Mini Camp

Like a sports team, we have some early arrivals for our summer training camp.  This was due to the schedule of the dog hauler.  Maggie (a pointer for a client via Brad Lambert in WV) and Pete from Virginia arrived around 5:30 yesterday afternoon via Joe of Buckeye Dog Haulers.  I was really impressed with Joe calling me when he picked the dogs up and then periodically along the way refining his ETA as he got closer.  Both dogs were in great shape after two days on the road.  Maggie came out with her tail up bouncing on the end of the lead.  Pete was a little more tentative and really didn't know what to make of his brand new Scott Kennel.  However, this morning when I took him out on a checkcord and worked him around the yard his tail was up and he seemed happy for the attention.  He hadn't eaten all his food last night but finished it right up after he cleaned out and got a little exercise.

Brandy got worked on a longline again this morning.  The point here is to get her understanding the word "come" which wasn't in her vocabulary when she arrived.  I am now overlaying that with collar conditioning so we can get her off the rope and expect her to come back.  

The little guys got out this morning as well and had really good walks.  I threw out a few quail before we headed out for our walk.  The Moon pups each had a find and we flushed a grouse.  I got a picture of both of them but I was a little late on the second one.  The Jack pups also had a good walk with each of them having a couple of finds.  It seems that some of the birds we released last week are hanging around as we moved birds in places I had not put them.  We've got a Total Recall quail caller coming, hopefully it will get some of the birds back to the pen or at least anchor them in the area.

It's Apple Blossom time here at the kennel.  This is one of  over 200 apple trees on the property.

One of the Moon pups pointing a quail this morning.

Moon puppy backing her sister.

I was just a pounce late catching this Moon pup on point.  If you look carefully you can see the quail right above her head.

This is Maggie during her yardwork this morning.

This is Wild Apple Cider, he's LJ's brother.  I sold him to a young guy locally who had to give him up due to changes in his family situation.  He's a heck of a Frisbee dog.  We'll see what kind of bird dog he is as the summer progresses.