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Well, I finally broke my house dog from turning up her nose at some of the stuff I put in her feed bowl once in a while. It's been a long arduous task and I've tried all the things that have worked breaking me of the teachings of my youth. That is, the evils of using distilled spirits in pursuit of happiness.

I made some Poached Eggs in White Wine Sauce this morning for my Christmas breakfast. Having some of the sauce left over, I put the pan down on the floor for Moira. After dawdling around sniffing, walking away, coming back and sniffing again, walking away and then, Eureka!!! she came back and lapped up the sauce.

Made me as proud as when one of my bird dogs honored a point when he was less than 6 months old. Life is good.

Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 3438 Location: Illinois

Women and dogs have several things in common--ALL of which require a great deal of patience and understanding---In the end a good Lab and a good wife are lifetime investments well worth the effort----

A game biologist of my acquaintance, used to say, "Nothing makes you so proud one minute and so discouraged the next as dogs and kids."

I think we are drawn to dogs because they are the uninhibited creatures we might be if we weren't certain we knew better. George Bird Evans, 1906-1998

I agree with the sentiment about the investment in dogs.

Joined: 12 Sep 2010 Posts: 1973 Location: Maine

Not to be a wet blanket, but I'd be leery of letting the dog get too acquainted with wine, in a sauce or not. Even small numbers of grapes and raisins can kill a dog in short order. Destroys the kidneys, I think. I'll deduce that wine, coming from grapes, is probably bad for them too.

If they get to like anything ... it's only harder to keep them away from it.

We're keeping daughter's dog while she lives in France teaching this school year. Her dog is a picky eater so I feed her what I feed my Britt. I slow cook a chicken overnight in a crock pot which dissolves all but the largest bones and separately cook about 6-8 lbs. of sweet potatoes. The chicken is easily de-boned and any missed bones are soft enough to chew splinter free. After the ingredients cool down, I mix the chicken and sweet potatoes together into a mush and store in quart plastic containers (yogurt) and refrigerate a week's worth and freeze the rest. I usually end up with a gallon and a half. I replace a small portion of the dry food I feed them with a portion of the mush and mix it all together. As the mush is less caloric than dry food, this helps the pooches keep their girlish figures, especially Abby during the summer when she is not as active as she is fall and winter chasing birds. In the summertime, I replace 20% of the dry food with mush. During bird season for Abby, she gets more of the higher protein and caloric dry food. Both dogs wolf down the mix when fed. The mush smells and tastes delicious and I enjoy doing this for the dogs which in return bring the family four-legged, tail-wagging joy. Gil Laughing

Joined: 09 Dec 2012 Posts: 691

Member Joined: 30 Nov 2010 Posts: 99 Location: N. Idaho

Speaking of sauce, I would like to introduce Ch KC's Mr. Ollie b Golly with one of the many sauces he enjoyed throughout his long and productive life. In all honesty, his preference was an extra dry vodka martini. You are correct, it was very hard on his liver, he made it to only eighteen. I believe this photo was taken when he was fourteen in Arizona quail camp during a heat wave. He preferred his Stoli neat. He enjoyed a Cuban cigar from time to time after his jackrabbit stew. Took after his mother in these pursuits, her being a fan of house cats & beer!
ferrett

I regularly fed a measured teaspoon of raw, finely chopped onions or 1/2 a teaspoon of raw chopped garlic mixed into my Heidi dog's regular food a couple of times a week at her vet's advice. Small amounts are beneficial if care is used.

Large amounts of either can cause red blood cell Heinz anemia, and death. However, an average sized hunting dog would have to eat an average sized whole raw onion or a couple of whole raw cloves of garlic every day for several days to get into serious danger.

I've never seen the dog which would normally wolf an entire raw onion down. Most don't like the strong flavor. Heidi wouldn't touch her food if I put in more than a teaspoon or so. She seemed to know what was good for her or not.

She did like her beer though. The guys at my old club snuck her a couple and got her tanked one time before I finally put a stop to that. I had to carry her out to the car and load her into her dog box she was so schnokered. She snored and farted all the way home. So freezing or not, the windows stayed open all the way to be sure. Like I said--one time. Laughing

PS: On average, dogs are better beings than humans. Anyone who has ever had a dog as their best friend knows this. The dog will never screw his friend over. Can't say that for most humans friend or not. Just how it is.

Joined: 09 Dec 2012 Posts: 691

Member Joined: 30 Nov 2010 Posts: 99 Location: N. Idaho

Talking about tracking or trailing scent these Jack Russell mixed dogs they use in Africa are unbelievable to watch do their work. They almost never miss if they get on the scent of the animal as soon as it is shot. I've had lots of hunting dogs in my almost 70 years, not easily impressed but these dogs do remarkably at their job. Oh and they do drink! Seeing the animals these little dogs hunt for, I can understand why they drink. They are really fast and the predators can not catch them and they are guarded by a herd of ducks. All the guides loved my Fox SxS 16 thanks to Gil S.
ferrett

One of my coworkers related to me that he stopped to ask a farmer if he could hunt his place. The farmer told him, "Sure. Take old Max with you", indicating a St. Bernard standing near by. My friend politely tried to decline, but the farmer insisted. So they took old Max along. Low and behold, Max turned out to be a pretty good bird dog. Not much of a pointer, but he would get birdy and they would get ready. I guess you never know.

George, I had a buddy who used a Jack Russell to track wounded deer and hogs. Another buddy used one as a retriever on a dove field. You did not wan to try and take the bird from that dog. Those Jack's look in a mirror and see a Rottweiler. I'm glad you've enjoyed that old Fox. I never did get my commission based on what it sold for new in 1935---$39 NIB. Wink

Gil