In Memory of Sprig Ludwig Bach MH
AKC Master Hunter
A close friend for more than sixteen years
4/18/93 - 9/22/09

It is with great sadness I have to report the loss of one of the great labrador retrievers, a highly skilled hunting dog and member of our family. Sprig Ludwig Bach MH passed away at an astounding sixteen and a half years old, commonly thought of as one of the oldest living master hunter retrievers in the country before his passing. But Sprig was more than just a top level bird dog and hunting companion, he was a friend and family member we will all miss dearly.

The greatest reward of having a top notch hunting dog like Sprig is not made up of the times spent hunting together but rather the loyalty and companionship that only comes from their friendship regardless of the time of year or activity pursued. The times outside of hunting season when their services are not needed but their friendship is freely given and their loyalty never wavers is what makes a good dog a great companion and friend. Sprig was just such a dog.

As an AKC master hunter retriever, Sprig was no rookie to the rigorous demands of hunting. The yellow labrador's hunting prowess and ability was second to none. Sprig was legendary at chasing cagey roosters in thick cattails and he was relentless at retrieving a variety of waterfowl from an icy marsh. He pursued the crafty chuckar on steep rocky mountainsides and chased blue grouse at 10,000 feet where few have even set foot. Sprig was a bird dog through and through. Year after year, for 12 seasons Sprig was by my side out in the field for the good times and bad. He didn't care what we were pursuing or the conditions we were pursuing it in, he just wanted to be their with me. The faithful canine would see me grab my gear and immediately knew we were going hunting. I didn't have to say anything to him. Sprig just knew what we were doing and he was in the truck as soon as I opened the door without saying a word to him.

Sprig obtained his AKC junior hunter, senior hunter and master hunter titles in a very short time, even though he and I were brand new to the AKC hunt test program. In a short 3 year period, the young retriever obtained his junior, senior and master hunter titles, which is a remarkable feat as a vast number of dogs take several years just to earn their first title, if at all. His desire to learn and understand what I was trying to teach him was nothing short of remarkable, especially since I was learning at the same time as this venture was just as new to me as it was to him. I will admit there were many times that yellow dog made me look good while we worked towards his hunt test titles as I made many mistakes in training and in competition. But Sprig knew what to do. He knew what I wanted from him and he always gave me his best. We didn't use the "latest" training methods or have any fancy training equipment. In fact, armed with nothing more than just a few training dummies and my first training book, Game Dog by Richard A. Wolters, we plunged into the dog training arena and never looked back. He is proof that all you need to train a great hunting dog is a bond with the dog, which he and I had like few others ever reach. It was the uncanny success I had with him that lead me to become a professional dog trainer and my kennel and training programs were built around Sprig and what I have learned from him. A program built on trust and a strong bond with the dog.

His ability to hunt was but a small part of what this great dog gave me. He gave more than just a great nose and an uncanny ability to find game birds. He gave friendship and loyalty for over sixteen years. He was more than just a highly skilled hunting dog, far far more. He literally changed my life for the better in ways I am still learning about.

From day one Sprig was loyal, eager to learn and highly intelligent. House trained in just a few short weeks, Sprig took it a step further. He taught himself to relieve himself in his dog run and no where else in the yard. I would see the yellow labrador dashing to his kennel, wondering what brought on that strange behavior only to find he made my job of keeping the grass clean much easier. In fact, I never really had to clean up after him because of this self taught miracle.

As Sprig's hunting ability grew, he was asked to film several episodes for a local wildlife tv show, including a duck hunt where he had to hunt out of a duck hunting boat for the first time ever. Being the dog that he was, hunting out of a boat for the very first time and also being concealed where he couldn't even see the action didn't slow him down. I was impressed at how flawlessly he performed the job and I learned a lot about Sprig that day.

Over the course of his career, Sprig accompanied me to many trade and outdoor shows. He not only spent time in the booths with me, giving kids and adults alike much attention, but performed dog demonstrations for the crowds and onlookers. The large crowds and noisy environment didn't rattle the calm but enthusiastic yellow labrador. In fact, Sprig seemed to thrive on the attention and the time we would spend together at these events.

Sprig was the dog he was not only because of his genetic gift but also from the bond we shared. We were inseparable from day one. He wasn't treated like "just another dog" and he responded by being far more than just a dog. I truly believe you get out of what you put into these great animals, not just from training but more so from the bond you make with them. Sprig and I had that bond like no other. Most of his life was spent living inside with me, sleeping at the foot of the bed except for the times the crafty canine would sneak up on the bed after I was asleep. When we went somewhere, like on one of our training sessions, for example, Sprig would often ride with me in the front seat of the truck, alertly sitting in the passenger seat with his big brown eyes glued to the road as if he already knew where we were going.

I didn't see him as just an ordinary dog but much more than that. He was someone that would keep me company late at night after work. He was someone that would fetch my shoes for me when I was looking for them. He was someone that traveled extensively with me and never needed a leash or had to be crated. He was even someone that even retrieved my hat one day when a freak wind gust came up and blew my hat off my head and into a canal and was floating away. Many times during our hunt test excursions, Sprig would be patiently waiting on the tailgate of the truck for his turn to run and waited for me, sometimes for hours at a time, to call him before he got down from he tailgate.

For those who have skilled hunting dogs but haven't experienced the companionship and friendship a dog like Sprig can provide, I feel sorry for them. They are missing out on the greatest joys a canine companion can give, more than just retrieving a duck or flushing a rooster, far far more than that. They are not just hunting companions but family members. They are not just tools to use out in the field, like a shotgun or duck call. They are our friends. They deserve more than just sitting out in a kennel, waiting for hunting season to arrive. They deserve our unconditional loyalty year round like they give us theirs without any reservation.

For sixteen and a half years me, Sprig and I were the best of friends. For many of those years, Sprig, his brother Augie and I would travel to countless hunt tests out of state, enduring long boring drives together, sleeping in the back of a pick up truck along the way to rest our weary eyes. I would trade part of my sandwich with the friendly retriever for a lick on the cheek and a wag of his tail. We would brave the elements and also rugged terrain to spend time hunting together. But more than that, Sprig would be by my side no matter what we did or where we were. He was just as happy at my feet here at home as he was out hunting. I know that for a fact. Even in his last days, Sprig's loyalty and companionship never diminished, not one bit. I know without question that brave yellow labrador hung on as long as he did because me and him were best of friends. Some people will try and convince you dogs can't get attached to us like we do with them. I pity those who think this way because they have never experienced what a dog like Sprig can bring to their lives and can give them with their human-like personalities and traits.

Sprig and his brother Augie, who died a couple years ago, are perfect examples of how nothing more than a strong bond with your dog can give you more than one could ever expect. Sprig and I have been missing Augie for a couple years now and now I am missing Sprig like I didn't even imagine I would. When a dog gives you as much as Sprig gave me over the course of sixteen and a half years, it is impossible not to miss him like I am currently missing him and I will continue to miss him until we meet again someday.

These dogs have loyalty. They have emotions. They have the desire to please. We can truly connect with them if we give them the chance. If we treat them with respect and train them accordingly, they will give back much more than we put into them and way more than we could ever expect. Sprig will be missed by many who had the opportunity to hunt behind him. Sprig will be missed by those who had the opportunity to meet him and see him perform. But most of all, Sprig will be missed by his family, those of us who were so blessed to have known this amazing animal for the past sixteen and a half years and were touched by his loyalty and friendship. I will miss him more than words can describe for he is part of our family and my best friend. Goodbye Sprig. I miss you.

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