Some Simple Pleasures...

Codger_64

Codger_64

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I don't often enough take the time to enjoy simple pleasures, but this week is a week of recovery for me and my physical activities are necissarily limited. So in between naps and taking my required medications, I have spent some time on the front porch enjoying the scents of my hanging baskets of flowers and the honeysuckle blooming at the edge of the yard. Of course Jake, my Llewelyn Setter has been with me, keeping me company and entertaining me with his puppy antics.

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Llewelyns, if you don't know, are highly bred English setters bred in England (Mr. Edward Laverack and then Mr. Richard Purcell Llewellin, Esq..) and Scotland of two very specific strains (Bondhu and Bomber). The resultant strain is very birdy and yet very person oriented, "bidable", i.e. willing to do their master's bidding. Still very much a pup at just under a year old, Jake has learned basic voice and hand commands, will sit, lie, stay and shake with either cue. He knows common words like come, go, in, out and kennel. And toy, ball. And knows the difference between "toy" and "Jake's Toy".

So today, sitting in my wicker chair and enjoying the sights and smells after a week's confinement, Jake decided to go "hunting". Since there are no quail in my yard and most of the songbirds give him wide birth, he chased butterflies. I felt like a fool sitting there grinning at his antics. Yes, he perfectly pointed them. Then flushed on command. I wonder what they taste like? Jake knows.

[video=youtube;J3ibPsnF7yw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3ibPsnF7yw&feature=fvwrel[/video]

Life is good. :)
 
suspension of control

watching the world
without intervening
is relaxation
with a deeper meaning
 
Mongo said:
Jake is gorgeous... we need more pics of him please!
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Later this week maybe. He is just now getting his full feathers, though the tail is still less plumed than it will be later this year. I don't have any really good pictures of him at the moment. I'll have my daughter take some when she comes over this week.

He has an appointment on Monday for an operation of his own. He was born with a slight umbilical hernia and it has suddenly enlarged to the point of needing surgical attention. The vet, of course, keeps prodding me to have him castrated, but I am loath to do so, as he is double registered as AKC English Setter and FDSB Llewellin Setter (that takes a DNA sample to prove lineage to the Bondhu bloodlines). He is also an inside service animal, so never free ranging.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
suspension of control

watching the world
without intervening
is relaxation
with a deeper meaning
Click to expand...

After all of these years, I am finally getting the meaning behind one of John Lennon's songs. Strange how youth is wasted on the young.
 
Not wasted. Got to run while you still have legs. Then you have memories to regret when you get old. Let it be. :D
 
I would NOT have him neutered. This is your other DVM giving you advice...
 
Mongo said:
I would NOT have him neutered. This is your other DVM giving you advice...
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As you see, this is my leaning as well. I do understand the current push from all of the DVMs, rescues, etc. to slash every dog they come across, shameful problem that irresponsible owners are causing. Of course we all think that our children are exceptional, but Jake is, as mentioned, a service dog in training. He will never be used as grist in a puppy mill. His breed is non-aggressive and not prone to wandering. I would not want to inhibit his natural maturation by having him neutered for no good reason. He is either inside my house or in his outside kennel or with me riding around town 24/7, never unsupervised.

And, more than a pet or companion, he is learning to hear for me. Now that will expand to medical alert. He will learn to bring me my O2 and my inhaler when he sees me in distress. He already knows when it is happening before I do, he just doesn't know what to do about it yet other than nibble my arm ("fleaing") for attention, knowing I don't respond to his barks.
 
When one has had to deal with life threatening health issues the smaller things in life become important and we rediscover these. I wish I could have rediscovered the small things when I was much younger as life would have been much friendlier and less serious. Despite the pains of aging, getting older is a time of rediscovery of ourselves from within.
 
Glad you're taking time for yourself to contemplate and enjoy the finer things in life.
 
I'm glad you're in good spirits, and having the opportunity to relax.

You're so right about the honeysuckle. I'm in eastern Oklahoma tonight and smelled the honeysuckle on the drive in. Really brought back some memories. One of the few things I miss about out east.
 
