D  e  s  e  r  t     E  x  p  o  s  u  r  e      january 2005

14 Bird-Dogs Too Many

Will you spring to the rescue of this passel of springer spaniels?

Someone once told me, or I read it, that if a person/family has two pets or fewer, that will always be the case, but if for some reason (like grown children "temporarily" giving you theirs), they happen to get three pets, something happens psychologically. Suddenly, the number of pets starts going skyward, the logic being: If I've got three, what's one or two more?

Take my wife and me. We always had zero to two pets since the beginning of our marriage; then in 1993 we went from zero to three in a period of one week. Six years later we went to four when my daughter Nicole (who had five animals) begged us to take this pup that followed her home. Then last year the number climbed to seven, and currently we have six. See what I mean!?

Two folks I know, Jim and Pam Koons, have the same problem, only really big-time. These two are bird hunters and they always have had a springer spaniel to pursue quail, anyway at least since 1976, which is almost forever.

Along about 2002 the couple had owned their second springer for quite awhile, a male named Midnight, who was a "show-quality" hunter. But because Midnight was getting on in years, Pam thought that her hubby should get a backup dog to buffer the loss of Midnight when it came.

Jim didn't need much talking into, and off he went to a breeder and soon came home with a new pup. This new canine met an untimely demise, however, even before the old dog, and Pam and Jim were devastated.

In Pam's words, "Naturally, it was back to the breeders' for another pup." Jim threw her a curve, though, when he brought home two dogs. They had reached the magic number three!

Pam goes on, "We loved that springer bloodline so much that the breeder's next litter was soon minus two more." The dreaded psychosis had set in. Within two years the family's number of dogs had jumped to 12!

The Koons had gotten caught up in the fascinating world of birddog breeding and the combining of bloodlines to get the absolute best of three dogworlds. They sought show-quality dogs that could be great bird hunters and yet be tremendous house companions as well.

Did I mention that they also sought to achieve just the right coloration? In this case, they wanted tri-color dogs made up of black, liver and white.

Pam declared in the form of a question, "Do you know how much food 12 dogs go through in a month?!" And think of the vet bills and all of that "mess" to clean up every day.

Now, 12 dogs are bad enough, but as of November, seven more pups arrived-- four males and three females. That's 19 mouths and butts in all!

That's where I come in. Pam and Jim want to get down to "just" five critters again; that means 14 are up for new homes, and I volunteered to put in the good word.

If you're interested, some of these springers are going to cost you some big bucks, but others will be more "negotiable." All the dogs must go to good homes, and believe me, Pam will check the qualifications of every prospective owner.

Springer spaniels are excellent hunters who do so by nosing and flushing birds; they do not point. The breed stands about 15 to 25 inches high and weighs 20 to 35 pounds on the average. Their temperament is excellent and on the gentle and loving side. They are very loyal. Their coat is rather long. Springers make excellent house pets but they need a yard to exercise in, and don't do well at all chained to a doghouse.

My first bird-dog was a springer. His name was Esau, a name given him by a neighboring farmer because the dog had red hair just like his Biblical namesake. Esau was a big dog for the breed, and he was predominantly liver with white background.

I was 14 when he showed up at our house and adopted us right at the start of pheasant season. The dog proved to be an excellent and savvy hunter, and he was my pal for a month.

Esau mysteriously "went away" after the season ended. Until now, as I pen this, I always believed that was the truth, but now as I ponder it, I'll bet my parents had a hand in his sudden departure, as so many times happens with kids' pets. My mother didn't much like dogs, at least not dogs in our household.

Anyhow, Esau made a lasting impression on me that has stayed with me nearly 46 years. If I were down to one or two dogs right now, I'd be very tempted to take one or two of these critters my own self, but alas, if I did add to our already over-full dog pen, my wife would skin me alive.

So, I'll gladly leave it up to you good folks to help out Pam and Jim. They can be reached at 535-4017 or 469-6890, or stop by Autoglass MD in Silver City.

As always, keep the sun forever at your back, the wind forever in your face, and may the Forever God bless you continually.

Larry Lightner writes Ramblin' Outdoors monthly for Desert Exposure.

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