A Beautiful and Amazing Talent

It's been a long haul to recovery and it's still on going, but Lani has come a long way since starting treatment. Lani was diagnosed with Lyme disease two years ago but the Michigan vet who did the testing never followed up with the positive result. We retested this Spring and he was still positive for Lyme disease and also for Rocky Mountain spotted fever. This explained much of Lani's quirky behavior the past two years and while he struggled in foster care.

Post treatment (eight weeks on doxycycline), Lani is a happier more loving, settled dog. His health is great and his behavior is much improved. His natural instinct to hunt and point has also returned and rewarded by his first Hunt test pass.We, at IBR are so proud of him.

Until you participate in a hunt test or field trial or hunt on your own, you really can't appreciate what these dogs have in their blood. Their natural instinct is un-canning. Down right beautiful.

I've seen my own dogs point squirrels :o) and the beauty in their statuesque pose. I marvel that they get "to the point" with no formal training. But to see a dog, fulfill to the fullest, his/her heritage is breathtaking. Honest.

I never gave it much thought before. To me, a hunting dog was a hunting dog, no big deal. I never saw a dog do what he/she was suppose to do in the field. Watching it on TV, which I haven't done, wouldn't be the same. It didn't mean anything to me. Now, I have a real appreciation for their talents and respect what they do. Until you can experience it or see it happening in front of you, you'll never really know.

I love my non-hunting dogs and it doesn't matter to me that they don't hunt. They are complete in my heart for who they are. I love them no less. But I have a new respect those that have the talent to hunt.

Here is a slideshow pictures of Casey, Trudy, Lani and Buckwheat and the judges out in the field.

Gotta Love the Dog Parks

I had a BLAST!!! A pack (10 total) of us went to the dog park Sunday and man was it fun. We ran for 2-1/2 hours nonstop. It felt great to run the open fields and through the woods.
To cool off we did find a mud pond of sorts. Don't you think it highlights our whites? Needless to say, the humans weren't to thrilled with us. Especially since we still had to get back in the vehicles like this.
I was voted the best mud coverage from the rest of the gang!