# Fowl Dawgs 4 Promotional Sweepstakes - full Set up for grabs to lucky RTF user



## Chris Atkinson (Jan 3, 2003)

*Edit: June 24, 2012,

The deadline for entries has arrived. The random draw for qualifying entries has been done. Those drawn were, on order: 

Post #54 by bruce, post 15 by Vammy, #34 by Matt Weberpal, #44 by sara c, and #35 by tom476.

These have all been moved into a separate poll thread. Please go here 

Fowl Dawgs Voting Poll link to pick the winner 

and click on one of the above 5 entries as your vote. The one with the most votes wins the set.

Thanks, 

Chris


*

Rick Stawski is giving away a full set of his Fowl Dawgs 1, 2, 3 and 4 series to a lucky RTF user.

All registered users may sign up to win in this thread. But to do so, you must follow the rules.

1) *You may post ONLY ONCE *in this thread. *Anybody posting more than once in this thread is ineligible to win.

*2) You may edit your one and only post in this thread right up until the deadline, which is Sunday June 24.

3) To enter, merely post in this thread one simple topic - your favorite retriever memory. It can be a poem, a story, an image, anything. But here's the kicker, it will be voted upon. The winner will be the one with the most votes.

4) This thread will be locked on Sunday June 24. At that time a random draw will be done to select five (5) posts in this thread.

5) A poll will be run for a limited time period. During that time, all RTF users may vote using the poll buttons for their favorite of those 5 randomly drawn entries. 

This sweepstakes is part luck, part skill, part popularity. In the end, one of you will win a full set of the Fowl Dawgs series, including the new Fowl Dawgs 4.

Good luck and have fun! Chris


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## Chris Atkinson (Jan 3, 2003)

sandyg said:


> Waste of time. Rules will be ignored same as last contest. Ends up being a popularity contest.



Sandy,

Rick Stawski asked me to help administer this little fun giveaway.

I'm pretty sure your sort of participation is outside of what Rick was hoping for. I can't control how folks vote, but I would sure imagine you're not exactly in the lead at this time. 

I, by the way, am no longer eligible to win. This is my second post in the thread. 

I would suggest that you either a) edit your post if you are interested in participating in the giveaway or b) choose to spend your time elsewhere. Do not post any further posts in this thread.

Thanks for your cooperation.

Chris


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## Terry A (Jul 1, 2003)

My Favorite retriever moment was with my 1st Lab Java and my middle son Andrew. Andrew was 12 yrs old and trained with us every day. We had so much fun spending time together. Java and I ha passed 3 Jr test and Andrew wanted to run him for his title. I was thrilled to let him do it. I told him to make sure he held on to the collar so we would not have a break.

Well in the Land series, Andrew took the dog off lead and walked at heel to the line giving me the "I got this Dad" look
1st to marks were picked up clean and the dog never even looked like he might break.

In the water series, somehow we were the last dog. Once again, Andrew walk the dog off lead to the edge of the water, 1st water mark went down with a big splash, The dog was steady and made the retrieve, 2nd Water mark was a no bird, Loud pop about 20 yards down the shore, winger goes off but no bird. Andrew turns the dog around and they reload. Back to the line, this time the dog was a little hyped up so I told him to hold the collar, Once again he ignored me. Andrew signals for the bird again, loud pop and the winger goes into the water. No bird number 2. No bird # 3 was like #1 but this time the dog is about to come unglued. The judge tells him, "Son, you might want to kisten to your dad and hold the collar but again he chose not 2. The 4th bird went off, no pop but the dog saw the bird and the splash. 
The dog got his title but even better, my son was hooked. He is great with the dogs and and I cant wait for him to finish college and come train with me again.

Terry


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## Mark L (Mar 22, 2010)

I could go on all day putting in FAVORITE memories... A few even involve training with the notorious Melanie Foster, and some things she had Peyton doing that amazed me.  But... Here goes one that will live forever.

Peyton's first ever retrieve on live game during a pheasant hunt.

I was hunting with a buddy, his lab, and his 11 year old son, Jake. We got about 1/2 way across the field and Peyton gets birdy for her first time ever. After about 20 seconds, she zeros in and finds the rooster. Up he comes with all of the noise and cackling he can muster. Jake pulls up his Remington 870 and fires two shots. The birds is hit lightly and sails about 150 yards away. Peyton who I had been training to sit to flush did exactly that, so she marked the bird like a champ. As soon as it hit the ground she was off like a rocket and hammered the retrieve. As soon as she hit the AOF, she snatched the still live bird up and came running back. Jake was so excited, he was telling his dad that he was going to go get it from her. His dad told him to wait, because she was doing her job to bring it back, which she did with style. 

Little did I know, the reason Jake was so excited was because Peyton's first ever pheasant was his as well. A first for the both of them. 

We were able to get one more bird up that day, which Peyton retrieved as stylish as the first. 

The rest as they say, is history. 

Mark


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## Carol Cassity (Aug 19, 2004)

While I have many "favorite" retriever and hunting memories, my all time favorite memory involves a little boy (I don't know his name) and Blitz. We were in Ontario for the summer and had the privilege to run at Kingston and Area HRC’s spring test. One of the extras offered by the club was a fun retrieve with kids. There was a little boy who was slightly spooked by the quite animated black lab someone had for the kids without a dog. I noticed that the little boy seemed keen to run a dog, but the big black lab was just a little too much for him. So, I offered Blitz for the little guy to run. Blitz was a real gentleman with the little boy, waited patiently to be sent and delivered to hand when asked. Attached are the pictures that someone from the club sent me. Passing the Grand, getting Master titles, earning 500 points, going hunting and training are all cool and memorable, but seeing Blitz work with and be run by that little boy is my favorite retriever memory of all time. The joy on that little guys face will stay with me forever.


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## Rusty Champion (Feb 13, 2012)

Here is a quick little poem I threw together recalling my puppy (at the time just barely a year old) and his first live bird retrieve.

Only lasting a few seconds, but seemingly forever,
Was my puppy’s first live bird retrieve endeavor.
It was an October dove hunt, in a dusty peanut field,
As Miller sat quiet and attentive at heel.
The birds started flying, and his excitement grew.
As a single flew closer, and my gun I drew.
As shells were ejected, and recoil expired,
I knew the bird had not been retired.
It sailed over a nearby terrace and fell.
So I lined my dog as best I could tell.
With a quick command, he was off like a light.
And soon he too was out of sight.
Shortly thereafter he came proudly trotting back.
And the goal of his retrieve he did not lack.
He promptly sat at heel with his prize,
As the bird had yet to see its demise.
To grab the bird was my intent,
But I failed to grip it, and off it went.
Only three feet high as it tried to flee,
My puppy did not have to wait for me.
Off he blasted, and gaining very fast,
This second retrieve, very long did not last.
His timing was flawless as he leapt with care,
And retrieved the dove right out of midair.
My puppy had proven he had what it takes,
Regardless of all my training mistakes.
I hope you all enjoy the pleasure,
Reading of a memory I will cherish forever.


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## winger (Sep 22, 2010)

My best retriever moment, well one of my best. My pup had a huge tendancy to flare left on blinds. When we started out on cold blinds his lines sucked. A lot of attrition and a lot of training time was spent on blind work. In a seasoned test this spring he picked up his land doubles which i was worried he's overun the memory bird. Decent 80 yard go bird and a 35 yeard memory bird. Land blind 62 yards outside the falls. Lined him up and sent back. Lined to the stake where i sat him. Heard ine of the judges say it was the blind of the day. Those words did not make me proud it made me feel as if my pup and i belonged where we were at, gave us accountability for all the training we have been through. I am not a pro, this is my first dog at an elevated level beyond mear dog. Can be intimidating when you are amongst pros and old timers with what they know are proven methods. Water series, not bick water, marks pretty straight forward. Blind didn mt look tough cutting the pond about 45 degrees the down the shore into the back of a small finger 5 yeards up the bank. I beviever 34 dogs were brought to water from land. I sat and watch the blind chew up digs and spit them out. Had a good cross wind they did not like casting into, wanting to bank early and so on. Our turn cam up, picked up the water double and lined him up. Now the line was 3 feet from the water. Most wiuld be happy with that but as we have trained the issue if 90 degreeing the bank that close has reared its head. Thought he was locked in and sent back. He 90 degreed it and made it 5 ft before i stopped him. We sat intently waiting, already knowing where he raised my blood pressure. Gave him a silent over inti the water which he took and then parralleled him down the bank to the pin picking up the duck. If it would have been a 39 yard entry no issues but the close ones we had wars with. Judges came up to me thinking this is not good, both judges usually do not come out unless they are giving you the DAH tag. One judge shook my hand and said it felt good to finally pass a dog today. The other one said he could not believe thepup would parallel the shore like he did and his initial thought was "here we go again". 
Very next test was a senior double. Stiff land marks in knee high grass. He front footed both. Went to land blind which was 82 yards through a keyhole. The said it wasn't a keyhole but it was. If the dog got left you lost him. Lost sight of the dog down a little revine just hoping he would pop out in the same spot. The line was obvious once standing on the mat. My pup lined it

