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Branta's Grizzly Bear
(aka "Griz") |
 Branta's
Grizzly Bear, aka, Griz is a registered Chesapeake Bay retriever. Griz is
already 12 1/2 years old. It became clear early on that Griz would rather
swim than walk and would much rather have a bird fall in the water than on
land. He has made so many memorable, unbelieveable retrieves that he is
somewhat of a legend among our friends. He has dived into ice cold water and
dodged ice floes to retrieve a goose. He has broken ice on a pond out to
where a bird has fallen and returned proudly with his bird. He has retrieved
the heaviest of birds some weighing as much as 15 pounds and the smallest
ducks that weigh ounces and are barely visible in his big mouth as he brings
them back.
 Like
Calli, Griz is dealing with age-related issues; he had knee surgery several
years ago and now after a day in the field, finds that leg to be painful. He
has arthritis in all of his joints, has lost much of his hearing and sense
of smell but not his desire and enthusiasm. So, like Calli, he hunted as
much as he wanted and could in the fall of 2007 and accomplished retrieves
that will be fires ide
stories long after his passing. He can be intimidating with his size and his
wonderful grin in which he raises his lips and shows his teeth. To
strangers, he appears threatening but once they know him, they realize he is
just a teddy bear. |
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Ruger |
 Ruger
is our Viszla that we rescued through the UT Viszla Rescue Organization in
March 2004. We had been looking for a Viszla to be a hunting dog that would
help Calli in the field and decided to check out the rescues since that is
another aspect of the dog world that we want to be involved in. Ruger and a
couple of his brothers were taken from their breeder because of neglect. He
suffered from malnutrition and that with weeks on a small concrete area had
nearly flattened his feet to the crippling point. He was also fearful and
shy. But he slept quietly in my arms on the way home from UT and quickly
endeared us with his loving personality. We started his hunter training
after he had a chance to s ettle
in with us and his intelligence and natural abilities were quickly evident.
By the fall of 2004 we felt he was ready for his first hunting experience
but then we discovered the painful side of his personality. Because of his
months of neglect and no socialization and limited food, Ruger is basically
very insecure when not at home. As we started his first hunt, we watched his
fear emerge and his self-confidence fade. It was sad to see him feeling that
way and while we were a bit disappointed that he just could not overcome his
puppy experiences enough to be a hunter, we love him anyway and he has
become our "snuggle puppy". In addition to his constant desire to give
affection, one of Ruger's other talents is his speed a nd
his gazelle-like runs are a marvel to watch. He is
always looking for someone to run with and any new puppy will engage in his
favorite game even though they can never keep up or out run him. When the
puppies leave Ruger tries to get the other dogs to run with him but with
their age and physical limitations they just look at him as he runs circles
around them. Ruger is now safe, happy, and brings us joy with his loving
personality. |
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