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Tribute to a Fallen Friend
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Tribute
to a Fallen Friend
In Memory of
Augie's Autumn Flight SH
August 29,1994 - December 06, 2005
There is a reason they are
called "Man's Best Friend".
Augie, you were loved by all who
knew you and will be greatly missed.
 
It is with
great sadness that I have to write this about a long time friend and companion.
Augie, a dog who has been at my side for over 11 years has passed on. It
grieves me to think I won't have him around each morning waking me up by
licking my face or following me around the house during the day just so
he could sneak an ear scratch or two. He was definitely one of the most
loyal and friendly dogs I have ever been around. He was soft and gentle
and happy to meet all the strangers that have crossed paths with unique
and very special dog.
 
He was a very accomplished
hunting dog. Sired by an AKC master hunter, Augie quickly became a skilled
retriever and finished both his junior hunter and senior hunter titles
before turning 2 in a very short year and a half. Although he was a skilled
retriever and ran several master hunt tests before he was retired from
the program, Augie's best hunting skill was upland game hunting, particularly
for pheasants. He was a master at tracking and flushing roosters in all
sorts of terrain and cover. He has hunted all sorts of game, including
waterfowl, chuckars, hungarian partridge, sage grouse, forest grouse, and
pheasants. He and his longtime hunting companion, Sprig, have traveled
extensively throughout Utah, Idaho, and Montana for hunt tests and hunting
opportunities, logging thousands of miles and potentially thousands of
birds flushed. Anybody that has had the opportunity to hunt behind Augie
knows his tracking ability for roosters was second to none.
 
As a dog trainer,
I learned a lot from Augie and he was very instrumental with much of the
success I have had with dogs since then. He was a big part of what I have
learned as a dog trainer. I have trained countless dogs over the years
but very few that were as smart and easily trained as he was. Augie was
definitely as close to being human as a dog could get as his personality
was not that of an ordinary dog. He was intelligent and he understood what
I wanted. I didn't have to talk to him like a dog. He had an understanding
that very few dogs have. I was able to communicate with Augie on a much
higher level than almost any other dog I have trained or even been around.
I am a firm believer there is a difference in the intelligence level of
different dogs and I know Augie's intelligence was way beyond what most
people think of when they think of dogs. I know I only scratched the surface
of his abilities and intelligence.
 
Sprig and Augie were
inseparable. They were never apart for more than a couple of hours their
entire lives. They have protected each other from many hair raising altercations
with raccoons and other dangerous critters and was always there for the
other one in such dangerous situations. They always hunted side by side,
including the very last day when they hunted grouse together with 2 of
Sprig's sons. Augie was flushing pheasants in the yard on many occasions
up to just a few days before his untimely passing. In fact, just weeks
before he died, Augie flushed his last rooster from the backyard and had
the opportunity to make his last retrieve on his favorite game bird just
a few yards from where he has been laid to rest.
 
Augie will be greatly
missed, but not just for his unmatched hunting ability but more for the
gentle and friendly way he always greeted people. He will be missed for
the way he gently nudged your hand wanting to be scratched. He will be
missed for the way he was always at the door when I came home. He will
be missed for how he always knew when I was opening the bag of dog biscuits.
He will be missed for many things but most of all, he will be missed because
he was a very close and important part of the home. He was family. He was
more than just an ordinary hunting dog, he was a member of the household
as he lived inside for most of his life, including the last 6 years where
he earned more than my respect but my love. The house is a little emptier
now and will never be the same without him. Me and Sprig miss him very
much. Thank you Augie. The sadness of your passing will be erased by all
of the wonderful times we shared and the memories I have of you.
 
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