Full Description
In the fall of the year 2000, diehard Lab enthusiast Bob Butz knew it was time to start another pup that would someday take over for his hard-charging veteran gun dog, Harper. He turned to Candlewood Kennels founder Mary Howley, who is arguably the most successful breeder of field Labs in the country. Bob wanted a dog with classic conformation and excellent hunting ability, but one that wouldn't be as demanding and challenging to handle and train as Harper.In these pages, you'll meet Belle, a pretty female yellow Lab that instantly captured Bob's heart and fulfilled his requirements to a T. You'll be anxious as you ford a swollen spring stream with her, laugh as she makes her first water retrieve, gasp as she flushes a planted pigeon and goes airborne after it. You'll bask in the quiet moments, too, when owner and dog simply soak up sights, sounds, and smells afield, both enjoying the special bond that so typifies Labs and their handlers.Collaborating with Lee Thomas Kjos, who is widely recognized as the nation's foremost photographer of retrievers, author Bob Butz describes Belle's development through each of the four seasons in her first year. His words are wonderfully evocative and descriptive, and they are brought alive, in brilliant color, by Lee Thomas Kjos's creative images.
