I recently finished the New York Times bestseller Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Horowitz and overall found it fascinating. Horowitz is a cognitive scientist and her book explains, based on her research and the research of others, how dogs perceive their worlds, other dogs and humans. In short, she tries to help us picture what it is like to be a dog.
The book begins with a brief background of how the dog came to be. Horowitz includes interesting information about the importance of genetics vs. environment and concludes that the combination ultimately determines what an individual dog will become.
“…dogs, like us, are more than their genome. No animal develops in a vacuum: Genes interact with the environment to produce the dog you come to know.”
The chapters on the various senses of the dog were insightful but the descriptions of various experiments used to make a point were, at times, too detailed.
I thoroughly enjoyed the section “Inside of a Dog” (same as the book title) which includes topics such as what a dog knows, dogs and time, right and wrong, living in the moment and others. If you only read this section, the book will have been worth your time.
Although not a formal training book, Inside of a Dog has practical application for understanding behavior. And the more we know about how dogs think and act, the better dog trainers we can be.
Puppies go through many stages in the process of reaching their adult forms. Some say that at eight weeks, puppies have the same physical proportions that they will as adults. By about 12 weeks (3 months) they start to “fall apart” as different body parts grow at different rates. At around 10 months they are close to their adult sizes and forms but still have only puppy muscles and will continue to fill out until two years of age.
Below are pictures of three dogs from our “cheese” litter born in 2010 by Northwoods Blue Ox and Houston’s Belle’s Choice. The pictures were taken at eight weeks, 13 weeks and 12 months.
Our 2011 litters by Northwoods Chablis and Northwoods Chardonnay represent the sixth generation of setters we have bred, raised, trained, hunted and trialed. It is so much fun to see various traits and characteristics that are passed along. Even if they skip a generation or two, we know our setters so well that we have a good idea where those traits originated. Here are some "family" photos. Enjoy!
Blue Silk and her sons, Northwoods Blue Ox and Blue Shaquille.
A guy is driving around the back woods of Minnesota and he sees a sign in front of a broken down shanty-style house:
Talking Dog For Sale
He rings the bell and the owner appears and tells him the dog is in the backyard. The guy goes into the backyard and sees a nice looking pointer sitting there. “You talk?” he asks. “Yep,” the Pointer replies. After the guy recovers from the shock of hearing a dog talk, he says, “So,what’s your story?”
The Pointer looks up and says, “Well, I discovered that I could talk when I was pretty young. I wanted to help the government, so I called the CIA. In no time at all they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping. I was one of their most
valuable spies for eight years running. But the jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn’t getting any younger, so I decided to settle down….”
“I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security, wandering near suspicious characters and listening in. I uncovered some incredible dealings and was awarded a batch of medals.” The Pointer sighs and adds, “Then I got married, had a mess of puppies, and now I’m just retired…”
The guy is amazed. He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants for the dog. “Ten dollars,” the guy says. “Ten dollars? This dog is amazing! Why on earth are you selling him so cheap?” “Because he’s a liar! He never did any of that stuff!”
Northwoods Chardonnay edged out her litter sister, Northwoods Chablis, by two points to win the 2011 award. Another littermate, Northwoods Lager, was in the top four. That these dogs were so competitive is no accident. Grandmothers on top and bottom—Blue Silk and CH Houston’s Belle—won this award previously.
Chardonnay has had four field trial placements in as many starts. As a puppy in 2009 she placed second in the very competitive O-Kan puppy stake held in Oklahoma. (Lager placed first.) Later that spring she placed second in the MGDA derby. This spring she placed third in the MGDA Open Derby (beaten by littermates Lager and Chablis) and won first place in the Moose River Grouse Dog Club Open Derby. She pointed grouse in both of this spring’s wins.
Chardonnay is out of a litter bred by Paul Hauge in 2009. The sire is Blue Shaquille and the dam is our current producing female, Houston’s Belle’s Choice. We started four from this litter and each is a strong grouse dog.
Chardonnay did a fine job in our grouse guiding string last fall, especially for a 1½ year old. She has the classic Houston-line trademarks: easy, attractive gait; lofty style on point; outstanding ability to find and point grouse.
Northwoods Bird Dogs have won or been in close contention for this award several times before.
In addition, dogs sired by our studs have won the award.
