Caja

     She is less independent, and the more biddable of the two.  She does not bay when she establishes scent and is more methodical in expressing prey drive, though she always finds her quarry.  She has not had the thousand grouse necessary to make a great grouse dog and we are working on that.  Her point is gentle in nature as we have worked far more woodcock over her than grouse.  She prefers wild birds over planted training birds.  She runs hard and her range is medium to within sight while in the grouse woods and often checks back, unless she has encountered a bird, in which case finding her can be a chore with no bell available.  She is a true utility gun dog,  very steady to wing and shot (almost to a fault), she is still looking for that precious level of freedom, in regard to her range and approach that it takes to work a crafty grouse to hold for the gun.  Yet this hunting season (2006) Caja was our high stakes grouse dog as I gave her more opportunities than VC Bou and she delivered accordingly.  It was very welcoming to see her mature on those wings of thunder when hunting out in the Allegheny’s for our good month together. With her legs working for her she often came up on them off guard and as she settled into her point I would wonder are we hunting chukar(?), then off a flush and down another grouse, it seemed too easy over her.

     Caja works rabbit and all furred game with a point first, and then a release command.  When out of sight will provide chase but without baying (she does a high pitched whine in hot pursuit) she usually corners her quarry and establishes point until the gun is at hand.  Both Caja and VC Bou are faultless in regard to waterfowl, but in regard to jump shooting ducks my choice of company is Caja.  In our approach to waterfowl she is quietest and most careful of the two.  She can approach the closest in the quietest manor and yet with a hand signal wait behind as I go further to position myself for the rise.  Neither dog has ever missed a retrieve of a shot bird, except once, that being when a woodcock was not found due to a full choke and a high canopy of spotted alder that was there to collect its noble remains.