Sanctuary dogs

The Sanctuary is a grand hotel. It may permit dogs in a handbag, but that's only a guess. It certainly does not encourage big, wet, sandy spaniels in its manicured parlor, at least not live ones. The Sanctuary has several homages to gun dogs, though, that make you think that a passel of red and white spaniels would be right at home here. Here is a sample.


In bronze, a stylish setter with a mouth full of feathers.

Setter and pheasant.

Oil on canvas. Kenneled dogs contemplating a winter songbird.

Christmas on Kiawah Island

The Sanctuary Inn on Kiawah Island is a relatively new hotel that is done in the grand southern tradition. At Christmastime, in the main hall, the Inn puts a gingerbread house as its centerpiece. This Christmas, a harried Santa Claus comes upon a kitchen scene that has him wondering how he ever will deliver on time those sugarplums to the world's children.

Santa comes upon kitchen chaos.

"We've got it under control, Santa!"

Santa's helper sure is busy.

The gingerbread men are imps in the kitchen.

Here's a fresh one.

This elf measures out the spices.

Avast matey! Swab up that chocolate!

A Felix Christmas

Felix wishes everyone a Merry Christmas.

Your move

Tatum by Susan W.

Roger & Bill

Roger and Bill, along with gun-captain Shoni, made up the gunning corp at the Cocker Spaniel Specialty Club's Hunting Test in Cedartown, Georgia last week.

Some scenes from the field.

(click on the photo for a slide show)


Roger inspects the field.

Roger is more than satisfied with Amy and Emma's work in the field.

Bill waits as a dog comes to the line.

Bill at the ready.

Aki and Bill enjoy some downtime.

The hard-hitting gunners

The gunners at the Cocker Spaniel Hunting Test had their work cut out for them. The birds burrowed and cowered, causing no or low flushes. On the low-flying flush, the gunners waited until the bird had gained altitude for a safe shot, which often meant a long shot as well. Shoni (the gun captain for the test), Bill, and Roger were able to bring those birds down and give the dogs a chance to retrieve them as required in the test.

Shoni surveys the field.

Shoni and Judges Charlie and Joe discuss the field work.

Shoni reflects on the joy of shooting over Moses.

Moses lays down the law

Tim Pullian of Rustic English Springer Spaniels and Moses took two steps closer to Moses' Master Hunter title by qualifying on both Saturday and Sunday of the Cocker Spaniel Specialty Club's Hunting Test in Cedartown, Ga.

Moses completely dominated the hunting test by maintaining his rock-steady composure in the field. On Sunday, a long-flying bird went up and over the hillside so that there was no possible visual mark by the dog. Judge Joe asked Tim to nevertheless send the dog, telling Tim that this was Moses' "all-star moment." Moses was sent on a long hunt dead and disappeared over the hillside. He returned with the downed bird to earn the right to move to the next phase of the test.

A Master Hunter in waiting.

"Dead."

Right back to Tim.

Moses knows he did well.

CH Trooper

There was a show in Savannah, Georgia the weekend of the Cocker Spaniel Hunting Test. Jamie's Trooper was there to try to grab the single point he needed for a Champion designation. He was matched against some fine dogs: J-Clark, who has been invited to Westminster; Mary T's Adara, who has blossomed into a beautiful red & white; and Bronwyn, a classically sweet and beautiful Welsh Springer Spaniel. On Sunday the results were:

• Best of Breed J-Clarke
• Best of Opposite Bronwyn
• Best of Winners Trooper

As a result, Trooper got his point and his champion designation. Congratulations Trooper and Jamie!

December 7, 1941

A date which will live in infamy.

Tatum's test

Evidently, Tatum heard that there were some birds that needed to be rounded up, because the little Welsh Springer Spaniel showed up with handler Susan W. in tow. Tatum flushed her birds when they were flushable, but paused when the birds simply hunkered down.

