Each retriever plays a major role in our success as waterfowl hunters and each dog forever occupies a special place in our heart. (Photo courtesy of Alex Langbell)
Caesar, Livia, Roxie, Gauge, Brodie, Jake and Ellie—these are the names of gun dogs I have loved and hunted over for the last 39 years. They are all random names chosen by me at various times of my life. These names all differ, but their purpose was the same—to bring back fowl that I shot. The dogs included two English springer spaniels, two Chesapeake Bay retrievers and three Labrador retrievers. Some were like rockets, powerful and explosive, while others were more like rocking chairs, slow and smooth, like my first dog—Caesar.