Daisy Doodle Pumpin Poodle
We just got Daisy from the pound, a German Wirehair Pointer, year-and-a-half, 50 lbs, totally neglected, didn’t know its name. This breed is known not as a Sporting or Toy, but as a Versatile, which puts it into the OYB category of dogs. I never knew there was a category Versatile. It’s not in the World Book, that’s for sure. These are mainly Eurobreeds—primitive, old ones. Not so wildly popular here—includes the Griffons (another cool name), Pudels, Vizla, Weimies, Brittanies, Spinoni and a couple others. (I have their websites in the OYB links section.) Daisy has really come around in a month, but last week we went on vacation to the northwoods, which was her first time on a trip.
First I gotta tell ya, she’s rubbery. Wooly, too, like a stuffed animal. Pepper brown color. I’ll have to scan in a photo for ya. She’s full grown, but still has big rubbery feet. Old man eyes. Bounces. Not up on people, just bounces. Shoulda named her Tigger.
We took her to obedience school already. And she’s learned a lot, fast. Sometimes she’d learn a new command in, well, about one second. I’d say it, she’d know it. Basically, the class was training us to train. If the help is right, I guess dogs learn quick. When they’re ‘bad’ it’s more a case of them not knowing what you want. Dogs wants to please, mainly, they just need to be shown how.
Daisy should be able to do anything a dog does. Versatiles are that way. Fur, feather and work. But I also read that GWPs are headstrong. They’re so smart that if you don’t take the reins in the house clearly, they’re happy to. Also, I read that you don’t tell a Wirehair to do something, you ask, nicely…then it can do anything. Oh boy…I already see this is true. She doesn’t ‘come’ worth a bean. But at the same time, she doesn’t run away. She loves us already…even though she didn’t have a name a month ago…but she’ll run around until she’s ready to come in. Up to 100 yards away. Sorry neighbor! I will keep training on this. Anyway, I also read that they’re On with great energy until they’re Off with great laziness. Sure enough. Daisy tears up the earth when she frisks…and easily overwhelms every other big dog she plays with. 3 young Labs at once! Then she lays at my feet all day as I type. I can live with this. She’s not hyper, but is clearly *ready*. I (lastly) also read that their cousins, the Shorthairs, are the prefered racing ski-jor dog. That’s where a dog pulls a skier. I like that idea. A lot. But it seems kinda tricky, like it will involve all sorts of weird, long training. (Gee! Haw!) With all this in mind, we went up north on that trip. (With Skeeter, too, of course.)
OK: I was loading up my tobaggan outside the car in the almost dark and getting depressed. It was 8 feet long and loaded 3 feet high! Musta been 200 lbs. We had a 2 mi pull to a cabin. I tied Daisy to the tobaggan rope so she would be under control while I packed Martha and Lindy’s sleds. I’d let her run free after I’d pulled the monster load far enuf away from the road to let her go. She has a bell. We were all standing around, a little worried about our loads. I gave a pull on the tobaggan to see if it would even move and it did, then it started moving faster and faster. Daisy was haulin’…and flyin’! We never saw anyone again. It was like a shotgun out of the gate.
I screamed ecstatic encouragement and laughed all the way to the cabin. I helped, too. Skeeter came with us, trying to help. Daisy would sometimes seem to get especially psyched and really start pumpin, but she’d also slow or stop on command when I was too tired to run. At the cabin I made her a harness and built a bungie suspension into the tow rope.
On the way out, I helped again, but then I realized that I didn’t have to. I ran in front of her. She passed me runnin’ with that HUGE sled! I had to dig deep into my XC ski racing roots and pass her back. I didn’t want her to get to the road before me. Full on Sorel sprint! I’d always planned to teach her to pull and to pull me on skis, but I was only hopeful. Now I know! Good dog!
Surprise Sled Dog
pullin’!
