Gundog
PMA Member
Bear with me as this could get long. It started to today as I was driving to St. Louis for a road trip for a double header tomorrow for my baseball team. About an hour into the trip my wife texted me and said my son (5 years old) was reading one of his dog books and told her that he wanted a puppy so he could name it Gunnar because we needed a Gunnar again.
You see, I had to put my best friend down January 1st of 2010 because he was filled with Cancer and after a rough conversation with the vet back in Nebraska where I'm from who new Gunnar his whole life, it was determined that was the best decision to keep him from suffering through the end of it. I know he was only a dog but that is not a decision I wish upon any human being no matter who the loved one is. I was able to hunt one last time with him as the vet said it would not hurt him to go for a bit and he would probably enjoy as I had retired him about two years prior to this. The hunt was very slow and if you know late season roosters in Nebraska they don't sit very tight without any snow on the ground but it didn't matter to me as this was more about being out one last time with the best dog I had ever had. Amazingly on the last walk we were taking along a weedy fenceline bordered with corn and birds flying out ahead of us the whole way Gunnar locked up on a small pile of weeds. I first thought no way this could happen, then my thoughts changed to don't blow this for him. As I walked up and released him on the flush a rooster came out and gave me a straight away shot. My aim was true and Gunnar was after him as fast as he could go. When he got to him, he was having trouble picking him up as the cancer had originated in the right side of his mouth and it was swelled up but he stuck with it and managed to bring him back as happy as he was when he made his first retrieve at 13 weeks of age. When he got back to me and gave me the bird, I was balling like a baby. He reached up and licked my face and at that moment gave me the look as if to thank me for taking him one last time and also as if to tell me it was going to be ok and he was ready to go. I will never forget that moment. That night when we got back home I let him play with that bird for as long as he wanted and then my son and I slept on the floor with him for the last time. I still have a tail feather from that bird and will for as long as it will last. It hangs with his collar in my gun safe.
I could go on and on about that dog and the things he did and went through throughout his life but I need to get on to the question I need to ask you guys. When he was about 9 years old and before he was diagnosed with cancer I had him collected because I didn't have a female to breed him to. I still have the collection at a vet clinic in North Platte, Nebraska. While I am in no position to purchase a female to raise and have a litter with, maybe one of you guys might have or know someone who has a female Vizsla and wants to have a litter. All I would ask for is the pick of the litter to give to my son so he could name him Gunnar. That may sound strange to have another dog named the same and believe me it would be hard for me but if that is what my son wants to name his first puppy then that is what it would be. Gunnar was a registered Vizsla that came from Soldier, IA bred for hunting. By no means am I looking for a high dollar female or anything like but rather one that is used to hunt and has that in her blood because that is all that he wanted to do.
After I received that text today, with a lump in my throat, this post was the only thing that I thought of for the rest of the drive. Now as I sit here and type this with that same lump in my throat, I know this is best place I could ask for possible help from the great people of IW and all the connections you have. If you have an interest or an idea please PM me.
Brady (Gundog)
The picture is of Gunnar and his last rooster ever!
You see, I had to put my best friend down January 1st of 2010 because he was filled with Cancer and after a rough conversation with the vet back in Nebraska where I'm from who new Gunnar his whole life, it was determined that was the best decision to keep him from suffering through the end of it. I know he was only a dog but that is not a decision I wish upon any human being no matter who the loved one is. I was able to hunt one last time with him as the vet said it would not hurt him to go for a bit and he would probably enjoy as I had retired him about two years prior to this. The hunt was very slow and if you know late season roosters in Nebraska they don't sit very tight without any snow on the ground but it didn't matter to me as this was more about being out one last time with the best dog I had ever had. Amazingly on the last walk we were taking along a weedy fenceline bordered with corn and birds flying out ahead of us the whole way Gunnar locked up on a small pile of weeds. I first thought no way this could happen, then my thoughts changed to don't blow this for him. As I walked up and released him on the flush a rooster came out and gave me a straight away shot. My aim was true and Gunnar was after him as fast as he could go. When he got to him, he was having trouble picking him up as the cancer had originated in the right side of his mouth and it was swelled up but he stuck with it and managed to bring him back as happy as he was when he made his first retrieve at 13 weeks of age. When he got back to me and gave me the bird, I was balling like a baby. He reached up and licked my face and at that moment gave me the look as if to thank me for taking him one last time and also as if to tell me it was going to be ok and he was ready to go. I will never forget that moment. That night when we got back home I let him play with that bird for as long as he wanted and then my son and I slept on the floor with him for the last time. I still have a tail feather from that bird and will for as long as it will last. It hangs with his collar in my gun safe.
I could go on and on about that dog and the things he did and went through throughout his life but I need to get on to the question I need to ask you guys. When he was about 9 years old and before he was diagnosed with cancer I had him collected because I didn't have a female to breed him to. I still have the collection at a vet clinic in North Platte, Nebraska. While I am in no position to purchase a female to raise and have a litter with, maybe one of you guys might have or know someone who has a female Vizsla and wants to have a litter. All I would ask for is the pick of the litter to give to my son so he could name him Gunnar. That may sound strange to have another dog named the same and believe me it would be hard for me but if that is what my son wants to name his first puppy then that is what it would be. Gunnar was a registered Vizsla that came from Soldier, IA bred for hunting. By no means am I looking for a high dollar female or anything like but rather one that is used to hunt and has that in her blood because that is all that he wanted to do.
After I received that text today, with a lump in my throat, this post was the only thing that I thought of for the rest of the drive. Now as I sit here and type this with that same lump in my throat, I know this is best place I could ask for possible help from the great people of IW and all the connections you have. If you have an interest or an idea please PM me.
Brady (Gundog)
The picture is of Gunnar and his last rooster ever!
