Training Buddy

Pete Moss was looking forward to the fall conclave of the Chukar Harbor Ancient Order of Sportsmen (CHAOS) because he had acquired an 8-week old English Setter that he named Buddy and Buddy would be finished with his training just in time to join the other dogs and CHAOS members for his first grouse hunt. Buddy turned out to be a natural for hunting. He was curious about everything, smart, full of energy, and had the stamina to play for hours, before collapsing on Pete’s lap in the evening.

After learning that relieving himself indoors seemed to upset Pete, life got better for Buddy. Pete was the alpha male and Buddy delighted in being around Pete whenever he could. Whatever Pete wanted to do, sounded like a great adventure to Buddy and Pete did lots of dog stuff like exploring the woods, playing in cool creeks, and chasing squirrels.

However, Pete’s vocal noises were confusing so Buddy decided Pete needed to learn how to speak better dog. It only took Buddy a short time to train Pete to use the word "come" with the proper tone and inflection when he wanted Buddy to return. Teaching Pete to say "sit" whenever Buddy wanted to sit came more easily for Pete. Buddy thought Pete was smart and had some potential.

During their weeks in the woods together, Pete learned to follow more effectively while Buddy would quarter at a moderate pace. Buddy had the speed and agility to cover a lot of ground, but Pete seemed slow and more methodical. Buddy had the skin and coat to resist punctures and tears in thick cover, but Pete preferred the more open stands of Aspens and Birch. Despite these differences, Buddy thought they made a great team.

Within only a few weeks, Pete learned to say "steady" whenever Buddy would find and point to a bird and to say "drop" when Buddy would return with a decoy. For a long time, Buddy had to wrestle Pete for the bird until Pete learned to say the word properly. Once Pete discovered the proper tone and inflection of the word "drop", Buddy would place the decoy at Pete’s feet and sit patiently until Pete learned to fuss over him and offer a treat.

The day finally came when Pete took Buddy to the CHAOS conclave. Buddy spent the first few hours running around camp getting to know the other two dogs in camp. In the afternoon, Pete opened the door of his car and Buddy climbed onto the seat next to him. When Pete stopped the car, they were in new woods unfamiliar to Buddy, but the other dogs seemed excited. Buddy jumped out and ran over to the other dogs. They explained to Buddy that this was the opening day of grouse season and they were all going hunting together. There was Pete of course along with Ivan O. Dodge, Abel Andretti, and Titus Over.

Pete spent 6 months training buddy to search, point, and retrieve but this was the first opportunity to take Buddy out with other, more experienced dogs. At first, Buddy was too excited. When he ran up on the other dogs and flushed a couple birds, the tone and inflection of Pete’s voice told Buddy that Pete was not happy.

After losing his concentration a couple of times, moving in too closely on a bird, and going on point for a box turtle, Buddy, was sick and tired of hearing Pete complain. Buddy decided to stay back and watch the other dogs work, sensing disgust and disappointment in Pete’s demeanor and voice. Buddy wondered what happened to the alpha male who liked to run in the woods and play in the creeks. Buddy chased a rabbit just to burn off some energy, and then began following what the other dogs were doing.

Near the end of the day, Pete saw Buddy go on point. Buddy’s form was perfect. The only motion was in Buddy’s eyes as he glanced to see if Pete was coming. Buddy held perfectly motionless with an intensity that Pete had never seen before.

"Steady." Pete commanded in the proper tone and inflection. "Steady, Buddy." As Pete approached from Buddy’s left, he saw the tall grass move about six feet in front of the dog. Pete tripped off his safety as he stepped forward slowly and deliberately. Pete expected the bird to flush at any instant. He raised his shotgun to his shoulder and glanced toward Buddy for only a split second when he heard the grass rustle.

The next second or so occurred in slow motion, and are indelibly imprinted into Pete’s memory. At the same moment the grass rustled, Pete saw Buddy break point. Expecting the exhilaration of a flushing bird, Pete turned his eyes back to the grass just in time to see the stream of fluid shooting upwards. The skunk had decided to take out the bigger enemy first and in the fraction of a second that it took the skunk to shift its stance, Buddy’s youthful agility enabled his escape and he bolted. Pete was the alpha male so he could deal with the situation.

Buddy picked up the scent from thirty feet away and heard Pete using several new words in a very loud and unfriendly tone. Buddy spent months training Pete but now Pete’s tone of voice and inflection were not even close to getting Buddy to "come". On the other hand, Ivan, Titus, and Abel seemed elated at the turn of events and were rolling around on the ground in obvious delight. Buddy decided it might be wiser to stay close to them.

Buddy kept his distance from Pete (well, everyone kept their distance from Pete) as the hunting party returned to the parking area. Buddy thought the other men exhibited odd behavior by laughing every time Buddy ignored Pete's new commands still using that loud, unfriendly tone.

Back at the parking area, Buddy sensed that he was still better off with the others than with Pete, so he sat with the other dogs. The other dogs greeted Buddy with their noses to his ear whispering that they could not believe he pointed on a skunk. Buddy didn’t know some breeds of dogs could snicker.

The three dogs sat watching Pete remove his clothes and tie them to the car’s roof rack while the other men packed their guns and gear. Then the other two dogs hopped into the rear of Ivan’s SUV. Pete was calling for Buddy to come, but Buddy was not about to get into a car with a raging, naked man that stunk that badly, and would not use the proper tone and inflection. Instead, Buddy turned around and hopped into the back of Ivan’s SUV to the guffaws and ribbing of the other three men. Pete had had enough. He slammed the car door, opened all the windows, and sped out of the parking area in a cloud of dust.

CHAOS member and Chukar County Sheriff, Flint Locke, had forgotten to shut his radar off when he backed off the road onto a faint two-track lane to finish his morning report. The radar signal startled Flint and as he looked up, a car suddenly shot past him traveling at a reckless speed so Sheriff Locke accelerated onto the road turning his siren and lights on in pursuit through the cloud of dust from the gravel road.

Once the car stopped, and the dust settled, Flint recognized Pete’s car and saw the hunting clothes tied to the luggage rack. When he stepped out of the patrol car, Flint’s nose told him why the clothes were tied to the rack. Flint approached the open driver’s window by walking around and upwind of the odorous apparel.

As he peered into the car, Flint saw his naked friend in the driver’s seat. Pete turned his head and glowered silently at his uniformed friend now staggering backward. At a sufficient distance from the car, Flint was able to take a deep breath and began howling in laughter. Pete didn’t wait around to be further humiliated. A silent, colorless cloud of acrid aroma was beginning to enter the car. Pete put the car into gear and sped away toward camp in a cloud of dust.

It took about a month for Bastard to learn his new name.
　

Royal Dun