The old bird dog that didn't hunt

This is Lou.  Lou has been in our family for about 15 years now and he an English Setter.  Lou was introduced to us by a friend who had gotten a bird dog that was a "little gun-shy".  I am starting to believe being a "little gun-shy" is like being a "little pregnant"...

Lou is a good dog, although a little skiddish, and he has been since we brought him home.  He likes to hunt, as long as there is no shooting going on he will hunt all day.  When the first gun goes off he likes to find a hole or dig a hole to hide in.

Why would any hunter keep a gun-shy dog around and feed him year round?  Meet our family.  We tend to take in those animals that no one else wanted and give them a home to live out their natural lives.  What did we, as a family, get by taking in this particular porch hound?  He, as most dogs, has always shown unconditional love and loyalty.  He has also fathered one of Todd's favorite hunting dogs.

In our lives many dogs have come and gone.  We have had some that haven't been around long and we have had those that have secured a place in our hearts and will always be remembered.  As for Lou, we are estimating his age to be somewhere around 17 or 18 and although he is starting to show his age most days he is still pretty full of life.

This weekend is the coveted opening day of another quail season.  After Todd and the other dogs leave for their daily adventure I will try to have a special treat ready for Lou to enjoy. I will be able to look out my front window and see Lou, sitting in the front yard looking toward the road waiting for their return.  He always looks so sad, as if he wants to hunt, but knows it just isn't possible.  As we look at another winter, we wonder if this will be Lou's last one, or if he will make it through it at all.

Loyalty is something that is often overlooked and unappreciated.  We can depend on Lou to be there, at least as long as the good Lord allows him to be.  Sometimes we think we have been put on this Earth for one reason because  we have always been told that, when in actuality maybe our purpose in life is something completely different.  This English Setter was born to hunt, or at least that was what they thought would be his main purpose, but this one was destined to be something different and in some ways something more.