Scott Linden Outdoors

I felt like he looks.

They are called “creatures of habit” for a reason. Dogs crave routine – feeding times, crate locations, daily schedules, they even key into sounds as clues to what’s happening next in their lives. Easy at home, much less on the road.

Flick is home from his third long trip – this one 11 days, easily his longest. I am so grateful for the cooperation bred into him by Three Devils Kennel – yes he’s young, but handles most surprises with aplomb. Not to say it’s all beer and skittles:

• I’ve forgotten how often that tiny puppy bladder needs emptying. Eventually, Flick trained me with his yips and yelps and we now stop every 90 minutes or so.
• While the crate may be in a different location almost nightly, the bedding is the same, smells familiar and comforting.
• I tried to carry on the exercise and training rituals when possible.
• I carried enough water from home to avoid that gastrointestinal minefield.
• Feeding at the same time (despite time zone changes) helped.
• There is comfort in Uncle Manny being next to a 16-week-old puppy on long drives.
• Even when I didn’t, the dogs stayed in their travel trailer home-away-from-home. Familiar smells, bed location, all helped.

It all worked, sorta.

And thank you very much if you came to see us at Cabela’s Pheasant Classic. Flick met upwards of 1,400 men, women, children and gigantic plush pheasants without wetting on the table, barking once, or breaking into the nearby pen holding real pheasants. Most notably, he didn’t bite Benny Spies, who probably deserved a nip or two for hiding his darling daughter from us until midway through the first day.