Next went to water blind. 40 yard angle entry into water then diwn the shore up the opposite bank 10 yards, duck is behind a log. Sent the pup, i honestly think he'd had lined the entry but stopped him just to thraed the hole that was obvious they were to split ti get wet. 3 whisktes later he was on the way back with his duck. Few dogs were dropped on this blind

Last series was a water series, walk up with a 30 yard splash and a ling bird requires swimming getting out and an 80 yard run up an incline of a hill diaginally. Mas sweating this. Di i secondary select, get that short bird 10 yards off the go birds line or send long. Havn't secondary selected as of yet so not much faith. Sent him for the long, he starts but stops for the short. Takes off for the long and lost his mine. It was obvious he lost the mark. We had not trained in this tight of lines, but we do now. Had to habdle him to the last bird. Long wait for that test to finish on the bubble. Finally time for the ribbons snd our number was called. Afterwards talked to the judges thanking them for the test. I love running challenging test. For some reason they just mean more to me. Judge admits he gives no freebies but is fair to the dogs. Explained that if the title was given by him that dog is ready for masters work. If not there is no doubt what needs worked on. I knew what we needed to do in training afterwards to help with masters. Of course he saud mu pup was marked down on the last retrieve but the dog was confused, he could see it. The reason he passed was the work up to that point and that he was willing ti work as a team to get through it and pass. 

These two test are my favorite memories as of yet. They showed me my dog is capable of running with the big boys dogs and really brought us together as a team. Two ribbons earned that mean a lot more than the other ones in which we flee through with no adversion


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## swamprat II (Feb 22, 2004)

*The Century*










Nothing better that a limit of ducks on a cool frosty morning looking out over the river, with my trusty Chesapeake Bay Retriever that picked them up!


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## Jeannie Greenlee (Apr 15, 2009)

Bang earned her first ribbon. An orange, I completed the junior test successfully ribbon. All went well, but the last retrieve was story worthy! And here is the story;
We had made it to water, the first water retrieve was a straight forward 80-85 yard swim to pick up the duck and come back to mama. The second and last retrieve was in the middle of a bunch of lily pads. After the duck hit the water and made a splash I couldn't even see where it was. So, I sent Bang in the direction of the splash. She swam out and got tangled in the lily pads and did a 360 to get out of them which is when she lost her mark. She got up on shore and hunted around, got back in the water then back on shore. She started to head back to the old fall and I made sure that was what she was doing and I gave her a whistle sit, which she did very well. I gave her an over cast to get her back in the area of the duck. Mind you I couldn't see where exactly the duck was. I was just hoping and praying that she would be able to see it or get a good nose full of it once I got her over there. So she swam back into the lily pads (what a good girl!) and picked up what appeared to be a couple of lily pads and started swimming back to me. There was talk at the line like: The judge said, She wouldn't bring lily pads back would she? Which I answered, I honestly don't know! Then there was a lot of does she have it? by not only myself but the judge and the gallery. At one point I asked the gallery if they could see if she had the duck. The judge was standing right behind me and told me to stop her when she got close so that if I couldn't see the duck I could give her a back cast to get her back out there. I walked up and down the bank but no matter what vantage point I tried to gain there was only green in her mouth. When she got to about 10 feet in front of me I could see one single feather sticking out of this lily pad duck buritto that she was bringing me. She got out and delivered the bird and lily pads and everyone that was there cheered and clapped. I was so proud of my girl! Not only did she bring me the duck but she gift wrapped it too!


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## Richard Davis (Feb 9, 2011)

One of my favorite memory of retrievers that we have owned & trained happened at HRC Upland here in Central Fl.test when we first started running them. My wife Had a FBL that we trained without collar. She was named Tillie & titled HRCH after several years.. She was an excellent duck hunting & phesant hunting retriever. I digress. At the Upland test we did walk up & first flyer fine. On 2nd flyer, I didn't have whistle in my mouth & when quail flushed & was shot she broke & ran out & caught dead quail in midair like an outfielder in baseball looking over her shoulder. One judge was a friend & he said that was spectacular but you are out.


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## runnindawgz (Oct 3, 2007)

*A memory and a message from a lost but never forgotten friend:*

*Rhumbline’s Guinness is Good, JH 
9/17/99 ~ 11/25/10


*_....My 1st “real” dog. He taught me SO MUCH .... Never earned more than 1 SH pass, but was the greatest dog I will ever have the honor of putting my hand over..... A strong dog with a lion heart. His greatest message to me always - work hard at what you love & 








*“persevere” *
|ˌpərsəˈvi(ə)r|verb [ intrans. ]: continue in a course of action even in the face of difficulty


(photo of “Guinness” by Chip Laughton Days a Field Photography)._​


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## David McCracken (May 24, 2009)

The first hunt test I ever ran was with my first AWS, Nappy. There was to be a working certificate test close to our house, so I entered Started Dog and Working Dog. Since it was closeby, I trained on the water there several times (not against the AWSC's rules) before the test. One of the two ponds had a white fertilizer sack sticking up which was very visable. We threw a mark and Nappy marked on the white sack (understandable for a young 10 month old) dog. There were some live ducks swimming there also, so when he realized he had missed his mark, he started for the live ducks. My trainer yelled "NO!" and gave him a big correction. For the next three weeks, he would not even enter the water in that pond, but, that pond only...all others were ok. We had created a hot spot.
On test day, guess which pond was selected? I was dog #1 in Started. He refused to go in, so I dejectedly put him in the truck, failing my first hunt test. Later, when the dogs for the Working Dog test (which was a delayed double) were called, we were again dog #1. I was going to scratch, since I knew he would not go in. My wife convinced me to go to the line. The mark was thrown, I called his name, and low and behold, he went! I was so choked up with emotion, I could hardly blow the duck call for the diversion....it sounded like feeding chatter. We failed Started Dog and passed Working Dog that day. I was very proud of my 10 month old pup.


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## Jay Brown (Sep 14, 2009)

I was told when I started with Labs, that every person should have one great dog in his life if he/she was lucky. Ben, was my great dog. An average size Black male, with a big heart, and strong drive, he became a retrieving machine inspite of my short comings as a trainer. In our time together he picked up hundreds of ducks, geese, pheasants, doves, 2 big Rio Grande gobblers, and a 3 pound bullfrog, which he delivered to hand! He had a few quirks, among which the worst was his complete and total hatred for skunks. I never was able to break him of full frontal assualts on these creatures and delivering to hand the stinking beast upon it's demise. It is a miracle he never suffered any serious injury or disease. He also was not as fond of bumpers as he was of real birds, agin not so uncommon.
In my younger days, I suffered severely from the "legend in my own mind' syndrome, which is common to people who own dogs that are much more intelligent than they are. One spring day while Ben was allowing me to go through the paces of water retrieves, I put a big 3" bumper over some tall cattails that lined a small pond, with the intent of getting Ben used to heading directly through obstacles to get the bumper. The cattails were about 10 feet thick from the bank to open water. Ben marked the throw and I sent him on. He made it about 5 feet, which was out of sight, and began to circle in the thick stuff. Now he would take a line with the best, and never shirk a challenge such as the thick cover. This time he came back with no bumper, heeled to my left side and sat perfectly. Just before I had determined he was just blowing me off, and about to take corrective measures, I heard a very low sound. As I paused to listen, I distinctly heard a muffled cheep, cheep ! Reaching my hand out to Ben, he opened his mouth and sitting upon his tongue was a very naked Red-Wing black bird chick with an open mouth, chirping his brains out. Ben promptly placed him in my hand and gave me a big grin. I never doubted him again for the rest of his life. Why he didn't swallow that morsel whole, I do not know. He sure had a soft mouth, though. I waded in the cattails found the nest and replaced the youngster with his siblings and headed home in my soaking pants. A memory forever !


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## pupaloo (Jan 6, 2006)

I have so many stories about my big yellow dog that it is hard to find a favorite, but the one that comes to mind right now is his first upland hunt. The trainer who was going to FF him said to be sure he got to retrieve a shot bird before he went for training, so we took him along for a hunt we had planned in Oregon. This is what I wrote when we got home:

What was truly amazing was his marking ability! He did some long retrieves-over 100 yards away with the bird landing out of sight over a hill or on the other side of a stream, or in the thick crop fields. His first retrieve-on a hun he pointed!-was through a short field, down a bank, across a stream, up an almost vertical 8 foot bank, and through some bushes. He pointed a chukkar, and Bob shot it, but it wasn't dead. The bird flew a LONG way, out of sight down the mountain. I sent Churchill (praying he would come back without me having to go find him and tug the cord, which I had to do sometimes to get him to come all the way back with the bird)-and a few minutes later he ran up and delivered the bird to hand. He brought all of them right to me from then on, and always had a very soft mouth.

