Let's share some of our Favorite Dog Stories:

Randy Tidwell

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2019
Messages
518
Location
OKC. OK. Escaped from CA in Dec 2019
Rescued Drahthaar Wirehaired Pointer

I would like to share a story with you that I experienced a few years ago.

First, my dog of preference has always been German Shorthaired Pointers, love them. Approx. 35 years ago my favorite girl was stolen from me and between having my heart broken and raising a family, never got another one. I also stopped bird hunting, just no passion.

Recently, the interest in hunting birds again woke up and I started thinking about a dog.

A good friend of mine, Jon, is a semi pro trainer that has two beautiful Drathaars (Wirehair Pointer) that I fell in love with. He called me back in January about a local 4 YO Drahthaar that might become available because the owner was not happy with how she hunted.

As I understand it, he spent over $3700 to buy her, then another $3000 plus training her. He expected to pay someone else to train the dog and never put any effort into bonding with the dog. Anyone that has ever worked with a bird dog knows, it is allot of work and mutual respect has to be established! Apparently, he did not understand this.

He gave up on her because she would only retrieve birds that he shot on his right side, birds shot and downed on his left side she would not go after???

We let him know I was interested and would like to see the dog.

For about 5 plus months, after repeated phone calls and text messages, he finally called my friend to see if I was still interested. He also sent a few photos of her and my heart broke. How someone could let a dog go like this is beyond me? Her hair was matted to the point she had Dread Locks :(

Of course, the timing was terrible because we had just gotten a 4 month old Golden Retriever puppy, ****.....

My wife and I talked it over and decided to go look at the dog. I told myself, "I need to get this dog away from this guy, she did not deserve to be mistreated like this!"

When we arrived to see the dog, my heart shank, my god what a mess. She had an infected fly bite on her ear that was bleeding and swollen up into a knot. Told the wife I was taking her, worst case I would find her a good home that she would be cared for.

The owner gave me her papers that showed she came from a very good line and highly respected breeder here in So Cal. Her shots were out of date and she was filthy, cover in mud and dirt.

I took her for a walk to the end of the street to a vacant lot alongside a river bed, walked with the leash on Heel. When I released her in the lot, to my surprise, her nose went to the ground and quartered from left to right in front of me. Called her back, she immediately came to my side. I was sold right on the spot!

Got back to my truck and told him I would like to take her and he said take her! I asked how much and got back "nothing, she's worthless, hope she works for you." Amazing

Opened the tail gate and the crate door, tapped the gate and said "Kennel", she leaped up and into the crate like she did it every day, wow (I have a high 4WD truck).

On the way home I told the wife we are changing her name to help her forget about this horrible experience, so we changed her name from Abby to Dixie. Dixie was the name of my Grandfather's favorite English Pointer and I wanted honor him.

We got her home that night and took her to our walk in shower for a bath. My son helped me get her ready for the bath, when I spread her feet with the warm water to make sure she wouldn't panic, she just stood there with the relieved look on her face. Never tried to get away, never resisted. We had to wash her three times to get the dirt out.

On Tuesday we took her to the groomer to have her basically shaved (no way to save her coat) before going to the vet. The groomer told us she was buried and didn't have time today, maybe Wednesday. I explained that we just rescued her and could not take this dog to the vet like this. We asked her to come look at the dog. When I opened the truck door, she gasped and said "OMG, bring her in, I will take care of this"

We left her there for about 4 hours and was shocked at the difference in her when we picked her up. She told us that because we rescued her we were getting a big discount.

Later we took her to vet for shots and check up. Vet said she was overall healthy and gave her some antibiotics to clear up her skin problems and ear infection.

We gave her a new bed, I don't believe she ever had one, and she sleeps alongside our bed at night. She has only had one accident in the house. Every morning, she gets up with me and we go outside for her to do her business. This is from a dog that has never been in a house!

Along with her papers was sheet with all her commands that she had been trained with. Admittedly, she is a little rusty, nobody had worked with her in over a year. Her training is coming back now and I am proud to say so far she is one of the calmest and well behaved German Birddogs I have ever been around!

