Merry meanderings #1 July 10 2015 The Fickle Finger of Fate

Gunner and Lancer (aka The Best Dog in all the World)

Our meanderings start at the beginning. Gunner (I'd decided to call him that even before I set eyes on him) was our 4th springer spaniel and came to us from Inverness where he was bred by a friend of a friend -  fate brought us together.
His existence in the world was raised during a chance conversation regarding a family funeral. My friend knew I'd been keeping my 'eyes open' for another spaniel pup for a while so when her friend said he still had a dog pup from his bitch's litter she mentioned me and then rang me to tell me to ring him - which I did immediately - it was nearly 9pm and not a time I would normally ring a complete stranger. After a relatively short description of the mother and the pups I said I would have him. How to get him from Inverness to Lincolnshire? Again, fate played her part; the family funeral was to be in Danby and in 10 days time the wife was travelling down to make the arrangements; it was agreed that she would bring the pup down with her and we would travel up to Danby (a very apt place to pick up a potential gundog) to fetch him.
It was 19th June 2007.
We took a friend and made a 'holiday' of it, travelling via Whitby - where we were held up by a Tractor Rally - and Robin Hood's Bay where it was too foggy to see anything! I popped into an antique shop where I found & bought an 1820's coloured engraving of 'The Weary Sportsman' - it seemed an omen. It makes me smile each time I look at it.....

The biggest feet in town?

The little pup was full of bounce and spring and ran around the Danby house in great excitment, weeing as he went - glad to be free after his 5 hour car journey. Soon we were on our way home and when he was handed to me to put in the back of our car he looked at me as if to say
"Are you my mummy?" and the bond was sealed. From that moment, where I went he went......
On the journey home I said to anyone who would listen:
"If he's got the aptitude I think I'll try and train him to be a beating dog" - I hadn't a clue what I was talking about - I'd done a day or two of beating as a child in Norfolk but had no experience of gundogs and "what they do".
Gunner slept the whole journey home and the whole night - he may have whimpered a bit but that was all. The next day I took him to the vet. Getting him out in the car park I put him on his lead for the first time and he walked beside me as if he'd been doing it for weeks. No fuss. No bother.
"If that's what you want mum, then that's what I'll do".
The vet passed him fit and fine and gave him his injection; "He's a strong pup - big feet". "Thought I might train him for beating" I said "Do you know a local trainer I could go to?".
He handed me two telephone numbers. I rang them the next day; the first didn't answer but the second did. The fickle finger of fate again - I discovered later that the first man wouldn't have been our "cup of tea" at all.
"Bring him over in a couple of weeks and we'll have a look at him" said my to-be-trainer after giving me a few tips about what to do and what not to do.

Gunner brings me yet another big stone

And that was the beginning of it. Gunner and I spent the next 3 months learning some basics and by the time we went back to the trainer for our first 'formal' lesson Gunner could walk to heel on and off the lead, sit, stay, wait, go find (chew stix) and come to voice or whistle. I thought he was brilliant. Still knowing nothing about the shooting world, I knew he was going to be a star and was full of enthusiasm to turn Gunner into Gundog.
It was the start of a very interesting Journey together. Me and my perfect little puppy....!!
Oh - I forgot to mention his pal in the top Photo.
Lancer had been nicknamed "The Best Dog in All the World" by my niece - he really was the sweetest dog in all the world and never did a norty deed from the moment we 'rescued' him at the age of 11 months from a two up-two down starter home in Milton Keynes.... He was Gunner's first pal and clearly passed his good manners and nature to the pup. When Lancer left us to go OTRB it seemed natural for Gunner to adopt his moniker - with the Gun bit added 'cos I always knew he was headed that way!!!