They cleaned up beautifully. We scrubbed about two pounds of crud off of them and discovered a beautiful pair of black and white pointers under all the dirt. The little boy is timid at this point but coming around now that his feet are being treated by our vet and he is safe and warm. He had a low grade infection from his feet being injured and is on antibiotics. The little girl is a live wire, all puppy wiggles and kisses. It breaks my heart to see these two little darlings clinging to one another and think of how they were so thoughtlessly, and cruelly treated. It is a wonder that they didn't fall prey to coyotes before they wandered into our lives. A pair of Amish children confirmed that they thought they saw the car that dumped them spin their wheels on the bridge and I found the spot where it did indeed happen in the mud that was covering the bridge deck.
The pair is paper trained, no worm infestation and healthy looking. Of course we are going to keep them. If there is room in your heart there is room in your house is my motto. They have names, their first collars, have started their puppy shots, heart worm and Frontline treatments and have a Fur-ever home with us.
Any advice on raising these two adorable little heathens? I've raised my fair share of pups but never a bird dog let alone two at the same time. We do not bird hunt but I would like to encourage their natural instincts with birds (the little girl is already 'pointing' at one of our cats) and give them the best general education that I can. They will be family members, couch potatoes and companions. I do not plan to compete them. We have 30 acres of timber and pastures for them to romp in with the other dogs when they mature, and two ponds for them to swim in. They have had a rough enough start in life. From here on in, it's love and kindness.
Any sage advice will be greatly appreciated.