Tell Me About Your Best Ever Dog...

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Anybody who has trained and/or owned several gun dogs has one that stands above the rest. Share some stories...

My best lab was the first I trained from a 7 week old pup, under the mentoring of pro Mark Jansma. Josie (Jacie's Dakota Gold) had 13 litter mates (The Thundering Herd), who we whelped at my farmstead in exchange for 2nd pick (turned out to be 1st pick, and I knew she was the One when she was 4 weeks old). We learned together, me to be a gun dog trainer and she to be superb gun dog. She had thousands of hunting retrieves during her career and was a legend in the Lake Region.

Josie believed the bigger the bird, the better the retrieve, so she loved hunting geese and roosters most of all. At the conclusion of a goose hunt she would refuse to leave her field blind until all the decoys & blinds were packed into the trailer. Clearly she had decided as long as she was in her blind, the hunt continued. To watch her dig late season roosters out of snow filled cattail sloughs was a thing of beauty. She would actually disappear under the snow, then presently a pheasant would explode out in a shower of snow with Josie on it's tail. She was a gifted blood trailer and recovered a number of deer that otherwise would have been lost.

I teach my dogs to article search & shed hunt as an extension of scent trailing and retrieving, and Josie was hands down the best at it. She considered it her duty to sniff out & bring me any empty hulls we missed after a goose hunt. She absolutely loved to find arrows that were lost under grass. She once found a set of keys lost in a stubble field.

When she was 14 months old and nearly finished with our training program, she and I were invited to an American Water Spaniel hunt test to run the scenarios before the AWS that were there earning their titles. I had never been to a hunt test so had no idea what to expect, but I figured it would be good for us as a team. She was razor sharp that weekend and ran every test flawlessly from the simple marks for Junior Hunters through multiple bird long blinds for the dogs pursuing Senior and Master titles. At the conclusion of the first day, the judges called us out in front and commended her, to a standing ovation from the handlers & owners. They said her performance was astonishing given her age, the fact she had never run in a test, and were stunned she had no title. I was so proud of her, I cried.

We lived, trained, & hunted together for 10 years and she died of cancer at 11. I still miss her badly. I've owned and trained a good number of labs since her, and the only one close to her abilities is my upland machine & leader of the Wrecking Crew, Harley...
 

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The one and only TAZ...rescued at 2, trained up and hunted until he passed at 14. The absolute best dog in and out of the field. Words cannot explain the joy in hunting with him.
 
Anyone that has been on this site for a number of years knows I had a great Brittany named Elle. Many dog guys that I hunted with said she was the best Brittany they had ever seen. Elle was a NSTRA Champion and a fantastic pheasant dog. A pure pleasure to hunt behind. Unfortunately, four years ago this month I had to put her down just 6 days after her 8th birthday. She had developed a large cancerous mass on her spine and there was nothing we could do. Still miss that darn dog to this day.NSTRA Trial May 2015.jpg
 
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I’ve only had two dogs so far and they were both pretty incredible. 1st was a Vizsla that taught me more about pheasants than I thought there was to know. He went above and beyond, even to the point of retrieving birds that fell into water. 2nd was a Golden that was pure class but would avoid water at all costs! Both of those dogs knew if a place was birdy or not as soon as we started out. If they followed me- no birds, if they hunted normally, I’d get some shooting. Both gone now & it’s tough to say one was better than the other for hunting. They both had their strengths.
 
Love reading about pheasant dogs, although the sentiment can be pretty strong sometimes. 😢😢 🤷‍♂️
I'm currently on only my 3rd springer. Any training that's happened, we've done to each other.
Honestly, I get so incredibly attached to them, that I can't pick one that stands above the rest.
Maybe 1 possessed(es) a trait or 2 a bit stronger than another, but all 3 have been absolutely fabulous pheasant dogs & family members.
This is Buzz (2012-2018) & Walt (2002-2013).
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Walt was my first. I grew up w/ dogs, but he was the first of my own, so I was pretty green. I'd spent my life to that point hunting SD public land without a dog. And being pretty successful. Then I moved to IA. The 1st season there, I found some great places to hunt & hunted hard. Shot 5, maybe 6 roosters & was never more frustrated. I KNEW there had to be some birds around. So we made haste to eliminate renting from our lives & bought a little house. That summer we got Walt. He turned 5 months old on opening day that fall & I shot 35 roosters that year w/ my puppy on the same ground that had been so bleak the year before. 1/2 way through that season he started retrieving all on his own. I couldn't believe my luck, & my love for pheasant hunting skyrocketed back to where it had been when I was younger. We got through some challenges his 2nd season, but after that, I felt like I had the greatest dog to ever live. If I ever felt a little sorry for a rooster (which I haven't, really) it would've been when Walt was on the job. If I shot a bird, it was going in my vest, one way or another, no ifs, ands, or buts. I knew I'd never have another dog as great as Walt.

