Dear John,
I thought maybe you would be interested in a little history after about 7 years we have had Pepper.
She has given me more enjoyment than any other dog I have had over 70 years. She is not just a good gun dog, (I have not been ashamed of her in any hunting situation) but she is always enthusiastic, very attentive, easy to live with and just great in the house or traveling.
The day she arrived was very hot. Upon getting home from the airport we went for a swim in the river in front of our house. She toddled to the river with our Golden retriever and without hesitation went right in and tried to swim to us. She has loved it since except when there is ice in the river.
I took Pepper everywhere with me, car, work, boat, etc. for the first 18 months. We became very good pals.
She has had no formal/professional training. At about 14 months I just let her chase some quail a couple of times, then shot a couple over her which she instinctually retrieved. At this point she did know what “whoa” meant as we started that at 6 weeks. A couple more outings and I made her “whoa” when she got “birdy” and then she held point very well.
At this point I started working her first with 2 professionally trained Brits and then 2 professionally trained Irish setters. These dogs made her very aggressive in the field. The Brits were used to working together and she had to work to get the points and often fight for the retrieve. The setters were very fast, had excellent noses and were hunted weekly. She would just stay within 100′ to 300′ and pick up birds the setter over ran.
By two and one-half years we would go here and there with friends and work over our dogs. She would amaze both guns and guides alike as her size at first impression was a joke. A 23 pound dog with a very big cripple pheasant coming back a 1/2 miles and 20 minutes later is quite impressive.
Oddly as a puppy and even now she will not retrieve a bumper or a ball. However if she is hunting she will retrieve anything anywhere even in the water. I have waited a half an hour when she has been after a cripple. Very rarely does she return without it.
I have only used 2 commands “whoa” and “here.” We do have an electric collar. We use the noise locator mostly but no more than 10 times used the shock part of the collar. She does understand hand signals, such as “over” and “hunt back.”
Her ability in and out of the house to communicate with you is impressive.
John, please pencil in for spring 2011 a female with enough white to locate her easily! You pick the right one! This dog will probably be my last one as in 10 years I will be over 85.
The size of these dogs is a big asset in the house and traveling. It is not negative in the field for hunting on foot. It is quite comical in a field situation with big dogs and people not familiar with the breed.
Phil and Jeannette Parish
(Galena, MD)
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