2009: Goodgoing Hannah Montana, owner Brett Edstrom/Good Going Kennel, was sired by Dashaway
1999: Milk Run Jessie, owner Brian Miller, was sired by CH Blue Smoke
This accolade was started in 1994 and has subsequently been awarded 17 times. It has been won by pointers on 10 occasions. It is sponsored by Pro Plan who generously purchased the rotating trophy and supplies dog food to each year’s winner.
Belle’s runner-up win at the 2007 Minnesota Grouse Dog Championship
CH Houston’s Belle was whelped in April 2001 by Paul Hauge of Centuria, Wisconsin. Paul used frozen semen from Houston, his favorite gundog, on a line-bred Tekoa Mountain Sunrise female he owned, Forest Ridge Jewel. Of that litter, only Belle had an opportunity in field trials. Belle epitomized the qualities of the Houston dogs—smooth, easy gait, lofty style on point, strong bird-finding ability and natural backing.
I first saw Belle at Paul’s farm when she was a one-year-old. We were working some of his young dogs and as he took Belle out, he smiled and said, “You’ll like this one.” He was right.
That summer I took Belle to our prairie camp in North Dakota. She looked beautiful running in the pastures and alfalfa fields and found more than her share of birds. Out there, I learned of Belle’s uncanny ability to know which direction I was headed and to always show to the front. She took in a lot of ground on the prairie but always wanted to hunt for me.
She adapted easily to the grouse woods and even though she had more speed and range than was really necessary, she used it to her advantage.
Belle spent the winter of 2002-2003 with trainer Roger Buddin of Big Country Kennel in Texas. With Roger’s skill and patience, she learned to handle bobwhites and also matured considerably. That spring, she placed in every derby stake and won the 2003 MN/WI Cover Dog Derby of the Year Award.
On her final derby placement, I accepted the purse and officially became a professional handler.
Belle as a field trial champion
A young Belle in North Dakota (Chris Mathan photo)
Belle came of age in the fall of 2005 and for the ensuing three years, was among the top point-earning grouse trial dogs in the country. She placed first in back-to-back Wisconsin Cover Dog and Minnesota Grouse Dog Championships. The following spring, she won runner-up in the Grand National Grouse and Woodcock Invitational Championship and won the MN/WI Cover Shooting Dog of the Year Award. In 2006, she was runner-up in both the Minnesota Grouse Dog and the Lake States Grouse Dog Championships. Her final win was in the fall of 2007 when, again, she was runner-up at the Minnesota Grouse Dog Championship.
No other dog has placed in the Minnesota Grouse Dog Championship three times. She finished her career with two championships and four runner-up championships.
Belle: Highlights and lowlights
• Veteran Minnesota grouse trialers still mention Belle’s win of an open derby stake. She had a blistering, mature race and a scouted, stone-cold-broke grouse find on a part of the course that hasn’t seen a grouse since.
• I only lost Belle once at a field trial. During a raging thunderstorm and downpour at the Lake State Grouse Championship, she became lost. We found her 20 minutes later, running the road and looking for me.
• Belle won the Namekagon Sharptail Classic run from horseback in 2005 and placed in it for the following three years.
• I ran her two times in the National Open Prairie Chicken Shooting Dog Championship held near Buena Vista, Wisconsin. After her performances in 2005, one of the judges, Hall-of-Fame-handler Freddie Epp, rode up to me and drawled, “Your dog ran an ideal shooting dog race and, with a bird, she could have been a champion.”
• In 2007, Belle was invited to the Grand National Grouse and Woodcock Invitational Championship due to her runner-up placement in the trial the previous year. She began her first brace with a beautiful woodcock find and, true to her style, was tearing up the course in search of birds. A bit later, we found her on point, to the front and right of the course and in full view of judges, marshalls and gallery. She looked magnificent—strong, confident and lofty. As a judge and I walked in to flush, the grouse blew out low over Belle’s head and, to my disbelief and chagrin, she broke. Like a puppy, she chased that bird through the gallery and right past wide-eyed, speechless Paul. It was heart wrenching at the time, but today, it brings a smile and a tear.
Belle as a dam
Belle and her 2008 litter
Belle was bred five times and all to different sires as Paul and I planned the best matches. Most of her puppies were sold to bird hunters, where they have done extremely well, but several are campaigned and with much success.
2005: Gusty Blue
Paul kept a tri-color female, Houston’s Belle’s Choice, that I trained and competed with until about four years-of-age. Choice placed fourth in the Grand National Puppy Classic and was named first reserve dog in the Grand National Grouse Futurity, both held in Marienville, Pennsylvania. Choice won a good-sized shooting dog stake as a derby and had several grouse trial placements before being sold to another client for his hunting string.
