Gunner's Calendar - June 2016

Gunner 13.5.2014

The June photo was actually taken on 13 May 2014 - at 1306 according the the data on my file. Gunner was 7 years and two months old. He looks much older........

It was taken outside the stables. I cannot remember what Gunner was so engrossed in. He's looking in the direction of the Poultry Palace so maybe something in there caught his eye.
I could look at this photo for hours. It says so much about the dog. For instance, look at his jaw. I wouldn't have noticed this at all but the vet mentioned it when I took Gunner for his injections the day after he arrived here.
"Do you know he's got a slightly undershot jaw?" he said
"Really?" I replied, wondering if that meant my special puppy was going to have a problem......
"It shouldn't make any difference though" continued the vet: "I've known a few like this; I don't think it will stop him making a perfectly good gun dog"...... 
Well, he was right about that!
Maybe it's because of this that he had such a chunky look about his face. Maybe it accounted in part for his ultra soft mouth......the tiniest baby birds & bunnies, live mice, eggs, hedgehogs- not to mention hundreds of head of dead and live game ....... all came out as they went in.
Or look at the eye....... it's said the eye of the dog is the mirror of his soul. What a soul this lad had. One of my bush beating colleagues always called him the philosopher.... "What are you thinking of behind those eyes?" he'd say to Gunner - usually when we were in the beater's wagon between drives..... Most dogs lie down and go to sleep or mill around restlessly. Gunner would just stand in the middle at the back and stare into space.... deep in thought. It was the same whilst we were waiting for a 'drive' to start - up to 20 minutes is not unusual - he would just sit or stand, motionless, staring into the distance.... the whole time... his concentration was uncanny. Another colleague on another shoot tried to break his attention by talking to him, using his name. "I'm gonna make Gunner notice me if it's the last thing I do." He said. Gunner totally blanked him. Every time. It became a standing joke. The dog was oblivious. He was completely happy within himself.  At home he would sit and stare a lot too - at the piglets, at the chickens, at whatever...... Other dogs must do that I suppose, but I've never come across one.
Of course, I have hundreds of headshots - he was the most handsome of creatures. We all think our animals are the best and most beautiful but if I had £1 for every time someone remarked on his good looks Gunner would have made me rich!!! I used to joke that when his time came I would have to have him stuffed so that he could stand in the hallway where I'd see him every day. The stupid things we say. Much as he would stare at things, sometimes I would just stand and stare at him ..... and take masses of photos..... Hundreds of head shots - probably many that are better than this one..... but this one tells you all you need to know about the dog......