Dot Is Much Different From Her Predecessors

It took me years to make the change.

I always felt I could control my dogs with just voice commands or a whistle.

And while I still maintain that approach worked over many years, some of my hunting partners might disagree.

Then I got Dot and quickly realized it was time to switch tactics.

Supposedly a springer spaniel -- or so say her AKC papers -- she’s a bit different than any of my previous springers. I’m beginning to suspect she’s part greyhound with a dash of Border collie thrown in just for fun.

Granted, I picked her out for her unusual markings. Nearly all white except for a black head and two large black spots, she also sports a lengthy tail. The breeder I bought her from only docks the tails a third instead of the more typical practice of leaving little more than a stub.

My other dog, Ace, has a tiny nub of a tail and has always acted a bit embarrassed about it.

Dot, on the other hand, flies hers proudly. She also spends an inordinate amount of time chasing it, something none of my other tail-challenged spaniels ever even thought about doing.

But the tail is not the issue. It’s the pace at which she moves, which I can best describe as a blur.

Hence the e-collar. Strapped tightly around her neck, it gives me at least the illusion of control.

The controller I carry offers a number of options, tone and vibrate among them. The real jewel, however, is the button in the middle which, when pressed, “stimulates” Dot with a jolt of electricity.

I seldom press it. Tone and vibrate are usually enough to keep her in range. But once or twice every hunt when enthusiasm gets the better of her, Dot needs that extra “stimulation.”

I had hoped that my latest dog would be small, slow-paced, and a little timid. She isn’t any of that. Nearly as big as Ace, she’s fast and fearless. She needs no encouragement.

Instead, I work tirelessly to curb her enthusiasm, if only to keep her in the same county with me while we hunt.

My days of voice commands and whistles are long past. After years of being shot over, Ace is quite deaf. Fortunately, he sticks close. Dot doesn’t, but thanks to modern technology I can keep her from disappearing over the horizon.

I just have to make sure the batteries are charged.

Parker Heinlein is at [email protected]