Just wanted to let you know how Murphy is doing. She is the friendliest and sweetest hunting Golden I have had. I worked with her a lot as a pup Nd she was super easy to yard train and gun break and had her finished to be steady to wing and shot at Fred Bradley’s over the summer. He thought she was 3 and she of course isn’t. She is loved by my wife (a horse/cat person) which is quite an accomplishment! She is hunting beautifully at a very young age and will be in the Catskills soon looking for grouse and woodcock. I could not imagine having a better, more biddable or better house dog and buddy who is obviously going to be an absolute joy to hunt with over the next decade. She is already finding the wind and not giving up on any birds.
The other day I was in a field that two mature dogs had scoured. They had both gotten birdy near a tree with some tall grasses around it and done lots of looking in the area. Murphy came out and when she got to the same spot worked the area for a few minutes and finally put up a beautiful cock pheasant to our collective joy and wonderment. She sat on the flush marked the downed bird and retrieved it to hand without a hitch. I was happy to have let her do her thing and not call her off the area even though she was there figuring it out a while. So already persistent and wasn’t fooled by a lot of movement and scent.
Your website explanation of what you are trying to do with your breeding Is exactly what you have accomplished.
Today she walked in the woods with my daughter. Last weekend she was running the beaches at the Jersey shore and retrieved so much in a big surf that I was worried she would tire but she just won’t! The duck dummy kept coming back and she would immediately sit quivering for another go through the rough surf! Afterwards a shower and dinner at my feet and my mother, who is used to less well behaved Labs, remarked on her perfection in looks and manners.
Thanks again for a wonderful hunter and great companion.