Poor Peanut

Some people have asked where Miikka has been at trials this year.

Miikka has been retired.  It was a devastating decision for me to make, seeing as she was in the prime of her life and is a very talented dog.  I'll admit I cried when I finally decided.

Kenny and I came to the conclusion that she has chronic hearing loss.

When Miikka was about 2, she went stone cold deaf after hunting for a few days.  I thought it odd, but never gave it much thought after that.  This has happened almost once every fall while hunting.

The problems with her slipping whistles started when she was 3.

We've never been able to overcome it.  She started to panic (popping, etc.) in training when going out past about 250 yards and it started to make perfect sense to us...that was her hearing limit.  She was great to that point.

Kenny doubted my diagnosis, but he took her hunting last fall and she came home...stone cold deaf.  For about 2 days.

She is still doing some light training with us, and we'll never get her in trouble again for slipping a whistle.  It's not her fault.  She loves the work.

So, be careful hunting your dogs.  Keep them behind the gun.  She was a hunting "creeper" and had the muzzle blast go off over her head many times.  I just didn't know any better.  There's a study out from Mississippi State University all hunters should read.

http://www.msstate.edu/web/media/detail.php?id=1812