I have had several dogs as hunting companions, but this lab was my favorite. He was completely black, except for one toe that was white. At the time I was shooting almost entirely Black and White photos and it was very difficult to get a great photo of him. I just came across this photo and believe it was the best photo I had of him.

At the time I was Game Protector and worked a lot of waterfowl hunters. Much of the time I worked in plain clothes, carried a shotgun and of course had my trusty Lab Jet with me. He helped me out of a couple of confrontations with hunters that shot the wrong ducks, over bag, or shot early or late. I won't go into the detail of these stories at this time, but will say my black four-legged partner came through for me.

Who else had working dogs that really came through for you when the hammer was down, and what kind of dogs were they.



Garry-

I had a Lab mix that was my best dog he knew what I was going to do before I did it seemed like. Hoser was a heck of a dog for sure.

When I first lived in Dayton, I had a boxer mix named Kayla and a black lab/border collie/coyote mix named Maybe, that caught 2 guys coming in through the window on my porch. The dogs harried them for several blocks down the street.

Years later, someone pulled off several boards of my privacy, to get into my backyard, I put Maybe and 3 German shorthaired pointers on them, Chloe, Diamond and Emma, they didn't stick around either.

Keith

Hi Garry, Barron the first was my favorite, saw a husband wife argument out on the road, saw husband kick wife, told Barron to get in the truck, we went down there and I had Barron hold the husband against his car till the deputies got here. If the fellow had made a poor choice he would have had a lot of stitches.

We have lots of signage here, salesman, bible thumpers, lost folks, broke down autos, don't even get out of there cars or trucks. UPS, FED-X calls ahead. It doesn't get to the " hammer is down" stage. Keep 3 well trained German Shepherd Dogs. Just had a litter in Dec. all sold before birth. 2 will be working quality 3 will go as pets to farm family's

Thanks for the memories, he sits on my fireplace mantel with his collar he will go with me when I go. Thanks again for helping me remember him.
Case.

Had a blue heeler for 14 years that would track and recover wounded deer.

Tell us more about the blue heeler. I had a friend that used a wired haired dachshund for years, he was fantastic.

Beagles Forever! Have 10 buried in the back yard and 2 running around on top, Can't say I have only 1 favorite, they were all outstanding in their own ways.

I had a female english redtick coonhound years ago called Jessie

He is a cocker spaniel. His name is rocky. He is deaf and nearly blind. He is eleven years old. Still a good dog.

Not a hunting dog. But as far as a dog who would go to bat for me and my family and keep swinging until he won or died............

Crosby stopped my house from being robbed TWICE. Our kids were young. They were his LIFE. The vet once told me "You don't EVER have to worry about anybody running off with one of your kids". I told him I never did worry. So long as you belonged, Crosby was your best buddy. If you didn't...........the dog would swim Lake Erie to take you out. 135 pounds of pure, loyal heart or pure loyal (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) and lightning fast.

Even though vaxxed for Lyme.........kidney failure due to Lyme disease took him at 5 years old. RIP Crosby. You were a good boy !!!

Since you asked about the heeler, here goes. When she was a puppy I carried her in my arms to a ground box blind one day. Another hunter shot that morning and asked me to help find his buck. My puppy followed me to his location and while we were talking she found the injured buck. It jumped up and ran about 25 yards with the heeler hot on its heels and squeezing her heart out. The deer fell dead and the dog began blighting it in the hams. We drug the deer to his truck with the dog firmly latched to its rear. The dog probably weighed 15 pounds and was about 9 months old. From that day forward I always took her hunting. She learned to climb a ladder and slept at my feet while we hunted. Often I would put her in my lap so she could see doe deer. Whenever I shot I always let her find the dead deer for me, even if I could plainly see it. Pretty soon she found another lost buck for someone, then it was a routine for the rest of her life. She would have been priceless if she would have barked when she found a deer, but unless the deer was alive she didn’t bark. At night she would return to me in the woods, sort of like when Lassie would go find Jimmy, on the Lassie TV show. Then she would lead us to “her” deer. She always got some liver for supper and a foot to chew on. She died at age 14, two years ago. We’ll meet again someday I hope. Her name was Sidney and she was a rescue dog.

Every dog I've ever had was my "favorite" dog.

Shih tzu. She hated cats worse than god hates Mississippi.
She ran the neighbor's rat terrier (that used to bite my wife every day on her way to the car) all the way back across the street and through the hole in their fence.
She ran the neighbor's rottweiler out of her yard, back across the street and over their fence.
Otherwise she was the sweetest dog I've ever been around.