NDR - An afternoon with Navesink River Hunting Retirever Club

[Anthony A]

I had the opportunity to help out a bit at Colliers Mills WMA at a hunt test for retrievers. Boy did I have fun! Boy was it cold! Good thing I was having fun!

The folks from the Navesink River Hunting Retirever Club made me feel welcome and appreciated the little help I could offer (throwing birds, using a duck call, and firing a starter pistol). What a nice bunch of people and what nice dogs! Although I do not yet have a dog of my own, I have read that it's a good idea to volunteer at a club to get acquainted with the world of training retrievers.

I'm so pumped now, I can't wait to get a dog! I will have to wait a few more years, though, until my wife's cats pass on. She's afraid they'll never show themselves ever again if we get a puppy.

I'll likely go back to volunteer again, just not sure when.

I look forward to the next step in my evolution as a hunter...

Anyone else have experiences with retriever training clubs that they would like to share?

Anthony

 

[Kevin Weir]

Good step forward Anthony. you'll gain lots of experience and teaching from doing just that. I don't think you'd have any problem with the cats though. A pup is real easy to get along with. May take a day or two but they'll realize it isn't a threat. Good luck

 

[Lou Tisch]

Anthony,
The great thing to remember is that cats are wonderful...they taste like chicken.
Your new dog will love 'em. Kibbles & McNuggets.
Lou

 

[Eddie Kershaw]

Lou
Our cat tried to feed out of Megs bowl when she was feeding, the cat ended up with her head in Megs mouth, as meg was,nt having any of it,
the cat never tried it again HeHeHe.
take care and God Bless
Eddie.
Its all about Building that Bond.

 

[Tom Scholberg]

Anthony,
After getting lucky with my first couple labs I joined a retriever club and am having a blast. Get your wife to go along to a training sesion and see what these dogs can do. My wife is about to retire and I intend to drag her and her lab along to see what it is all about. We obedience trained our first couple dogs and were having a great time until the AKC in their infinent wisdom wouldn't let her dog compete because horror of horrors he wasn't blue blood. I think she may train even thogh she doesn't and doesn't want to hunt. Let the dog do what they are bred to do. I wouldn't worry about the cats, the clock is ticking and we only can have so many dogs. The very best of luck to you. Another angle is to hand her a puppy and see what happens. Puppies are Gods way of telling us it is all right.

 

[DeWayne Knight]

I got into the HRC game last spring, and I really enjoyed it; so much so that I am now planning to run several tests this spring to finish out my dog's HR and then HRCH titles. I told my wife it is so he can become a canine gigalo and I can be his pimp...lol. On a serious note though it is a great group of people, and it is fun and a challenge to run your dog against a standard. As for the cats, don't worry. You bring a young pup home their size and they'll bond before you know it. We had an 11 y.o. inside cat when my pup Kane came home, and they almost instantly became buddies.