Friday I took Coop, my 16 week old Brittany out for a run. This would be the first time for he and I in the field since I got the pup at 13 weeks old. I took Coop and my 6 yo brit Jack over to a buddies house. Out we went into the woods near his place, my dogs and his 4 yo setter. I had a check cord on the pup, but otherwise I just let him run dragging the cord.
Course he was trying to keep pace with the older dogs, and he did pretty well. But this pup is danged independent (I wouldn't have him if he wasn't) and he would split off from the adult dogs now and then to explore on his own. After running all the dogs for a few miles in, we turned around and started heading back towards the road. About half way back, we whistled both the older dogs to check in, and no pup. Nowhere. Damn! So my buddy and I split up and started searching for him.
In the area we were in, you can go for miles and miles in the timber. There are trails everywhere, up the ridge, down the ridge, trails off of trails. I started backtracking back to the end of the trail where we had turned around and started heading back, and then beyond for a mile or so. No pup. I could kind of track the drag mark the check cord left in the dry dusty trails. Called my buddy on the cell phone, by now we were a several miles apart. No pup on his end either. I had no idea really, where the pup left us, so there were endless possibilities where he could have went. By now there was about two hours of daylight left. I figured I'd hunt for him till dark, then having no flashlight, I'd plant my ass where ever I was and wait till daylight. I already had too much time and money invested in this pup, and he's the best prospect I've ever had. I wasn't going to give up easy, I'd either find the pup alive, or whatever was left of him. This area is full of yotes. This pup was just the right snack size for a couple of yotes.
Having no luck after more than an hour search, it was time for reinforcements. A quick phone call and my buddy's wife was on her way with her Aussie Sheppard. He's a pretty savvy old tracking/herding dog. As luck would have it, she ran into my pup as soon as she got near the trail head. Coop was backtracking our scent trail headed back to my buddies house. She said he had just hit the road when she found him. Man...was I one happy and grateful dog owner. The beers are on me.
I hate to say this, but this is the second time I've lost and found a pup this way. My older dog Jack, when he was about 7 months old got lost out by Greenwater, along hwy 410. It was late winter, snow on the ground. I was running him in the timber on the opposite side of the White river that runs along the highway. I was walking the logging road, and Jack was working the timber, about 30 yards in from the road. I was keeping my eye on him, but suddenly he was just gone. I had no idea where he had went.
I called and called but no dog. I looked for him for several hours, searching farther and farther out from where I lost track of him, till almost dark. It was very cold that day, and I was not equipped to spend the night out that time of year at that elevation. I had to give up the search, no pup. Heartbroken, I finally gave up my search and headed back to my truck. I was not only heartbroken, but angry with myself thinking a real possibility for Jacks disappearance was a hungry cougar had maybe ran across him and called it dinner time. I'll never take a pup out in late winter in an area like that again. When my truck came into sight, there was Jack sitting at the side of the truck, parked along the side of hwy 410. I don't know who was happier with the reunion, me, or Jack. That was one happy puppy, I'll tell you. He had backtracked our scent trail back to the truck, and then was waiting for me to show up. It's a miracle he didn't wander out on the highway and get killed.
Man was I glad to see him....ya gotta love a dog with a good nose...Jeff
