The Loss of a Leading Lady

(Assosiated Press)

Anne Armstrong, one of the most prominent ranchers in South Texas, passed away July 30, 2008 in a Houston Hospice. Mrs. Armstrong was educated at the Foxcroft School in Middleberg, Virginia, where she was president of the student body and valedictorian, class of 1945. She received her bachelor's degree from Vassar College in 1949 and accepted an editorial position at Harper's Bazarre. Before reporting to work however, she visited her classmate, Helenita Kleberg, at her family's King Ranch where she met Tobin Armstrong, owner of an ajoining S.Texas ranch. They were married four months later. She moved to South Texas where she became a mother, respected rancher and quail hunter, but also served as an advisor to three Presidents, Ambassador to England, winner of the 1987 Presidental Medal of Honor (the country's highest civilian award), the first woman to deliver a keynote address at a Republican Natl. Convention, Co-chair of the Republican Natl. Committee, a champion of women's rights, and an avid hunter who loved her Brittany hunting dogs.

One night, my phone rang and Mrs. Armstrong introduced herself, saying she understood that I owned a top Brittany stud dog named 'Bo" that she had heard good things about. After some conversations, the arrangments were made. Beauregard De Lamont http://www.lamontbrittany.com/OurHistory.aspx?id=3
and her Brit female got together and produced what she later informed me were tremendous hunting dogs.

I only spoke to her on two or three occassions, but am proud to have had a brief contact with a truly great lady. Anne Armstrong will be missed.

Picking a Pup!

Call this week from a friend's grown son who was looking for a Brittany pup ('just like Gareth Cook's "Annie De Lamont"). We should all be that lucky choosing our first hunting dog! Everyone has their own ideas about that subject, but it did give me a chance to write down my thoughts in an email to him...

"I am a true believer in what a friend of mine used to say....'you' need to teach your dog 'english'. Gareth's dog is exceptional, but I happen to believe that, in addition to Annie's strong bloodline, that Gareth and his wife Janie were the difference. They 'lived' with that dog, talked 'english' to her and Gareth began with a strong knowledge of what a good bird dog should 'be' (even tho he did not profess to know anything about 'training') and Janie gave the pup love and security.

The key is 'exposure'....dogs are always learning something, good things, bad things. As long as you, and the other members of the family are consistent about what is expected of them, I believe that you can teach a dog virtually anything. I saw a dog once that would retrieve birds and then stand up on it's hind legs to put the bird in the owner's 'pouch' because he had a back problem and could not bend over. I spent time with a male that learned to retrieve a 'dime' that I would pitch out in the dark yard at night, even taught my pointer to retrieve ducks for me. It took time, but I gave them that time and talked to them in 'English'.

What you want to look for most in a pup is intelligence, desire and curiosity. I once read that Seeing Eye dogs are chosen for the job before training using a variety of tests, including searching for the source of a sound. Oh, one more thing, find a good training book and mentor.

Have fun....

Bill