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Odyssey's Blue Duck

Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 3:20 pm
by Neil
Blue Duck, a Boykin Spaniel, joined the family as a 6 week old pup in 1998 and left us this week. In the last 50 years having trained over 100 dogs, with a number of field trial winners, he remains the best pure hunting dog I have ever watched.

He was as tough as a pine knott, and he gave me his all. He was named after the villain in "Lonesome Dove" and he lived up to it. He whipped badgers, coons, skunks, armadillos, cats; killing them all. He ripped half the ear off my FC Azul, who out weighed him by 15 pounds, and was pretty tough in his own right.

If a wily cock bird tried to avoid him my doubling back, he took it personally, and went in with teeth barred, growling.

He flushed and retrieved to hand 1,000's of birds; pheasants, Huns, sharptail, grouse, quail, snipe, dove, woodcock, ducks, geese, and a few rabbits and squirrels just for fun.

We fought from the beginning, I won enough that he became a finished gun dog, handled marks and blinds. Steady to wing, shot and fall. would honor pointing dogs and other retrievers. But thought it all nonsense. He thought he knew his job better than I did, he lived to get birds in his mouth.

I miss him.

He sired over 50 litters, so he lives on.

Re: Odyssey's Blue Duck

Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 4:55 pm
by ezzy333
Sounds like my kind of dog. He is what the song says "he is what memories are made of." Never forget!

Ezzy

Re: Odyssey's Blue Duck

Posted: Thu Jun 20, 2013 4:56 pm
by SHORTFAT
Sorry for your loss Neil. Sounds like a once in a lifetime dog. Most of us will never own a dog like that, I'm sure. Cherish the memories and tell the stories.

Re: Odyssey's Blue Duck

Posted: Thu Jun 20, 2013 9:14 pm
by Neil
Thanks Guys, I am known for my field trial pointing dogs. But when it came to putting birds in the bag Blue Duck was the first out of the box. I once took him back where I knew we had dropped birds 3 hours before, he promptly retrieve two birds to hand, one over a hundered yards away, had no idea we had shot it.

He once retrieved 6 Huns, when we thought we only dropped three.

He was a special dog, with many flaws. Many asked why I put up with his rebelloues antics, but they did understand greatness comes with imperfection.

And he was imperfect. As I said it was a constant battle over who was in charge. I won my share, but in retrospect he may have been right.

It was at least 6 months passed his time to go, but he would not give up.

I have had dogs with 50 - 60 wins without a eulogy.

Re: Odyssey's Blue Duck

Posted: Fri Jun 21, 2013 3:49 am
by Sniper John
Condolences,
Sorry for your loss

Re: Odyssey's Blue Duck

Posted: Fri Jun 21, 2013 6:55 am
by Chukar12
He sounds like he would have been a good fellow to know Nicely worded tribute Neil I do hope the memories help with the loss.

Joe