Most of you guys know that I live pretty remote on an island in SE Alaska. What goes along with this lifestyle is subsistence living. I do my best to harvest as much as I can from the world around me.. salmon, trout, halibut, shrimp and crab, deer, bear, mushrooms, other wild plants and herbs…
2 years ago, my hunting partner dog nearly died on me, and after operation and lots of cash, she is recovered. At just about 10 years old, that operation and recovery cost her, and she developed some shoulder issues, and other things that can make field work hard for the old gal. She is now in semi retirement with my son in a not so demanding environment as a companion. Which left me without a canine partner.. so I got a puppy.
Meet Verka (aka puppy) she was about 8 weeks there, and full of promise. She is a Belgium Malinois. Not known for a great love of the water, but by breed, is a total go getter. I am pretty excited at her progress. At this point, most of the actual training (other then The basics) is done in the form of play games… lots of work playing Hide and seek in the deep woods, and gaining confidence in obstacles that you face in the thick bush of our Rain Forest. Lots and lots of stick work…
Hide and seek
Trail work… so she learns to stay close but scout ahead.
River and more river work.
Practicing send across and back…
Crossing in more current.
And water retrieve.
She coming along in her confidence and maturity. I am pretty excited and it also helped me stay active this past winter. I generally hole up way more in the winter, but not this year.
Hope some of you like this stuff… and my training games…
Marko