Paul in Idaho
Well-known member
It has taken me a while to be ready to share this. Earlier this year my once-in-a-lifetime dog Ruger reached the end of his amazing life. He was a central part of our lives for 12 years, and 12 years is nowhere near long enough for a dog like him.
His hunting skills were incredible to watch. He started watching birds fly when he was still a pup. He could mark distant fallen birds precisely, and no cripple could escape his nose and persistence. One day at a retriever club training day, the breeder I got him from took me aside and said "You have the dog everyone here wishes they had."
He was a great family dog too. He spent a lot of time in my lap, and often asked to have his ears massaged. In typical Lab fashion, he calmly put up with our little terrier who wanted to run the house.
I don't expect to ever have another dog like him. Life has changed too much. Most of the places we hunted geese are now either covered in housing developments or leased by rich people. There are more duck hunters in less space on the river, and as I get older I'm finding it more difficult to launch a boat hours before sunrise.
I'm thankful for every minute of the time we had together. My life is better for it. Thanks for the memories, my friend.
His hunting skills were incredible to watch. He started watching birds fly when he was still a pup. He could mark distant fallen birds precisely, and no cripple could escape his nose and persistence. One day at a retriever club training day, the breeder I got him from took me aside and said "You have the dog everyone here wishes they had."
He was a great family dog too. He spent a lot of time in my lap, and often asked to have his ears massaged. In typical Lab fashion, he calmly put up with our little terrier who wanted to run the house.
I don't expect to ever have another dog like him. Life has changed too much. Most of the places we hunted geese are now either covered in housing developments or leased by rich people. There are more duck hunters in less space on the river, and as I get older I'm finding it more difficult to launch a boat hours before sunrise.
I'm thankful for every minute of the time we had together. My life is better for it. Thanks for the memories, my friend.
