Dog guys! IFG member hits the literary big time!

[Steve007]

See link. Lead article entitled Trial Dog! A Transitionary Tale. Good pctures, too.

You may also find the ads, notices and other gun article to be of interest.

That's a male bobwhite quail in the below photo, by the way. State limit is 8 birds.

http://www.icontact-archive.com/O_uOPdl ... HiBPaK7B3o

[dev]

Wow steve,

Really well done. I have a lab and getting the guy just to be a pet, not a working dog took quite some work. You obviously are a dog whisperer, hats off to you.

[xl_target]

Congrats Steve.

Rather, you earn such a dog with the time and effort you invest in it, and if it isn’t enough or not done sensibly, nothing else matters.

Not much more to say.

[Vikram]

Steve,

Congratulations for having a dog like Demi McFinkel in your life. I loved the details of how you trained her into a field dog.Taking her to office and taking breaks to walk her.

There is a theory that you don’t actually buy an outstanding bird dog with money. Rather, you earn such a dog with the time and effort you invest in it,

Words worth their weight in gold.

Many people keep dogs.But, never do they invest time and effort to know them and train them.Thank you for sharing this with us.

Best-
Vikram

[shooter]

good one steve

congrats

[Mark]

Nice article Steve!

Note from the "small world" department- Sending a PM since I live across the river from you in Calhoun county.


Mark

[abhrankash]

its good to read and good to see your dog has owned the ribbons for the owners glory !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Steve007]

its good to read and good to see your dog has owned the ribbons for the owners glory !!!!!!!!!!!!!

"

I am unsure as to the full meaning of your post, abhrankash. I train my dog and hunt and compete with her as everyone --dog or man-- has an obligation to maximize his potential. My dogs can't do achieve that wholly admirable goal without me, and I certainly can't do it without them. We're a team. We don't train, hunt birds and compete for glory or ribbons. We do it because we are good together and because it is fun. She is bred to do this, and I am proud of her.

Perhaps I misunderstood your post.

[Katana]

Steve,

With the ban on hunting in India being enforced after 1972, the idea of using dogs to retrieve or flush game also declined. There are innumerable Labradors and various other retrievers and pointers in our country (my wife has a female Lab) yet very few would be trained to retrieve nor would many people even know of their capabilities. I last saw Labs in action during a duck shoot sometime in the mid-90's. Moreover, since pedigreed dogs were largely kept by gun licensees, and with the ban coming into place, the need to keep these animals for a specific purpose also declined and they remained just as pets.

Conversely, the ban still does not effect the nomads/ shepherds in our country, since they do not hunt with firearms. Their dogs are a sight to behold when in action. Our breeds, like the Mudhol and Banni may not be held high in the looks department but excel in the hunting scene, especially when in a pack with their tracking, baying and holding an animal are par excellence. In 2000 I was gifted a Banni male by a Kutchi Bharwad (shepherdic community). He grew up fine but then slowly he emptied out all the rabbits on my land and I had to turn my energies to train him to keep out Nilgais from the crops. Now that was one dog who would do the work of about 4-5 men! Sadly I did not keep any photographs or even a film of him.

[veejosh]

its good to read and good to see your dog has owned the ribbons for the owners glory !!!!!!!!!!!!!

"

I am unsure as to the full meaning of your post, abhrankash. I train my dog and hunt and compete with her as everyone --dog or man-- has an obligation to maximize his potential. My dogs can't do achieve that wholly admirable goal without me, and I certainly can't do it without them. We're a team. We don't train, hunt birds and compete for glory or ribbons. We do it because we are good together and because it is fun. She is bred to do this, and I am proud of her.

Perhaps I misunderstood your post.

A lovely article Steve. Thanks for the posting and the link.

One thing which you gave a passing mention or may be you give it an equal amount of importance is Talking --verbal conversation with a dog...I feel it is one of the most important thing I have learnt from my cowherd. He could literally talk the cows into doing what he wanted.The other of course is spending quality time.A happy dog and master are the end result..rest is consequential.

On the lighter side of the regular complaints in this forum..lack of hunting permission..well make the best of what is available ..get them to hunt rats atleast..I do that.

Regards
Vikas