“Tag: Gundogs”

A few days ago, my springer, Freedom, had minor surgery. Nothing serious. He basically had a wart removed from his left front leg. And all was going just fine, that is, until the veterinarian uttered the words dreaded by both man and dog: "We've fitted your dog with a cone, which he'll need to wear for the next two weeks."

Yesterday was a sad day for the Skipper family—Chelsea, our 12-year-old Golden Retriever, finally had to be put down.

Chihuahuas aren't exactly considered gundogs, but a post from a fan of Delta Waterfowl's Facebook page might suggest otherwise.

We’ve all been there. Opening day. The sun is shining, birds are calling and our over-eager dogs are racing through the cover, thicket to thicket, horizon to horizon, sucking air, searching for scent. They point. They flush. They fetch. They collapse. It’s not even noon and they act as if they’re on their last legs because—they are.

At the risk of being called a New Age charlatan, Ron Spomer recommends you give your hunting dog massage therapy.

Small dogs take up less space. They are easier to house, easier to haul in cars and planes, easier to control, cheaper to maintain and easier to conceal when the neighbors complain about high-pitched barking. A small dog can squeeze into an apartment, a kid’s bedroom, the backseat floor of a subcompact car or a large coat pocket. But can they hunt?

At some point we all face a recalcitrant dog that just won’t do what it is commanded to do. At these times it’s critical to distinguish mistakes from willful disobedience.