Then Buzz came along. He was only able to hunt w/ Walt one season before Walt died. I took Walt's death really hard. It took me a solid 9 months to be able to talk about him at all without getting choked up. I think it also postponed my bonding w/ Buzz. But eventually I came around & Buzz became my dog. Unfortunately, I learned later, in that 1 season he'd hunted w/ Walt, I'd accidentally taught Buzz to NOT retrieve. So for a couple years, I had a dog who did everything fabulously....except retrieve. We tried FF & it wasn't a good fit. We tried everything & eventually I resigned myself to it, & it was OK, because we weren't losing birds. Then 1 opening day we'd shot a young rooster & were hunting around the edge of a slough when it dawned on me. The dog spends the whole summer fetching any number of items thrown into the lake. What if I throw this bird into the water & make a game of it???? It worked!! Just 1 half-hour session was all it took. And for the rest of his short life he was a very solid retriever. Maybe not quite as aggressive as Walt at finding & recovering cripples, but dang close & a more finished retriever. Plus, he was the easiest dog I could imagine training. He wanted nothing but to please me. And the sweetest, most even tempered dog I've ever met. Happy 100% of the time. The only one I'd trust almost 100% if a little kid stuck a finger through the fence. I said once that because of those things, he was an ever so slightly better dog than Walt. My family forbade my saying it ever again in the house. But I think I was right.

And now I have Ace, PPP.
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He's 18 months now, & so far he's the goofiest pup I've owned. Hands down. And he's probably the most well-bred of the trio. A great little family member & a phenomenal hunter. I'm already very, very attached to him, but that came easily with no other dog in the house. I won't say he has potential to eclipse Walt & Buzz in EVERY category as "dog". But it'll be interesting to see how he eventually makes me believe HE'S the greatest dog to ever live.
 
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I think about that often. A few dogs I owned when I was say 30 - 45 probably had the most field time. I think yah that dog was the most versatile (field waterfowl & upland ... maybe rare for a Brittany), that dog was best on ruffed grouse, this one best on pheasants ... Need to be a little careful because bird populations fluctuate and I do not want to associate dead bird counts with being the best. Some years the birds come easy, others less so.

In the end ... I put them all about the same with peak performance at ages 4 - 9. Before that learning and after that take each year they give to you.
My current 10 year old Brit was not much of a hunting dog at a young age (mostly my fault - pretty busy), but was simply a phenom in her prime. She covers a little less ground this fall, but man can she pin runners. Her nose is probably as good as any Britt out there.

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The best dog you have ever had, is the one that is in front of you at this time......
 
