My Grandfather, Michael Baker sadly passed away in the early hours of yesterday (Thurs 28 Jan) morning of COVID-19. Several years ago, he was diagnosed with dementia, and had been cared for in a nursing home since last April.
Many of you may have known him as Mick and through him was probably how we came to meet. He was an incredibly passionate man, especially when it came to Game Keeping and working dogs.
Grand, as I called him, had a very direct character and approach to life. This did not always make him popular, but he was very well respected. He was an extremely proud and traditional man, always smart in his appearance. He was meticulous about his possessions and the things he had worked hard for. Punctuality was also a strong attribute of his – he would say “I’d rather be an hour early, than a minute late”, which he often was.
Alongside his passion for Game Keeping was his love of working dogs, of course these two went hand in hand. The days he was not shooting, he could be found out picking up with his pack of dogs. During the summer months he would attend working tests and training sessions, where he gained many awards over the years.
When I was 10 years old, I began training with my cousin, Robert, and my Grandad. I started by borrowing an old dog of his called Bob – the weekends spent with my cousin and Grandparents sparked my love of dogs and competing.
Most weekends would consist of early mornings. We would pack the car up, load the dogs in and set off training or testing. I have many happy memories, out in all weathers with different people and our dogs. Grand would often be perched on his shooting stick watching us train or compete, this I know gave him immense joy.
After the test or training Grand would be on hand to critique and give his advice on our performance, never sugar coating any of his opinions. Although he never said it, I know he was extremely proud of me and what I have achieved. Fortunately, his ‘tough love’ approach made me resilient, this has undoubtedly been a factor to my success with the dogs.
Grand, thank you for all the opportunities and wonderful memories. Love you โค๏ธโค๏ธโค๏ธ
#startofmygundogjourney
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