I could not be happier with this pup! Churchill is only 6 months and 10 days old and I'm pretty new at this dog training stuff. We've done "the walk", some hand thrown bumpers, two sessions with the retrieve-r-trainer, and some basic OB. If this isn't proof of good genetics, I don't know what is!

And, since I am on a roll now , here is a story from his first waterfowl hunt...he was 16 months old...

Got back last night from a great hunt for ducks and geese near Edmonton. There were big Canada geese, snow geese (even one of the blue phase, which is a gorgeous bird), specklebellies, pintails, and mallards, and maybe another type of duck or two. Lots of firsts for the pup-we had never worked from a layout blind; he had never been in a multi-gun hunt situation before; he had never been on a hunt where birds flew over and were shot down-and he was a superstar! After the first morning Churchill had it all figured out. Nothing better than watching your dog do what he was bred to do. Talk about a natural ability test! I could write an epic, probably, but I'll stick to a couple of retrieves that were special.

The first day, he went out for a Canada goose that wasn't dead and was pretty cranky. It hissed, bit him, hit him in the head with his wing-and he didn't want any part of it. After the hunt (more geese were coming in, and it wasn't the time to work with him right then) I got one of the geese out and let him figure out how to pick it up and carry it-the one I have in my freezer for practice is about half the size of these birds. The next day, a Canada landed in the field and stood up looking around. I sent Churchill-and the goose started running and flapping it's wings trying to take off. As they crested a hill, Churchill caught the goose (probably a 60 yard chase), grabbed it by the shoulders, and brought it back proud as could be. All the geese for the rest of the trip were no problem, and he always went for crippled ones first-and he never killed one.

A Specklebelly goose was shot and flew a while before falling to the ground. Churchill took off after it, and when he wasn't back pretty soon, I started walking over his direction. I see him running back and forth along the fence line-obviously the bird was on the other side, and he couldn't get through. I went over, let him through the fence, went after him-and the bird wasn't in the brush on the close side of the road. We crossed the road-bird not there, either. We went through the second fence into a big pasture with lots of slough grass-big, thick, tall stuff-and the pup started looking for the bird. Found it a couple of minutes later. The bird landed about 325-350 yards from where we were when it started to fall.


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## Vammy (Jan 28, 2012)

There are two dog stories that go down in the "hunting lore" of my pheasant hunting buddies....since I can't decide which to tell, I'll tell them both!

*"The Retrieve"*

It was mid-90's, Bailey was 6 or 7 years old...she was a capable retriever, steady to flush and shot, simple casting, awesome at tracking down birds, and she could mark. We were hunting pheasants in SE Nebraska on brilliant January day with our best friend Kevin...mid-afternoon, light snow on the ground, we were walking through a corn field to get to a fenceline that had always been pretty good. Halfway through the field, Bailey goes hot, and flushes a rooster! The bird flies right, a simple passing shot for me...and 3 shots later, the bird is apparently untouched, and winging it towards a plum thicket 100+ yards away on the far edge of the field (and not the direction we're going). We all watch that bird fly away for several seconds, the bird pulls up, landing gear down, and flutters into the thicket...and Bailey breaks for the bird! I'm screaming NO!, whistling sit, then recall, and she's not listening for nothing. Totally unlike her, and as Kevin and I start to walk that direction to get her, we're discussing what the heck is her problem, and how in hades had I missed that bird...we get to the thicket, and Bailey is nowhere to be found. We can see dog tracks in the snow, we see where the bird lit and ducked into the thicket, and she followed it in...but no dog. I'm calling (yelling, now), and hitting the whistle, and getting madder and madder; Kevin and I meet on other side of the thicket, I'm ready to kill her, and Kevin says "Oh, I wouldn't be too hard on her. Turn around"....and there she is, standing 5 feet behind me, with the rooster! 

Now, there is no question she broke, and there's no question she disobeyed and kept going after that bird...but Kevin and I believe she saw something in how that bird landed, that she knew it was dead, and she needed to retrieve it...

*The Year of the Hunt 'Em Up Blinds*

Fast forward to 2006; new dog, YLM, Chase...if Bailey was good, Chase was exceptional. A pheasant hunting machine, with tireless energy. We're in South Dakota, the usual group of 6 guys and 3 dogs, Chase and my buddy's 2 Vislas. 2006 had been a wet summer, and a very dry fall where we hunt...the cattail sloughs were so thick you could hardly walk through them, and the seed pods were so dry, they'd explode into fluff if you hit one. We ate more cattail fluff that year than I can even describe, and the leaves and stems were so sharp, you'd have 1000 cuts on your arms and hands if you left them exposed. But, that's where the birds were, and that's where we hunted. All three dogs were having a field day blowing birds out; they were in there just as thick as the cattails. The problem was, the dogs couldn't mark anything that went down! So practically every bird was a handle to AOF (or take them to AOF, handling was all but nonexistent when you can't see the dog and he can't see you), and then hunt 'em up...and this is where Chase excelled. Both of the Vislas are excellent pointers, but in that thick crap we hunted, they had trouble finding dead birds. Time and again, it was "Vermeer, bring Chase, we've got a bird down." So imagine a 10 yard circle of busted up cattails that had been stomped by 2-3 guys and 1 or more dogs, and send your dog in to find that bird...add to it was the place was loaded with bird scent...and Chase simply went to work and dug them out. Every single one; we did not lose a bird that weekend. And we shot a few...if you look closely at Chase in the attached pic, you'll see his eyes are busted up like a prize fighter...poor guy was cut up from those cattails, but you couldn't keep him in the truck...no, he'd scream bloody murder. That dog simply did not know "quit", and if he knew a bird was in there, he wasn't leaving until he found it. So 2006 went down as "the year we almost died in the cattails but Chase didn't lose a bird" 









God Bless you Chase...you were one in a million.


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## Happy Gilmore (Feb 29, 2008)

sandyg said:


> Waste of time. Rules will be ignored same as last contest. Ends up being a popularity contest.



That's the best retriever memory you have? Your gonna have to vote for yourself on this one...


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## tom476 (Dec 8, 2009)

Grand Daughter Nora and Chilli......I just love this picture.


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## Newf (Jul 13, 2010)

Since i'm training my first retriever theres not a whole lot to draw from but to date, my best memory is from an event held by the local retriever club a few months ago. The event was a marking test, Seven rounds, seven single marks. Dogs dropped based on performance.

To date our marking training has been chaos at best. Haphazardly throwing marks no "real" thought to terrain, varying cover, and limited distances to around 100 yards. 

Well on the day of the test we made it through the first 3 rounds pretty easily, pretty simple land marks around 90-100 yards in tall grass, similar to something we have trained for. We made it, and were called back for round 4. That alone was more than I had expected for the day! the judges decided to run the next two rounds before making another cut. Great. Two more birds I thought!
The fourth mark, was long I guess it to be about 150-175 yards, but seemingly straight forward, down a hill and across a the field. Cooper Picked it up with a short hunt.

The fifth mark, was long (for us anyway) about 250 yards, angle through a ditch, down a hill and across a field. We stepped up to the line, Cooper was a completely focused. Spine straight, ears up, eyes locked on the field, shaking with excitement. More focused than any other time I've seen. Almost as if he had a competative side to him or something to prove. I recall thinking to myself that this was it, no way have we ever done something like this we are TOAST! Oh well its been a great day! I signalled for the bird, the bird was tossed, and the judge gave us the signal to run. Cooper was just about to vibrate out of his skin when I released him. I could hear him grunt as he dug in and sprinted off the line. It was like he was shot out of a cannon!! He practically jumped the ditch, and was down the hill and before I could even get the whistle in my mouth. He NAILED the mark. I couldnt beleve it!!

OK, So who took my dog and replaced it with this marking machine???

Callbacks -- sure enough we made it through!! At this point, I'm stunned. Not knowing exactly the extent of our accomplishments...we were just running marks. At the time I had no reference to the "actual" difficuly of the marks, and apparently neither did Cooper.

Round Six - about 150 yards, two angled canal crossings, and a hidden gunner. Most of the remaining handlers were somewhat stunned at the difficulty of this round. Myself included. We drew the last dog to run this round. So I sat in the gallery and watched. Dog after dog failed to make the second canal crossing, and never found a bird. Finally it was our turn to run, we stepped up to the line, and once again Cooper turned into this completely focused machine. Almost as if he had something to prove...
I signalled for the bird, and gave Cooper his release. Across the first canal, and then right down to the waters edge on the second canal. He stopped and made and little hunt as did some many dogs before. he disappeared out of sight, I thought we were done, when suddenly he barrelled across the second canal and picked up the bird!! I assume there must have been a swirl of wind and he scented the bird. The entire gallery gave applause and cheers!! I was completely speechless!

