It’s almost impossible to grow up in the US and not have experienced the joy of owning or playing with a dog. I recall begging my parents for a dog and the excitement of coming home from the pound with “Sandy,” right until we learned she got car sick and vomit exploded all over the back seat of our station wagon that is. While my first dog ownership experience was warped due to my mother’s willingness to do most dog affiliated chores, I have learned as an adult, that many of these menial tasks are what lead to that deep bond.
My first labrador retriever joined our family the week after my wife and I returned from our honeymoon. Chori was from Lab Rescue and was excited to join our new family, even if our terrier-dachshund mix (Gus) was not thrilled with the change. She was a 60-lb chocolate lab that brought tremendous joy to our family for 10 years. She saw us welcome two children, graduate from medical school and residency and move two times. Two years ago she crossed the rainbow bridge but not before turning this family into lovers of labs, all the licks, all the hair and all the love.
Shortly after Chori’s passing, I was able to convince my wife that my hunting habits had advanced to the point of needing a special dog to go with me on these great adventures. I started researching various breeder’s in our general area and used social media as a source of references for people that were having good experiences. I eventually came across Barton Ramsey with Southern Oak Kennels (SOK) out of Okolona, MS and learned about the difference in British Labradors and American Labradors. They were also starting a new at home training program called Cornerstone Gundog Academy (CGA) that promised to give the unexperienced gundog owner (me) a step by step online video based tutorial on how to develop your handling skills and the dogs obedience and hunting skills.
After a brief discussion with the wife I put my deposit in on a puppy, but prior to this I had to answer quite a few questions. Any reputable breeder should try to match what you need with a particular breeding they have in process or one they are planning for the future. For us, it was important for our dog to have an “off switch.” We wanted a hunting dog in the field but a house dog when we came home. I was also interested in a smaller framed dog as I rarely hunt in the ice where a heavier dog can be nice to have.
The time came for our selected breeding of puppies to come home so I traveled to SOK to bring our little Luna home. Unfortunately, the season we brought Luna to her new family just so happened to be the worst outbreak of Parvo virus in years. Luna only stayed with us for a day before going to the vet where treatment eventually failed. Throughout this process, the folks at SOK were wonderful to work with on getting in on a new breeding and getting another puppy home.
On Labor Day weekend we welcomed Sage to our family and she was immediately welcomed by our kids and sort of welcomed by our 17 year old dog Gus. We spent the next 6 months together working through normal puppy challenges and starting to train for her future roll in the duck blind. In this phase, the Cornerstone Gundog Academy, was invaluable in getting her started down the right path. By the following February we bid her farewell and sent her back to SOK for 6 months of school. Although this route was expensive, I felt it was the best path to success with our busy lives at home and the added craziness of a pandemic.
About 1 month prior to our scheduled pick up time, Barton let us know that Sage’s mom was going to be retired to a good home. After another brief chat with the wife, we started to plan to bring 2 dogs home in August. At the end of summer we made a family road trip to Okolona and surprised the kids with a bonus dog, Madge. She has been a wonderful addition and remains an excellent example to Sage on how a gun dog should work.
I look forward to many new adventures with both dogs and this has been an amazing season to see so much hard work be put into action by these two. Madge has gone dove and duck hunting while Sage has made her first retrieve from a duck blind. My daughter has taken an interest in helping train them and I look forward to watching that bond grow for years to come. Dogs are the best.
Hunt 2 Travel 