All About Pocket Knives

Thanks my friend!

Pups are leaving to their new homes this weekend. They don't hold still long enough for a good picture.
Bill

My girlfriend got her leg broke in 2 places, so I'll be without my ray of sunshine for a while She my neighbor's dog but she visits daily.
Kinda like a grandchild, sweethang and I love on her spoil her rotten, then send her home.

Pablo on the hunt. Here mousey mousey!

Ken

My sweet baby, Ireland, was playing on our balcony today. She spent the last 2 days in hiding, she's not fond of visitors. Now her momma, Luna, is quite the social butterfly. I think that's because Luna spent some time outdoors roaming about.

Mumbleypeg wrote: ↑Mon Sep 07, 2020 3:42 am Pablo on the hunt. Here mousey mousey!

Ken

Nothing like a couple hundred round bales to keep the cats entertained.
Bill

Great pictures guys! Sorry about your friend Big Homer
A little blurry...but, a "milestone" moment. I've had a golden retriever before...but, never had a dog for actually retrieving birds.. This morning was opening day, for Texas south zone dove hunting. Birds have been scant, with all the heat...even with having a pond. Only got two this morning. But...it was one of best opening days, for me. DJ turns 1 year old, on the 25th of this month. We've been training on retrieving things, this whole year. This last month, we practiced on wings I'd saved from last year's hunt. This is his first real bird! We practiced with the two, throughout the morning. We will be headed back out this afternoon. He's doing very well for his first day with real birds. It took some real coaxing, with treats, to make those first couple of exchanges...but, It's starting to click.

Must be fun teaching DJ. I have no idea how you would train a bird dog not to bite into the bird. Here, doves are abundant, even over abundant.
I had to stop feeding for a few days to disperse the 30 to 40 who would be waiting for me every morning.

Quick Steel wrote: ↑Mon Sep 14, 2020 9:21 pm Must be fun teaching DJ. I have no idea how you would train a bird dog not to bite into the bird. Here, doves are abundant, even over abundant.
I had to stop feeding for a few days to disperse the 30 to 40 who would be waiting for me every morning.

It is there natural instinct not to bite, but carry and retrieve. it is a trait of all retrieving hunting dogs.

Thank you cudgee. Its good to be relieved of a bit of my ignorance. I have long wondered about that issue.

Quick Steel wrote: ↑Mon Sep 14, 2020 9:47 pm Thank you cudgee. Its good to be relieved of a bit of my ignorance. I have long wondered about that issue.

No worries my friend. A little bit of ignorance is a good thing, it inspires us to ask questions and learn. The really dangerous { stupid } are those who think they know it all. You have a good week.

I’ve owned three Goldens and several Labs. They all loved to retrieve and carry things in their mouths. Ball, sticks, frisbees, and all sort of live critters from baby rabbits to chicks and toads. Whatever they’re carrying is never harmed, but usually wet. The two Labs I have now find chicken and guinea fowl eggs that were laid on the ground and bring them to me unharmed. It’s just a trait that has been bred into them over hundreds of generations.

Funny thing is, they’ll bring me an egg, unharmed, I reward them for bringing it. If I hand it back to them they will eat it. They know the difference between fetching one to me and being given one to eat.

Ken

Mumbleypeg wrote: ↑Mon Sep 14, 2020 11:59 pm I’ve owned three Goldens and several Labs. They all loved to retrieve and carry things in their mouths. Ball, sticks, frisbees, and all sort of live critters from baby rabbits to chicks and toads. Whatever they’re carrying is never harmed, but usually wet. The two Labs I have now find chicken and guinea fowl eggs that were laid on the ground and bring them to me unharmed. It’s just a trait that has been bred into them over hundreds of generations.

Funny thing is, they’ll bring me an egg, unharmed, I reward them for bringing it. If I hand it back to them they will eat it. They know the difference between fetching one to me and being given one to eat.