Call backs...seventh and final round... only four dogs made it through into the last round, and we were one of them!

Final mark...300 plus yards, across a field and behind a mound. We were the second dog to run. As we stepped up to the line, I thought about the roller coaster we were on, what the heck I figured, he's surprised me a lot today! The bird was tossed and I released Cooper. He bolted across the field, and ALMOST nailed it, but then he went into a rather large hunt. Still good as far as I was concerned we had never even thought about marks at that distance! Cooper disappeared behind the mound, and came out with nothing....he circled back again, this time he emerged with the duck in his mouth and once again I was amazed!!

After he returned and delivered I thanked the judges and walked back to the truck. Shaking my head in total astonishment. I really hadnt done anything today it was ALL Cooper. I just held the leash....When it was time to announce the winner I didnt know who had won. All the dogs in the last round picked up the bird. We ended up not winning the event, but in my mind, we did more than win. We had just gotten a very addictive taste to this great past time and sport.


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## Novemberwitch (Mar 7, 2006)

There are many memories form hunting and running tests, but my favorite is when my wife and I tried to get a picture of Josie when she was a very young pup, and we wanted to get her to sit on the walkover on the dunes at the OBX. My wife tried and tried and everytime she would back away Josie would follow her down the steps. She never gave up and finally got this picture. I think this is where Josie learned that sit, means sit.


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## Gun_Dog2002 (Apr 22, 2003)

My best dog ever "Ice"

Ill never forget the day I decided to do the right thing for him and bring him peace from the pain he lived with every day with. Despite all his accomplishments and our trips to the line including the the MN, I'll never forget both the pain and relief I felt sitting on Dr Hanks floor looking into Ices eyes as we ended our time together here on earth. I'll never forget how much he taught me about what being a trainer really is about. I'll never forget his eyes as he left, knowing that what he tought me would shape my work with every dog after him. I will never forget holding him and sobbing before we put him in the cart. I'll never forget spreading his ashes in our favorite hunting spot on Siltcoos lake. 

Rest in peace old friend, I'll never forget what you did for me

/paul


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## Osmosis (Aug 29, 2008)

My favorite memory was discovering my first retriever was a sucker for coots out teal hunting. Oh yaa, she was a great retriever, extremely steady, great marker, and an all around joy to be around. On our first teal hunt together, a coot swam by and she took off swimming. I bet for an hour she chased that coot around the pond. There was nothing I could do to recall her.

From that hunt on, when she saw a coot, she became the most disobedient coot catcher in the world and took off. Now everytime I see a coot, I just laugh and think of all our great memories we had together.

Gob bless you Sierra, may heaven have unlimited coots!


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## Longgun (Sep 19, 2009)

While hunting with my girl last fall, one of the other guys shot a woody that was injured. I borught my girl over and sent her for the duck. All went well until she got about 15 feet from the duck and it decided to dive, up it came the other side of my dog. Well this went on about 4 times and it finally decided it would come to shore. My girl caught up with it about 25 feet from shore and down it went again, well I guess she had enough of this diving duck and down she went to find it. She was only gone a few seconds and up she came with the duck and delivered it to hand still alive. We had a good laugh over it and the young fella sure was impressed with my girl and so was I.
deb


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## Erik Nilsson (Jan 16, 2011)

My post consists of a photo of my former pup "Nilsson's Blazing Gun of Campbell" AKA "Gauge". The photo was taken on a cold December day in Western Pa while hunting mallards. This was his last hunt of his short life for he passed in the following spring suddenly of kidney failure right before his 3rd birthday.

My friend, who is an outdoor writer, had the pictures and story in the Oct.
of 2009 Wildfowl issue as a tribute to him since he retrieved many ducks for the both of us and he was a great companion for our family.


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## PhilBernardi (Jul 17, 2010)

These rules are too complicated, but thanks anyways. ;-)


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## Lucky Number Seven (Feb 22, 2009)

*Preacher's Bounty*


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## Howard N (Jan 3, 2003)

sandyg said:


> Waste of time. Rules will be ignored same as last contest. Ends up being a popularity contest.



Like peeing in people's cheerios do you?

You could have said a lot of things, or not said anything at all. Why would you rather dis the thread and everyone who gives it a shot?


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## Brad (Aug 4, 2009)

The day my wife gave me a pup, and not expecting it


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## CacaoandNilla (Apr 17, 2012)

Being a newb in the retriever game I don't have too many memories so I don't plan on winning

but my fave so far is my girls first water retrieve

I brought her to the lake. It was a little choppy that day so I was not sure how it would go. I threw the bumper in about 30 ft and she blasted in after it when she dove in she slammed into a wave that went right over her head but she went right after it snorting and coughing and problably farting. Once she got it she delivered it to hand just like we practiced in the backyard

Success


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## BBnumber1 (Apr 5, 2006)

My favorite retriever memory has nothing to do with retrieving.

It was one Saturday morning, laying in bed half asleep, not ready to get up. My young 6 month old pup Ranger 
wanted attention, but was not yet allowed on the bed. He put his paws up, and layed his head accross my chest.
I absentmindedly layed my hand on his head, still dozing. After a few minutes, I realized that Ranger had fallen asleep,
with his hind feet on the floor, and his head and paws on my chest. From that day on, he would do that same thing many
mornings, if I was laying in bed, not getting up when he wanted attention.


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## Kenneth Niles Bora (Jul 1, 2004)

Way back in January 1998 I had a ten-month-old Chesapeake Bay Retriever named Sky that was, while running on my vets back lawn to poop for a sample, found to have bad hips. At the time I was a humble duck hunter. I did not know anything about bad hips or about retriever clubs or tests or anything. I had a guarantee and a registered dog. I went back to the breeders with the X-rays and a blank look. They had a litter on the way. They would give me pick of the litter. When I picked everyone said I had too much dog. The Sedge female, Gate was indeed too much dog. She made me better. I joined my local retriever club and started scampering. I bought the Mike Lardy VHS tapes that were so expensive I had, at the time bought a snowmobile for less, and it was a solid machine. I started driving back to the breeders every Sunday and Monday to day train. They became my first and best mentors. They stood, hand on my shoulder as I force fetched my first dog.
Four summers later, when Gate was 4 she became my first “Handling Dog”. Gate taught me so much. I learned so much to try to do justice to the “Too Much Dog” who I got for free because of Sky’s bad hips. Until we meet again my old stinky, chubby, boss bitch, I miss you.














































.


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## jacduck (Aug 17, 2011)

Not even gonna enter as I have a lifetime of labs and too many memories of each and every one of them. Not fair to single one out.


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## BJGatley (Dec 31, 2011)

This is a fabulous thread and I mean fabulous!!! I would vote for everyone on this thread….Well except one and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. 
Great readings folks...got to love it.

Thanks so much for sharing your passion. I will sleep good tonight.


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## Dave Burton (Mar 22, 2006)

I have alot of stories but I'm not gonna enter. I have had FD 1,2 and 3 for a few yrs and even attended one of Rick's seminars down in Fl a few yrs ago. Funny this posted today as I just got FD 4 in the mail today. Good luck everyone.


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## Matt Weberpal (Oct 9, 2009)

I don't think it gets much better than times like these.


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## MooseGooser (May 11, 2003)

I have told this story before.

I was in one of our stat parks trainin.. I was down at the water throwin fun bumpers fer my dawg.. He loved to retrieve.
I had a BRAND NEW $5.00 bumper, that didnt even stink yet! My dog Sage had made about thirty retrieves of that thing, and I was about to quit, but I thought 1 more.. I chucked that thing out there about as far as I could throw it,, but to my suprises,, Sage said "Iaint goin no more"!!!! 

That BRAND NEW $5.00 bumper was a floatin out there in the lake!! Dog ,no materr how hard I tried to make him go,, wouldnt!!!
I threws rocks,, Cheezy poofs (the ducks came and got those) I even knelt down in front of him and begged! He wasnt goin!!

I was in a "No Swim" section of the lake,, it was later in the day,, and I looked real close,, and no one was around,, so I stripped down to my Undie wears, and started after the bumper.. Sage sat on the shore and was a watchin me.. First time in his life he sat still.. I was amazed!!

I paddled out there, and as I got close,, I could see that the BRAND NEW $5.00 Bumper was a floatin in a big partially submerged moss bed!!
I went ahaed and swam into the middel a that monster!! 

I got to the BRAND NEW 5.00 dollar bumper,, but as I was a tredin water,, the Moss started to attack me and grab my arms and legs tryin to swaller me whole and pull my dumb arse under!!! I though about screamin fer help,, but I membered that I was only wearin my Light sky blue pair a undies!!! Bikini's also!!
I didnt want to be rescued in them,, so I decided to keep still and not drown..

I had to get my Arms free so I cound Butterfly stroke my way outs the moss bed,, so I put the rope end of the BRAND NEW $5.00 bumper in my mouth!!