2007: Blue Shaquille
Two of these puppies were trialed and both garnered placements in horseback AKC and grouse trials.
2008: CH Can’t Go Wrong
This breeding produced two outstanding field trial dogs. Ridge Creek Cody placed in the Quail Futurity and was the recipient of the 2010 Bill Conlin Setter Shooting Dog Derby. Houston’s Blackjack placed in horseback derby stakes and all-age competition. Two other litter brothers competed and won placements in grouse and walking field trials.
2009: CH Magic’s Rocky Belleboa
Four puppies went on to be field trial winners—three in grouse trials and one in horseback stakes.
2010: Northwoods Blue Ox
Her final litter produced only three puppies. While these are still quite young, Houston’s Miss Liddy, placed in a puppy stake and another, Merimac’s Blu Monday, shows great promise.
While her passing leaves a void that will never be filled, we have many of her progeny in our kennel, as does Paul. Her daughter, Houston’s Belle’s Choice, is an outstanding producer herself. Three of Choice’s progeny dominated the grouse trial derby stakes this past spring and one of them, Northwoods Chardonnay, won the 2011 MN/WI Cover Dog Derby of the Year Award. Every breeding female we have in the kennel traces back to Belle and we are especially excited about our breeding of Chardonnay to Houston’s Blackjack. This litter will have three crosses to Houston and two are through Belle.
Finally…
Limit of grouse for client courtesy of Belle!
Hall-of-Fame handler and co-developer of the famous Smith setters Harold Ray judged the 2006 Grand National Grouse Championship in Marienville where Belle and 73 others competed. When interviewed after the trial he named Belle as one of the select dogs he would love to have in his horseback shooting dog string. He said, “These dogs could go anywhere I run…The good ones will do good anywhere they run.”
Harold Ray was right. Belle won on the prairies of the Midwest and in the grouse woods of the Lake States and over the hills of Pennsylvania. She pointed grouse after grouse after grouse for our guiding clients. And better than all of that, she continued a legacy that will be enjoyed for many, many years.
Thank you, Paul, for giving me the opportunity to work with Belle.
Thank you, Belle. May the wind always be in your face and the birds plentiful.
Jerry and I are very sad to report that Paul Hauge had to make a heart-wrenching decision about Belle last week. She was diagnosed with painful and fast-spreading bone cancer in her rear legs. Paul laid her to rest on Thursday, April 28. She was 10 years old.
Belle was a 2x CH/4x RU-CH, all on grouse and woodcock and in championship venues in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. In addition, she was Minnesota/Wisconsin Derby of the Year in 2003 and Minnesota/Wisconsin Shooting Dog of the Year in 2005.
2007 RU-CH Minnesota Grouse Championship
2006 RU-CH Minnesota Grouse Championship
RU-CH Lakes State Grouse Championship
RU-CH Grand National Grouse & Woodcock Invitational
2005 CH Minnesota Grouse Championship
CH Wisconsin Cover Dog Championship
Belle was bred and owned by Paul but Jerry and I first got her as a one-year-old to begin her training and development. Fortunately, Jerry and Paul had a mutual commitment to her success because, essentially, we shared her. Paul let us have her with us almost as much as she lived with him.
Belle leaves a huge hole in our kennel…..but also what a legacy. As we look up and down our runs, Belle’s blood is everywhere. And we’re grateful for that.
We share Paul’s sorrow and loss…..but we will never forget her…..CH Houston’s Belle.
Do your research and get references. How long have they been breeding? Are they personally familiar with the dogs they’re breeding? For how many generations? Then make an appointment to visit the breeder. Are the kennels clean and the dogs healthy and well cared for? Do the dogs seem happy?
Not picking from the right litter.
Picking the right puppy is easy if you’re picking from the right litter from the right breeder. Like tends to produce like—if the sire and dam aren’t proven on the birds you hunt and in the manner you hunt, odds are that the offspring won’t either. All puppies are cute and it’s difficult to distinguish much among eight-week-old littermates.
Being in a hurry.
Hopefully your dog will live a long life of 10 or more years. It’s far more important to find the puppy that meets your needs rather than one that’s currently available. In fact, the best breeders usually have a waiting list.
Not knowing what you want.