After hours, Joe DeMarkis opined that birds were wrong for dogs like Tatum, and, in fact, for all of the dogs. Birds that hunker rather than explode out do not bring out the best in a flushing spaniel, and in some cases, can instill a soft flush. Joe said that the classic spaniel flush is a firm drive toward the prey, mouth agape and teeth bared to snare the prey. An explosive bird such as a pheasant brings this classic flush out of a good dog. A bird that cowers or digs in can inhibit the dog.

Everyone has seen Tatum's splendid work in the field, and some pheasant work may lie ahead for Tatum and some of the other dogs at the test.

Susan and Tatum clown a bit.

The team relaxes beforehand.

Tatum takes the line.

This is an honest hunting dog.

Larsen's Senior Hunter at the Cocker Test

Larsen earned his Senior Hunter designation on Saturday at the Cocker Spaniel Specialty Club of Georgia.

Larsen hunted with intelligence and drive. Larsen covered the ground thoroughly and quickly. He made a long and stylish retrieve. His deliveries need to be worked on, but they were to hand, which is all that is really required. On the hunt-dead, Larsen sauntered out to the bird, picked it up, and trotted right back without fuss. At the water, Larsen went straight in and back, with the bird in his mouth.

Before any test, I tell myself to let the little dog hunt. Don't get in his way or cause unnecessary commotion. On Saturday, I let Larsen hunt. I basically used the whistle as a pacifier. This was Larsen's show.

(click photo for slideshow)

Frank and Larsen wait their turn.

Frank covers Larsen's eyes to prevent Larsen from watching where the planters put the birds.

Frank and Larsen step to the line.

Larsen is ready.

After two nice flushes and retrieves, Frank and Larsen step off the field.

Steady drill

A Master Hunter must be steady to wing and gun. This means that when the dog finds and flushes the bird, the dog immediately must sit without moving as the bird takes wing and the hunter shoots it. The dog should watch the flight of the bird and mark its fall. Only when the dog is instructed to fetch may it leave its position to retrieve the bird.

This is a very tall order for an eager spaniel who, above all else, relishes the chase.

A few weekends ago, Cathy V. worked with Humphrey, her clumber spaniel. Humphrey has three Master Hunter legs and needs one more to become a Master Hunter. Humphrey is, however, an ideas dog. If you give Humphrey a command, he is liable to come up with an even better idea, at least in his mind. To combat this and to maintain his rock-steady composure at the flush, Cathy worked Humphrey with Marilyn, an accomplished trainer.

The sketch below illustrates the drill. Because Humphrey earlier had made a move toward the bird, Humphrey was unceremoniously repositioned at the point of the break. Then (and this is the key), Marilyn changed her own position to put herself between Humphrey and the toss of a bird. Marilyn tossed the bird, Gary made a shot, and the bird fell.

Humphrey understood completely that any attempt to break toward the bird would be successful only if he could avoid Marilyn's wrath, which, he was convinced, was not possible. As a result, Humphrey stayed in position.

This subtle repositioning by Marilyn near Humphrey's line with the bird reinforced the requirement of steadiness. Humphrey understood without being yelled at or corrected. He understood because Marilyn had repositioned herself. Marilyn did not make a fuss or any noise. But, Humphrey understood that any move toward the bird involved a confrontation with Marilyn that he did not want to have. This is what allowed Humphrey to maintain control over himself, which is what learning is all about.

You can see from this that training involves the coordination of everyone, the handler, Marilyn, and the gunner, Gary. The change did not involve any yelling, reprimands, or beeping on e-collars. Instead, Marilyn's subtle move toward the line between Humphrey and the bird made Humphrey himself decide to maintain position rather than tangle with Marilyn. It was the idea-dog's decision to stay. In this way, the training becomes internalized and Humphrey determines himself that hupping to the flush is the best course of action.

(click to see entire sketch.)

London Trading Company

The LTC sells clothes and gear to the horsey set in Atlanta. The store is redolent of leather and waxed cotton.

We stopped by to look at field boots. They certainly had some fine boots to choose from, as well as beautiful country clothes. Christmas is coming, so now's the time to think about your lists.