I finally freed myself from that Big green monster in the lake,, and made my way back to shore!!

As I neared shore,, I noticed there was a someone there standin next to Sage... he was a feedin him the Cheezy poofs that I left there....
It was a Park RANGER!!!!!!

I IS IN MY LIGHT SKY BLUE UNDIES!!! (bikinies too)! I thought about swmmin back out to the moss, and just drowndin myself,, but I continued to shore..

As I came outa the water,, the Ranger was a laughin at me....
He told me he had been a watchin me fer quite while trainin my dog... He told me that was the most creative way he had ever seen of how get a dog to retrieve.. I tried to pretend that I knew what I was a doin,, so I thanked him,, and told him I was considerin makin a DVD...called "Fowl Fetch 1." (FF1 fer short)

He askked me if I knew I was in a no swim area!! I said I did,, but I paid $5.00 fer that BRAND NEW bumper!! ,, Plus,, I didnt want to see one a the Plecalins swalleer the thing thinkin it was a dead fish er sumpin


He wrote me a ticket!!!


He said he let me off easy,, he coulda added public nudity...



I really need them DVD's thats offered in this contest!!!

After 3 other dogs,,,, Gooser is still strugllin with this trainin stuff..
So,, PLEASE all,,,,, Help a brother out!!


There!

Gooser


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## Lady Duck Hunter (Jan 9, 2003)

Pistol was a left over pup... large litter with not enough females for the people who only wanted girls. We were in a gallery once when a big dog wouldn't get in the water to get a mark...Pistol was 9 or 10 weeks old.. and had been watching the action from my lap. The judges needed pick up dog to go out and get the bird so they could continue the test. Nobody had one or cared to go get one. So I said I had one and everyone laughed as I walked him down to the water's edge and grabbed a rock. The splash landed just beyond the bird and Pistol took off, he grabbed that big bird and came right back to the cheers of those in the Gallery! 

At 4 months old he was running HRC Started. He had just completed the 2nd series of his title run. As we walked off the line on lead, my straw hat blew off my head. It was being carried by the wind, tumbling towards the water. I had a knee injury and couldn't run so All I could think to do was to let Pistol go. I unclipped him and called his name and sure enough that puppy ran, caught the run away hat, and delivered it to hand as if he had been trained to do that very trick.

Over the years it seems the things we remember the most are when these dogs manage to perform beyond their level of training, showing that they have that certain something that makes them special.


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## Chris Atkinson (Jan 3, 2003)

PhilBernardi said:


> These rules are too complicated, but thanks anyways. ;-)


It's really not complicated at all. Everyone can post once in this thread. Everyone is free to post their retriever memory, expressed as they see fit. 

When the thread is locked, a random draw will pick 5 entries.

A poll will be created listing those 5. You all get to vote in the poll. The one with the most votes wins. 

Feel free to edit your post to be eligible for the draw.

Don't be a "Sandy"...


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## Byron Musick (Sep 19, 2008)

My favorite memory will have to be the first time my first Lab, Thunder made his first retrieve, because it took so much to get there it made it that much more a memory and a gift from him.

I got him from a friend at work who touted his championship bloodlines, and how he was his pick of the litter (but decided he did not need or have time for another dog). The wife and I picked him up at three and a half months of age. I soon learned that Thunder did not like to chase balls, birds or anything else I threw, much less ever accomplishing a retrieve. After talking with some folks they told me to get the book "Training your Retriever-By James Lamb Free" and follow that, so I found a copy on Amazon and started reading it and working some of the principles of obedience and how to develop a dog with retrieving desire.

Slowly my boy began chasing things, but that was about it. He was approaching five/six months of age and I was about to think that we would not overcome this problem. I then thought about the fact the water was warm and since he loved mud puddles we went down to the pond and gave it a shot. When he saw the pond, he must have thought it was a HUGE mud puddle, so he cranked it up, took off full speed and ran straight into the pond... And sank like a ROCK, but soon popped up and swam back in. I walked out into the water and he followed, knee deep, a little deeper. 

Then for the heck of it I threw a bumper out in the water and we got my first actual retrieve!! I was so happy I know that Thunder could sense how happy this made me, that the light came on, finally! Once we both figured it out I could see it in his eyes, as I am sure he could see in mine, that for me was a special moment for both of us, especially me!! 

After seeing what I saw I had to go back home and grab a camera, so this picture is actually his second retrieve, but I captured what I saw in his eyes that has driven me to spend way more money and time that I ever thought possible on a given hobby.. It all started with a look from his eyes that pushed me to go further, which in turn the journey thus far is all his fault, he started it and I have no inclination to stop!










That day started something that is very much like a desease, only it feels good!!


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## Donald Flanagan (Mar 17, 2009)

This past weekend, I set up some water blinds that for most of your dogs would be simplicity itself. But one of them was going to be a stretch for my dog due to the length of it (maybe 100-120 yards). One onlooker, who also owns a lab, said "good luck with that!" but another friend said "Boomer can do it!" Well, it wasn't pretty, because the first part of the blind was a channel of sorts, and he wanted to suck to the shore. Then as the distance increase, his confidence level dropped, and he became less and less responsive. But he completed it! 

Later, I set up another which wasn't very long, but the dogs had to cross a channel, then an island, then another channel, up the (very steep) shore to the bumper. Another handler pointed out that when the dog dropped into the water on the backside of the island, he would be out of sight until he got to the other shore- and that worried me! The entire blind was only about 40 yards long, but when my dog lined to the island, across the island, dropped out of sight and came into view online, I was stoked!

No, the distances weren't field trial distances. No, there was no long, angled entry. No, there weren't any scented points to bypass or get on/off of. There were now poison birds to avoid. But my dog completed the retrieve, and as a first-time trainer with my first dog, that felt good!


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## badbullgator (Dec 20, 2004)

Chris Atkinson said:


> It's really not complicated at all. Everyone can post once in this thread. Everyone is free to post their retriever memory, expressed as they see fit.
> 
> When the thread is locked, a random draw will pick 5 entries.
> 
> ...


Chris I think that might have been a poke at sandyg who has obviously had one too many people pee in his cereal. At least I hope that is the case, I would like to believe that there could not be two sour pusses on a thread offering to give away a nice gift. Good luck to everyone posting a story. I don't have time to read them, but Ken my friend, you are half the man you use to be
BTW - Chris I got your message, it was just a really busy work week including the weekend. I will try to give you a call tonight.


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## 2tall (Oct 11, 2006)

This was posted a couple of years ago, but is still one of my favorite stories. It reflects the joy and pain of owning a chessie, his sense of humor, attitude and fun!

Our Chessie, Scout is really my husbands dog, but I have always enjoyed working with him. UNTIL TODAY:evil:!

We have finally been working on the beginning steps of swim by. Since we got to Idaho, Laura (North Mountain) has let us use her force pond. Things have been going really well, considering that Scout should have had this a long time ago. Anyway, Ralph has gone back to Carolina to get the rest of our stuff and is driving back. So meanwhile I have the "nappster" to myself for the week. 

Our session today went better than ever. He was stopping much quicker and holding it longer before taking nice left and right back casts to the pile. He has really been learning and coming along. When I was done with his lesson, I put him back in the box while I took Indy out to swim for a while. When I came back, I figured Scout needed to air before we headed back to the RV Park. He still had his collar on, but I had turned it off when I put him in the truck and forgot about it. I took him out to the yard and turned him loose. He took off like a shot back to the swim by pond and leaped in and started swimming laps. I called him, I whistled, I ran away, I begged and he would not get his butt out of the pond. Finally I grabbed the only thing I had, my new "Taos, NM" cap off of my head. That grabbed his attention! I tossed it in the air over my head and said "fetch". Boom, out of the water he came. He roared right past me, snatching up the cap on the way by. The next thing I know, he was off and circling the field with my hat having a high old time. Each time he would slow down, I would try sneaking up on him. Each time he ran off at the last minute. We were getting closer to the pond again. Finally I just lost it and hollered, "sit you s*ithead". That did it, he was off to the pond again, WITH MY NEW HAT! I swear he went out of his way to dunk it over and over again and drag it through the algae and mud. Then he comes back out, tearing straight for me and "tagging" me with the cap as he passes. I tried going back to the truck and ignoring him, turned around and he had layed down and was starting to EAT my hat!. I walked as close as I could before I saw him readying for takeoff, put my green monster to my lips, and blew that sucker so hard I saw Scout's ears fly back in the wind! The shock lasted just long enough for me to throw myself on top of him and grab my hat. I picked him up by the scruff and shook him till his teeth rattled. Once I had my hat in hand, he walked peacefully at heel with me back to the truck.

Now what program do you guys use to deal with this?????? I'll buy the video.


