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