Maiden voyage

[setterguy]

Man, I feel like that 12 year old in the hallway awaiting my prearranged first kiss.

Tomorrow will be my one year old dog Stanley's first trip into the grouse woods. After centuries of breeding, hours of training, and teaching and running it all comes down to this. I'm not expecting much, simply hoping for some bird contact. Pointed or not its the only way to make a grouse dog.

As Stanley lays by my feet at this moment, future possible memories are flooding my head. Ah, to have a brand new hunting dog.

Good luck to all you and your dogs that are on your maiden voyage.

[MuleShack]

Good luck to you and Stanley.

Have fun.

[LABS4ME]

It's great having that 'new car smell', but even better once you break her in and have a few miles on the tread!

Have a fantstic trip! Go gettum' Stanley!

Good Luck!

Ken

[TylerS]

Good luck! I'll be bringing my 16-month-old GWP out for his second fall of hunting, with much higher expectations! Can't wait to get him on birds again, as I'm sure you're pretty jacked for your own pooch. Good luck and SAFE shooting! I don't want to hear any sad reports from anyone this fall on accidents with their best buddy (or worse)!

[magicstix]

Good Luck to you and Stanley!!! Shared with the wife it was Stanleys first hunt today. She was pretty excited too couldn't believe a year had gone by already.

We haven't gotten another dog yet but are about 90% sure we're going the same route you did.

Any current pictures of what he looks like now?

[setterguy]

SUCCESS!!

Stanley outperformed every expectation I had for him today. Stanley hunted for every minute he was on the ground, which for a dog his age is really half the battle. To actually be out there looking for something rather than just taking a run in the woods makes all the difference.

He was in the pocket all day (for the most part), stayed in the woods and except for two lapses in his judgement, handled like a dream. While no grouse were pointed he did stop to flush on the two birds we did find which is also a really good sign with a dog this age.

All in all I couldn't be happier with his morning. Of course a pointed limit and grouse tacos tonight would have been wonderful, I will take what I got this moring 10 out of 10 times. I only anticipate him figuring it out a little more every trip out. Just hope there are more birds to find. Thanks for all the kind words and encouragement.

magicstix - Sadly nothing recent. I'll try to get a good shot tomorrow and post it up. He has turned into a real nice athlectic dog.

[Ben_Berg]

I am happy to hear that Stanley is doing well. I think the way Stanley is built he should have great endurance. I would like to hear how he holds up.

I am sure he will get some Grouse pointed for you,but I think it will involve some shoe leather being sacraficed.Please let me how he is doing. If you have the time come up and train with me.I have a lot of birds and training conditions are improving greatly from summer.

Ben Berg

[MuleShack]

Setter, post up a picture of Stanley. I just remember seeing your puppy picture when you got him.