Banzai used to hunt like this . It was spectacular to watch .. the voles did not appreciate his artistry however.

 

Looks like the new Christmas bed is a success!

 

Don't know if any of you guys watch Paul O'Grady 'For the love of dogs'
Watched the Christmas episode yesterday and he really does seem to have a genuine love for the dogs, certainly got to my heart strings.
Probably UK only I suspect,
https://www.itv.com/hub/paul-ogrady-for-the-love-of-dogs-at-christmas/2a1672a0065

 

The old boy today on another road trip, he certainly seems to enjoy motoring rather than walking.

 

Meet Oreo everyone

 

It's not all about cats and dogs

 

For sure - we have had many different types of animals as pets, including freshwater fish...the others we have had from memory are:

Brown mouse, miniature Holland lop rabbit, white Gerbils, Netherland Dwarf rabbit, brown hooded rat, Goffins cockatoo, Lhasa Apso, canary, and of course Raven and Remi – Whippets...

 

Cat food!

 

Unfortunately my old pal is not able for any long walks at the moment so only the wee lad accompanies me.
Today we were making use of some lovely walks that the local farmer thoughtfully provided

 

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. She was born in the jungle in Paraguay among the Aché Indians, who gave her to my sister-in-law as a present. She adapted easily to North American fauna, and proved her hunting skills had not wavered by taking down rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, rats, and other rodents. She tried three times with porcupines. She proved the great maxim that you can take a dog out of the jungle, but you can't take the jungle out of the dog.

In the Adirondacks:



Eyeing three squirrels, New Buffalo, Michigan:




With Mrs. Muddlerminnow, New York:




Fishing on the Big Blackfoot, Montana:




Lounging at home in Chicago:

 

I understand ... we love all of our dogs, but there is one who is the most special. Did Kunya catch fish? I have seen many dogs that try, but only two dogs who were proficient at it.

 

Dan, good question. The answer is: no, or at least not that I saw. When we were out on the water together, she would however point rising fish. Here's a picture of her doing that on the West Branch of the Ausable in Wilmington, NY, on the Fox Farm stretch:



The NY Times recently had a very good article about wolves catching spawning suckers in Minnesota, with some night-vision video to back it up:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/14/science/wolves-fish.html

I'm curious about the dogs you knew that caught fish--what kind of dogs, and what kind of fish? It's not easy, for sure!--

 

@Muddlerminnow She might have been more successful in a pond, that's where I have seen dogs catch small fish, like bluegill. There's a spring-fed pond in some open space where I often take my dogs and all the dogs will splash around in it or fetch tennis balls when it's warm out. There are always some dogs hunting for fish in the clear shallow water. Most will stand and watch and try to bite at the fish, without success. Over the years there have been a couple of dogs that could catch fish on a regular basis. They were both fairly large mixed-breed dogs.

 

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.

 

This thread has brought back fond memories of fishing the Ausable River with my dad as a kid; hot summer days and cold beers, and diving off Split Rock Falls on the Bouquet River in New Russia; and climbing the High Peaks with friends and a pair of black and yellow labs. I was actually online looking for an Adirondack rental for next summer just prior to reading this thread. Thanks for the memories!

 

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.

 

I used to fish the Ausable with my dad every spring as a kid....spent a significant portion of each summer during my teenage years hiking/camping in the High Peaks....I get up that way for bit each year either in the summer or in the winter to ski Whiteface. The labs didn't belong to me, but a Forty-Sixer friend I used to climb/hike with. I have found great rentals up that way over the years using both Adirondack by Owner and VRBO, and would recommend both to any OF member looking to discover or rediscover the Adirondacks....truly a treasure. We do have two rescue dogs we would like to take with us next summer who enjoy hiking as much as my wife and I. Thanks for the heads up on the rangers enforcing the leash rules....sad in a way, as it takes away from the sense of "freedom" of being in the great out-of-doors. Cheers!

 

Soooooooo, at the end of an emotionally hectic year, as summarised here https://omegaforums.net/threads/year-end-cartharsis.87064/
We're all pretty exhausted.


So, looking forward to a peaceful and calm new year.
Well, that was the plan , meet Frank.

 

The wee boy will not go to bed at night without his toy