Post by Marc Gray on Dec 5, 2017 8:44:09 GMT -5
GRAY'S PRAIRIE DAISY
June 4, 2007 - December 4, 2017
Words cannot express what this dog meant to me. A treasured hunting partner & dedicated family companion. Her passing, in many ways, is the end of an era. However, Daisy's contribution to the Mountain Feist breed & influence on our kennel will be felt for many years to come. Her descendants are satisfying hunters across the country.
I raised her from a pup after training her parents. I was there when she was born & there when she died. She treed literally thousands of squirrels for us. While primarily a squirrel dog, she excelled at flushing wild upland game birds, running rabbits, treeing coons & more. Daisy loved playing fetch and knew scores of commands including obeying hand signals while afield. She ended up being a wonderful breed ambassador introducing dozens of people to squirrel hunting with dogs.
There were 6 litters out of this female and her impact on their conformation & abilities of the resulting 35 pups was obvious, regardless of the male she was bred to. Daisy was whelped in South Dakota while I was in grad school. Treed her first squirrel in -16F weather at 6 months of age. She meat hunted & competed in sanctioned events in at least a dozen states. Had I campaigned her better, I am confident she could have earned top titles for squirrel hunting & on the bench. If any dog deserved titles, it was Daisy. Her ability to seemingly make squirrels appear out of thin air made her a joy to walk behind. A very accurate tree dog in all conditions. She did have points toward Squirrel Champion & Bench Champion in UKC, NKC & WTDA registries but our location prevented regular attendance.
Jess & I produced two dvd's featuring Daisy and she was highlighted in the December 2017 issue of Missouri Conservationist Magazine article about squirrel dogs, among other pieces over the 11 squirrel seasons we shared. Her image can be easily found while searching online. People all over the country can attest to her hunting ability.
Most importantly she was good & gentle with our kids. Daisy will probably be the first family dog they remember. They love her dearly. Thank you, Daisy for being such a great dog. You will be missed.
June 4, 2007 - December 4, 2017
Words cannot express what this dog meant to me. A treasured hunting partner & dedicated family companion. Her passing, in many ways, is the end of an era. However, Daisy's contribution to the Mountain Feist breed & influence on our kennel will be felt for many years to come. Her descendants are satisfying hunters across the country.
I raised her from a pup after training her parents. I was there when she was born & there when she died. She treed literally thousands of squirrels for us. While primarily a squirrel dog, she excelled at flushing wild upland game birds, running rabbits, treeing coons & more. Daisy loved playing fetch and knew scores of commands including obeying hand signals while afield. She ended up being a wonderful breed ambassador introducing dozens of people to squirrel hunting with dogs.
There were 6 litters out of this female and her impact on their conformation & abilities of the resulting 35 pups was obvious, regardless of the male she was bred to. Daisy was whelped in South Dakota while I was in grad school. Treed her first squirrel in -16F weather at 6 months of age. She meat hunted & competed in sanctioned events in at least a dozen states. Had I campaigned her better, I am confident she could have earned top titles for squirrel hunting & on the bench. If any dog deserved titles, it was Daisy. Her ability to seemingly make squirrels appear out of thin air made her a joy to walk behind. A very accurate tree dog in all conditions. She did have points toward Squirrel Champion & Bench Champion in UKC, NKC & WTDA registries but our location prevented regular attendance.
Jess & I produced two dvd's featuring Daisy and she was highlighted in the December 2017 issue of Missouri Conservationist Magazine article about squirrel dogs, among other pieces over the 11 squirrel seasons we shared. Her image can be easily found while searching online. People all over the country can attest to her hunting ability.
Most importantly she was good & gentle with our kids. Daisy will probably be the first family dog they remember. They love her dearly. Thank you, Daisy for being such a great dog. You will be missed.