I've had brittany's all my life and like several have mentioned there have been dogs that excel at different aspects of hunting and being a family member. All our dogs were are what I would call indoor dogs with outdoor kennels or back yard when we are not home. Probably the best dog I saw was the one that was in her prime when I was a youngster and able to really hunt only carried my Buffalo Bill BB gun when my dad would allow me to tag along. Nellie was out of Kansas out of Tiger Pete and Skyrocket (don't remember full names), my dad got her when he was working at Boeing, she was on the only pup to survive. Only training was what my dad did she was steady to wing and shot and just a great dog and family member. Nellie set the standard in my mind. Since Nellie, I have had i've had 5, 5th being current. First one i really got to hunt behind was Brooke, she was out of a litter near my hometown in Indiana and she was a very good dog, probably the best at recovering cripples that I've had, she was unit in that she would always smile at you when you greeted her those who didn't know her thought she was showing aggression by bearing her teeth, but that was not the case. Brooke was with us from 1983 to 1997. After I graduated from college I got 2 britts they were half sisters, same stud out of Nevene Kennels, Nellie and Belle. Unfortunately, Belle's life ended early when she climbed out of her kennel and was hit by a care while i was living in Nebraska. Belle was only 4 (1991 - 1995), Nellie was a very good dog and hunter strong pointer and very methodical when hunting she passed on my birthday when she was 13 (1991 - 2004). I broke tradition and got my next Brittany from Mr Eds in southern Ohio, Kaci, she and I hunted early from 2001 to about 2005, my son started playing travel hockey and I was coaching and our hunting was non existent. Kaci's last real hunt was in 2012 in SD and she really showed me just what the hell i missed out on by not hunting her more. She had a phenomenal trip and out hunted the other dogs in our party. I would take her out occasionally after that grouse/woodcock hunting here she passed in 2015. Which brings me up to my current dog Bella, she is out of Nevene Kennels, and my wife call her the hunting machine. If Ol Nellie set the bar, Bella is nudging it for sure. Bella was the runt of the litter and when my son and I went to pick her out, the litter had not yet walked on grass, it was dewy out and when all the females were put down she was the only one that would move around and she came straight for us, my son said "I think she has made our decision for us" and he was right. She is not steady to wing or shot but that is by my choice. She is a retrieving fool, she either has a ball or rock in her mouth when we are outside together regardless of whether I'm cutting firewood, mowing the grass or snowblowing. She comes and drops the object in the path. In the winter time I will throw the object into the woods and snow, typically her depth perception is off on her marking, but she some how finds it in the snow, the tennis balls in can understand cause to scent, but when she brings the rocks back i'm amazed. As an example one night my wife and I are drinking around a bonfire and by the end of the night there were 24 (2-4" river rock) rocks on the chair next to me, I would fake throw and when she couldn't find it she went and grab another, her canines have warn down from this too. She handles the heat very well and does an awesome job in the field or woods. In the house she is a cuddlier always in contact with either my wife or i if we are sharing a piece of furniture or bed. So my rankings 1A - Ol Nellie, 1B - Bella, 3 - 90's Nellie, 4 - Brooke, 5 - Kaci and 6 - Belle. All were extremely difficult to say good bye to as they were such a huge part of our family and in reality that is the most important part.
Bella
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Kaci
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Anyone that has been on this site for a number of years knows I had a great Brittany named Elle. Many dog guys that I hunted with said she was the best Brittany they had ever seen. Elle was a NSTRA Champion and a fantastic pheasant dog. A pure pleasure to hunt behind. Unfortunately, four years ago this month I had to put her down just 6 days after her 8th birthday. She had developed a large cancerous mass on her spine and there was nothing we could do. Still miss that darn dog to this day.View attachment 547
I shot a pointed bird over Elle east of Watertown a number of years ago. It was in a thicket near a fence line on a public area. She was about as dialed in as a dog could be.
 
I didn’t start hunting out west until I was 55 so this was easy. Only one dog and one woman in my life so far. Miya the dog will be nine this month, and had her best season this fall. She’s a French Spaniel. I have another puppy coming in January. I don’t know how good she is, but she’s good enough for me. 675A4095-7523-4DBA-BD49-4B6AEF800F0D.jpeg675A4095-7523-4DBA-BD49-4B6AEF800F0D.jpeg
 
I didn’t start hunting out west until I was 55 so this was easy. Only one dog and one woman in my life so far. Miya the dog will be nine this month, and had her best season this fall. She’s a French Spaniel. I have another puppy coming in January. I don’t know how good she is, but she’s good enough for me. View attachment 685View attachment 685
Good looking pup!
 
In honor of all great dogs. I wrote this in 1999 in memory of Shenandoah, Shen, a great Lab and true friend.
MY DOG'S BETTER THAN YOUR DOG
My dog's better than yer dog and I aim to prove it.
He's so smart, he uses a chair to sit.
My dog's better than your dog and when I'm done, you'll agree.
He's so refined he uses the throne to pee.
My dog's better than your dog and after this, there'll be no doubt.
He doesn't drink water, it's only Guineas Stout.
My dog's better than your dog, but I'm willing to call it a tie.
You see, my dog Shen, had to go and die.
SRB©1999
 
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