Mmmm.. yes, the smells, scents on the breeze. I grew up on a farm and my Mother and Grandmother loved their flowers. So many memories of my youth are tied to those scents like honeysuckle. I remember Papa Oates teaching me how to extract the tiny dewdrop of necter from a honeysuckle blossum. Cascades of wisteria along the fence around our yard at times gave off a cloying scent that drowned out even the dust from the dirt road in front of the house. And a progression of flowers from early spring through late fall filled the beds that hid the foundation stones. I don't have nearly their green thumbs, but my neighbors here often comment on how nice the old house looks with my plantings.

Yes, I am rediscovering a lot of things that I once knew were important. And learning which interests I can no longer follow. Training this pup is one joy I had forgotten. It has been many years since I trained bloodhounds, but even then, their training and bonding paled in comparison to what I am attempting now. With the SAR dogs, their tasks were very one-dimensional. This training goes far, far beyond socialization and "tricks". And as any teacher can tell you, having a bright, eager student makes all the difference in the world. And challenges the teacher as well as the student, sometimes to the teacher's dismay as often as delight. I am already regretting teaching him to open various containers and to pick up an carry things that most dogs won't. Relieving himself on command is a good thing though. As is joyfully taking a bath. His favorite thing.
 
I can't think of anything that brings a person more joy than the faithful companionship of a beloved dog. That unconditional love just can't be beat. Then throw in some of that honeysuckle and you're all set!

I happen to have a huge honeysuckle bush right outside my front door. It is just going crazy with the blossoms. It is also right next to my evaporative cooler, which I have started running. The evap cooler picks up the scent of the honeysuckle and it blows a soft and diluted fragrance - very subtle.

Jack is a fine young pup. Obviously he is very intelligent. I've never spent any time around a setter, so I'm not very familiar with their breed characteristics. All I have are 5 flopsy-mopsy Lhasa Apso dust mops running around my yard and kitchen.

TJ
 
Mongo said:
I would NOT have him neutered. This is your other DVM giving you advice...
Click to expand...

Mongo, is there a specific reason why you think Jake should not be neutered? Codger didn't mention any plans to use him for a stud down the road.

I don't know much about dog breeding and maturation, except that the breeders for my last two munchkins specifically requested that I not spay/neuter until each had reached 1 year of age - something about growth plates. So I honored their request and waited. I didn't wait long after 1 year, however! I spay/neuter all of my dogs/cats for the simple reason that I am not a breeder, and I have no desire to show my dogs in conformation, although I did show Sophie at the National Specialty and she took 3rd place in her class. She was spayed a month later and the breeders at the National were appalled that I would do so. But she was purchased to be a pet, not a show dog.

Isn't there something about neutering a male that reduces the chances of testicular or anal cancer?

I agree with Codger - there are too many irresponsible people who are either allowing their dogs to breed, or are letting them run wild and they are breeding indiscriminately. No wonder our dog shelters are overflowing. Codger has a service dog and will ensure that Jake isn't out propagating the world with little mixed Llewelyn Setter puppies!

I just go bonkers when a male tells me that he will NOT neuter his dog because he doesn't want to take away his pleasures. Oh, give me a friggin' break! The guy is just thinking about his own cajones, not the dogs. Besides, when there is a bitch in season, I have seen my own neutered males mounting them and getting tied. Their erections are no different than an intact dog's would be. He just wouldn't have any family jewels to display.

Or, you have a pet owner who believes, as Codger said, that their dog is the best in the entire world. And he/she is so wonderful, that they want to breed him/her with their cousin's really cute dog because they would make wonderful puppies. Yeah? And where are all of these puppies going to live? Do you already have homes lined up for them? Heck, no. They will be standing in front of WalMart with all of the puppies in a basket, trying to give them away. Yep, irresponsible dog owners.

I don't want the legislators to control or mandate spaying and neutering, because they can't seem to write their propositions correctly. I wish there was a way to convince people to spay/neuter if they are just going to have the dog for a family pet. If the dog isn't doing agility, conformation, field trials, service dog, etc., the dog isn't going to miss out on anything.

Codger, I love your plans for Jake. I hope to see more pictures of him as he matures (in a couple of years!). How wonderful that you were able to get him.
 
Jake came thru his operation just fine today, though he is still somewhat subdued and dopey. The hernia was as I had hoped, just fat extruded through the umbilicle, not blood vessels and intestine. And the DMV charged me less than I had expected and made no further mention of neutering him.

