Keeping up with Jem

This was going to be the season I could finally keep up with Jem.

He’s 10 years old now – 70 in dog years – and although he looks the same as he has for years, I figured he must be slowing down.

After all, he’s supposed to be aging much faster than I am.

Therein lies my dog training philosophy: keep up as best I can until their paths and mine finally cross. It’s at that intersection of old hunter and older dogs that I expect to find my nirvana.

In the meantime, I simply have to hustle to keep up.

Jem will find birds whether I’m with him or not.

I have another younger spaniel tha...