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## Brian Skibicki (Feb 23, 2008)

Went over to our good friends home for a cookout to celebrate his son's birthday and we are cooking up some burgers on the grill, and his chocolate lab female "CoCoa" comes up to us with a whole rack of ribs. The only problem was that we were not cooking any ribs, she had stolen them off of the next door neighbors grill when they were not looking. We both looked at each other and said "Holy Crap!" So the birthday boy threw the ribs in the creek that ran by the house and we quickly put CoCoa away for the night and turned off all of the lights. Needless to say the adults had all been drinking large quantities of alcohol and our judgement was slightly impaired. We still laugh about that retriever to this day.


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## mudd (Jul 22, 2010)

Doesnt Get Any Better Than This.


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## sara c (Dec 8, 2010)

There are many but here is one. I have two dogs I am working one 5 years younger than the other with a late start on the first. The first swim by was very hard, the dog is a loveable knot head and would not stay in the water no matter what we did, I don't know how many times we threw him in the water. I had some very knowledgeable help, they said he was one of the hardest dogs they had ever seen in swim by. Finally got him to stop in running water and take casts. He to this day has hardly no stop in water and if he gets something in his head he is going to do it no matter what, never know what you are going to get! So the next summer I'm doing the young dogs swim by, I give him an over cast-he takes off, hits the bank, scrambles up the bank all out(overruns the bumper full blast) and takes off across the drive out of sight. My friend is telling me in frustration to blow my whistle/blow my whistle, I did finally but couldn't see my dog at this point and called him in. I turned to my frustrated friend and said with a big excited grin "'I didn't know they could do that!!" Needless to say they said he was one of the easiest to teach swim by. Sara


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## Tim Culligan (Nov 21, 2007)

Danno was my first truly “trained” retriever. He was a big muscular lab that loved everybody. On our first trip to North Dakota I was excited to see all the work come together in the field. We were hunting a point that jutted out into a lake that the birds would fly past. It was a cold morning with the birds flying left to right. It wasn’t long and I dropped a bull can (my first). The bird came screaming across the point at warp speed and dropped about thirty yards out. Danno left with a huge jump and was cruising to bring me my prize. As he closed in on the bird it dove. I couldn’t believe it was alive, the thought I might loose the bird started to enter my thoughts. Danno stayed in the area and circled the spot where the bird dove. A few minutes later the bird came up with Danno nearly grabbing it. The bird dove again, but this time it was followed by Danno. It seemed like minutes the two were under water when Danno broke the surface with my first bull can resting in his mouth.


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## PhilBernardi (Jul 17, 2010)

Chris Atkinson said:


> It's really not complicated at all. Everyone can post once in this thread. Everyone is free to post their retriever memory, expressed as they see fit.
> 
> When the thread is locked, a random draw will pick 5 entries.
> 
> ...


LOL 

Not trying to be a "Sandy". Just pointing out that I have a short attention span and anything more than 2 short sentences is too long and too time consuming for my attention. :razz:

Nice prize though.....


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## Clay Rogers (Jul 8, 2008)

[ATTACHCONFIG]7504._xfImport[/ATTACH]














These are pictures of my son's first ever duck hunt. He was 5 years old. My dog, Sword, was two and this was his first season as a handling retriever. My son did great in the blind that morning, not caring too much about the lack of action as he had his game with him, but when the birds started flying he would crank on his duck call(sounding nothing like a duck, takes after his old man) and remind Sword to sit, in a slightly louder than needed voice. My buddy and I shot two drake mallards belly up in the dekes and my son wanted to handle Sword to pick them up, so I tell him to go ahead. He gets beside Sword trying to line him up(on belly up birds about 30 feet from the blind), giving him a here, heel(pushing and pulling) and sword wont take his eye off that bird for nothing. My son then steps back, gives him a loud heel, which Sword does, and then starts walking to the hole in the blind. Sword is still locked on the bird in the dekes, and I can't believe how steady is being, even with the collar on. My son finally releases Sword, looks at my friend and says, "Now thats how you train a dog". We both fell on the floor laughing so hard.


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## Sophie Gundog (Apr 28, 2010)

It's funny what can make you change, at just two my black lab and I are in northern Idaho, Pheasant hunting... for years my kids, my wife, my Dr. you name it has been on me for smoking, for over thirty years I could tune them out. 
We were just coming in from the seventh hunt on CRP land in three days, this little rocket has worked her heart out , not one pheasant has been flushed, I am just about all in, up hills , along wheat fields , across cover, I have my vest unzipped , the gun slung, I can see the hunting rig down the way and boy howdy does it look good.All this time the girl is working the cover, never slowing down, I can see she is tired but there is no quit there. About then up burst a clacking rooster, I must have looked like a monkey falling out of a tree , gun up, glasses off the end of my nose from all the sweat, third shot, one majic BB clipped a wing and down the rooster came, he hit the deck and become the road runner, Sophie hit him like a line backer on a crossing pass, nothing but black dog and pheasant rolling , and here she comes with that bird, so proud , and on the spot I thought if I don't change then someone else will be hunting this best friend of mine, so cold turkey , three days of the worst withdrawal , then day by day , now it is passing eight months of being free from smoking, all from fearing I would not hold my end of the deal with my pup. 




>


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## Mary Lynn Metras (Jul 6, 2010)

My first Started hunt with Blackie could not have gone worse! We had been training but one never knows until that day. My turn, marks are thrown and out goes Blackie. Well he went everywhere except to the mark. I was sure he had seen the duck go done. Finally after touring the premises he lands on the bird but doesn't pick it up. He starts to run around again. So the judge, Carol Ford, says has he been FF. I reply supposed to have. Okay, she says we are walking out there and put the bird in his mouth. I am thinking is there an exit! True to her words Carol walks out with me and we get the duck in Blackie's mouth and he brings it in. Next throw and same thing. We walk out again and give him the bird. I am thinking well we paid for this FF and some training but????? So Carol says see you in the afternoon at water. By this time an exit is looking good!! Well, I had vision of walking in the water!!! So I am at the line and Carol says she is not going with me if he does not get the bird. I pipe up "Neither am I"!!!! Luck was on my side. He went out retrieved the bird. From that day forward to present my hats off to Carol for going out and making us do the test. Don't know where I would be today because I was so disappointed in the land test, I was thinking this game was not for me. But to see Blackie go out in the water, retrieve and us all clapping at the line, you would have thought I won a National. Blackie went on to get his HR in HRC and now he is retired as a test dog for setups when we train!!!


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## adamlanier (May 2, 2012)

My most memorable retriever moment was Jan of this year. My buddy Brett and I headed down to the local strip pits in Western Missouri for some late season duck hunting. We hit the pit early tossing a mix of decoys hoping for some good flights. As the sun began to rise we cought each other watching the second tick of our watches. My 15 month old Chocolate Lab had a great season so far and I was hoping to put a few more birds over him today. As shooting ours passed only small pockets of gladwalls and ringnecks could be seen. On the other side of the property another pit was getting lit up. Feeling discouraged I looked at Brett and asked if maybe we should pack up and grab the fishing poles. Brett insisted we stay. An hour had passed when suddenly my Lab Chip locked onto an image in the sky niether one of us could see. I happened to snap a pic of him in the moment. Brett began to call aggresively. Now the wurling sounds of wings filled the air. The bright blue sky transformed into a dark thunderous cloud. As I looked up all I could see is a tornado of Mallards circling down upon our spread. My heart began to race. Chip held steady ears erect waiting for the moment to unleash his madness. Hold...... Hold..... TAKE EM! Brett and I began what seemed like WWIII. In my head things slowed and I swung my shotgun. Hen.....Hen... Greenhead Bang... Greenhead Bang.... Bang. I reloaded and took three more. As the smoke cleared Chip was still holding, shivering with excitment. I gave the Command "CHIP", off he went. I had never seen him have that much drive and perserverance. Chip retrieved a total 11 ducks with no hesitation. I looked at brett who was glued to the spread looking for any last floppers in the water. Dude, we just experianced our first Mallard tornado. This single moment is by far the best moment I have experience with my Lab and good friend. Chip held as steady as the most advanced retriever. I have never been more proud.


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## Longgun (Sep 19, 2009)

While out hunting last fall one of the guys I was hunting with injured a woody. I took my girl over to retrieve it and when she got close it dove and came up on the other side of her. After several atttempts to catch up with it, it decided to head to shore, She caught up with it again about 50 feet from shore and it dove again. Well I guess she had had enough of that so down she went under the water and was gone for a short time and up she came again with the duck and brought it in and delivered the injured duck to hand.


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## weathered (Mar 17, 2011)

*The Mismark*

I'm glad I have a witness, because most people think I'm crazy when I tell them about this story. If my husband and I both had not seen it, we would not have believed it. 

