ATB: Brittany Gun Dog Training / The Dog House(s)

Bullet points a chuckar, holds his point while John searches for the bird, relocates Bullet who again holds steady as John flushes the bird and shoots.

John has some new sunglasses with a mini-DVR recorder built in. They are called 'spy glasses'. He wanted to be able to show Julie how Bullet is coming along while he is here with us. The quality of recording leaves something to be desired in consideration of John wearing the glasses while training! It is long and unedited. I did not want to cut anything out although I could have cleaned this up a lot but I chose not to. All of crew are working hard this summer - some in hopes of achieving their Junior Hunter, others to finish what was started in working on Seniors, perhaps a field trial or two, and there are those like Molly and Wish now who simply get out and enjoy a good run with no pressure. I'm encouraged for John and thrilled for the dogs.

You really never know what the Brittanys are going to do from one day to the next really. And you especially never know how they will do in a field competition or test. What you do know is what your dog is capable of and you work hard to bring that out and fine tune it with each outing. As multiple dog owners we do have a responsibility to our crew here to give them the life they deserve. As surely as we know what they are capable of we also know beyond any shadow of doubt how much they love us. This works both ways. Love for them and from them is a constant. This means that there is an even higher priority here - and that is for our Brittanys to always be treated with the utmost respect, love, and devotion. This means not only giving them ample opportunity to run freekt like the wind in a bird field, taking them into the woods to hunt wild birds during hunting season, or having them romp and play in a pond - it means they are a daily part of all that we do in one way or another.

As I type there are 4 of them very close by. Jackdog lays in front of the door and looks longingly out the window, a bit miffed John has gone on errands and did not take him along. Usually Jack gets to ride shotgun whenever the truck leaves the yard. My bare feet are being warmed by Pippin who is draped across them. Treasure is 'hunting' from window to window throughout the house. And little britches is up on the couch chewing on... chewing on something which I'll go replace with a toy. As surely as I just moved across the room so did the movement of each Brittany in the house at the moment. Now it is Hemi who is laying on my feet, amidst attempts to reduce the number of toes I have. Treasure lays in front of the door, Jack lays in John's chair, and Pippin... she just came back to reclaim her spot occupied by her puppy. Hemi won't move so she resigns herself to lay with him while speaking with him in repetitive gentle grring undertones about her obvious displeasure.

This scene changes daily. I think it's great that there are people who have upwards to 10 dogs in their house all at the same time. But I don't think it's great to let them rule the roost and run wild and free inside. Especially multiple pups. Although there's times when we may have 2 approximately the same age I still don't think it's the ideal situation. Just my opinion because I've experienced the reality of it. We enjoy having all of the dogs in the house, just not all at the same time! When they are inside though, they are welcome on the furniture, sleep on our bed, and occassionaly even eat people food as John cannot resist sharing whatever he happens to be snacking on. (They know I won't do this - so they all sit patiently at his feet waiting. I do not enjoy a dog in my face when food or a beverage is involved and they seem to know it!)

Some animal rights organizations define responsible dog ownership as not using kennels to properly and humanely house dogs safely. It is hard to believe that not only do some breeders actually agree with this, but there are those who demean the use inside/outside kennels and say that they would never have their dogs in one. Well, I'd never go off for the day and leave my dogs running loose in my home and I am not likely to leave them crated for long and uninterrupted periods of time.

Part of our proper animal husbandry kennel management is rotating the dogs from kennel house to people house. When our Brittany crew is involved with daily gundog training they do not go from the field into our house. They come home, run down to the pond, take a few laps around the yard and CHOOSE to return to their cushy multiple dog house aka a kennel. Due to the attributes of the Brittanys low maintainence wash and wear coat it's just not necessary for a daily bath. Their grooming needs include an inspection via a fine tooth comb to seek for any uninvited guests (ticks), a check of toes and pads for cuts, a look at their beautiful eyes, and then physically feeling them all over. I hate flags on the end of a Brittany tail so those are trimmed off and we prefer all over field cuts for the summer. Grooming also means keeping toenails clipped, ears and teeth clean. Apple Cider vinegar on a cotton ball keeps the ears clean and odor free. Fresh knuckle bones from the butcher keeps teeth clean, white, and pretty much tarter free. Of course this grooming routine changes a bit if the calendar reveals it is almost time to go play in the ring again. But a Brittany is not a 'foo-foo' dog,the breed standard clearly discourages excessive feathering. All that fluffy feathering simply is not practical for a hunting dog as beautiful as it may be. Speaking of keeping our Brittanys clean,they all do enjoy the occassional bath of course but most often they will be rinsed off outside via our portable propane heated camp shower. Anyway, our physical home extends to the big dog house to our small grooming studio which also transforms into the perfect whelping area. Suffice to say, both John and I enjoy spending time in these places as well.

Well so much for my ramblings this morning. Time to get on with day! John called to say he's bringing home cucumbers and asked what ingredients I needed for Bread & Butter pickles. I love to make them and my recipe won 1st place at the Rochester Fair years ago. Have a great day, take care and God bless you always! John, Ann, and All Things Brittany - inside, outside, and in between side.