doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Dog or gun ?

My wife asked me what I wanted for Valentine�s Day. Told her I could not decide between a new Lab puppy or another engraved 42 with a solid rib or maybe a vent rib. Been looking at one of each. You know the engraved 42�s just shoot better. The puppy holds more promise from an enjoyment end as I love to train them and watch them figure it out. Damn if she didn�t say why not both. We are not going to be here field ever. Think I�ll keep her. Got to make a couple of calls about a dog.

Good for you, I hope we will see a lot of pictures of successful hunts with both the 42 and the lab.

Can't beat a new puppy. One of each would be better yet, but a new dog is definitely not to be passed up.

What sort of pup are you looking at?

I envy you. The 42 is one thing but the dog is another. I would get another gun dog if I was reasonably sure I would outlive him. You can always find someone to take good care of a 42, but supporting your dog in a manner in which they are accustomed is a task.

I know if I brought a lab puppy home #1 wife would be chewing his food for him, and he would be eating better than I do, so that's not even an issue.

Now, If I brought home a 42 I might get "The Look" even if I said, "...it's just an old shotgun, and I don't even like pumps, and it's not like it's new or anything, it's pretty old, and it shoots these little bitty shells, can't hardly even hurt anything with it......".

But, good luck on the dog hunting. I remember getting my last lab. There were eight in the litter. The lady had them in a clothes basket. I put them all on the ground and one little male put his nose on the ground and headed off away from the rest which were climbing my leg to get petted. I pointed to the hunter and told her, "that's the one I want". He grew up to be "Boone". He would retrieve anything with feathers and anything without feathers. He could track a duck underwater and would retrieve a brick in three feet of water. He wouldn't actually point quail but he would look back at me like, "get ready!" Doves barely hit the ground before he was on them. Very soft mouth, and it was not uncommon for him to bring me live birds. He died five years ago. I sure miss him. I haven't had much desire to hunt birds since then. Most of the enjoyment was watching him work, and he loved to work. God, I love Labs.


Alan

Dog for sure.....

No question......puppy!

Best friend hands down!

That's something we will never see...

"She who must be obeyed" has laid down the law. NO new dog.
At my age the dog would probably outlive me.
There was too much heartache when our English Setter had to be put down prematurely.

For what it is worth, when my father's dog passed away, my father made the same argument against getting a new dog, I told him that if he wanted a dog and anything happened to it, I would take care of the dog.
I wish he would have said "yes".