The Canine Athlete: Fourwinds Duck Dogs

24/04/2025

One of my favorite pics of her at the Milwaukee house and then a throwback from her first birthday adventure in MN 14 years ago, because today she turns 15.

I was nice and gave her a bite of chicken skin this morning as a gift. She thanked me by ripping into the trash twice and climbing on my desk to steal my breakfast while I cleaned up her mess.

Her dementia will probably be her demise as her bloodwork is still impeccable.

I had a setter make 16 as a kid, and my Icelandic sheepdog saw 15.5. She's far and away the oldest toller we've had, so now I guess we count in months 🐾🎂.

And she's not coming on yurt weekend this weekend bc I dont want her to hurt the wolves up there. 😂🤦‍♀️.

Special shout out to my first red head who would have been 29 today too 🐴

23/04/2025

2 for 3 so far 🐾🤩🥰🐾 so impatient waiting on the next ultrasound🤞

21/04/2025

These two whackadoos played dog show this weekend. Angus only went Saturday and was WD, and full of all of his grandsire's dog show antics, complete with launch on to the ramp reminiscent of some recent beaver pond launches😬🐾🦫

Feral coyote might actually learn to stand on the ramp after all, showing the best she has to date and going reserve Sunday.

Audrey the brit grabbed some grand points both days and Bog the Dog showed the best I've seen, unfortunately continuing to be the only bracco entered that isnt campaigning with a pro, but Averi and Bog looked good as a warm up for the national!

We think we have Jake to thank for Journey's ramp confidence and Bog staying upbeat in the ring because he is essentially their human squeaky toy 🤷‍♀️.

Vice had a really hard job Sunday too 🖤🐾

17/04/2025

Someone is making sure his house gets a proper spring cleaning

16/04/2025

Finally! Someone decided to ovulate.

The soldiers have been launched, now we wait 😬🤞☀️🐾🖤🤍🤎

15/04/2025

Last weekend had a lot of spring cleaning in paddocks and kennels. Outlaw had the biggest mess as he believes in all the straw being OUT of his house not in. He thought a fresh skidsteer bucket load of pea gravel made a nice napping spot 🐾☀️

11/04/2025

Angus, stay.

Angus "wheeee!" 🐾🫣🤔

Boys are playgrounding at the yurt this week, finishing up beaver trapping season 🦫

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I got home from teaching last week, did chores, and told Ben Angus and his crate smelled like a swamp. 👆 these activities could be why 🤷‍♀️
?

10/04/2025

Here she is. Still going on solo field adventures bc she's taking her sweet time, baseline baseline baseline and we are on day 17 😭🤦‍♀️🐾.

But. She looks cute here. So I guess she's forgiven 🤷‍♀️

If we end up with puppies somehow, maybe we will name them IDEXX 🫣

05/04/2025

Special thanks to our friends Texas Embroidery and Designs for this thoughtful gift that arrived in the mail 🐾🥰

An embroidered GSP hoodie complete as a liver roan to honor our Gallie Monster.

Few are the days I don't still expect her to meet me at the kitchen door when I open it and spring chores on the farm are not the same without the best ever farm dog.

Check them out for your design needs, Emma is well versed in dogs and can help bring your logos to merch of all kinds.

The funny thing is, she was concerned it wasn't still cold enough in Wisconsin to wear a hoodie 😂

01/04/2025

Hello Angus 🐾

01/04/2025

Know what I think is cool? Besides how much she looks like a wolf. 🐺🐾

She won the Beargrease a few years ago and now she's sunbathing in my backyard. ☀️

The sled dog world is a little odd to me in how much dogs get passed around. In the majority of the cases the dogs don't care as long as they are working as the job is in their DNA. Workaholics if you will.

However, it's provided some amazing learning opportunities for us and who better to teach us than the canine experts themselves. 🤷‍♀️

We are building our team(s) both from the top down and bottom up and are looking forward to spring runs and summer sun maps.

She runs next to Sako too so it's quite the wild canid looking pair

30/03/2025

The forecast is depressing. Mud is hard on bodies and joints, rain is at times hard on spirits. We are making the best of this rainy weekend at home. Taking wet field walks, moving horses to different areas for different sights sounds and friends. And enrichment based feeding all around.

When we harvest deer, we literally only throw away the skull and spine. All the rest gets put to use. Today we made "wraps" with our frozen deer ears. Sometimes we dehydrate them but since these were frozen we filled them with a colostrum powder, oats, smashed up sardines, psyllium, and water mixture and returned to the freezer for rainy day snacks tmrw.

If you're a raw feeder who takes 🦌remember this trick, and if you're a deer hunter with a dog, remember this trick! Ears are cartilage based which is a good source of nutrients that support joints, and the hair offers a source of biotin and fiber.

Now, whether my clothes will ever come clean after it was Pesto's turn to do horse chores this morning is still to be determined 🤷‍♀️🐾

Now for movie night in the rain with sleepy dogs 🎬

28/03/2025

A week in the life of V***n. And the dishwasher was minutes before she shredded coffee grounds all over the laundry room.

She will be the death of me before she ever goes 🐾🤦‍♀️

27/03/2025

Leinie getting a tidy up, spring 4dx (neg!) And his laser treatment today 🤩🐾

27/03/2025

VC CH Jezebel says "weeeee telling the coyotes I'm in heat!" 🐾

26/03/2025

**the queen** 🐾💔🙌

The is Grouse Points Long Time Coming “Gallie”, a GSP who received a NA prize 1 and UT prize 1 and loved her family and the Grouse woods.
Owner:

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25/03/2025

We have high hopes for some spring puppy fun around here!

However, this is NOT how we dock tails 😬