On the following Sunday, we took her to Prado Dam to work with my trainer buddy and some other dog owners.

What a wonderful experience meeting the other handlers and dog lovers. We took Dixie into the field to work her on a few planted birds and for a dog that had been pinned up in dirty back yard, she did fantastic! John and I were both very pleased with her performance. We feel it is going to take very little work to bring her back to where she should be.

The following pictures are the ones I was sent by the previous owner before she was groomed and from her first duck hunt with me. She watched the sky constantly
Meet Dixie...... IMG954679.jpg 20151219_093320.jpg

I am very very proud to say "I think she is very happy with us and we have fallen in love with her!"

In closing, I would like to say "If you have a dog (or any pet), it should be part of your family, if not, you don't deserve it and the animal does not deserve to be subjected to you!"

Randy
 
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To continue Dixie's Story:

On her first Dove hunt near Blyth CA, we were shooting birds on the first morning. Most of them hit the ground about 20-25 yards out.

Without exception, I would send her for the bird, she would bring it back to me and drop in my hand after given the "Out" command.

About half way thru the morning, I hit one the cupped its wings and went on a glide. It hit the ground about 50 yards out and bounced. So I knew it was dead, no hurry to retrieve.

I sent her, she dropped her nose at about 20 yards out and started working back and forth, she could smell the birds she picked up earlier in that area.

I tried to get her to go farther out, but she kept looking for one there. So I got up and headed out, when I got to her she wouldn't come with me to get the bird. Thought to myself "Ok, I'll give you a pass on this one"

When I got to the bird, I picked it up and turned to go back to my shooting stool only to find her sitting behind with a bird in her mouth? First thing I thought was she found one I didn't realize went down or she found someone's old kill.

About that time, I seen my hunting partner laughing his *** Off! I asked what was so funny. He told me the second I walked away from her, she came running over to him. When she didn't think I was watching, she stole one of my birds and brought it to you!

I knelled down, Put my hand out and said "OUT", then she got a big GOD GIRL! I put the bird in my bird bag and headed for my stool. Keith yelled "Hey that's my bird" Told him nope, my girl retrieved it, its mine. Never gave it to him.

To this day, the only one that can get a bird from her is me. I think my son got her to give him one, only because he grabbed her.

Just to prove she is my dog, took her for a walk awhile back to the park. All of a sudden she went on point. What the heck was she pointing? Look close, she was pointing beer bottles. YUP, she's my dog...... LOL

20170813_072953.jpg

I love this dog! I will never be with out one again.

Jon's father once told him "God only let's dogs live a short time so we will have the opportunity to enjoy more of them in a life time!"
 
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This is a heart warming story to say the least. Sounds as though you both deserve each other.
I has a stray show up one day and a couple days later I was able to get close the her. She looked like someone through her out of the vehicle while it was going. She had a bad scrape on her side and look abused. I took her some food and water. She followed me to the house. The next day she followed me to the end of the driveway, I live out in the boondocks and was there when I returned from work. Needless to say that was 5 years ago and she had kept me laughing and loved ever since. I tell people that she has me trained.
 
Yep, they train you. I will do just about anything for her.

It wouldn't be an easy choice to make between her and the wife.

Her working gun show with me, she drew the girls to my tables. The a retrieve and relaxing by the pool.
 

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Yeah, I know what you mean. I "thought" I dispised little dogs as I grew up raising coon dogs and as an adult, bird dogs... and some good ones. Had dogs all my life and am in my 50s
The wife brought home this little darling eight years ago and I would take a bullet for her
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She is my buddy.

We have all heard the saying "I wish I was half the person my dog thinks I am". Well, I wish I were more like my dog. Patient, funloving, optimistic and forgiving.
 

