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I think its time to do a steve coogan and tell the full story as it was, rather than be judged on pure fabrication and sensationalised highlights. This might effect some peoples view of the breed or myslef, it might effect some people fanatialy but i simply cannot do anything but tell the truth as it happened. why did i not do this sooner you might wonder? well to be honest the loss of the dog still effects me emotionally and i do stuggle to both admit that and also was brought up in such a way that i feel quite wrongly emotions are a sign of weakness. Perhaps i feel things were actually my fault But i cannot be doing with this whole fiasco so here it is. just over a year ago my GWP male dog "otto" was put to sleep following the events i am about to describe. He was a very large and muscular 47 kg dog of German and Danish lines, bred in scotland the sire is no longer around having met an accident at work and the bitch is too old to hold another litter. Only one other pup is known of and it has become quite a well known tracking dog. Mine was to be primarily a tool of stalking and foxing but the goal was one dog to do everything so for me that meant a little rough shooting, wildfowling and rabbiting - not something i will try again because too many contradictions arrise and you never have time to realy wed it to anything anyway what happened is as follows. during a lamping excursion i had a guest rifle who was unused to shooting foxes though an excelent and safe shot who i had previously guided in Scotland sucsessfully for three Roe in a day. Anyway the shot was taken fox dropped to a frontal chest shot and the dog was sent on to ensure all was over , awaiting our arrival. Anyway the guest now keen as mustard to inspect his first "lamped fox" goes charging in to be met by a very angry hound. I stopped the dog backed the guest off and let things cool down, which they soon did and the dog was soon back at heel carrying the vixen like nothing had occured. Neither myself or the guest took any delivery we just walked on till Otto got bored and after a few hundred yards dropped it and we walked on ( i did not want to push any possesion issues as simply there was no point i saw that the dog reacted in the heat of the moment and knew from previous had he not charged in the dog would have released it to me no issue). Anyway this was not a growl this was fangs beared come any closer and your dead stuff, 15 mins later a different dog! this was the first sign something was maybee up but i passed over it. Next incedent i had shot a rabbit, dog sent out to collect in to heel walking a little odd " stiff legged is the best description" and drops it at my feet. i kick the bunny back to the dog commanding "fetch it up" so as not to encourage what was an unusually poor delivery. dogs eyes go blood red (litrally the whites go red) and he throws a strop - i walk into him with a stern voice of rembuke and then walk away ignooring both the rabbit on the floor and the dog, he picks it up and delivers it like nothing happened. Now i am thinking something weird is happening here. i do a little research on possesion issues and come across "rage syndrome" also "springer spaniel range" apparently a form of epilepcy that gives physical and mental symtoms of stiff legged walks and these outbursts. Its especially common when the animal is exited by feed times etc. and is often taken to be food/ resource garding until it presents itself in other ways. Its on the net google it. Being only half convinced i admit. Anyway i have two kids so i elected for them to keep well clear of the dog, it being kenneled anyway. now for the third and final incedent. As i say there are many contradictions if you train a dog for so many different tasks. i have done similar previously with Lurchers. Lamping -dont put your nose down and no jumping were possible, ferreting use your nose, hares? jumping essential as rarely do things end in one field unless you live in Norfolk were the fields are far bigger than our moors littered with dry stone walls. anyway i digress i was getting him ready for the wildfowling having already been out dogless on low water gathering a few teal for cold retrieves it being some time from his limited first season gone. I am blessed with some great training ground at home with a variety of cover and open areas and i can and do put a lot of time into this, so hide a few duck get dog from kennel and send him out to pick each one. sending him into a duck hidden in the rush bed he winds it from the perimiter but seems to stuggle actually rooting through the thick rushes to pin point an pick it, it takes some time! Dog comes back to me duck in mouth i reach down to except the retrieve and dog tilts his head down and to the side as if possesing it just a little - then Bang! the dog is up feet on my upper chest jaws going for the throat (remember this is a dog that knows how to finish the game) I grab either side of his neck to stop this attack in its tracks and the dog manages a light strike on my left forarm and a heavy hold on my right. Jaws clamped down hard! I move forwards throwing the dogs balance and taking the fight to him unable to do little more than keep him off balance with a few kicks to the dogs lower regoin as added defence i get him maybee the 60yds to the kennel and litrally swing / sling him in, slamming the door. Now you note there is no gun and no marsh, the connection being the possesion of the teal that started this outburst or perhaps Petti mall type epileptic attack? "range syndrome". Bleeding quite proffusely from my right arm i go into the house to remove by coat and clothing and survey the damage. My right arm is a mess my wife helps me clean it up we say nothing to the kids, drop them at the Grans and i spend the night in hospital. checking the kennel was locked and bolted before we set off the dog is at the door wagging his tail like nothing had just occured . The discusion me and the wife then have is simple logistics. Two kids of 6 and 11 at the time, not a dog you could or should pass on ( i had actually turned down a good offer a short while ago)- not something you can "train your way out of" keeping the animal would be crazy. i am 15 stone with a 36" waist and 46" chest my wife is maybee 9st at best if it had happened to her i doubt she would still be here, the kids well lets not go there. the dog had to go. The deed was done the following day by arrangement. I have only ever put this dog and one other down and have had quite a few in my mid forties now i spent all my younger days with the Line of lurchers i have spoke of on here previous ending with the last that was put to sleep at 13 just prior to the birth of my eldest. Most unfortunatly met with accidents at work, my best ever hit by a train. i cried for ages after loosing kye before my daughters birth and though this might sound strange him too despite my collection of scars that he added to with a hum dinger on my right that is my only momentum. He had been a pain with sheep having spent his life around them and having the usual switch across the butt the first time he raised his eyes thier way as a puppy, later he decided in adolecence they were fair game and back on the quarry list totally out of the blue (we live on a sheep farm btw) he broke heel jumped fence and bayed one like a wounded deer, rollicing of hell he got and a walked him off thinking 2wont do that again" and off over back fence and blow me he pins one!. He was eventually cured of this by the 'lectric collar- did this contribute? This is why i suport thier use, was it something in his training? All those questions came into my head and still do i supose whatever the outcome the dog no longer exists and things are better that way but it dont stop the emotions even as i type this. So no mad fowler chasing a dog across the marsh with gun in hand coz it ran in, stole the pasty or other terrible wrong doing etc. I have consulted with two pro gundog guys. One i think to be the best HPR man in the country the other maybee the best trainer breeder and handler of our age, i am not going to name drop but both keep GWP's as thier own dogs both said they should do exactly the same and one suggested it being examined by the minsitry vets for brain tumour but he was and is laid to rest. Personally i couldnt ever face another