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This is Kunya. She died a few years ago--we've had two more dogs since her--but she remains the one closest to my heart, and the best fishing buddy I ever had.
Did Kunya catch fish? I have seen many dogs that try, but only two dogs who were proficient at it.
Dan, yes--ponds are good places, and what you say makes complete sense. Kunya would hunt in shallow water on the Ausable, but not for fish--for frogs and crayfish, and she caught both regularly. Here's a picture of her probing the riverbank shallows:
Another thing about her that was special is how, when we were out on the river, she'd indicate to me things she could hear, and which I couldn't hear (which wasn't hard to do, as I am totally deaf), and things she could smell (which I couldn't smell). Several times she alerted me to the fact there was a moose VERY close by--this was in Maine--and which probably deserves its own post.
What's nice about pets of various kinds is how our time with them becomes imbricated time--and long after they are gone, that time stays with us.
I was actually online looking for an Adirondack rental for next summer just prior to reading this thread.
By all means go!--Adirondack by Owner (https://www.adkbyowner.com/search/Vacation-Rentals.html) has some good rentals. The challenge, as everyone posting in this thread knows, is finding rentals amenable to pets--assuming you still have a lab? I don't know how many years it's been since you were last there, but inside the High Peaks borders the rangers are nowadays a bit strict with the dogs-on-a-leash rule--which can be very tricky for some of the steeper climbs. There's less pressure in some of the outlying areas like Giant Mountain, or Whiteface.