Sorry for the off topic post but most of my buds hang out here.

As some ofyou guys know I lost my Lab of 11 and a half years in June to cancer. It really effected me a lot more than I thought it would.

Well today I did it. I picked out a little black lab from a good breader and good lines. He is 7 weeks and is full of energy and a natural curossity for anything that moves. Should be a good bird dog but mostly a good eveyday, everywhere friend.

Now for the big bore part. I was thinking of names. The ones I had in mind were, Rigby, Jeffrey, Gibbs, Mauser, big bore, Over Kill, Ruger, winchester, and a2.

Well I decided on one of my favorates action types and his name is Mauser. Since moset of my Mauser are big bores it kind of fits the topic heading.

Well sorry if posting this here upset anyone but I'm just glad I got a new little buddy to look after and teach the ways of the hunter.

Mauser will be out running after wings next weekend and I'll start to get him ready for guns going off. Instead of the 600 OK I think I'll go with a 22 short. Whant do you guys think?

John

John

how about the first name of one of the last names you picked?

I am regretting the day I must be in your shoes and I know the day will come.
Don

I had a chocolate Labrador I named Koko. He was a spectacular retriever. I took him to the Nebraska state pheasant hunting championships a couple years ago and he missed first place a bit but still placed 6th.

He died last Fall on Thanksgiving day at the age of five. He choked to death on his canned dog food.

I've recently replaced him with another Labrador.



This one I call Charlie but he's not Koko.

He's filling the need nicely however as Koko left some pretty big footprints to fill.

Charlie is actually a brother as he has the same parents as the former chocolab.

I, for one, understand the attachment to a dog......especially Labradors.

Hey Fritz,

Congrats on the new buddy! You miss two things when a dog goes to the happy hunting grounds...the individual dog, and having a dog. No need to miss both.

Sorry to hear of the passing of your ol' lab. I didn't know.

My best bud (the one in my signature pic) is an 11 1/2 yr old chocolate lab. I know I will be DEVASTATED when he goes. He's still in good shape, but that evil cancer can rear its ugly head anytime. I find myself treasuring the time I have left with him more and more.

Cheers,
Canuck

John

Way cool move I hope you are ready for all that ENERGY.

Neal

John,

Lets see him, post a picture or two.

Hog Killer

Here's a pic of my Lab. I belong to him, he doesn't belong to me.
Moose hunting this year, he got cold, he got my sleeping bag and I slept under my coat.
I need him, he doesn't need me.

TJ, Great picture. My yellow was my best friend and went EVERYWHERE with me. Even slept under my desk at work, in the foot of my sleeping bag when hunting and swam beside my kayak (when he wasn't balacing ON it) in the cold cold ocean. Cancer got him just before he turned 4. I haven't been able to bring myself to get another yet, but sure do miss his energy and enthusiasm for EVERYTHING.

Thanks guys I'll get some pictures tomorrow.

Chris he fought the Cancer and was given 2-3 weeks to live when he was almost 10. He had a will for life and some folks here say it was my love. Could be, I couldn't have loved him more. He came to work everyday went on road trips everywhere with me. It was automatic. If I went somewhere he was in the passenger seat. In fact if some one else came along he would look at them like "get your sorry ass out of my seat. You sit in back not me. Even the vet cried and his assistant when they came out to the place to put him to sleep. Even they said he was special. No argurment from me on that one.

Mauser will be a good dog and friend in his own way. He can never fill the shoes left behind but he has heart and is a lot of fun to watch and be around. Aspen had to quit hunting about 6 years ago after a severed achciles tendon. He did it twice just being a hard charger. Loved mountain grouse and would just show up with one in his mouth every so often. Didn't need to take a shotgun he would just go get one give it to me and then take off for the covey again for more. If I let him I could limit out without a shot fired no problem. Fish and game would not have been happy. Too bad I thought it was the cutest thing and I could go oulr deer or elk hunting nad get a good dinner without ever spoiling a stalk.

I always pick names that have meaning to me. I love aspen trees and had just moved to MT and wanted a strong MT type name. No one liked it at first but after a month everyone loved it. I expect the same with Mauser. I love guns and Mausers of some configuration. I have to correct people from calleing him Maus or some abreeviated version but that won't take too long. It will fit me and what we do together perfectly so Mauser it is.

Thanks again for the well wishes and chris you have my sympanthy when the time comes and I hope it is far far down the road.

I think that good dogs belong in heaven more so than most people I know so I know old Aspen is looking down at me and just wishing I would be happy and go get a few birds for him as soon as I can. My plan exactly. Mauser wiill be on his first retreeve before he hits 10 weeks for certain. Same as Aspen by the way. The bird was three times as big as he was but he did it and brought it to me. He way a bit shy at frst but always had a soft mouth and I think it was because of that. Mauser will get the same experence shortly. Why mess with sucess and the way I trained Aspen was good in that he was a wonderful dog and friend. We would have prople stop at the shop jus to see how Aspen was doing. He liked the Federal Express letters so much and the drivers thought it was so cute that a film crew camo out here to take pictures of him with the envelope in his mouth. It didn't make the final cut for their ad campaign but still shows that strangers really thought highly of him.

Thanks for all the well wishes and to yo Chris, I hope you still have many , many years together yet. Cherish every second.

I'm going to get another dog in 4 or 5 year or so this way I will never be alone. Waiting on a good litter for the past 2 monhs was murder. If I have two it will be very unlikely to loose both at the same time andthenif it take a few months to find a goof litter it won't be such an emotional wreck.