My husband hunts much more than myself and prefers to take his dog. We were both invited on a dove hunt and I talked him into taking my dog, who is used mainly as an upland dog. This was only her second dove hunt. My husband and I were sat together in a blind. Some doves flew in over our heads from behind us. My husband took a shot and dropped one pretty close. The rest of the small flock kept flying. He released my dog to pick up the downed dove and she blew right past it. She mismarked and was chasing the other doves, which were flying low and going to land in the field. Evidently the doves did not see her and she was right behind them. As the flock landed, her on their heels, she snatched one up and brought it back. My husband inspected the bird thinking there was no way she just caught a live, wild dove and that he must have hit it too. Not a pellet found, even once it was cleaned.


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## Bob Whitlow (Feb 5, 2010)

Old Pro! 

My favorite memory was from two years ago. I have an older chocolate lab who has been retired for about 3 years. Two years ago, every morning when I would get up to go he would be standing at the door waiting to go. He'd been thru a lot medically and his hips just wouldn't really allow it anymore. It was just too hard on him to take him. I felt terrible having to leave him at home so on an unusually warm morning when I didn't think we'd do much good, I relented and decided to give him one more morning. There were two of us hunting and the first group of ducks that worked got close enough and I called the shot. Boomer was watching from the dog door on the blind. It took me two shots on the one duck I killed and I watched one other one fall. I sent Boomer and he didn't take the line that I wanted. I stopped him with the whistle and gave him an "over" and he blew me off! He never did that before! I figured he was just rusty so I let him go and got ready to get out of the blind to help him out. By the time I got out the door he was on his way back with a duck I didn't see fall. He made the next two retrieves just as simply as he could have. He knew what he was doing and I should have trusted him. That was the last time I took him and it is without a doubt my favorite memory!


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## bruce (May 18, 2004)

Chris Atkinson said:


> Rick Stawski is giving away a full set of his Fowl Dawgs 1, 2, 3 and 4 series to a lucky RTF user.
> 
> All registered users may sign up to win in this thread. But to do so, you must follow the rules.
> 
> ...


Ok here goes ... back in the early nineties when we had just begun our journey with Labs ... our Dam was whelping her second litter in her kennel and the sire was getting curious ... i told the kids to distract him by throwing a tennis ball for him ... well prey drive and competition proved too much for Tilda ... she delivered pup three to hand left the kennel beating cody to the ball and proudly returned to the kennel to deliver pup 4 of 11 ... she also survived being shot by an arrow, but thats another story ... OBTW Rick I think your series is the best valur on the market and easy for beginers to follow ... thanks for doing them ...


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## HiRollerlabs (Jun 11, 2004)

Here is an email I received yesterday about a young dog we are selling. While she isn't going to work out for our field trial habit, she is going to have a wonderful life with her new family!

Ann, The word is out in our little town about Libby. I went to a 
gas station and they said " I heard you were going to Wisconsin today". My 
hunting buddies are calling about her, my family is asking about her, the office 
staff wants to know if she is coming, the whole town has heard about the dog 
with the good pedigree. Calls and E-mails, wow. We'll probably have to have a 
Welcome to *** Party for her, maybe even a parade! She's sitting in Wisconsin 
not knowing that she's the concern of so many. Hope she's staying cool today, 
it's 80 here. We're off to the cottage on Bad Medicine, Libby will enjoy that 
place, 8 grand kids, their parents, 4 grand dogs, and a lot of relaxation for 
her. She'll enjoy the pontoon rides with everyone and the Bon Fires... I'm 
working on getting to Wisconsin next week. Tom


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## Keith S. (May 6, 2005)

My favorite retriever memory was froma snow goose hunt the spring of '05. We were hunting down by Halam Ne. The area go devastated by a tornado the spring before and in the field we were hunting there was silverware all over the place and we were a couple miles from any house! We were hunting a bean field/water set up with about 1200 northwinds and 100 duck decoys painted white. Hunting was ok, I think we had around 10-15 birds. This was my dog Sadie's 3rd season hunting, but her first with some structured training, she could mark multiples, handle loosely at best, but I was very happy with the dog she had become. I still had to tie her up so she wouldn't break, she was getting much better about being steady and usually I didn't put her on check cord but had friend had a young chessie that was getting the majority of the easier retrieves so we were using Sadie for the longer ones.

Sometime during the hunt, we had a big flock work real good, I can't remember how many we dropped, but 2 hit the water and the rest hit the field. We picked up the one's on land and the 2 that hit the water swam across the pond. I sent Sadie for them, at this time they were together. As she closed in, they split and one swam to the south end of the lake. The one she was on would dive every time she got close. I suppose she only chased that cripple for probably 5 min, but it felt like 20+. She finally came up with the bird. My buddies and I were all high-fivin, couldn't believe she stuck with that bird. It was a pretty good feeling. I was gonna walk around the lake for the other, but decided we'd try to handle her to the area where we seen the other goose hit the cattails. I lined her up, sent her. I don't know how many whistles I blew, I know I hit her with the collar too much, but she kept wanting to go back to the area where she had picked up the first goose. I finally convinced her to trust me and work with me and got her to the cattails at the other end of the pond. We had a range finder and it was 347 yards to the point she entered the cattails. She had been in there for a while when all of a sudden, here she comes running the bank back to us...with that goose in here mouth! You woulda thought I had just won the powerball! All my buddies were hooping and hollerin, high-fives all over the place. Never...never had I ever felt that good about anything I had done, and here I trained a dog that would do a 350 yard blind! To this day, I don't think I'll ever be as proud as a retriever owner/trainer/handle as I was that day in front of 5-6 of my good buddies. Even after 7 years, we still always talk about that retrieve. Later that year, she failed her first ever seasoned test, passed her next 3, and passed 4 finished tests for her HRCH. She has over 600 points, has retrieved probably a couple 1000 birds, but still nothing beats that hunt!


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## bmelvin (Feb 22, 2011)

Well I have many memories but my favorite Memory, saying, picture, ETC is this:


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## Debbie (Jun 26, 2003)

His name was Petey. 

I held him in my hands the first day of his life - and smiled.

We trained him and ran him in a few Derbies but then life commitments prevented us from competing in field trials so he became a wonderful companion - and I still smiled.

I held him in my arms the last day of his life - and cried.

I hold him in my heart today - and still smile and cry.

Debbie


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## MarshGhost (Aug 2, 2010)

My favorite memory starts on January 1st of 2009 when I got the call the my pup was born. It had already seemed like a life time since I had placed the deposit but the next 7 weeks took even longer. This is my first dog and it is fitting that my favorite memories are her firsts. Everyone one of them because there is no way to pick just one memory. It is that way you feel when you have been working on a drill or a new concept and been having troubles, and then it finally clicks. It is that moment that there is a rush of excitement that courses through the body that drives us to get up early before the heat on hot summer days. It is the challenge of working and thinking with the dog so that they understand we are not just crazy creatures waving are arms in the air but that there is a point and direction in that movement. But not only the training the hunting with a companion and partner to share the misty morning sunrises and amber, red, orange, and pink sunsets and watching then make there first retrieve of a drake mallard, or there first double, or there first blind. Or for me the first time that I got skunked and realized the only thing I was bummed about was the fact that my dog didn't get a retrieve not that I didn't get any birds. It has been three and a half years of first and I know there are more to come and will treasure each new moment as I have the last, as a first.


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## RailRoadRetrievers (Feb 4, 2004)

In order to get the jest of the story or to understand the magnitude of the event, you had to know Mac. Mac was me in canine form. He was my first Labrador Retriever and my first loyal companion. I purchased Mac for $250.00, from a trainer that I assisted on weekends. I wanted a puppy, but really grew attached to Angus MacDougal II (I didn’t name him). His original owners, had him for about two years when they decided he was far too much trouble so they brought him back to where they bought him and dropped him off on a weekend that Mrs. Houser was out of town. Mac was more enthusiastic about anything to do with retrieving than any other dog I have owned since. He had never been duck hunting and I had just begun this new adventure myself. He had no training, I have never trained anything. He was out of shape; I have never been in shape. He was eager to do the job and I was just eager. I was blessed to have Mac in my life for six years. He taught me so much more than he could ever learn from me. He was forgiving, honest, a bit of a goof, and gave all he had to the task at hand. Never was there a better buddy in the blind.

Mac knew enough and what he didn’t know, I didn’t know either so really, it didn’t matter. I knocked down ducks (few and far between) and he retrieved every one of them. If asked to narrow down one story, it could be the infamous, “Picture Perfect Pintail”, or the “He Can’t Swim That Far” story, but I think the story that’s captured forever in my minds’ eye is our very first hunt together “My First Retrieve”, it tells the story of our relationship perfectly.

