let's go back about ten and a half years ago. I was in the market for a dog geared more towards upland hunting. I decided to focus on a English setter. I found someone locally who had a litter and took one home. I remember fondly when i first seen her, all white except a face with a large black patch around her right eye and a hint of a olive colored eyebrow and olive stripe under the black patch and her left ear was black. so after surveying the rest of the litter and at the risk of sounding gay, I said, " she's adorable. i'll take that one!" she soon became a easy companion. up for anything... coulden't leave the house without her.
It was obvious right from the start her fascination, obsession with winged creatures. she spent all the time I allowed her outside patrolling and sight pointing sparrows and robins in the yard. of course she blossomed into a hunting machine. her and I and friends ran ourselves into the ground hunting in the fall.
she had became a pleasure to have in the house and the yard. with her being so "easy" . When I met the love of my life and she moved in. the dog wasn't happy. she chewed one of her shoes, got in the garbage, and chewed up half a pack of cigarettes to signal her disapproval. soon though they became buddies except for the constant battles for space on the couch. she constantly got attention from neighbors and kids in the neighborhood, she had a best friend dog next door. she didn't have a mean bone in her body. she had some favorite girls at the end of the street that would bring her treats as they walked up the sidewalk. and a three year old girl next door who had heard me call her dum-dum once or twice ( I meant it in a nice way ). and still today refers to her as "dum-dum".
about a year and a half ago she had her first surgery to remove a mammary tumor and about four months later another surgery. life went on.her age and my work seemed to be taxing on both of us and we didn't hunt nearly as much in the last few years as we used to. about that time I pretty much considered her retired. last Tuesday I woke up to her sleeping on the couch as usual but noticed a large amount of blood, the vet examined her and said a large tumor had formed near her lady parts and there wasn't anything they could do. my wife and I decided to let her get out while she was ahead, just the day before she was wagging her tail in the yard as I pulled into the driveway and ran back and forth through the house like a maniac as I was mixing up her "fancy food" ( a half can of alpo and two cups of purina , it must be really good ). and jumped in bed with us for her usual twenty minutes and realizing there wasn't enough room would retire to the couch. so I see a silver lining in all this, she was mobile and happy then took a nap. I think my wife puts it best when she says the worst thing about a dog is...you get one and then about twelve years later they tear your heart apart. p.s. unless you are positive you are gonna breed your female dog, have her spayed.
It was obvious right from the start her fascination, obsession with winged creatures. she spent all the time I allowed her outside patrolling and sight pointing sparrows and robins in the yard. of course she blossomed into a hunting machine. her and I and friends ran ourselves into the ground hunting in the fall.
she had became a pleasure to have in the house and the yard. with her being so "easy" . When I met the love of my life and she moved in. the dog wasn't happy. she chewed one of her shoes, got in the garbage, and chewed up half a pack of cigarettes to signal her disapproval. soon though they became buddies except for the constant battles for space on the couch. she constantly got attention from neighbors and kids in the neighborhood, she had a best friend dog next door. she didn't have a mean bone in her body. she had some favorite girls at the end of the street that would bring her treats as they walked up the sidewalk. and a three year old girl next door who had heard me call her dum-dum once or twice ( I meant it in a nice way ). and still today refers to her as "dum-dum".
about a year and a half ago she had her first surgery to remove a mammary tumor and about four months later another surgery. life went on.her age and my work seemed to be taxing on both of us and we didn't hunt nearly as much in the last few years as we used to. about that time I pretty much considered her retired. last Tuesday I woke up to her sleeping on the couch as usual but noticed a large amount of blood, the vet examined her and said a large tumor had formed near her lady parts and there wasn't anything they could do. my wife and I decided to let her get out while she was ahead, just the day before she was wagging her tail in the yard as I pulled into the driveway and ran back and forth through the house like a maniac as I was mixing up her "fancy food" ( a half can of alpo and two cups of purina , it must be really good ). and jumped in bed with us for her usual twenty minutes and realizing there wasn't enough room would retire to the couch. so I see a silver lining in all this, she was mobile and happy then took a nap. I think my wife puts it best when she says the worst thing about a dog is...you get one and then about twelve years later they tear your heart apart. p.s. unless you are positive you are gonna breed your female dog, have her spayed.
