By Bruce Ross, Executive Director bruceross@wi.rr.com
This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s April, 2021 Newsletter edition.
Some folks have been asking for an update on my new pup, Tack. Well, he’s doing fine. But our shoes are a little chewed up….
Callie, my 10 year old black lab, tolerates (barely) Tack’s enthusiasm. Riddled with mast cell disease (a form of skin cancer), a bum leg, and now diagnosed with hepatitis (who knew), Callie is probably looking for some peace and quiet in her remaining months. But Tack is the Messerschmidt to Callie’s B-29 , so we find closed gates and doors are important to giving Callie the respite she deserves. And even for Pam and me, the whole new puppy breath thing has worn a bit thin now that he’s taken to adventuring around the house.
He’s certainly bold, birdy and just a little belligerent. Really, he’s doing everything he needs to be doing to become a fine retriever. So far, Tack:
- Enthusiastically hunts the field and woods of our daily walks. He finds the pigeons I plant, AND the deer poops I don’t. Ignores the .22 caliber blanks I randomly fire.
- Retrieves bumpers, socks, and skivvies – some with more enthusiasm than others.
- Swims and water retrieves with confidence… we signed him up for local swim sessions – who knew they even existed!?! — and now he’s probably spent a full two hours getting comfortable in the water during a Wisconsin winter.
I set up a training room in my basement and he’s pretty good with “sit”, “down”, and ”place”. He’s good on the “whoa” table (he’s a pointing lab) and when treat-motivated responds to here. We’re still working on heeling. And he may never learn to “leave it!” when a shoe is involved.
I’m sending him to “puppy boot camp” with Jessie Richards at Full Throttle Kennels in another month, and I hope not to be embarrassed at his progress (or lack thereof). By the way, Jessie will be doing some seminars at the upcoming EXPO on August 28th in Oshkosh.
Just curious: Does anybody else’s wife collect their dog’s baby teeth when they fall out?