Before you even begin your search, think about what you want. What qualities—such as looks, temperament, hunting ability—are important to you? What birds do you hunt? Do you like a close-working dog or a wide-ranger? Will your puppy live in the house or the kennel?
Choosing a puppy based on price.
Like most things in life, you get what you pay for. Good breeders who produce high quality dogs have invested time, effort and finances in doing so. In addition, the initial outlay is virtually inconsequential when compared to the cost of a dog over its lifetime.
A great aspect of our business is the people we meet. Jack and Linda are a wonderful couple who are fortunate enough to live on Maui (by way of Michigan). Last year they were in the market for a started English setter and came to us through a referral.
The rewarding part of our business is matching clients with the right dog. Zipper is a handsome, talented tri-color male out of Northwoods Blue Babe and frozen-semen Houston and bred by Paul Hauge. Jack and Linda bought him early last summer and then left him with us for further training.
Now Zipper, too, is lucky enough to live on Maui where he’s hunted on ringnecked pheasants, francolin and chukars.
We’re really enjoying Zippy. Jack thinks he is the perfect dog for us…
Linus comments to Charlie Brown: “You know what you and Snoopy should do? You should go to an obedience school.”
Snoopy’s cartoon bubble: “Why should we go to obedience school? He already does everything I want him to.”
~ Charles M. Schulz
I never miss the Peanuts comic strip in the newspaper. Its creator, Charles M. Schulz, died in 2000 but newspapers continue to run old strips……and I continue to read them faithfully.
The characters are wonderful. Charlie Brown is the perennial loser who tangles with kite-eating trees and comments, “I only dread one day at a time.” And who can resist loud-mouthed, selfish, crabby Lucy and her brother Linus, the sweet natured kid who is never without his blanket and believes in the Great Pumpkin?
My favorite character is Snoopy. He’s great whether he’s dancing “The Beagle,” imitating a fierce vulture or playing the World War I flying ace. And how can you not love a dog that lost everything when his dog house burned….but then resolutely replaced his ruined Van Gogh with a Wyeth?
While Charlie Brown can’t win on the baseball diamond or with the little red-haired girl, he has always been Snoopy’s devoted owner.
Several strips featuring Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the gang hang on the bulletin board of our kennel office.
A couple of my favorites:
— A simple one with no talking or cartoon bubbles features Charlie Brown holding an umbrella over Snoopy and his dog dish while Snoopy eats.
— Snoopy is barking during the night in the first frame. Lucy comments, “Listen! Do you think Snoopy sees a burglar?” Charlie Brown replies, “No, that isn’t his ‘Burglar Bark.’ That’s his ‘barking just for the sake of barking’ bark.”
— In a longer Sunday strip, Charlie Brown says, “It’s kind of cold tonight…it shouldn’t be so cold this time of year…I wonder if Snoopy is warm enough…I think I’ll take my sleeping bag out to him…”
Charlie Brown then takes his sleeping bag into the back yard for Snoopy and comments, “I can sleep well myself now, knowing he’s warm.”
The final frame shows Snoopy tucked into an enormous sleeping that hangs off the roof of his dog house and flows onto the ground.
