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RED DOG
AFTER A FULL DAY OF HUNTING AT THE END OF THE THIRD AND FINAL DOVE SEASON LAST YEAR, I CAME HOME TO FIND A BLACK LEASH ATTACHED TO THE BACK DOOR. BEING SOMEWHAT CONFUSED, I OPEND THE DOOR AND WAS IMMEDIATELY GREETED BY A HUGE RED DOG WHO WASN’T REALLY SURE IF I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THERE OR NOT , BUT AFTER ONLY A SECOND OR TWO HE WAS LICKING ME AND WAGGING HIS TAIL WILDLY. HE INCIDENTLY HAD ALREADY CLAIMED OUR HOUSE AS HIS OWN. MY WIFE AND I HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN TOYING WITH THE IDEA OF GETTING A HUNTING DOG FOR ME SINCE I HAD COMPLAINED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS ABOUT LOOSING SO MANY BIRDS IN THE “DEEP BEANS” OF THE DOVE FIELD. SHE ALSO REMINDED ME, IN A KIND FASHION, THAT I WAS NOT AS YOUNG AS I USED TO BE AND MAY NEED A COMPANION TO HELP ME DURING THE HUNT. I THINK SHE INVISIONED HIM EVENTUALLY DRAGGING MY LIFELESS BODY FROM THE FIELD AS WELL BUT THAT WILL BE FOR ANOTHER DAY’S DISCUSSION.
ANYWAY, SEEING MY STUNNED STATE OF AMAZEMENT, MY WIFE QUICKLY EXPLAINED THAT SHE HAD BEEN AT THE PET STORE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING FOR OUR CAT AND THERE WERE A NUMBER OF RESCUE DOGS THERE THAT HAD BEEN BROUGHT IN FROM GEORGIA. THERE WAS ONE BIG RED DOG THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A MIX OF RED BONE HOUND, GOLDEN RETRIEVER, AND A LITTLE BEAGLE THROWN IN ON THE SIDE. HE HAD ESCAPED FROM THE STORE’S HOLDING PEN AND IMMEDIATELY APPROACHED MY WIFE AS SHE ENTERED. HE DUTIFULLY FOLLOWED HER BACK TO THE PEN AND FROM THEN ON AS MY WIFE TRAVELED THROUGH THE STORE THE DOG NEVER LET HER OUT OF HIS SIGHT. SHE EVENTUALLY SUCCOMED TO HIS CHARMS AND THUS SHE PURCHASED HIM TO BE MY FUTURE HUNTING DOG. IT ONLY SEEMED NATURAL THAT WE NAME HIM “RED”. RED IT SEEMS WAS FOUND AS A STRAY BY A FARMER, WHO TOOK THE THEN EMACIATED 8 MONTH OLD PUPPY TO THE POUND TO BE PUT DOWN. HE WAS DISCOVERED THERE BY A KIND LADY FROM HART COUNTY RESCUE SQUAD AND WAS TAKEN HOME TO BE NURISHED BACK TO HEALTH AS WELLL AS TAUGHT TO STAY, HEAL, AND WALK ON A LEASH.
I HAD NEVER OWNED, MUCH LESS TRAINED, A HUNTING DOG BEFORE AND HAD NO IDEA WHERE TO START, SO I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE INTERNET AND WADED THROUGH ALL THE CONFUSING SALES PITCHES OF EVERY HUNTING DOG VIDEO ON THE MARKET. WHILE TRYING TO MAKE UP MY MIND AS TO WHAT TO BUY, MY WIFE MENTIONED THAT SHE HAD MET SOMEONE AT THE BANK WHO TRAINED ASSISST DOGS. ENTER JIM DURANCE. I CALLED JIM AND HE AGREED TO COME BY THE HOUSE AND GIVE ME HIS ASSESSMENT OF RED. JIM CAME THE NEXT DAY AND WAS AMAZED THAT ANYONE WOULD WANT TO DISTROY SUCH A BEAUTIFUL, CALM, GENTLE ANIMAL. WE SET UP AN APPOINTMENT AND JIM GRACIOUSLY WORKED WITH RED AND ME AT MY HOUSE FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS .WE HAD CONSIDERED LETTING JIM TAKE THE DOG TO HIS PLACE AND TRAIN HIM BUT I WANTED TO GIVE IT A TRY MYSELF FIRST. JIM PATIENTLY GAVE ME A FEW POINTERS ON HOW TO BEGIN SUCH AS HOW TO CONVINCE RED TO TAKE OBJECTS IN HIS MOUTH, BRING THEM, AND GIVE THEM TO ME ON COMMAND. WHEN I WASN’T LISTENING, I THINK HE ALSO GAVE RED A FEW POINTERS ON HOW TO DEAL WITH ME. FROM THAT POINT, I BEGAN WORKING WITH RED ON AN ALMOST DAILY BASIS WITH A RETRIEVING DUMMY; TRAINING HIM TO STAY AT MY SIDE UNTIL I GAVE THE COMMAND TO “GET EM RED DOG”, “BRING IT”, “SIT”, AND “GIVE”. RED RESPONDED EXTREMELY WELL TO THE TRAINING AND IT WASN’T LONG BEFORE HE EVEN STARTED BRINGING THINGS THAT WERE NOT ASKED FOR SUCH AS SHOES WHICH OF COURSE HE TASTE TESTED BEFORE DELIVERING. THIS IS WHEN I DISCOVERED WHAT A GENTLE MOUTH MY DOG HAS. WE HAVE A PET PEACOCK AND RED CAN PICK UP THE BIRD’S DISCHAREDED FEATHERS WITHOUT DAMAGING THEM IN ANY WAY. I CHECKED IN WITH JIM FROM TIME TO TIME WITH PROGRESS REPORTS AND ANY QUESTIONS. HE ALWAYS SEEMED TO COME UP WITH JUST THE RIGHT TACTIC OR TRAINING TECHNIQUE TO HELP.
WE HAVE BEEN ON SEVERAL DOVE SHOOTS NOW AND I AM VERY PROUD TO REPORT THAT RED HAS BECOME THE WONDERFUL HUNTING COMPANION THAT I HOPED HE WOULD BE. HE HAS DEVELOPED HIS OWN METHOD OF FINDING THE DOWNED BIRDS AND HAS FOUND EVERY BIRD I HAVE SHOT AND SOME THAT THE OTHER HUNTERS CLOSE BY COULD NOT FIND AS WELL. RED HAS EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS ON STAYING, RETRIEVING, AND EVEN HAULTING WHEN HIS ENTHUSIASM CARRIES HIM INTO THE FIELD AFTER A MISSED BIRD. AS A RESULT OF THIS DOG AND THE TRAINING, WE HAVE BOTH DISCOVERED A GREAT DEAL. I HAVE COME TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS QUITE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE NEED TO CONTROL AND THE DESIRE TO LEARN, BOND, AND BE TOGETHER. RED DOG OF COURSE HAS COME TO TRUST AND ENJOY THE EXPERIENCES WE HAVE BOTH AT HOME AND IN THE DOVE FIELD. HE HOWEVER STILL DOESN’T UNDERSTAND WHY I HAVE TO GO TO WORK SOME DAYS AND WHY WE CAN’T HUNT ALL THE TIME--- MAYBE SOMEDAY. THANK YOU JIM FOR YOUR KINDNESS, COMPASSION, AND PATIENCE WITH US BOTH. YOU ARE ALWAYS THERE FOR SUPPORT AND PROMPT TO ANSWER ANY QESTIONS I HAVE OR HELP IN ANY WAY.
George
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