Ken

That is amazing that isn't it, if they give it you they are so gentle and won't damage it, but return the favor and they have no hesitation in eating it.

As I stated before...I'd started with dove wings...about a month ago. I wish it was all pure instinct...
The first wing, I put out a little to far, from me. He ran straight out and devoured it in about two chomps...before I could get to him, to give him a treat. So the trick, that works for DJ...is make the first couple of retrieves VERY short...so you can get him a good treat and get the wing (or bird) out of his mouth. It only took a few times...before he figured out what the deal was...then, I could lengthen the retrieve. We got 4 this evening. Overall, I was very pleased with his first day. We will hunt tomorrow morning; then, head back home in the afternoon.

Doc B wrote: ↑Tue Sep 15, 2020 2:46 am As I stated before...I'd started with dove wings...about a month ago. I wish it was all pure instinct...
The first wing, I put out a little to far, from me. He ran straight out and devoured it in about two chomps...before I could get to him, to give him a treat. So the trick, that works for DJ...is make the first couple of retrieves VERY short...so you can get him a good treat and get the wing (or bird) out of his mouth. It only took a few times...before he figured out what the deal was...then, I could lengthen the retrieve. We got 4 this evening. Overall, I was very pleased with his first day. We will hunt tomorrow morning; then, head back home in the afternoon.

Golden Retrievers are the best. Their “soft mouth” which doesn’t mean the mouth is soft, means that they are gentle w/ things in their mouths. When I had my Golden Kobi, I could put a toy under a towel and squeek it and if he bit down on it and felt my hand he relaxed the pressure. He never bit me hard doing this game with him. They have some inbred instinct for this that is amazing.
It’s great reading about the hunting experience, that is something I have always wanted to do.

This is Gordo, my resident office Gecko. He's an inquisitive little guy, curious and unusually sociable. He always races out to greet me whenever I come into my office and then sniffs at anything and everything I put on my desk. His favorite spot to perch is on top of my computer monitor where he can keep an eye on me and snatch gnats, mosquitoes, flies and moths that are attracted to the light of the screen.

Gordo is pretty cool!

And he makes commercials for GEICO! Does he share any of those royalties?

Ken

Love the Gecko. We use to have a leopard Gecko but we didn’t let him run around all over the place, he stayed in a container made just for him, even had his own heated rock.

Here are some pictures from today. We had an absolutely perfect weather day today in Indiana. Got the dogs out in the back yard today. My Girl Scout peaks around this giant oak tree when I squeak her ball while she can’t see it. That expression on her face is excitement “did I hear my ball?”.
The next one is Bristol and she is w/out a doubt the sweetest dog I have ever known. She carries that chew toy around and it’s usually hanging out of her mouth like big cigar.
The old black dog is Tucker, he is now the oldest dog in our pack. He is a sweet boy, but gets scared to death of storms and even heavy rain sets him off.
He is a gentle boy, he is Alpha and everyone knows it but he isn’t harsh on his pack, he is gentle
Lastly one of the new calves is interested in my dogs. It’s funny that the calves seem to be drawn to certain dogs that we have. Calves seem to be fascinated w/ Bristol. Before Bristol it was Maddie and before that our really old dog Sage. Cows would gather in a half circle on the other side of the fence looking in at Sage who just sat there basking in their admiration. It really did look like she had a fan club and a following. It’s interesting that cows are drawn to certain breeds of dogs and it’s not just the calves sometimes the mature cows gather around also. It was a nice cool late summer day.

Great photos and run down of your pack.

Beautiful dogs, Mark!
Wish my iPhone could have captured the sun setting tonight...It was an orange ball on the horizon...behind DJ.

Mark, Thanks for the beautiful shots of your fine canines.

You boys are showing off some wonderfully beautiful friends, thank you for sharing .

WillyCamaro wrote: ↑Mon Sep 21, 2020 3:14 am You boys are showing off some wonderfully beautiful friends, thank you for sharing .

DITTO.