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blueberries in alaska
outstepping
109 Posts
Jo
hillsides of the Chugach
AK
USA
109 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 30 2007 : 10:46:49 AM
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I knew that one would get your attention!
We started NAHRA (north american hunting retriever association), trials with our labs a week ago...... Bella the one year old won't trial probably until next year, but Sophie, oh Sophie.
Sophie is a queen, she came to me at a very sad time and has always been very intense, loving and kind. She has been seen with cats lying all over her. We call her our bodasaptha lab (not sure if I'm spelling that right) In buddhism it is an animal that was once human and completely evolved that decided to come back as a particular animal for special reasons and she is VERY special.
She had her first trial last week, she picks up everything and is a fabulour retriever, doesn't flinch at the sound of gunfire and we take her hunting for ptarmigan with her baby sis Bella (half-sisters). So picture this...... we are surrounded by fine hunters and labradors. She marks her first duck, my husband sends her out, she doesn't find it, comes back. The gunners take a second "winged" duck, she marks it, runs like the dickens, stands there, turns and looks at Paul, with a decidedly "it's alive!" look, and why would you shoot a perfectly good duck? goes looking for snacks behind the blind and then returns to Paul.
So Sophie may not be the NAHRA dog, her sister Bella will be, but we'll stick to small low flying birds for Sophie!
We had a beautiful weekend, so many striking labs, they are the best. We may not have field trial champions, but ours are a pleasure to watch quartering and always looking back for guidance. Here's to labradors!! jo
FYI, this photo is with a bear rifle for protection only.......
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Training budhist labs
