Fish Tales from the Dog

Recently I and one of my employees, Amanda, spent some travel time together while returning from a dog training workshop in Ohio. Having lots of time together in the car, we had plenty of time to chat. To no surprise, dogs became the primary topic of conversation.

But what was a surprise when Amanda asked me if I’d ever heard of or seen a dog who loved to go fishing.

At first my thought was “sure I can imagine a dog who cues on the fishing gear”  A dog who would get excited because they knew a trip to the great outdoors and water and possible swimming time was about to occur. I imagined a dog who understood the link between fishing gear and the ability to go play on the shore and enjoy the sites and smells of the water.

But Amanda went on to explain, “No, a dog who really LOVED to actually fish”

Of course I sort of laughed it off and thought no, I can’t imagine a dog who really appreciated the ‘fishing’ part.

So the story unfolded and Amanda told me of her father’s dog, Jake, a black lab who goes over-the-moon gaga when the fishing gear comes out. Crazy happy, not because of the outdoor adventure time but because it means they were going fishing!

Apparently Jake sits patiently on the bank, keenly watching the line from the moment it enters the water. He sits and waits, remaining fixed on the line. As soon as there is a movement, he hightails it to the water’s edge just waiting for the catch to be reeled in. And when the finned critter is within reach he does his job, retrieving it and bringing it in.

Amanda had a few stories of Jake. Mostly about him so excited with his catch and getting tangled in the line during his ‘retrieve’. Yes, he is also a bird dog, but apparently fishing is his real passion.

I questioned the authenticity of the story so she produced a picture she had on her phone.

Seeing is believing, but I made her promise this fishing season we want video confirmation. Pretty cool, huh?