OVER THE YEARS, I’VE HAD NUMEROUS DOGS, SOME WERE JUST PETS, WITH MOST OF THEM BEING MY HUNTING PARTNER.
MY FIRST HUNTING DOG WAS A BRITNEY SPANIEL, NAMED CALICO, I WAS WORKING AT A GAME FARM IN NE NEBRASKA AND WHEN IT CAME TIME TO BE PAID FOR MY LABORS, THE OWNER INFORMED ME HE COULDN’T PAY ME.
I WAS VISIBLY UPSET AND AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF HEATED CONVERSATION, HE TOLD ME HE’D GIVE ME THE OLD HAND PAINTED CHEVY PICKUP IN THE TREES, WHICH HE WASN’T SURE IT RAN AND ONE OF THE BRITNEY SPANIEL PUPS HE HAD.
I DIDN’T NEED EITHER AND HAD TOLD MY WIFE THAT I WAS GOING TO TAKE THE JOB TO MAKE A FEW EXTRA BUCKS.
WELL, I WAS ABOUT HALF AFRAID TO GO HOME WITH THE OLD PICKUP AND THE PUP, AS WE DIDN’T NEED ANOTHER MOUTH TO FEED, EVEN IF IT WAS DOG.
I GOT THE PICKUP RUNNING AND WHEN I PULLED INTO THE YARD, SHE WAS THERE TO MEET ME WITH A LOOK ON HER FACE THAT SCARED THE DAYLIGHTS OUT OF ME.
WHEN I OPEN THE DOOR, THE PUP JUMPED OUT AND IMMEDIATLEY JUMPED ON HER, WHICH DIDN’T MAKE THINGS ANY BETTER.
WHEN I FINALLY CALMED HER DOWN, I HAD TO MAKE A HUGE BUNCH OF PROMISES SO THAT I COULD KEEP THESE THINGS.
I TRAINED CALICO MYSELF AND HE WAS A PRETTY GOOD HUNTING DOG, A BIT HYPER, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, HE HAD A GOOD NOSE AND LOVED TO HUNT.
AS A KID, I HAD A LAB, A GOOD FAMILY DOG AND GOOD HUNTING DOGS.
I WAS USED TO MY DOG POINTING, SO GETTING A FLUSHER WAS GOING TO TAKE SOME GETTING USED TO.
THEN I HEARD ABOUT POINTING LABS IN MADISON, SD WITH MAYO KELLOG HAVING SOME FOR SALE.
I CONTACTED HIM AND ENDED UP GETTING ONE, A BLACK LAB, THAT WAS PARTIALY TRAINED AND THUS BEGAIN MY LOVE OF LABS.
MY LAB WOULDN’T HOLD AS TIGHT AS A POINTER, BUT WITH SOME TRAINING, I COULD GET HIM TO ALLOW ME TO GET UP TO HIM BEFORE HE FLUSHED.
LABS ARE GREAT ALL-AROUND DOGS, GETTING ALONG WELL WITH PEOPLE, OBEYING COMMANDS AND AN EXCELLENT HUNTING PARTNER.
IN ALL I HAD THREE POINTING LABS, ALL REGISTERED.
MY KIDS LOVED EVERYONE OF THEM, SO THEY MADE A GOOD FAMILY DOG.
MY LAST LAB WAS NAMED MO JOE AND WE BECAME THE BEST OF FRIENDS.
I USED HIM FOR HUNTING UPLAND GAME, DOVES AND WATERFOWL AND HE EXCEELLED AT ALL OF THEM.
WE HUNTED MOST EVERY EVENING AND WEEKENDS,
AS HE AND I GOT OLDER, WE COULDN’T DO AS MUCH HUNTING AND WE BOTH SLOWED DOWN.
MY WIFE WASN’T TOO KEEN ON GETTING ANOTHER DOG, SO MO JOE WOULD BE MY LAST.
MO JOE PASSED AWAY ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO AND I COULDN’T GET USED TO HUNTING WITHOUT A DOG AND SINCE THAT TIME, HAVE REALLY CUT BACK ON MY HUNTING TRIPS.