My only regret it that dogs do not like linger than you do. Parents should never out live their children and for me my pets are definately my children. My sillyness maybe but it is fact for me. Dogs are man's best friend weather we know it or not is another story.

I'll get some pictures tomorrow posted and thanks for the understanding and well wishes.

John

Fritz, only thing I can see wrong with your choice of name, isn't Mauser nearly pronounced mouser? Here most pronounce it Moorsser anyway.
Ps my mutt is whinging for his dayly outing so I got to go.
JL.

John,
I guess I can not be counted among your buds, but there is no grief like a man missing his dog. I know, feel your loss and also the joy of finaly getting a new one.

My Springer Spaniel, Shane, was also 11 1/2 and very sick when we went hunting the last time, that is two years ago - today. Out of respect I shot him myself - then cried like a girl.
I am now waiting for the pups to be born and hope there is the one that can take Shanes place.

Mauser is a good name.

As for training, popping balloons might be a softer start than a rimfire?

Good luck, both of you!

Sincerely,

John,
I hope you and mauser have decades of friendship and hunting together!!

excellent for both of you pal!

jeffe

fritz454,

I'm sorry to hear about you losing your lab (friend). I too have a 11 year old black lab, so I can relate to your loss (they definitley become part of the family). You did what I will do and have done (this is my third black lab) get another and start new memories - they are great dogs! Congratulation's on the new addition and the best too both of you!

Thansk guys, I too hope Mauser is around with me for awhile Jeffe. Cancer effects so many. When the hell is someone going o find a cure.

Bret, My heart feels your pain. Best of luck with the pups. You will never get one that will take shane's place but you can share the life lessons he taught you with a new pup and in doing so keep shane alive even more so than in your heart and memory. At least that is why I got Mauser. Best of luck and hang in there. It's hard but even after only 2.5 months I can see that I remember the good more than the loss.

Mauser is a bit of a devil. He kept me up most of the nigh crying because he wanted to play. Now that I have to be awake he's sleeping line a log at my feet. I think let hte spoiling beging.

John

Labs attach themselves to your heart. The family lab that we bought when the older kids were 3 years old and the youngest was just born was the greatest kids dog in the world.

Twelve years later he passed away and that was the most devestating loss that my kids had ever suffered.

John- Mauser- Great Name for a dog! I'm sure you and he will do well together. I guess headspace now takes on a new meaning! I have a Australian Shepard named Abbie( I'm not real creative whith dog names) who is the smartest dog I've ever seen. Knows about 200 spoken words and drinks beer! My kinda dog!Congrats-Rob

Several years ago, we lost two Puppies to cancer over the course of a year ... both were 14 or so. Surely tore my heart. Still miss the Babies.

Sadly my wife is of that age when she is not ready to have another big guy in the house.

My heart goes out for your loss of a true companion, and I rejoice in your finding a new buddy!

JOHN!

Congrats on the new pup. After several heart breaks when losing a favorite hunting dog, I started getting a new pup when my main dog turned 8. The old dog teaches the new pup a lot about how to act around the house and in the field. Makes training mu easier.

Mauser is a great name. I have an 8 yr old yellow lab named "Rigby' and a 16 week old small munsterlander named "Boss".

Good luck and see you in a couple of weeks!

465H&H

I actually tried Rigby on for a while but eveyone was calling him Rigs and I din't care for that. If they hadn't done that he would have been Rigby.

My plan, so I never have to experence that is to get another pup in 3 or 4 years. That way even when I eventually loose on (just teh facts of life) I will still have another little ankle bitter to take my mind off the loss.

As you can guess I get a bit attached to my dogs. I like them better than mosp people. Present company excluded but I hope you get my meaning.

Rob, every dog I ever had loved beer. Some of tehm even liked wiskey and tequlia. Only in moderation. I always took the keys away when thwy started to reallly pound them back.

John

My lab likes:

hunting, beer, copenhagen, most women and can even tell time (he knows when he should be fed & starts looking at his bowl).

I used to say my ex wife was a dog (I meant in attitude) but then I realized I was being unnecessarily mean to dogs across the world. I know I'm no stud muffin myself.

Remember, Beauty is only skin deep but ugly goes right to the bone.

Fritz,

Your completely forgiven for a off topic thread in my book.

I have a friend who while he is not a lab, he certainly thinks he should be. Man my Corgi likes to retrieve, won't do anything for a treat, but will do anything in his power to please me.

I named him after the emporer of Japan and my favorite steam railroad engine: Mikado

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:
I had a chocolate Labrador I named Koko. He was a spectacular retriever. I took him to the Nebraska state pheasant hunting championships a couple years ago and he missed first place a bit but still placed 6th.

He died last Fall on Thanksgiving day at the age of five. He choked to death on his canned dog food.

I've recently replaced him with another Labrador.



This one I call Charlie but he's not Koko.

He's filling the need nicely however as Koko left some pretty big footprints to fill.

Charlie is actually a brother as he has the same parents as the former chocolab.

I, for one, understand the attachment to a dog......especially Labradors.

Nice chocolate Labrador Puppy

I had mine put down after 23 years becouse of the hip thing i would rub the DMSO on her ever day till it just stopped working then i tried pills .. after that i just ..Let her go ..
Her name was .... Thunder 24 ....an AK Pup ..
she weighted in a 128 Lb's her very first litter
was 12 pups.. lol thay were like hogs at the troff..

Anyway you got yourself a keeper there guy

Martin