| Tribute to a man and his dog.
Hey guys,
Sorry I have not been around much. We are crazy here at work, and I just have not had time to get on and post, I have however been reading just to keep up. Ok point of this post. Mr freind who is also my trainer lost his dog a couple weeks ago. She was only 18 months old but her impact on his life was tremendous in such a short amount of time. To me it seemed I am sorry was not enough so I put this together for him as my tribute to her. I hope you enjoy it.
MAIN CREEK'S RAMBLIN GAUGE
RAMSEY
Ramsey was born on a hot July day in Southern, Wisconsin. Little did this liver roan, patched, & ticked pup know but she would be destined for greatness. Her two owners resided some 500 miles apart, so her true master, trainer, and playmate would be John Koening. "Doodle" as John called her was treated like one of the family from the start.
Spoiled? You bet she was. She wanted for nothing. But in return, she always gave it her all. Whether it was pointing birds just outside the bird pens or it was at a major bird dog championship, Doodle gave it everything she had all the time. John and Doodle spent countless of hours together. On really bad weather days, Doodle could often be found on John's lap. If she wasn't there, she was stretched out on the couch in the K&L Kennel Club house just a few feet away from her master.
Doodle was a natural. She took to pointing birds, like fish take to water. She was a tenacious small framed girl that would rather hunt than eat. When she was young she pointed birds on three legs. Nothing unique about that you say? It is if the front leg she would hold up was not curled up in a tuck position. But rather her front left paw was literally extending forward as if she was pointing at the bird with her fore finger and telling John, "Hey the birds right there."
Some great dogs are made and some are just natural bird finding machines. Doodle was such a natural it was remarkable. She ran like no other. Effortless in motion, but covering ground like a startled whitetail. Leaping about, often jumping over tall cover with the grace of a carefree butterfly.
Speaking of whitetails... one time during a BDC/UFTA event on her home farm, Doodle went on point just as the judge said, "Look at the deer." The three deer nearly ran Doodle over, with the last deer pausing just feet away from a now howling German short hair. Ramsey was howling at the deer as if to say, "can't you see I'm in the middle of winning another event, now get out of my field. Go play on the farm next door." The deer ran off and she was back pointing her bird as if this near run-in was only a dream.
Ramsey was a dream. A dream come true for a man that has owned and trained hundreds before her. She was the best darn short hair you ever saw. She was as honest of a pointer that ever walked this earth. She had the nose and the instincts of a whitetail and the personality of a spoiled cat.
She will always be remembered for not just being a great bird dog. Not for just being spoiled. For she was much, much more than that. Yes, Main Creek's Ramblin Gauge was not just a dog John took for long walks on the back 100 acres. No, Doodle brought out that little boy in big man named John. A boy and his dog. A boy and is best friend that will live on in all our hearts forever. As John always said, "She's a good girl". Indeed.
Take care and I hope you are all doing well.
Mike |