Molly (RU-CH Northwoods Atlas x Houston’s Nelly Bly, 2023) backs Charlie (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Carbon, 2017) ~ Ken and Caroline Taylor, Jim and Flo DePolo, respectively, Pennsylvania
Filly (May’s Pond Hank x Northwoods Stardust, 2024) ~ Tom and Lauren Strand Family, Minnesota
Rae (CH Ridge Creek Cody x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2013) ~ David Larson, Minnesota
Junie (HOF CH True Confidence x Northwoods Comet, 2021) ~ Joey Paxman and Amanda Allpress, Montana
Normanie (RU-CH Northwoods Nirvana x Northwoods Carbon, 2017) and her pal ~ Walter Manley, Florida
Archie (CH Miller’s Upgraded Version x Northwoods Comet, 2024) ~ Blake and Solveig Nelson, Minnesota
Molly (RU-CH Northwoods Atlas x Houston’s Nelly Bly, 2023) ~ Ken and Caroline Taylor, Pennsylvania
Caddie (CH Southern Confidence x Northwoods Comet, 2023) ~ Brian Smith, Pennsylvania
Frisco (Blue Riptide x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2014), on left, and Zion (CH Snyder’s Pioneer Scout x Northwoods Cedar, 2022) ~ Rick and Jodi Buchholz, North Dakota
Rip (CH Woodville’s Yukon Cornelius x Northwoods Redbreast, 2024) ~ Greg and Michelle Johnson, Wisconsin
Miles (RU-CH Northwoods Atlas x Northwoods Madrid, 2024) ~ Lars Totton, New Jersey
Rip (Northwoods Louis Vuitton x Houston’s Dancing Queen, 2022) ~ Mark Fitchett, Kansas
Vida (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2019) ~ Tom Condon, Montana
Suki (May’s Pond Hank x Northwoods Stardust, 2024) ~ Eric Beauregard, Massachusetts
Winnie (CH Miller’s Upgraded Version x Northwoods Comet, 2024) ~ Joe and Jess Nelson Family, Minnesota
Tally (May’s Pond Hank x Northwoods Stardust, 2024), on left, and Georgia (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2015) ~ Joe and Deb Wech, Minnesota
Cosmos (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2019), on right, and his pal ~ The Collins Family, Georgia
Stanley (May's Pond Hank x Northwoods Stardust, 2024) ~ Johansson Family, Minnesota
Tyler (CH Miller’s Upgraded Version x Northwoods Comet, 2024) ~ Josh and Des Matel, Minnesota
Filly (May’s Pond Hank x Northwoods Stardust, 2024) ~ Tom and Lauren Strand Family, Minnesota
Sage (CH Miller’s Upgraded Version x Northwoods Comet, 2024), top, and Louis (CH Erin's Hidden Shamrock x Northwoods Nickel, 2018) ~ Joey Paxman and Amanda Allpress, Montana
Racer (CH Miller’s Upgraded Version x Northwoods Comet, 2024), right, and his very special pal JTH Cooper (HOF CH Rock Acre Blackhawk x Northwoods Vixen, 2015) ~ Doug and Nicole Miller, Oregon
Russell (CH Woodville’s Yukon Cornelius x Northwoods Redbreast, 2024) ~ Gregg Pike and Family, Montana
Abby (CH Woodville’s Yukon Cornelius x Northwoods Redbreast, 2024), on top of her new pal ~ Ben and Penelope Pierce, Montana
Annie (RU-CH Northwoods Nirvana x Northwoods Carbon, 2017) on her 7th birthday ~ Lynn and Kathy Olson, Iowa
Maisy (RU-CH Northwoods Atlas x Houston’s Nelly Bly, 2023) ~ Zenas and Susanne Hutcheson, Minnesota
Molly (RU-CH Northwoods Atlas x Houston’s Nelly Bly, 2023) ~ Ken and Caroline Taylor, Pennsylvania
Jordy (CH Elhew G Force x Northwoods Prancer, 2014). Look closely! ~ Mark and Janie Fouts, Wisconsin
Speck (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2018) ~ Mike Watson, Pennsylvania
RU-CH Northwoods Atlas (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Nickel, 2017) ~ Greg and Michelle Johnson, Wisconsin
Zion (CH Snyder’s Pioneer Scout x Northwoods Cedar, 2022) ~ Rick and Jodi Buchholz, North Dakota
Harper (CH Snyder’s Pioneer Scout x Northwoods Cedar, 2022) ~ Tom Dosen-Windorski, Minnesota
Attie (Southern Confidence x Northwoods Comet, 2023) ~ Jeff and Carol Hintz, Arizona
Chester (RU-CH Northwoods Atlas x Northwoods Stardust, 2023)
~ The Milles Family, Minnesota
Millie (RU-CH Northwoods Nirvana x Northwoods Carbon, 2017) ~ Mercer Clark, Georgia
Belle (CH Southern Confidence x Northwoods Comet, 2023) ~ Kevin Sipple, Wisconsin
Piper (CH Northwoods Sir Gordon x Houston’s Nelly Bly, 2021) ~ Tom and Ashton McPherson, Pennsylvania
I recently finished the New York Times bestseller Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Horowitz and overall found it fascinating. Horowitz is a cognitive scientist and her book explains, based on her research and the research of others, how dogs perceive their worlds, other dogs and humans. In short, she tries to help us picture what it is like to be a dog.
My favorite character is Snoopy. He’s great whether he’s dancing “The Beagle,” imitating a fierce vulture or playing the World War I flying ace. And how can you not love a dog that lost everything when his dog house burned….but then resolutely replaced his ruined Van Gogh with a Wyeth?
