Time for Work!

Back when I was a baby, Daddy spent a lot of time teaching me how to retrieve things for him.  It wasn't hard for him to teach me because I love to run and go get things and bring them back to him.  It didn't take me long to figure out if I did that he'd throw it again and I could go get it for him.  It makes him so proud of me when I do that!

Last year I was still a young pup, but Daddy took me with him when he would leave really early in the morning with his gun.  He always packed a little bag with food and treats in it.  Sometimes we went to the bigger lake and took his boat.  Sometimes we would go to the place where I get to be a "Club Puppy" and run and run and swim in the lake.  The "Club Puppy" place is where Daddy trained with me.  But, when we went there early in the morning, when it was still dark, we weren't training.  We were taking me to work.  Daddy was going hunting.  I love hunting!  Dad takes his gun and he calls ducks in close to his toy ducks he has spread out all over the marsh.  I sit quietly and get a treat slipped to me every once in a while.  Then - BANG!  Daddy shoots a duck and tells me to get to work.  My job is to run out and pick up the duck and bring it back to Daddy.  It's a lot like training but way more fun.  He never throws it again, though.  Instead we just sit and wait for another duck to fly in. 


Then the weather got really, really cold and we didn't go hunting anymore.  Daddy said the season was over.  It got nice again and we did all sorts of fun things.  We went camping and hiking and on picnics.  I even got to go out in the boat while Mommy and Daddy went fishing.  One day I noticed the leaves were all turning pretty colors and falling off the trees. 


Then one day Daddy got up really early and packed a bag full of treats and food for him.  He picked up his gun and took me in the truck to the "Club Puppy" place.  It was time to work again!  That was last week.  The next day we went to my friend, Lucy's, house and took her and her Daddy to another place to hunt.  We sure had fun!  Lucy was jealous because she didn't get to go out the day before. 


This morning my Daddy got up really early again and off we went!  I hope we get to do this a lot - it sure is fun! 


Here's a picture of me last year when I was a baby.  Daddy got me a coat so I don't get cold.

                                       

Wet outside - Warm inside

I knew right off that today was not a day where Mom and Dad were going to stick us in our crates and leave for the day.  I knew it because when I jumped on the bed to snuggle before the radio comes on making Mommy get up, Daddy called Suzy to come up on the bed and snuggle, too.  That only happens on days when the radio isn't going to come on.  I let out a deep sigh and snuggled closer in to Mommy.  I couldn't help it, but my tail did a few little "thump thumps" and it made her giggle.  Mommy's arm came out of the covers and gave me a few pats.  The kind of pat that says,  "I love you." Thump thump went my tail again.


The next thing I know my belly is hungry and Mom is finally getting out of bed.  It is still dark, so at least breakfast wasn't too much later than normal.  Suzy and I go outside for morning border patrol.  It's raining and it's cold.  That means we don't have to search the entire perimeter; nothing is going to be out in this mess!  Breakfast is the same as always.  But hours later we get to have a few bites of the human breakfast.  Man!  They sure eat good!  Waffles, eggs, bacon.  Did I mention the bacon?!  The house has smelled soooo good ever since!  Of course dinner made it smell even better but that'll come later.


Kristi stopped by to take Mom away.  They weren't too far down the road when Daddy decided we'd go for a ride, too!  He grabbed our black "go away" backpack that our leashes are in and we dodged raindrops to the truck.  When we got back home the girls were already back, having cups of hot tea.  I was a little sad; Kristi didn't have Mollie or even Maggie with her.  I would have loved a little play date with my best friend and Suzy said she would have liked seeing Maggie. 


Mom decided that it was sort of chilly and we needed a fire.  A fire!  I love fires - they are so warm and cozy.  If I can just talk Kristi into getting out of my chair then I could curl up and have a good nap right next to that fire.  She leaves so I get the chair!  Mom goes to the kitchen to start their dinner.  Once again there are good smells coming out of that room.  This time it is fish.  They keep talking about how much fun it was catching that fish and how good it is.   Did Suzy or I get a taste of that fish?  Nope.  Not one bite.  At least I heard that there was more in the freezer.  Hopefully we'll get a taste next time.


Dark comes a lot earlier these days.  It's still rainy.  It's still cold.  But - Suzy and I are lucky dogs.  We are snug and warm with a roaring fire to keep it that way.  Being a retriever is a pretty good thing to be!