The LTC is at 30 East Andrews Street in Atlanta.

Buckhead casual.

These are boots for the field?

A chukar in a game bag.

Some sort of wild cat lunges at a pheasant.

Water training

When birds are wet, they don't fly.

We practiced anyway. Bill T. and Gary R. were gunners, and stood around periodically making noise with their shotguns as the dogs flushed birds that ran to and fro. While it was not the ideal way to practice, it gave me a chance to work with Larsen on his retrieves. One of three was perfection itself, but that in itself is an improvement.

Bill D. gave me some tangelos from the tree on his St. Simons front lawn, so there was some sunshine that day after all.

The tangelos practically glow; and the banana is not as ripe as it appears.

Thanksgiving 2011

Thanksgiving in Ohio means a hike in the Valley, otherwise known as the Rocky River Reservation or metropolitan park that winds its way from Bagley Road in Berea to the Lake Erie confluence in Rocky River.

Cousin Dave and his wife Meg corralled 14-year-old Scout and 18-month-old puppy Trigger to meet Aki, Larsen, and me. We let the dogs run, play in the river, and run some more. The lanky puppy, Trigger, was practically giddy with his ability and desire to run.

After the hike, we returned to Dave and Meg's for a lunch of turkey on white with mayonnaise.

(click on photo for full picture and for photo show)

Scout was high-stepping on his hike.

Dave prepares Trigger for launch.

Off they go! Road Runner and Coyote. Larsen does his best to keep up with the far swifter Trigger.

Larsen after Trigger (barely in photo) again.

Frank and Larsen pose for a photo.

Scout and Meg enjoy the sunny afternoon.

Larsen is beat after trying to match Trigger in the field.

Sunday quail hunt

There was nothing else to do, so Larsen and I went to Circle W to hunt quail.

Danny took us to a field that was new to us. It was right under the Heflin radio tower. The field was just under a mile long and ran along the Talapoosa river. There were several knarled old walnut trees, but otherwise, just a lot of broomstraw. The morning was overcast, with spitting rain that eventually cleared.

Danny's layout was relatively easy. The birds were not too deep into the cover. The setup guaranteed successes, which kept Larsen in birds. This was the way I'd have it on this fall Sunday. This was, in many ways, a celebration of his fine performance in the WSSCA Hunting Test. Just a day outside together.

I chewed on my whistle a little, but didn't pip it much. I pipped only when he went obviously far afield, which was not often. With each step, and each bird, I got more confident that the little dog would find the birds. Larsen's flushes were efficient, and the only shots he didn't give me were when the birds stayed low. If I missed the bird, or just tipped it, we marked it and marched after it.

I tried to keep quiet on Larsen's retrieves. I didn't didn't say "here boy" or "hold it" or pat my leg. I kept quiet, and just turned a bit away from him. Once or twice, I told him to "heel" and let him walk with me while he carried the bird. We weren't in a hurry, and this wasn't a test, so I let him hang onto the bird while he panted with his nose buried in the soft feathers. His deliveries were very nice.

In all, we bagged 8 of 11 or 12. We found 11 (Danny said one of our 12 flew to the tree line when he was planting. This is a free day pass for a quail; at least until the hawks circle.)

We finished the day by doing several "hunt deads" and water retrieves, just for fun. The hunt deads were 70-80 yards long, but Larsen watched me place the bird, so there was no mystery. It was simply taking a line a long way out and bringing the bird back. His water work was a little ragged with the delivery, and I will work on a strategy like the land strategy that results in a cleaner presentation.

We went home with our game bag full and a tired happy dog.

This is a bird dog.

Danny has a few secret fields.

Larsen clowns with a feather on his nose.


Let's do it again!

Mid-50s and cloudy is still hot for an active spaniel, and there was nowhere we needed to be, so we took a break.

Larsen takes a breather.

That's Larsen waiting for me to return from placing the bird at the far end of a 70-yard hunt dead.

Home for a bath and some chow.