old would be great, as far as training. I always overlapped my Springers that way, it worked out well.

Here's an anecdote.

My first Springer, Fred, who was 18 months old when I got him when I lived in LA, was from show stock. (they all were) I trained him in a lot near where I was living. No live birds, just scent and dummies. He was fine when I moved back to Iowa. He was a great dog, very biddable, and a reliable retriever who always was able to find a bird I knocked down. He was also very smart. Back in those days I was still playing Rugby, and I always took him to the matches. He stayed on the sidelines with no problems and was always friendly and well behaved. His speciality was finding someone with food. He'd then go over and sit a couple of feet away, never looking at the food, with his eyes kind'a half closed, seemingly ignoring the people. After a few moments he'd get a pet and a sample of the food, his well-behaved technique was irresistible to people. He was one smart dog.

I'd have to go with that! My contact with bird dogs began with my grandfather turning me loose on the farm with instructions to just follow the dog. That's pretty much still all I do...Geo

Steve,
This is Louie's maternal grandfather:

http://www.amesplantation.org/field-tria...-shadow-oak-bo/

I don't think Bo had a good day at the 2015 trials, but he has had a few in the past. Like I said, my dogs have to have great family interaction first, hunting comes second. My wife and son have a say in the dog.
All is not skittles and beer as I type-just heard from the vet that the dog may lose the last several inches of her tail, due to a re-injury of a crush wound to her tail. We have our fingers crossed, and she is on meds for the condition.

Best,
Ted

Ted,
sorry to hear about the tail injury. I hope she has a complete recovery. As you know Springers tails are docked. They try to leave a white "flag" on them and Maggie ended up with a pretty darn long tail for a ESS. I learned the hard way why they dock those tails on an early season trip to Montana. She ended up with a raw section on the end of her tail about 3" long from the thorns and heavy brush. Her tail did not heal the whole season and I made feeble attempts to bandage it for her but it was no use.

I agree, mine are house dogs first, hunters second. Great companions and friends.

looks like the Ames plantation does some great things with setters. Thanks for the link. Best regards,
Steve

Here's a couple of pics of my Big-Goin' Knucklehead.

"Fine Boned" is definitely NOT a term you'd use to describe him. At least he's easy to keep track of while he's gallumping around through heavy cover.

Ken,
He is built like my last female setter, Miss Gypsy:



She was well outside breed standard for a female, about 70 lbs, most of her life. She was a good, but, not great, pheasant dog, capable of finding and retrieving winged birds, and she would set, relocate, and pin running birds about as well as any dog I've ever known. That lazy looking point is actually a dog in tune with what a rooster is up to at that moment.

That is exactly what she did in this picture, near Marshall, MN. a few years back. After I took the picture, I dropped the camera in the snow, walked up, and shot the rooster, and spent the next 1/2 hour looking for my wife's camera.

It was all good.

Best,
Ted

All this Setter talk spurred me to find a buddy for my dog. One that needs a good home. I'm going to go get this one on Sunday.

He's a well-trained, Big Goin' Dog as well.

Now I'll be able to make my own Setter version of a "Black & White" Scotch ad...

http://images.craigslist.org/01313_5YTEItXMYCf_600x450.jpg