I had a job in Germany last week, which initially looked a straightforward job, photographing a wild boar shoot in the forests of Rheinland. Howeer as the day drew nearer, one or two strange coincidences started happening, and I was getting to hear tales of bloodhounds being somehow involved in the weekend. So therefore it came as a great and wonderful surprise to discover that the boar hunt I was photographing for a magazine, was actually one that was driven by bloodhounds....and not just ANY old bloodhounds, but two of them were the sons of my very own Generous. What an amazing coincidence.
Now all the bloodhounds I have ever owned, (apart from tolerant who was trained to track wounded deer) have only hunted "clean boot" ie the natural scent of man, and they have never been allowed to hunt "wildlife" so I was very interested to see what would happen.
You cannot begin to imagine the spine tingling sensation you get when 6 adult male hounds start speaking on the line of a wild boar, in the snowy forest hillside, and its echoing right up the valley. So although I always abide by the rule of never mixing business with pleasure, this was one exception I was happy to make!
On our return home, Logic was looking decidedly fatter and most definitely pregnant, so her special pregnancy (puppy building) diet has been started, and her waist is being measured daily!
APPARENTLY THE NEXT PARAGRAPH HAS CAUSED SOME CONTRAVERSY AMONGST A COUPLE OF BREEDERS, WHO SEEM TO IMAGINE I AM TALKING ABOUT THEM OR SOME FRIEND OF THEIRS. SADLY INSTEAD OF ASKING FOR CONFIRMATION, THEY HAVE JUST GONE AHEAD AND PUT A LOAD OF UNPLEASANT COMMENTS ON THEIR OWN WEBSITE OR BLOG ND ASSUMED THAT MY COMMENT IS DIRECTED AT THEM. IF THEY HAD BOTHERED TO ASK ABOUT WHOM I WAS REFERRING THEY WOULD HAVE REALISED ITS MOST UNLIKELY THE PERSON IM WRITING ABOUT IS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THEM (UNLESS THEY HAVE SOME LOW LIFE PALS BREEDING FROM UNREGISTERED BLOODHOUNDS COURSE!)
I STILL MAINTAIN THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN GO TO AN ADDRESS AND BUY A 12 WEEK OLD PUPPY WITHOUT BEING ASKED ANY QUESTIONS, IT IS NOT THE RIGHT WAY TO GO ABOUT IT.
I am trying to fathom out why someone would rather have an "instant puppy" from someone who is a novice in the breed themselves, and (according to the kennel club website anyhow) from nonregistered or health tested parents. Why anyone would do that, when they can go to a breeder who health tests, who has many many years of experience to offer them, who can help them out with all aspects of the breed, whether it be showing or trialling, all for the sake of "wanting it now". I sometimes wonder if people use their brains atall, and whether they actually consider that they have to live with their hasty decisions for many many years to come.
