May 26, 2010

Well, my little story of Wyeth continues ...

I really had no intentions of hunting.   Really.  Honestly.  Zip.

But, we are.  Here's how it happened:

During my January visit to Wisconsin to bring Wyeth home, Jan casually asked if she could see if my puppy had any inkling to retrieve.  "Sure," I said not ever thinking it would really pique my interest.   She knotted a sock.  Ready with her arsenal, she enthusiastically called my little girl over to her.  Positioned in front of a long, narrow hallway in her home , she knelt down beside her.   She tossed the sock down the hall. "Fetch it up", she said.  Without hesitation, Wyeth bounded down the carpeted "path" to retrieve her sock.  With a calm, but firm

"Wyeth, come" she obeyed.   With the sock still in her mouth, Jan - once again, ever so calmly - said "out" & her mouth opened & Jan had the retrieve. 

We praised her galore & heeding one of Jan's firm beliefs (always end on a good note), she stopped.  

An hour later.    We were sitting in her living room, Wyeth on my lap & just talking about dogs.  Nonchalantly she posed another question:  "Should we see   if she'll point?"  "Sure," I said.  (My interest was a little piqued now.)

She brought out a bird wing tethered to a little bamboo fishing pole.  A few flips of rod & wing & Wyeth immediately went on point.  My mouth dropped open in amazement.  Okay, I have to admit that I was a bit in awe.  I was so excited that Wyeth performed so well.    I knew that Jan had never "worked" with Wyeth before so all this was even more impressive to me.  Jan noticed my uncurbed enthusiasm & simply said: "I breed hunting dogs, Mandy."  

I was hooked.  As I hugged her good-bye at the Milwaukee airport, little Wyeth in my shoulder bag, I said:  "See you in April for training."  

Wyeth's and My First 18-Hour Road Trip to Wisconsin (April)

(click on photos to enlarge)

Amazing Jan worked with my little girl, Wyeth, for 6 days.   All this accomplished at the sweet young age of 6 months!  Jan's proven

training method is a "silent" one - no whistles, no whoas ... very gentle!

Bird Introduction                                           Teaching Sight Point

Sight Point Result                                         Water Introduction

Water Introduction - Swimming           Checkcording into Birds

Checkcording into Birds                           Scent Pointing Bird in Launcher

Scent pointing; Jan walks into flush     Scent Pointing; Jan  launches bird

Creating Style                                                 Creating Style

Introduction to Gun                                     On Point ... Ready for the Flush & Shot

... and The Retrieve!

           Click here for video #1

     (Wyeth Locks Up on Point)

          Click here for video #2

            (Shooting over Wyeth)

          Click here for video #3

      (Jan trains Wyeth in the field)    

What a busy week I was treated to out there in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. A thrill of a lifetime, for sure.   As I drove home with my little pup next to me, I felt very content.   I was taking Wyeth back home to Vermont where her vibrant life will even be more fuller with hunting.  One of the many lessons I learned out there in the midwest was that this new sport of ours is really about teamwork, trusting one another.  She hunts & points the bird.  I flush & shoot.  She retrieves.  She's my little buddy that I can't disappoint. 

So I guess it was only fitting that besides returning with a big smile on  my face & a happy little dog ... I was also bringing home a 20 gauge shotgun.  Who would've thought?

Our story doesn't stop here ... more to come.

- Mandy