ThugsRUs Torrey Pines SH
April 29, 1998 - October 5, 2009

Torrey,

Some people are going find the strange writing a letter to now that you have passed on. Hey you've always had a web page that I wrote from your point of view. But you were always very special to me since you were my first springer and we did many firsts and it seems right.

I remember picking you out, you had a cute blaze on the top of your head and your left ear that had a white/liver speckled end that only showed up when your ears got wet when you got older. I could hold you in my forearm when I first got you. But with being my first I made so many mistakes but we learned together. You survived my stressful life style back then which did not help your separation anxiety (which lead to you being called Captain neurotic). It made you more high strung. You had a super competitive nature that was wonderful (like out jumping a lab for a frisbee) and a pain (like when you took on that Akita and lost). Around most dogs you had to be the dominate one and show them that. It gave you a bad rep in the neighborhood.

But by the time you were 3 things got better when I started working from home. Even though we had to be separated 6 out of the first 9 weeks of 2001 (But Chris took good care of you, like feeding you KFC and chunking you up). After that I was around a lot, you loved you could go out when you wanted or get a pet when you wanted.

But the trip to Lighthouse Kennels in August 2002 really changed both of our lives and gave you a purpose. Since neither one of us knew what we really were getting into. You hated it since it was one of the most stressful weekends of your life being introduced to gunfire, birds and kept in a strange place. But we brought back the California Surfer dog and our lives turned upside down. He taught us a lot the first year and with your competitive nature really got in interested in field work. In 2004, I sent you off to Camp Lighthouse for the fall to be steadied. True to your hardheaded nature Jason never could get you completely steady. That was something we worked on together when you got back and got you there. In 2005, we entered a Hunt Test and most worked like a team and earned our first AKC ribbon (Senior Hunter Qualifying score) in both of our first event. You were the first dog I entered in a Field trial. We quickly learned you were no trial dog but I got some good experience. In 2006, we completed your Senior Hunter title when you were 8 years old. We tried at Master but realized that the effort that would have taken to really get you there wasn't not worth it and you retired from competition. You never really did like that the other guys got to compete but you didn't.

Also in 2006, you got aggressive to not only dogs but people. I tried with your Vet to figure it out but they failed. Michelle (Lighthouse) gave us a lead on a holistic vet, Dr Rice. That changed our lives again. Your organs were shutting down from commercial dog food and you had been over vacinated. Your immune system was not good. After a few weeks with a special diet and supplements. The aggression to people went away and you were much happier. It took a year to really get your thyroid under control but once we did that you had a coat for the first time in your life. And you were finally happy. That experience got me to see the holistic doctor that got my allergies under control. But as you turned 10 you started to slow down and become the Old Man of the house but you never looked your age.

At the end when you got diagnosed with tonsil squamous cell carcinoma, you healed up and had fun for a few more weeks. But I think when first frost hit on October 1st and we went to train, you enjoyed being out there running around with the smells. I gave you a special, a pheasant rather than your normal chukar. I could tell your were starting do go down since you were having trouble with the cover when you were running the field. You seemed to revel in the warm sun. We came home you ate and you decided it was time to shut things down. Even though it was the SMSSTC field trial weekend I was going to make sure you were a part of it. I put your dog bed in the ESSUV and let you lay there. You loved the smells and sounds and occasionally wanted to go out. Seeing you look in sheer terror after as two 9 week old puppies came toward you was too funny. After the weekend was said and done, we both knew it was time.

I have to admit there are many things I won't miss about your personality but I will always miss you. Till we meet again.

Above photos taken in April, 2009.