Marlen's Josey Wales of Rearden - "Josey"

 Josey is one of the kindest beings you’ll ever meet. Her primary objective is to please, but beneath her gentle demeanor is a sneaky and determined prey drive that reveals itself the moment her name is called to cast. Since she was eight weeks old, Josey’s greatest desire has been simple: pick something up and bring it to you.

Josey was the first female introduced into our Partner Program. She belongs to Marlen Gundogs and our friend Eli Rearden of East Alabama, living a fulfilled life with the Rearden family as both a companion and gundog. We had the opportunity to know Josey more closely when she returned to us for her started training from eight to ten months of age.

Like many of the British Labradors we have worked with, Josey possesses a cool, composed demeanor and a somewhat sensitive nature. She is naturally submissive and readily gives her trust to people of good character. Paired with her natural drive and desire to retrieve, that temperament makes Josey an exceptionally trainable dog who requires very little pressure.

Josey responds best to a handler who recognizes her desire to please. Praise and acknowledgment go a long way with her, and she looks for that reassurance when she knows she has done her job well. If you pay attention, her eyes will ask for it.

After leaving training with us, Josey went straight to duck camp, where she continued to thrive doing what comes naturally—finding and retrieving game. She quickly became an experienced dog on the duck pond, picking up more than 30 birds during her first two hunts.

Josey represents so much of what we value in a Labrador: a kind and gentle nature, natural biddability, an eagerness to please, and genuine desire when there is work to be done. We are thrilled to have her as another outstanding female in the Marlen Gundogs breeding program.