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We are over due for a good dog thread. Pictures, stories?

Sucker....


Well, I was happy as could be with my Honey Half-lab on our caribou hunt. She will be 3 sometime in October, best guess when I adoipted her (or vice versa - she Borged me!) June last year. Village dog out of Bethel, and about as ignorant as they come. She knew her name, come, sometimes "no" if she felt like it, very needy, uncertain(read cowering) , gun and noise shy. That was it. Can't learn a lot in 18 months on a chain, with, I think, fire crackers thrown at her and shot with BB guns.... she wasn't house broken either.

Boy, has she come a long way! I worked in tiny increments on the gun shy (the loud noise abatement pretty much came with our safe environment- neighbors shooting guns, etc). She finally had 3 grouse hunts in last fall with the pellet rifle- still haven't worked her with .22 subsonic, which I meant to this summer, but never got to. First hunt I had to teach her everything. Second hunt was "I got this!". Third hunt was "How the hell did you miss? It was right damned there!"

Last fall I called a bull moose that was coming in, when she yipped softly several times to let me know "there's 'things' out there", with predictable results. She was still a nervous Nellie....

On our caribou hunt a short time back, I'd taken the rifle to stalk a bull a half mile away while my wife watched from the slope above, with our packs and dogs (We have a 5 month old Dachshund ). While I was funning around down there not getting the bull, two groups of caribou came right by her. She had the dogs lay down next to her and "shhhh"ed them to quiet. The Wiener is sharp- and learns by imitation of Honey very quickly!

I'd totally blown eyeball range estimation (Leupold 800i would not 3 times range it - and yes, it should have - just wasn't picking up the target, cold, low batteries - dunno- still haven't worked with it. Tho it worked later in the hunt) and (mostly) missed that sucker 4 times (more yarn here - but wife killed him next day - had a bullet crease inches above a front hoof) . I'd not check-sighted the rifle prior to the hunt (more story there- but basically flat out of time), so naturally I lost all confidence in the rifle (had to be the rifle, right? . ), and was headed back down to the truck to sight in- yes I had 6 rounds yet, but no good way to check sight while on the mountain, and half a box of ammo still in the truck. (It was dead on later that evening - my 250-300 hundred eyeball estimate was actually well over 400 apparently ..I suck at over-water and alpine distances).

Taking Honey, water bottle and my near empty fanny pack, I set out for the truck, while wife opted to stay on the ridge with Chako and watch the floor show until my return. Wife had made us lunch for the mountain - but it was still in the truck, hence the fanny pack. (When one has a good CF going...... ride it for all it's worth! ). Just above timberline I saw caribou topping out on the bench just below, to my right, looking like they would pass right in front of me. They did, about 100 yards out. How far off could the rifle be? - I decided to chance one shot, given opportunity. Moving several yards to a good sitting position where I could use my knees for rest, I called Honey and told her to lie down. Thanks to the wife's training a half hour before, Honey tucked herself in tight against my left thigh not making a sound ( I didn't even shhhh her) nor a move.

When I raised the rifle to shoot, she scooted back a yard or so, on her belly. She REALLY doesn't like being anywhere near the front of a rifle, tho much more tolerant now.. Her movement or mine started the caribou milling, but it was just too late for that bull. Bullet went precisely to aim-point.

When I looked around, she was several yards farther back, likely because of the gunshot, but she hadn't run for distance as she would have when I first got her and even handled a rifle.

Her tucking in and quiet with minimum command really impressed me. She can learn fast, and well.... if she wants to.

Did I mention I thought she wasn't the sharpest tool in the box when I first got her?

Pure ignorance, on both our parts. I think now she is ranked right up there with my first and last purebred Labs for smarts - just at a disadvantage for not having any stimulation for the first 18 months of her life. And of course, our catch-as-catch can OTJ "training", with no regimen at all. She is just a "family" dog - that she is turning out to be an avid hunter is gravy. With some real training..... ????

Sure, she tried to chase caribou a couple times, but always stopped and returned immediately on command, once so fast she darned near somersaulted at my "no" yell.

I think I'll keep her...... she is such a help.....

I like to watch cartoons, my gray matter is smoothing as I get older. It's easier to follow.

Most recent.

Coyote pup.

Campfire rule 37.4
Subsection A-3 " Dog threads".
Para 2.8

"OP,s on dog threads must initiate said dog thread with a picture of their own dog". If thread is started without proper picture of OP,s own dog. Said thread will lack participation due to other members doubt as to the OP even having a dog.

My eight year old lab is having a bad evening, she spent the day in the clinic being tested for whatever is wrong with her. I thought she had blown out her knees, but is seems all her joints are giving her trouble. $3300 so far and still don't have an answer, but today's tests should be back from Colorado State University in a few days.
Guesses run from some Cancer to an immune system problem.
Poor girl never complains but she in letting out some soft whines every few minutes so I know she's hurting.
Wish I could do something for her, she's a great little girl.

Lost her last Christmas after 16 great years.

Young.



And old.

Mine are house bears right now... They enjoy their a/c nearly as much as I do...

Lily

One of the assorted Frenchies that belong tonthe daughter. This is Carlisle

My boy Basil, doing what he loves to do! Guarding the pit!!!!



He is an über güber!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Basil's waiting on you to drop some food!

Barry,

He knows he gets a reward for his labors! 🤣

Spot does too!!! He’s a good boy!!

Mine do too!

They have figured out when I say "Oh-Oh!" that I dropped another morsel for them...

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Okay, I'm in. Most of you guys have no kidding working dogs (hunting, K9, etc.) Mine COULD be, if we only had a bunch of sheep or little kids and open wells, but we don't.
In an area populated primarily by three breeds; Labs (of any color), Pit mixes (BOP) and Chihuahuas, I have had Collies since 2013, and a Sheltie I inherited from my mom before that. Our last two were quite old, and left us in March and April. We thought we should get another, and wanted a younger one this time (the previous were rescues and 8 & 10 when we got them), so we found this guy at a rescue in NOVA, a 2 and a half year old named Brody. Holy crap, is he a handful compared to our older ones.

Our older ones, now gone...


Brody (or "Hell Dog" as I sometimes refer to him...)

He is much longer and taller then my old boy, and no counter is truly safe from that long-ass snout of his.
Thinks he's a lap dog

Not mine..just a K9 I was "playing" with that is being trained by a friend...

All smiles for rooster hunting


Mt Harvard, 14,420 ft


Got Dirt?


Our youngest is enthusiastic about fetching.

Take your pick.