Utah400Elk
Very Active Member
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About ten years ago I ended up getting a pointing chocolate Lab and he was just what the doctor ordered, so to say. Thus "Doc" entered my life. Here he is at 50 days old. First night with his new dad:
He adapted quickly:
If the photo looks like he was trouble...well he was. He quickly learned to be one of the guys:
Shortly after I got Doc I found the girl of my dreams. I told her that I had a Lab and she said she loved dogs. Well I was a bit nervous about their first meeting. I wondered if they would like each other. Well Doc ran at my wife at full speed. 97 pounds of pure chocolate love heading right to her. He pushed right past her and dove nose-first into her purse. I was shocked and didn't know what to say. He immediately turned her purse up into the air, dumped out all the contents, and found a huge Milk Bone my wife brought to sweeten up the deal. Yep, it was love at first sight.
He started private school (pheasant clubs) at the age of one. He was a hell of a hunting dog and had a drive that wouldn't quit:
He was also a great fishing dog. When he was young he retrieved a fish to my hand. The best part was the fish was still attached to my good friend's fly line. I guess Doc thought my buddy was taking too long to land the fish, so he swam out and grabbed it and brought it to me unharmed. He developed a strange habit while fishing. He would walk the banks and look into the water for a very specific rock. He would then plunge his head into the water and pick the rock (which was about the size of his head) and bring it to the bank. He would then start all over and repeat this. The day ended with a nice pile of river rocks on the bank. Here is one of our last fishing trips to the Green. He is teaching my son the tricks of the rock-piling trade. Anybody ever find strange rock piles along the Green River...well now you know:
When my son came along Doc was rhere to make sure this new arrival was ok:
They were great friends through the end:
Doc had terrible medical problems that plagued him throughout his life. He had four surgeries, had a few teeth pulled and ate his own tail. Yes, I did say he ate his own tail:
He was a great dog that lived a good life. He hunted in Utah, Iowa, Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming. He ate fish off my fly line whenever I allowed him, got hold of the Christmas Turkey at the in-laws house, ate the Christmas stockings, ate the fin off my Mexico Sailfish mount, ate the turkey tail from my first turkey, did about everything a dog could do and left a hole in my life that will never be filled. He NEVER did anything halfway.
In the end the medical problems became too much and he was suffering. He was a shadow of the dog he once was. Just over 80 pounds, had lost most of his fur, lost his tail and several teeth. That was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make.
Doc Hershey Chocolate Chip
April 4, 2012- March 5, 2012
We miss you big guy.
He adapted quickly:
If the photo looks like he was trouble...well he was. He quickly learned to be one of the guys:
Shortly after I got Doc I found the girl of my dreams. I told her that I had a Lab and she said she loved dogs. Well I was a bit nervous about their first meeting. I wondered if they would like each other. Well Doc ran at my wife at full speed. 97 pounds of pure chocolate love heading right to her. He pushed right past her and dove nose-first into her purse. I was shocked and didn't know what to say. He immediately turned her purse up into the air, dumped out all the contents, and found a huge Milk Bone my wife brought to sweeten up the deal. Yep, it was love at first sight.
He started private school (pheasant clubs) at the age of one. He was a hell of a hunting dog and had a drive that wouldn't quit:
He was also a great fishing dog. When he was young he retrieved a fish to my hand. The best part was the fish was still attached to my good friend's fly line. I guess Doc thought my buddy was taking too long to land the fish, so he swam out and grabbed it and brought it to me unharmed. He developed a strange habit while fishing. He would walk the banks and look into the water for a very specific rock. He would then plunge his head into the water and pick the rock (which was about the size of his head) and bring it to the bank. He would then start all over and repeat this. The day ended with a nice pile of river rocks on the bank. Here is one of our last fishing trips to the Green. He is teaching my son the tricks of the rock-piling trade. Anybody ever find strange rock piles along the Green River...well now you know:
When my son came along Doc was rhere to make sure this new arrival was ok:
They were great friends through the end:
Doc had terrible medical problems that plagued him throughout his life. He had four surgeries, had a few teeth pulled and ate his own tail. Yes, I did say he ate his own tail:
He was a great dog that lived a good life. He hunted in Utah, Iowa, Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming. He ate fish off my fly line whenever I allowed him, got hold of the Christmas Turkey at the in-laws house, ate the Christmas stockings, ate the fin off my Mexico Sailfish mount, ate the turkey tail from my first turkey, did about everything a dog could do and left a hole in my life that will never be filled. He NEVER did anything halfway.
In the end the medical problems became too much and he was suffering. He was a shadow of the dog he once was. Just over 80 pounds, had lost most of his fur, lost his tail and several teeth. That was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make.
Doc Hershey Chocolate Chip
April 4, 2012- March 5, 2012
We miss you big guy.
