Happy Birthday Jaunty

 Four years ago this summer I was visiting my mother in Norfolk a little more often than usual, leaving her a little earlier than usual and scooting off into the countryside to visit a newly born litter of puppies. Three visits in 7 weeks is more than my mother was used to and probably more than a breeder is used to. However, this was the first puppy I had ever selected myself and I wanted to get it 'right'.
Ah well.
There were three boys in the litter. The chubby liver and white one was easy to reject. The two black and white boys were hard to choose between - both were bright, keen and bouncy from the start. What made me choose the one I did I cannot recall. But home he came and stole my heart. He was 'puppydog' from the start and designated understudy to Gunner.
Ah well. Again.
Never mind. Can't have everything.
What we got was the bounciest, brightest, most mischievious and irrepressible dog we could wish for. He's always up for anything and rewrites the script as he goes! Early on I gave up any pretense that he would step into Gunner's pawprints (another will come along to do that) but he's a good working dog when he puts his mind to it and will search for, and pick up, birds all day long. His energy is boundless. Which is why, this year, he's been learning to do agility stuff.  Which he absolutely loves. He's proved to be  a very quick learner, and runner. Unlike his handler. Our trainer keeps urging us to enter competitions; we've done one small one where we bombed - not because Jaunty couldn't do the course but because, being a spaniel, he couldn't keep his nose off the smells so we were intermittently very slow!!! However, we'll do more and, if his handler can just keep up with him, I know he'll do very well.l
Meanwhile, we are on the verge of another shooting season and, hopefully, Jaunty will be asked to pick up again. I think he possibly loves that even more than agility - not least because he has every excuse to get really dirty - another of his favourite things
All in all, Jaunty is a chap who just loves life and finds everything the most exciting thing ever. He has a wonderful exuberant and totally genuine nature with never a grumpy thought or deed in his repertoire. A truly lovely character.
Since it's his birthday, we'll omit to mention that he can also be very deaf and very norty.......
Happy Birthday Jaunty.