From Wag to Swag: A Coffee Table Tribute to Bird Dogs

By Steven B. Reider

From Wag to Swag: A Coffee-Table Tribute to Bird Dogs was born out of finding a dog stranded on an old country road one afternoon in February of 2022 (and the calling Steve had from his beloved Katie who died of cancer a year prior).

The dog found on that old country road is now known as Abby (Abbie). Steve named her Abby after the country road he found her on (Abernathy Road). A dog who was given the title "unadoptable" after spending less than a week in a local shelter. A dog who might have been a product of euthanasia if it wasn't for Steve, his beloved Katie, and the help he received from a nonprofit rescue organization called Ripple Effect Animal Project in Napa, California.

Steve's hope, through this book, is to help dogs that are abandoned and left to die, dogs that are sent to shelters, or dogs who have lost their forever homes, not by choice but by human intervention, to never have to worry about their lives ending because no one wants them. He doesn't believe anyone can truly look into one of these dogs' eyes and find that they want this to happen to them. Please help him help them.

If you purchased this book, you did.

Thank you, and God bless the dog, for they have given us more than we can ever give back to them!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 23, 2023
• ISBN: 9798887937649

Book preview

cover.jpg

From Wag to Swag

A Coffee Table Tribute to Bird Dogs

Steven B. Reider

Copyright © 2023 Steven B. Reider

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2023

Cover photograph by Donnie McEachern of Donnie McEachern Photography. Cover designed by Steven B. Reider. Photo credit to Robert Reid of Robert Reid Photography and Donnie McEachern of Donnie McEachern Photography. Photographs presented exclusively in this book are property of Dogs of the Feather. No photograph can be reprinted without the sole permission of Dogs of the Feather.

ISBN 979-8-88793-776-2 (hc)

ISBN 979-8-88793-764-9 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Did Somebody Say Birds?

Just a Dog, Right?

Sky (Small Münsterländer)

Steve and Sky

Gracie (Labradoodle)

Efrain and Gracie

Katie II (Chocolate Labrador Retriever)

Steve and Katie II

Ducky (German Shorthaired Pointer)

Tashina and Ducky

Bulleit (Black Labrador Retriever)

Jorge and Bulleit

Dodge (Fox Red Labrador Retriever)

Andy and Dodge

Patsy (German Wirehaired Griffon)

Jim and Patsy

Zoie (Yellow Labrador Retriever)

Herm and Zoie

Belle (German Shorthaired Pointer)

Steve and Belle

Sophie (Fox Red Labrador Retriever)

Warren, Claudia, and Sophie

Benelli (Brittany)

Helen, Alan, Justin, and Benelli

Gracie (Black Labrador Retriever)

Matt and Gracie

Lexi (English Setter)

Jim and Lexi

Zuko (Small Münsterländer)

Darin, Celina, and Zuko

Molly (Fox Red Labrador Retriever)

Steve and Molly

Jessie (German Shorthaired Pointer)

Romi (German Shorthaired Pointer)

Annika, Jessie, and Romi

Katie (Chocolate Labrador Retriever)

Steve and Katie (The Brown Buffalo)

Daisy (American Brittany)

Sil, Linda, and Daisy

Daisy (Black Labrador Retriever)

Grayson and Daisy

Remy (English Yellow Labrador Retriever)

Etienne and Remy

Jinx (Black Labrador Retriever)

Chris and Jinx

Cassidy (Welsh Springer Spaniel)

Daniel and Cassidy

Sadie (English Springer Spaniel)

Marilyn, Mike, and Sadie

Mickey (Springer Spaniel)

Rich and Mickey

Duke (Chocolate Labrador Retriever)

Francisco and Duke

Moody (English Setter)

Craig and Moody

Lola (German Wirehaired Griffon)

Angela and Lola

Lemon (Nova Scotia Duck Toller)

Rob and Lemon

Trooper (Chocolate Labrador Retriever)

Steve, Carmen, and Trooper

Bear (Black Labrador Retriever)

Doris and Bear

Lucy (Golden Retriever)

Ashley and Lucy

Beka (Catahoula-Ridgeback)

Jean Paul and Beka

Storm (Llewellin Setter)

Steve and Storm

Shasta (Black Labrador Retriever)

Jackie, Jason, Sterling, and Shasta

Simon (Yellow Labrador Retriever)

Jane and Simon

Beau (Chesapeake Bay Retriever)

Mark and Beau

Meska (French Brittany Spaniel)

Austin and Meska

Star (Yellow Labrador Retriever)

George and Star

Photos

Abby

Steve's other books, plus one he really enjoyed reading, by Will Lowery, about a dog that really didn't have a choice.

About the Author

In memory of my chocolate Labrador retriever Katie, a dog so dearly loved for twelve-plus years, who now resides in heaven and has a second home within her companion's heart! Katie was one of the best hunting and family companions that has ever planted four paws on the ground.

This book was written and designed by Katie's lifelong companion, author and dog trainer Steven B. Reider, in hopes that some of the proceeds from this book will help animal shelters/rescues and the dogs who reside within them. It is Steve's and Katie's hope that no dog is in jeopardy from losing their life because he or she could not find a forever home. No dog should ever be euthanized because of nobody wanting them.

Thank you for helping Steve's and Katie's friends.

Dodge's first duck hunt at eight months of age, October 2022.

There is nothing better in the world than a cool breeze in your face, the sound of a duck call in the hands of a skilled craftsman, and a muddy duck dog sitting at your side.

—Steven B. Reider

Katie and Friends

Daisy (Brittany Spaniel)

Katie (Chocolate Labrador Retriever)

Molly (Fox Red Labrador Retriever)

Contributors

Foreword

Hello, you reached Steve from Dogs of the Feather. I'm sorry I missed your call, but at the sound of the tone, leave your name and number. When I get in from the field and back to my desk, I'll give you a call. I hope you have a wonderful day and happy hunting!

This simple voice message on Steve's phone opened up such a world of unforeseen joy and possibilities with our Brittany, Daisy Mia, with the support and guidance from Steve, an excellent and talented dog trainer and now a dear friend and author.

His current writing accomplishment, From Wag to Swag, gives a glimpse of how beautiful and talented hunting dogs can be, along with their owners' amazing stories of what their dogs mean to them. Both their dogs and hunting companions (the owners) are big benefactors of Steve's talented training techniques. Steve is driven by the love of the dog!

In the spring of 2021, Daisy Mia, a very loving, fun, and feather-driven six-month-old pup was in need of hunt training, an area of expertise that needed a special person to fill the role. We recall that particular afternoon as we (my husband and I) discussed what that should be like for Daisy. It was important to us that she was not to leave home for any period of time without us because we felt that we needed to be included in the process of her training. The truth is that we really couldn't be away from her as Daisy had our hearts wrapped around her paw.

In that desired training process, we hoped to receive not just the ability to communicate better with