11-28-11 NJ  Sophie had some bumper work with a blank pistol and didn’t seem to mind but I was going to hold off on hunting her this season as she just turned 6 months and I didn’t want to rush things. Last week I took her out in a peasant field and although we didn’t find any birds, at the end of the hunt I fired the 16 gauge about 25 yards away as I threw a bumper and again she had no problem  On Saturday November 26^th I took her out on the meadows with our Ohio relatives and had Rachel’s beau, Kyle, throw the bumper while I steadied Sophie and Uncle Dave shot the 16 gauge about 25 yards away. We did that about 5 or 6 times and again, Sophie didn’t mind the blast.

On Monday morning, November 28, we joined Frank and Uncle Larry Dunfee at the upper tide pond from where Redlion’s Tide Pond Sophie gets her name. Sophie and I were in my sneakbox about 25 yards away from the gunners.  The guns (gunners) were rusty and I thought we’d never get a chance to retrieve but she did hear plenty of shooting without any ill effect. Finally Frank dropped a hen Hoodie and Sophie did a nice job on her first real retrieve. Several misses later and another Hoodie is down but eluding us by diving and swimming out of site. It finally surfaces on the opposite bank and Sophie has a heck of a time catching this diving cripple. She showed great spunk, however, even putting her head under the water several times to look for the game. It was pretty comical watching her circling over and over in her eventually successful pursuit. I was like the proud parent who just watched his child score the game winning goal.

 This morning, November 30th, 2011, was about as blue bird a morning as could be and very few birds were in the air. Sophie and I went on our first solo where she was to be beside me on the bank on a short tether while I was in my sneakbox. She’s moving too much and I haven’t really taught her to lay down and be steady but she’s just a pup and very enthusiastic. I did shoot one bird directly over her and she was steady as a champ. I heeled her to the bank where she could plainly see the dead bird in the pocket of the stools. She waited on command and made a perfect retrieve although she struggles to get out of these steep bank ponds and can’t be relied on to hold the bird as yet. I’m pumped! Just six months old and I’ve got a hunting partner.        Bill Davies, Long Beach Island, NJ