The Hunter and Little Joey

By Robert Lailheugue

Little Joey is a hunting dog who is going to take you on an exciting trip into his world where both man and dog communicate in normal everyday language. Little Joey is a dog who is proud of the accomplishments of parents and grandparents, perhaps a little too proud. Little Joey believes he should be "top dog" without ever having to work his way up through the ranks, and it is this attitude that gets him into one bad situation after the other. Eventually, Little Joey will learn moral and spiritual lessons, but as so many of us do, he will have to learn the hard way. Along the way, Joey will meet quite a cast of characters, some of which are funny, some are mean, and some who are trying to lead Little Joey on to the correct path. They range from the tough military style trainers to those that want to use and abuse Little Joey, to The Hunter, who loves him most. Intertwined into the plot are biblical lessons that the reader will be drawn to.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: May 14, 2019
• ISBN: 9781644167878

Book preview

Part 1

In the Beginning

There is a special man who goes by the name of The Hunter. He wasn’t one of those who liked just any kind of hunting. His choice of hunts was fox hunting, a sport where there is plenty of excitement but is considered a civilized gentlemen’s sport. He was a kind and gentle man by nature. He was not interested in killing or even hurting his prey. In fact, he would never injure a fox or any other animal. He just loved the thrill of the hunt, but mostly, he loved the companionship of his hunting dogs. He also very much loved one other type of hunting, but we will discover that later.

The Hunter owned a vast tract of land. It was the most beautiful place which contained high mountains, lush green valleys, and pristine crystal clear rivers and lakes, and filled with wildlife, birds and fish of all kinds. This homeland was not only beautiful; it was tranquil and peaceful. His neighbors were kind, and everyone lived in harmony while being respectful to those living around them. The Hunter loved the land and everyone and everything in his domain.

The Hunter will take us into a world where man’s best friend, the dog and humans can talk with each other. And it is in this world where The Hunter and Little Joey cross paths.

Part 2

The Selection

The Hunter loves his dogs very much and would do anything for them. He has a large pack of hunting dogs, but he is always looking for new dogs to come into his group. Sometimes, he hears from a neighbor or friend about a specific dog that would make a good prospect for the pack. Knowing about a dog, he would go anywhere to locate a new prospect for the pack. No distance was too far, terrain too rough, or river too deep to keep him away from a dog that could make it in his pack. The Hunter opened his pack to all breeds, all colors, and all sizes of dogs. The main point was that the dog was willing to commit to him. When he found that right dog, he would pay dearly for it. He would give all he had for that dog and for every other dog that was willing to accept him and obey his commands.

At times, a dog would run away from the home where they lived, and others would slowly drift from their families and lose their way in the world. Many of these dogs would fall on hard times as they tried to make it on their own. Some of these, with having no one or nowhere else to turn, would go to The Hunter for help. They had heard of the reputation of The Hunter and how his pack loved and trusted him.

The Hunter would accept any dog that would love him in return, be willing to follow his commands, live within the pack, and hunt for him. It didn’t matter that the dogs that came to him were not already hunters themselves. The Hunter could train the untrained. He could made a hunter out of any dog; all they had to do is come to him with a desire to learn, a willingness to work, and ready to please him. At times The Hunter would extend an invitation to a dog, but it is always the dog’s choice to decide if he would give up the life he was living to join The Hunter in a new life.

If the dogs would agree to obey him, then he would provide everything they need. The Hunter would supply food, water, shelter, and companionship. He would cherish them when they were healthy, and he would nurse them back to good health if they were injured or became sick. He would never leave them or forsake them! And when they grew old and couldn’t hunt anymore, he has a special place built for them to rest in peace and continue to be taken care of by The Hunter and his staff.

Little Joey

Part 3

Little Joey

You are about to meet Little Joey, who is a dog with an attitude that will take us on a journey of heartbreaks, laughter, and excitement. In this world of open communications between man and dog, his mouth often gets him into trouble.

Little Joey was a puppy who was born on an ordinary farm. What made him special was that he was a registered pedigree dog. He came from a long line of well-bred hunting dogs. His parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents were all decorated champions within their breed. As far as you could trace back in his bloodline, all his ancestors were excellent hunters. And Little Joey had all the markings of a great hunter; his future looked bright. Growing up, he heard all the fantastic hunting stories about his relatives. Little Joey was proud of his ancestry, perhaps a little too proud.

There was excitement in the air on Shady Grove Farm when they heard that The Hunter was coming to their place. Little Joey was confident that he would be selected by The Hunter to be the newest member of the pack. After all, he was the most qualified. Sure enough, early one morning, The Hunter arrived on the farm. The Hunter is wise, and he certainly knows dogs and men. He wanted to see the dog that has been spoken of so highly. Little Joey and The Hunter finally met. The Hunter looked over the pedigree papers of Little Joey, certainly his DNA was all in order; but The Hunter also knows that paperwork, no matter how good, does not make a great hunter. It’s what’s inside the dog’s heart that counts most. He has dogs in his pack that would have been considered mutts by most people’s standards, but they have changed their old ways and have become excellent hunters for the pack. On the other hand, some dogs with a great hunting family tree do not fare as good.

After looking over the paperwork, The Hunter spoke with Little Joey. He could tell that Little Joey was a little too cocky and perhaps a little over confident, but in the end, The Hunter would pay the price for Little Joey. Little Joey was on the way to his new home.

Buster & Max Guarding the Gate

Part 4

The Camp

The camp or compound as some referred to it is pretty large; some can even call it a small city. It is completely fenced with only one narrow gate that allowed entry. Anyone is welcomed into the camp, but all have to come in by the way of the narrow gate. The gate is staffed by a special group of guard dogs; most are German Shepherds, Dobermans, rottweilers, boxers, and the like.

At camp center are all the main buildings: the parade field, recreation areas, swimming pool, the administration buildings, a huge dining hall, a meeting hall, class rooms, a workshop,