Way back in the 1960's, when I was a young teenager, a friend of my Father gave me a Lab puppy for helping him train his dog. I read a book on how to train a retriever (appropriately titled - Training Your Retriever, by James Lamb Free). That did help me learn the basic steps of dog training. I think Chief should have read the book himself, he was a little smarter than me and could probably have made better use of the book. But anyhow, we made it through the first summer and were ready for duck season.
He was even more ready than I realized. From the first bird he ever saw fall, until the very end of his 13 year hunting career, he was all I could ask for. Big and strong. Loyal, playful, smart. We were best of buddies. We both suffered when I went into the service, but he welcomed me home for each hunting season with a big smile and a wagging tail.
He was a fast swimmer, both on top of the water and under the water. I saw him dive on more cripples than any other dog I've hunted over. Once he got after a bird, he NEVER quit.
Every time I see a big rangy Black Lab, I think of Chief. I'll miss him always.
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