Hank - My First Childhood Dog

The first dog we had as a family was a yellow lab named Hank.  Here is a photo of him as a pup, taken in 1970, in what looks like our family kitchen.  I had lots of pets growing up; hamsters, Guinea pigs, mice and garter snakes.  But one can never forget their first dog.  I certainly don't.

 

(Me, Hank and my little brother Dan at the family cottage)

(Hank and most likely me in the background swimming.  I was constantly in the lake)

 

My Dad enjoyed duck hunting and he chose this breed since they were suppose to be good retrievers.  (In hindsight he probably wished he had gone for a Golden Retriever, but Mom wasn't keen on the long fur).   I have fond memories of my Dad trying to train Hank to develop some retrieval skills, using an orange nylon stuffed bag.  He'd work with him for hours tossing the bag into the lake or into the woods.

Hank was really really good at bringing the bag back and in the real duck hunting world, bringing the duck back.  Unfortunately he was not good at what they call the "release".   He just would not let go of the darn thing.  Plain and simple.  Took a lot of pulling and wrangling to get him to give up the goods.  It made my Dad frustrated and made for very holey ducks at the dinner table.  (Every duck comes with holes from the buckshot but Hank always added his own "touch").

I do hope to see Hank on the "other side" someday.  Hope to see all of the dogs that have been in my life.  My hamster Hercules who bit me one too many times?  Well....not so much.  

What childhood memories do you have of your first dog?  Or first cat?

 

 

Comments

[MySlimDoggy]

Love to see the lab pup...he's so cute. My grandfather raised collies on our farm when I was growing up. We had just a mom &dad, no big breeding facility. They were beautiful dogs. I don't have many memories tho as I developed allergies and we had to give them up. When I got older we got a yellow lab, like Hank named Maxine...she had two litters of puppies and what a crazy, wonderful time that was! Going to write about her on our blog soon. Thanks for bringing up the memories!

[german rottweilers]

I had a cat named Lucy. And after few months I lost her..!!I have such fond memories of that cat. She taught me that sometimes it’s okay to not get what you want because sometimes you are going to end up with something much better.