Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Back in Business

After a rather lackluster bird season last year I've taken a major step toward a remedy.  I picked up this guy last week and I'm hanging my hopes on him for the fall.  He's 3 1/2 years old, one of the lightest colored Brittanys I've ever seen, gentle personality and aside from needing a little re-socializing he's a good fit in our house.  Not exactly an action shot but this is the only time he stops moving long enough to snap a picture.



Call me a glutton for the taking the hard way or a sucker for the less fortunate, either way he was far from a sure thing.  He'd gotten about a year of training before the trainer gave up on finding a home for him, parked him in a run and fed him and watered him.  I'm not sure he left that run for a year or so and I'm dead positive he'd never seen the inside of a truck or a house since he was whelped.  He spent the first hour of the ride home pinned against the window in the back corner of the truck, not entirely panicked but far from comfortable.  I had to carry him through the door into the house several times before he went willingly.  Stairs, dark rooms, even furniture were all new.  Imagine the thoughts in that head.

I took him over to Maurice's on Saturday morning and all the necessary parts were present.  There's stuff you can teach and stuff he has to be born with, and if he doesn't have the latter you're pretty much SOL.  Fortunately he wants to find birds and is captivated by one in flight.  He points too, meaning he can be taught.   Give him a couple of months of polishing and I'm feeling fairly good about the opener.  My wife seems to think he's a quick learner and from what I've seen so far I'd have to agree.

It's funny how things come into your life.  Back in the spring when I started thinking about this I never would have pictured a dog like him would be the outcome.  I suppose it all just has a way of working out.  We're calling him Wyatt.

7 comments:

  1. Good for you all!

    Our Chessie is a rescue and, while a long way from perfect, he gets birds and we're pretty happy.

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  2. This is an awesome story! One of the best pointers I've ever owned was a dog I rescued. She was two when I got her. I purchased her from a trainer that was convinced she wouldn't hunt, so he left her tied up to a tree to drink out of a hub cap for the rest of her days.

    Phoebe was unsettled when more than one or two people were around at once, and she was always a little nervous in the house. Still, when things would quiet down in the evenings, she was a constant loving pet and just terrific around the kids. She was a demon possessed in the field after our first fall together. Turned out all she really needed was someone to leave her alone in the field and trust her instinct.

    I lost her just this past spring to ovarian cancer that had quickly spread to her chest. We enjoyed ten seasons together, each one eclipsed by the prior. I never could put my finger on it, but it just seemed like she tried harder than any other dog I've owned, always in a state of euphoria around birds and the uplands. Who knows maybe she was just reaching out to her prior owner to give him the finger.

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  3. Sounds like you're on your way. Sad so much is so new for him, but it sounds like he handles it well. Amazing how more resonable/sensible bird dogs can be about things. Rare is the Brit I've seen that will stand still for more than 5 seconds, but there are a couple that come here that are fantastic, and very sweet dogs with lots of natural ability. Hopefully I can get a pic of them this season when we kick start training again.

    You have good taste in names, we were thinking Wyatt (after wyatt earp) for our newest addition (lab puppy). Looks like that's out now though.
    Enjoy, look forward to hearing more

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  4. We have a true rescue as well, one that I fostered for American Brittany Rescue and just ended up keeping. I tend to think of Wyatt as more of second stringer who was called off the bench to play. He's adjusting very quickly, much more so than my rescue who literally took years to become a "normal" dog.

    Anna, I hope you didn't change your mind about that name on my account. I don't have a trademark on it and I think it's cool enough that there should be a few more out there. Good looking Vizsla, by the way.

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  5. Congratulations! And good for you for giving him a home. My next dog may very well be a rescue. Can't wait to read about his progress...

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  6. Good deal...looking forward to checking in on you and Wyatt as the Fall progresses. I can relate to the intro of doorways, stairs, furniture etc. I swear they really do pick us instead of the other way around.

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  7. Mark, I'm happy for you. I hope the coming seasons bring many rewards for you and Wyatt.

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