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Well my boys are Fritz the Rottweiler and Bingo a Pit Bull. OK one night about 3:45
they start raising Cain! I thought coons in the trash so I fire them up and turn them out. I hear yelling for Help! Seem that 2 of the local meth heads wanted to clean out my tool shed? The boys ran them up a tree and they were scared! I was ANGRY to say the least! Momma called the Sheriff and I got the Farm Boss and told them I was cutting the tree and they could fight my dogs! They were crying and begging me not to.
While the Pit Bull was chewing the bark off the tree. In case they were armed I took my M-4 but didn't need it with those cowards? Sheriff came ..We had a laugh and he took them away in handcuffs...Never saw them again..?
Steal these guys..Good luck! ..My sign says "Stay in Car..Sound Horn"....
I like Aggressive dogs!.. I'm zoned A-1 these dogs wouldn't work in town....
 
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Randy, Have my 82 pound male drahthaar by my side as I type this. He'll turn 3 this fall. Been around about 30 of them now, and they all hunt. Obviously some better than others but I would take #30 happily. Bane has hunted a bunch with me and we make a good team. Betting you and Dixie have some great hunts this year.

Anyone else gets a chance to rescue a Drahthaar, do it. They are hunting machines. Just need a loving home to live in.
 
Angus, a long gone bassett/lab mix (think black lab lowrider), wouldn't retrieve to save his life. If you threw a ball, he would look at you with a look in his eyes saying " dummy, you threw it, YOU get it". He loved bouncing through tall pasture grass though. It would scare up pheasants so that worked out. We were out doing that and he scared up a rabbit. He circled that rabbit like he was trained to, which he by no means was. Ran it within 10 feet of me. I took the rabbit easily. It turned out that I was just trying to get him to hunt the wrong critters. Best rabbit dog, best all around dog anyone could ask for. Tough times when he went to the big pasture in the sky...
 
As a kid, I knew an old Swede, Alec. His favorite hunting dog was a German shorthair. As a young pup, this dog hated water. Alec had to carry the dog over every creak they crossed. After a long day of hunting, Alec got himself a deer and was packing it out. He had just crossed the last creek crossing before he'd get back to the truck. He turns to see his dog just setting there looking at him. He calls the dog and it just sets there. Alec is tried and dead set on not settling the deer down and going back for his dog. So he picks up a rock and throws it in front of the dog, to scare him into moving. The dog just sat there. Now he's really mad. He picks up another rock. This time he's going to hit the dog with it. Somewhere between picking it up and throwing it, he notices something different with this rock. He stopped, looked at it. It was a 4 ounce gold nugget! From that day on Alec carried that dog across any water crossing it didn't want to cross.
 
Well my boys are Fritz the Rottweiler and Bingo a Pit Bull. OK one night about 3:45
they start raising Cain! I thought coons in the trash so I fire them up and turn them out. I hear yelling for Help! Seem that 2 of the local meth heads wanted to clean out my tool shed? The boys ran them up a tree and they were scared! I was ANGRY to say the least! Momma called the Sheriff and I got the Farm Boss and told them I was cutting the tree and they could fight my dogs! They were crying and begging me not to.
While the Pit Bull was chewing the bark off the tree. In case they were armed I took my M-4 but didn't need it with those cowards? Sheriff came ..We had a laugh and he took them away in handcuffs...Never saw them again..?
Steal these guys..Good luck! ..My sign says "Stay in Car..Sound Horn"....
I like Aggressive dogs!.. I'm zoned A-1 these dogs wouldn't work in town....

I'll bet you could train at least one of those dogs to climb trees ……….
 
Many years ago I was I think 24 62 now I had a beautiful German Shepherd Trojan was his name he is buried on his favourite hunting paddock our or family farm , might add with our other babies yup I loved everyone of them dearly are all buried together
One year on going duck hunting I thought I would take my boy with me he was a very good hunter pigs deer ,Roos. could drop one totally on his own but never been duck hunting most of my mates laughed at my killer bird dog as they called him , he was a very large Shepard from good stock from Germany and the U.K.
Weighing in at 12. .4 stone , Well I can say very proudly I never had to walk for a bird he wasn't keen on the taste of the feathers but did like a cooked bird for his dinner
Strewth I still miss my boy , I've had a few other dogs mainly Australian Blue healers last one was a good hunter loved bringing down pigs got a new pup now only a year old getting there slowly lol love him just as much as all my other dogs my best mates,
 
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