Duke the Wonder Dog

While stationed in northern Minnesota, I developed a bond with other law enforcement officers in the area. Due to the remoteness of our assigned areas, the local sheriff?s deputies, state and federal officers all depended on each other for backup and assistance in conducting our duties and effecting arrests. One of my close friends was a Minnesota State Trooper named Denny Bollman. Denny and his wife Sharon had a country acreage where they raised their family with the coffeepot always on and usually some fresh baked goods. During our off-duty time, several of us law enforcement officers would hunt and fish together, which from time to time involved some humorous episodes.

One summer Denny began to boast of his young black Lab and his skills as a retriever. On repeated occasions, when visiting Denny at his rural acreage, a show would evolve in which the young Lab named Duke would fetch an item which Denny had thrown. Denny would go on and on about this wonderfully intelligent black Lab who was going to show all the rest of us his fine retrieving skills. As my friend Denny attempted to demonstrate the attributes of Duke to all who gathered, we would just shake our heads when departing and agree that this pooch just was not the sharpest tool in the shed. When you looked at Duke in the eyes, he just didn?t seem to be very bright.

As fall and duck season approached, the rhetoric only grew from Denny on what a wonderful retriever Duke was becoming. Of course none of the rest of us openly told Denny that we just didn?t believe that Duke was capable of being a retriever or that the pooch seemed a little slow to us. Well, now the day had arrived ? yes, opening day of duck season. In the early-morning light, we slipped our boat into the water and carefully placed our decoys strategically around the pond. Soon we were back in the duck blind, trying to keep warm, sipping on coffee and attempting to calm the retriever dogs, which of course included Duke. As we checked our shotguns and checked our watches which would signal the opening of duck season, we watched as several groups of ducks circled the pond and landed near our decoys. It seemed as if time was standing still; perhaps my watch had stopped. I asked Denny and a couple of the other guys what time it was, only to be told we still had 15 minutes until duck season opened. As we watched the time ever so slowly tick down with five minutes to go, shotguns began firing all around us. Not to be outdone, we all decided that we?d better join with those around us or we would have no ducks. As we joined in shooting at the ducks, which seemed to fill the air, the dogs became increasingly excited. As most of the retriever dogs barked and looked at the pond, I noticed that Denny?s pride and joy Duke had simply settled down in the blind for a nap.

As the shooting stopped, it was now time for the retriever dogs to do their duty. The signal was given for the dogs to retrieve, with all responding except Duke. As the other dogs began to bring back their game, Duke remained curled up for a nap. Now, Denny had noticed that his pooch Duke was not responding to assigned retriever duties and began shaking him awake. Of course by now the rest of us had tagged Duke as being the Wonder Dog. With only one duck remaining to be fetched in the pond, Denny told Duke, ?Fetch, Duke, fetch.? Slowly Duke walked over to the edge of the pond, carefully sticking one paw into the water, only to return to the blind immediately, deciding the water was too cold. Now full laughter erupted in the blind with all except Denny. Denny, who was quite embarrassed of Duke?s antics, ordered Duke again to fetch. Duke now simply gazed up at Denny as though to say, not on your life, pal, am I getting into that cold water. As the laughter continued in the blind, Denny now picked Duke up, walked over to the edge of the pond and threw Duke in. As Duke tried to get back on shore Denny, now in an agitated voice, told Duke to fetch the duck. After deciding that he could not come back to shore without performing his duties, Duke started paddling toward the center of the pond where one lone duck was located. As Duke neared the duck, it was obvious this duck was only wounded and began swimming in circles. As Duke neared the wounded duck, Duke began circling along with the duck and barking. Now the entire duck blind erupted into uncontrollable laughter with Denny now in tears begging Duke to please bring the wounded duck back to shore, to no avail.

As time progressed, with duck season over, the story of Denny and Duke the Wonder Dog spread throughout the northern Minnesota law enforcement community!