My kids have wanted a puppy for several years. We had border collies for a while when the oldest kid was a baby, but they did not last in town/back yard. I fought getting a puppy for a few years, but Santa Claus decided that they were old enough to help take care of one, so he brought a puppy via Mark Mercie/Thunderstruck kennels.

"Ozzie" is our first bird dog and recognizing that he is going to be a pet, not a field trial dog, he has not had any "formal" training. He does travel a lot, is out at the ranch a lot and has grown up around shooting. I'm pretty excited to for September 1st to arrive, I think that he'll do all that I need him to. If he doesn't do anything productive, he has his role as a great pet down.

Looks like more than a little hunting blood is running there.

Careful around the big beasts. Abby got too close to a horse and it stepped on her leg. Smashed the main bone and off it was to an orthopedic vet for a plate. Never thought it would turn out all that well, but She went 11 years with it and didn't seem to ever miss a stride. Expensive fix however.

That's a very cute picture of the kids and their pup. Thunderstruck/Mark Mercie is one of the top notch breeders in the land. His bloodlines have done well in the Nationals for years.

I'll assume Sept 1 is opening of dove season?? That pup will surely want to retrieve those birds but you may need to do some training to keep him corralled until it is GO time. Good Luck.

NB

I looked around for a while before deciding on a puppy from Mark. I've been thrilled with this puppy. He is smart enough that he can figure out what his 4 year old boss is telling him to do, most of the time.

Yes, September 1st, opening of dove season, officially marks the end of "Dear season" and the beginning of "deer season." This dog has a very good "handle" on him and comes when called, stays when told most of the time, and retrieves most anything and drops it when told. He will get too excited at times and bolt to retrieve something before being told to, and he is pretty rough on dove and quail wings.

The photo of him and the longhorn is a bit deceptive. It took both of them about 10 minutes to belly crawl to each other. To your point, yes, dogs usually lose when they catch a hoof, intentional or accidental.