Bird Dog & Retriever News
February/ March 2026 issue page 8
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“Puppies”
by Ken M. Blomberg
“Whoever said you can’t buy happiness forgot little puppies.”
I’ve quoted the late, great outdoor writer Gene Hill before - and as always, his words ring true. You see, over the years, every time our females gave birth to a whelping box of puppies, joy came to our family members, friends and new puppy owners. For long time followers of this column, you’ll recognize that lately cocker spaniels have been my constant sidekicks at home and afield.
English cocker spaniels joined German shorthaired pointers at our kennel many years ago when the boss and I brought a male named Buster home from a nationally recognized breeder in top-notch field bred English cocker spaniels. He was born in June of 2010. I found him among a litter of 8-week old puppies at Fallen Wings Kennels near Hilbert, Wisconsin. There, two of the top breeders in the nation, Rumi and Mike Schroeder, introduced me to the wonderful world of field bred English cocker spaniels.
The breed club notes cockers are, “merry and affectionate, of equable disposition, neither sluggish nor hyperactive, a willing worker and a faithful and engaging companion”. That’s an understatement, I might add. Most who hunt over the breed will note “they will make you laugh”. Buster was all of that - merry, affectionate and bold in the woods, field and marshes.
Faithful readers of my Kennel Talk column watched Buster mature over the years. You read about his travels with me to the Canadian prairies of Saskatchewan, northwest to North Dakota and Montana, to the marshes and cornfields of Iowa and of course, throughout Wisconsin. Together, we put some miles behind us over the course of twelve years. Today, his daughter Mitzie, rides shotgun in my truck and rests on my lap in the house.
Conventional wisdom has long declared that gun dogs reach their prime between ages 6 through 10. Buster hit the ground running right off the bat, and despite my faults as a trainer, bucked the establishment and performed at a high level in the field from early on. A flushing dog that hunted for the gun, he seldom was out of shotgun range and quartered the woods and fields in search of his quarry like a pro. He made retrieves that took my breath away. Found wounded gamebirds and waterfowl other dogs would have given up on. Flushed countless woodcock, grouse, pheasant, and prairie game birds like Huns and sharp-tails. At 8-years old, he was, no doubt, at the top of his game. Along the way, we bought a pair of females, Belle and Bingo. Sisters from the same litter, theywere born in Ohio and purchased while on a visit to family friends in Indiana. All black and tan in coloration, they produced black and tan puppies - no doubt a shared dominant color gene.
Over time, they produced several litters of puppies. Early on, the newborns would, as No. 1 granddaughter said, were only “sleeping, eating and pooping”. Nevertheless, the socialization process would begin a few days after they were born. Their eyes and ear canals would be still closed, but responded to their mother’s and human touch. So, at every opportunity, we allowed the grandkids and neighbor boys to cuddle the pups. During the first three weeks of life, puppies require little assistance from humans - as long as the mother is doing her job. But gentle human contact at that time is crucial for later social development.
To that end, we added puppy playtime to our kennel activities during those early whelping box days . And I’m here to tell you, for that chore I was never lacking volunteers!
Blomberg is the author of four books, UP THE CREEK, WISCONSIN BIRD HUNTING TALES, LETTERS FROM ART, and COUNTRY JOURNAL & OLD MAN MUSINGS. All are available at either amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com or by request through your local independent book store. Autographed copies are available from the author at kenmblomberg@gmail.com
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