MAC - "Rock Star"

Aye Mates,
So wee MAC is now a ripe old 9 weeks and has been with meself for just o'er a week. Having been on several "bolding walks", MAC'S boldness, problem solving skills, and self confidence have predictably scored. Every moment spent with MAC is a joy and a teachable opportunity. I hope ye all join us on our journey as MAC is forged into a valued family companion, a razor sharp gun dog, and K9 hunt test athlete.👍

Cheers,
THE DOG WHISTLER 🍀🇮🇪🇺🇸

"MAC" is seen here as he negotiates his first stone wall, one of many he will encounter in his years training and hunting in New England.

Brings back memories of the many rock walls I scrambled over as a kid. Dang brother had to spoil it talking about snakes.

Good job MAC!

Interesting that you let them develop their own problem solving skills, I think it is a great part of raising a pup. I give them opportunities, actually set them up, and let them work on problems themselves. I am always there with the right suggestion if they do finally look to me for help. It develops a great bond in that they will look to you and readily accept your solution if they ever get stuck.

My favorite is the long stick in the woods. 8’ or 10’ stick in thick sapling woods for a retrieve. Instinct is to grab it in the middle and run. They don’t get too far before being blocked by trees or brush. I laugh thinking back to the first trials with a pup. Back up and RAM ahead a few times trying to bull their way through. Or drop it and go on the other side trying to pull it rather than push it through the obstacle. They will run right and left to try and get past the obstacle but only by grabbing one end and dragging the stick will they be successful in the retrieve. Even then, they may have to drag it sideways to the retrieve, to free it up.


Funny story about the long stick. My last gal would get frustrated very quickly when she was a youngster. Her first step was to look for and chew off any branches or nubs on the stick, then try again. As that would fail, she would chew the stick in half and bring the one half to me. To her, this was an acceptable solution as she did not run into the problem of it being too long the next time I threw it.

Very nice photo...Mac is so photogenic!

I'm sure he'll grow up to be all of those things and more!