bird dogs

by Tom Keer There was so much dog hair on the stairs that I dang near slipped my way down to the coffee pot. I looked around and saw that it was everywhere. There was a pile of white fur in the corner by my bookcase, another bunch surrounded my desk and more was everywhere I looked. The date on my calendar said March 5, but I knew spring had already arrived. The “spring shedding season” was officially here. Owners of short-haired dogs are immune from the kind of pre-and-post hunt hair care that is common ground with long-haired breeds. Burdocks don’t...

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by Keith Schopp My Labrador retriever Flora is still a youngster and she often sticks to me like glue in the field and the forests.  She’s a bit hesitant to charge in and flush. And she might be a little too obedient – often waiting for me to release her with an “OK” or “Free” before she hunts and quarters. I can see the lightbulb starting to turn on. However, I often say to my wife, “Flora’s no Emma.” At least not yet. Comparing Flora to Emma is probably my biggest mistake. Emma is that one dog you’re blessed with. The one that never...

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by Keith Schopp Something was terribly wrong with Claira, our four-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer. Just 30 minutes into a Southern Illinois quail hunt, she came hobbling back, tail tucked and barely able to walk. Her lymph nodes and neck were swollen, and her front legs were stiff at the shoulders. Claira was a dog that never quit hunting – until she did that December day in 2008. The initial diagnosis after preliminary bloodwork: Cancer. I was devastated. Claira – the sweetest and best bird dog I ever had and only four! We were referred to a specialty clinic. They tended to agree with...

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