Mac didn’t know anything about duck hunting and neither did I. He had seen hand thrown birds on land and water and picked them up, but hunting, he didn’t know and I didn’t know he had to know, I thought he knew it already or would figure it out. My father and I hunted a large pond, not quite a lake, not quite a stock tank, but a large pond on public land. It was a cold morning, one of those mornings that you either had to be dedicated to pursuit of waterfowl or plain stupid (I will go with plain stupid here). The hunt was slow; the flocks decoying or even just coming by weren’t many. We managed to hit a bird and he landed in close, so close that I just walked to the water’s edge and Mac hit the water like a ton of bricks to get the bird. I thought to myself, he has this all figured out, this dog is too good to be true. As the morning progressed we decided this might be all for us, when a two birds came through, fast, buzzed us from behind, circled to the left, approached again from the right. My dad and I went up for the shot, he got the lead bird I missed the other. The duck landed, out there, way out there, but you could see it on the water, or at least I could. 

Mac and I approached the shoreline, I pointed at the duck, he looked at me, and with his eyes he said he understood the request. I said, “Okay”, hey, “fetch it up”, “how about hunt it up”. The fetch command was pointless, but I didn’t even know what I was saying, so that’s okay. When I said hunt it up, he ran up and down the bank line in search of something, but he didn’t know what. I sat him back down and said, “Do you see the duck out there, slowly drifting away, right there, see it?” He never saw it. My dad agreed that the dog doesn’t see the duck, he won’t get it. I, knowing no other way to teach, but by example, refused defeat and began the lesson. Being young frustrated, and stupid (already admitted this once), decided I would show him how to do this. I stripped myself of every stitch of clothing, minus my Hanes overly manly undergarments, and began marching victoriously towards the fruits of our labor. I was on a mission. Mac sat on the shoreline, watching his best friend go deeper into the water, to a level in which I could no longer touch and was forced to now swim. Mac left the bank side and began swimming to me, then beside me, and with me. We were both mere feet from the bird. I reached out, to receive my trophy, a nice hen spoon bill. I proceeded to show Mac how to do this duck retrieving thing. It is hard to swim with one hand, so I placed the bird in my mouth. Swam for a little way to make sure he understood and then passed the ball to him. He took the duck and passed me by and delivered it to my father, circled back around to continue on with his buddy. We emerged from the abyss, I was red bellied, shaking profusely, and laughing and he, well, he was by my side, where he would remain until the end……..

Next lesson, how to do blind retrieves using rocks……..


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## HNTFSH (Feb 7, 2009)

Thanks to Rick and Chris for the offer. Been some fun reads.

I put down my 7 year old partner two weeks ago so 'memory time' has been forefront lately.

The one that draws the biggest personal smile goes back a few years when after hunting a group of five, spread out over a small private marsh...decided I would train the dog to deliver the bird to the person who shot it. Saved everyone time and confusion and naturally relieved me from having a 'pile' of ducks at my feet only. 

Set up the training on a small pond one morning with a peninsula. My ole dad of 82 helped out, not a dog guy but a great 'helper' and even better father. Decided dad would take the point of land, me on the other side of the pond, the 'mark' thrown. Dog would leave my side - be handled over to dad on the point (the shooter) where he'd be presented his bird. I would then recall the dog from across the pond to my side.

Absolutely everything worked out perfect - the dog handled easily over to dad after the water pick-up. Cast the dog to dad's side and gave him a whistle sit. Dad reached down...took the bird from his mouth...and I was quite pleased at how easily it all went. 

I hit the recall whistle...tweet x 3. Dog looked at me - looked up at dad -snatched the bird from his hand and hit the water coming back to me. 

Along with the awesomely funny expression on dad's face - ole Knothead swam to me looking fully justified. I can't disagree.


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## Blackdog870 (Mar 11, 2010)

My favorite memory is of the day that my best friend Jaycee proved what I already suspected; she was a far better hunter than me. We were on a dove shoot in a peanut field and were sitting on the crest of the field that sloped toward a hardwood creek bottom about 150 yards away. Jaycee loved shoots in peanut fields, she liked to eat the peanuts out of the hay bales as we waited for birds to come in. It was later in the day and a high single came by that I put a poor shot on and crippled. He set his wings and glided down the hill towards the hardwood bottom. Just as he made it to the tree line I sent Jaycee, but wasn't hopeful for finding the bird. I could see her hunting the tree line and then she disappeared into the creek bottom. Since shooting light was almost done and that would be my last bird I dedcided to walk on down to the bottom and see if that might flush the bird from the tree. It didn't and I could see Jaycee still hunting like crazy under one tree. I couldn't see or hear any birds in the trees and there surely wasn't anything on the ground or she would have found it. I was convinced the bird was gone and called Jaycee to head in. She started toward me then doubled back and started jumping straight up in the air; just as I was looking up to see what on earth she was doing, a dove fell out of the limb right over her head and fell to the ground right next to her. She then casually picked it, returned to heel and waited for me to take the bird. From that point on if I thought a bird fell in one area and she hunted another, I just left alone until she found it.


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## fishduck (Jun 5, 2008)

It was a Saturday morning on public land in Alabama. Not much expected because we are WAY off of any major flyway. Boat was lauched at 4:30 because the majority launch at 5:00. Just me and my faithfull dog Diva. My pirogue rides behind the boat because a beaver dam must be traversed to get to our hole.

I call it our hole because she has hunted here since she was a pup. That trip as a pup was not good because Diva got cold after jumping in the water and ended up wrapped in my parka. The hunting has been up and down in this hole since then but we claim it as our own. Good and bad days have been spent in this hole. Days when the wood ducks came in swarms and the mallards followed later and days when we searched the skys for hours without firing a shot. Diva likes the action but is always happy to take a break for whatever food is stuffed in my blind bag.

Arriving at the beaver dam the work begins. For old hands like the two of us the pirogue jumps over the dam and we load up for the paddling. 1/2 mile is a long walk in slogging mud and briars but the pirogue keeps us in deeper water and hopefully beyond the reach of skybusters. Diva is settled in the bottom of the boat as still as can be. We long ago learned that motion in a pirogue is a bad idea.

I beach after pushing through 50 yards of buckbrush to the "hole". A dozen decoys are thrown out in case the mallards show up but mostly I expect to shoot the 2 wood ducks the law allows. As I set up the woodies announce their presence with their unique calls. The wait until legal now starts. 

The ducks are in the air as legal arrives. The wood duck shoot will be over soon enough so I take my time. A drake woodie hovers over the decoys and I decide the time is now. One shot and he falls but fate has intervened and the hen behind him also found herself in the pattern. As you can see in the pic, he was close and a head shot was in order. Diva makes short work of such easy retrieves. The rest of the morning we snack and watch the woodies swim in the decoys. Another shot isn't fired and we eat our snacks and quit early.

The hallowed ground of this hunt makes it memorable as does the one shot, two kills. The reason this is such a treasured memory is that this was Diva's last hunt. I lost her the day after Christmas that year. She was a hell of a dog handicapped by a terrible trainer. I was blessed to have her as a companion and especially blessed to have her on many hunts. She made harder retrieves and picked up more birds in a day. That day with just me and my dog was my favorite time with Diva. I'll never forget.


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## Olliedog (Jun 29, 2011)

TEACH A DOG TO FISH.......

Ollie and I train in a slough next to Portland International Raceway when we want convenient water work. While working on steadiness, I had a sitting dog and a bumper in the water. I looked up, ready to send him,only to find the bumper was gone. While fully engulfed in my WTF moment Ollie broke and hit the water. I didn't know what to do so I handled him back and forth until the bumper suddenly popped up right where it had gone under. Ollie retrieves it and I am left wondering what the heck is in the water big enough to pull down a bumper. I learned to expect it due to it being a somewhat frequent occurrence after that day.

On a trip to CA that summer, Ollie learned to retrieve under water from the shallow end of my Mom's pool to the amusement of my family and myself. Well, back in Portland, we went to do some water work and while swimming to get the first of two bumpers tossed, I see the other bumper disappear. As usual Ollie does his job bringing the first and I send him out and handle him to the spot the second bumper went under water. That spot has a log/branch pile 2-3 ft under and Ollie starts circling the spot, sniffing the air like crazy. Without hesitation he goes under and all I can see is hind legs, butt and tail sticking out. I am chuckling pretty good after a couple of seconds of this effort when Suddenly Ollie rears up with the orange bumper sticking out of the left side of his mouth and what I estimate to have been a 7 or 8 pound bass sticking out the other side. Well, fish being fish, that bass went nuts ( Ollie had the fish by the lips with the bumper in it's mouth).To his credit, Ollie held on for several seconds until both the bass and the bumper hit the water. His response was to frantically look back and forth with a look that clearly said ," what the HECK was that". After he brought the bumper to hand he showed good patience because clearly his master had lost his mind with the way he ways laughing hysterically. 

Karl Strobel
Monkey Boys Ollie By Golly aka OLLIE dog.


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## WhackndStack6 (Aug 10, 2011)

All of these memories have to start somewhere and that happens to be at our side. All my memories are made with my best friend at my side!


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## Chris Atkinson (Jan 3, 2003)

Thanks to all of you for posting your thoughts, memories and stories. 

There's still some time left to get something posted and have a chance at winning.

Chris


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