My wise father said, "You are not hunting without dogs you trained, " and how true he was. Training you dogs to be what they are wired for is an art form that require an everyday routine with keen insight into animal behavior. Do it right and every day and you shall be rewarded beyond measure. One must have an understanding about the nature of the animal in question and above all the ability to accept the bond that the dog is capable of giving. Many can not handle that commitment and the dog becomes just a tool to amuse Dogs are breed for work, hunt, companionship and are as close to perfection, a gift from the heavens and truly angels on four legs. I train my dogs well esp. the force fetch phase because I base my beginnings on trust and imprinting. My dogs think they are like me human most of the time. Unlike my training dogs, my falcon are encouraged with food and then the trust and bond follows but in the end the hawk is killing and for itself out of hunger
I am partial to black labs although we have had many shorthairs, springers and pointers. The black lab seems to be the most intelligent of the dogs and a olfactory beyond belief. My present lab is the queen of the house and she pretty much dicates our routing. Here younger sister is a very pleasant mild manner German Wirehair that looks like if just came out of the Bavarian Forest. Together they are a team and the wirehair is depressed without the lab unless she is afield. They go everywhere with us and if we can not take by auto we do not go