Judy, I spent quite a bit of time and effort researching and finding Jake. I spoke to breeders all over the MidSouth before traveling to Kentucky to buy him from Hidden Creek Kennels. I have to say that I do not regret my choice of breed or the expense involved. Most particularly since I had originally considered taking a rescue instead of a young pup with no training. The particular breed I knew from my original Jake owned back in the late 1970's. I've had many other breeds over the years, but none compared to the Llewellin setter in intellegence and willingness to please.

Whether it is a feature of the breed or not, Jake was also pretty easy to housebreak as was his predecessor. Kennel training him (wire indoor kennel) was easier than I had ever imagined it would be. He considers it "his safe place" and willingly goes in when I say "in" or just point to it. He knows his bedtime... 8:30 - 9:00 P.M. and retires to his blanket and toys without a fuss, plays quietly until he fall asleep. Likewise he knows when it is time to get up but won't let out a peep until it is time, and expects his routine "out", goes to the door and sits patiently until I come with his leash. He also knows which rooms are off-limits and doesn't push his boundries. Compared to some of the dogs I have had over the years, his civility is surprising for one so young, IMHO.

As to neutering, Jake may one day be a sire furthering his breed. And maybe not. But as long as I control him responsibly, I see no need to alter his hormonal balance, or to remove him from his breed's gene pool. The breed is not what I would call rare, but the pure strain is uncommon, mostly owned by moneyed sportsmen who continue to breed them in limited numbers to perpetuate and improve the breed, and to engage in nationwide field trials. The more common English Setter (like Irish and Gordon Setters) do some field trial work, but are mosly bred as pets and show dogs. I am not aware of any other Llewellins being used as service dogs, so maybe Jake and I are pioneers in that regard. However it is not uncommon for Llewellin breeders to raise their select pups in the home instead of in a remote kennel, building a special bond with them. So I guess I am just taking that one or two steps further.

I am back at work now.. doing easier work than usual as I am still recovering. Hopefully I will finish early enough tomorrow that if we both feel up to it, Jake and I can go for a liesurely ride in the '63 Codgermobile, another simple pleasure and Jake's favorite thing to do.

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Jake and I decided to beat the heat today by going for a ride in the Falcon. All four windows down, wind wings flared and both floor vents wide open, it wasn't too hot even with the 93 degree weather and full sun. So far, even with the windows down, he doesn't hang his head out the window into the air stream, a big no-no for car-borne dogs because of the danger of eye damage.

We crossed the Tennessee river to the next county and went for a swim in the Buffalo River at Linden. It was Jake's first introduction to water bigger than a bathtub. He was hesitant at first to step into the water. But once he did, and played for a bit in the shallow still eddys, he took to the riffles and fast flowing shoals like a duck. Not bad for a non-waterdog. He swam, hopped and dove nonstop (yes, he dives just like in the tub) from the time he got comfortable until we left hours later, a perpetual motion machine.

We stopped at Sonic on the way home for a treat. A #2 burger combo for me and a small share of my french fries for him, his favorite thing. He is crashed out in the floor at my feet now, one tired pup. It was a good way to spend a hot, lazy June Sunday afternoon.

For our next trick, as soon as I rig a rack for the roof of the Falcon, we'll be hitting the river in my Old Town canoe. I'll see how well he can behave afloat. I did buy him a Guardian Gear PFD, but he didn't need to wear it today. He played on his 20' teather. The canoe will be a true test of his willingness to obey "sit-stay" with almost seventeen feet of length to roam, including the lap of yours truely..
 
Glad to hear things are progressing so well with Jake. I might need to send my two lab mixes to you for training!
 
WA Martin said:
Glad to hear things are progressing so well with Jake. I might need to send my two lab mixes to you for training!
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Lol! I'm not quite ready to make dog training a hom business! We are working on a few of the more difficult tasks now, like "take, hold"... getting him to accept things in his mouth and hold them, even if it is uncomfortable and not something he has interest in.

I tried a variety of harnesses on him in the past, but he ate them. My bad for not limiting the time in harness more. He paraded around the groomer salon in his new life jacket the other day, so maybe he will be OK with it when needed. I am ready to order up his service dog vest now since he is nearly full size. For what they cost, I would hate to see one shredded.

I am taking him into public more also, aclimating him to stores and lots of strangers around him. So far, we are only tackling stores where I know the owners and if he breaks something (good luck/behavior so far), it is not a big deal. He is a happy dog and wags his tail non.stop, so the possibility exists for him to clean off a low shelf of glassware.
 
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