Innehållsförteckning för Summer 2021 från Gun Dog

I’M FORTUNATE that I get to talk to a lot of dog trainers every day for my job. Those talks allow me to hear differing methods and opinions on training and provides me insight into the wide variety of styles used to train bird dogs. Before bringing home my English setter puppy, Jones, I read a number of books and watched many videos. Each had their own methods for training pointing breeds. Yes, the foundation was always similar, but each trainer had a means of doing things that they found successful and stuck with it. It left the door open for some confusion on my part. What method was “best,” and which should I train my setter with? Do I teach him to sit? One trainer said yes, another said…

ABOUT two months ago, I wrote the first article for this column and had yet to see Cali. All I knew was she was yellow and where she was from. New dogs are always exciting, but I was far from sure of what I was getting into with this one. I was wrapping up training with a dog named Bella who was with us the 18 months prior, and this new dog would become my latest “project.” “We got a new dog, where do we start?” This is one of the most often asked questions I get. My answer is always the same—you start in the beginning. Sounds logical and simple enough, particularly when we are talking about a seven- or eight-week-old puppy, which is a relatively blank slate. For…

IF YOU WERE struggling with your golf game, the worst source of advice you could get would be from a non-golfer. The second-worse source would be your golfing buddy, because he’s not likely to tell you the truth, and quite possibly, is totally unqualified to offer up anything worthwhile. In reality, to bring your swing in line or address issues with your short game, you’d want the help of an actual pro. When it comes to dogs and their behavior—the same rules apply. The best sources for dog training advice are the people who submit dog food and check cord receipts to their accountants each year for tax write-offs. The second-best source of info is the trusted individual who has successfully trained personal dogs to a high level, regardless of…

EUKANUBA Premium Performance 30/20 SPORT A member of the Premium Performance line-up from Eukanuba, the 30/20 SPORT Adult Dry Dog Food is made for sporting dogs to help maintain peak performance during activities lasting up to four hours at a time. Protein delivers amino acids to strengthen and oxygenate muscles, while prebiotics and fibers aid in digestion, and glucosamine promotes joint heath. eukanubasportingdog.com PURINA PRO PLAN All Ages SPORT Active 27/17 This Pro Plan formula is made with 27 percent protein and 17 percent fat to fuel your dog’s metabolic needs during summer training. Amino acids nourish muscles after intense exercise to support joint health and mobility. The chicken in the formula provides your dog with protein for sustained energy and live probiotics promote digestive and immunity health. purina.com…

FOR SOME upland hunters nothing but a proper side-by-side shotgun will do, but the number of available side-by-sides has dwindled considerably since the days when you might walk into your local gun shop and find a brand-new Winchester 21 for sale under $100. This is due largely to the fact that fine double guns are more complicated to manufacture than other types of shotguns and require more hand fitting of parts. Nevertheless, hunting with a fine side-by-side is a special experience and every upland hunter should, at some point, own a fine double. There’s a magic to these guns that you must experience to appreciate. Fabarm understands that, and they’ve listened to a cadre of their customers beg them to build a good side-by-side for years. If you happen to…

IT GOES WITHOUT saying that a successful bird dog is passionate about hunting birds. The desire that fuels their passion is known as prey drive. A strong prey drive is what keeps dogs pursuing game even in the toughest of conditions. The development of prey drive requires that a dog be introduced to live birds in a positive way that encourages his innate, genetic desire for game to develop. As the process of developing prey drive is critical in a bird dog’s success, we receive a lot of questions about how to introduce birds. When is the appropriate age? How do you introduce a dog to birds in a way that ensures success? Here at Ronnie Smith Kennels, we believe that a puppy benefits from gentle introductions early in life.…

EACH YEAR as summer approaches, I return to the fields of Salt Point, New York, where my friend Dan Lussen and I spend the warm-weather months training flushers. For much of my career, I trained and guided year-round in the northern climates, but with age, warm winter weather has become too tempting, and so I follow it. I ride out each winter in Florida, and only return north when I am guaranteed long days and short-sleeve weather. My annual migration back to New York makes me think about the seasonal nature of a trainer’s life. For many of us, regardless of location, the hunting season carries us through the fall and winter months, at which time our dogs should be at peak fitness and logging plenty of practical hours at…

PARED DOWN to the basics, our goal in training a dog for hunting or any purpose really, is to either increase the likelihood of having the dog do exactly what we want or, conversely, decrease the likelihood of the dog doing what we don’t want. Most of our training is based on giving the dog a stimulus (command), and the dog responds in some way. If the response is what we want or at least part of what is wanted, the dog gets a reward (reinforcement). If the reinforcement is positive, the dog is paid for his work and the response to that stimulus will tend to be repeated. But if the response to a given stimulus is not what is wanted, the reinforcement will be either none or negative,…

If you don’t have the time for a DIY drawer build, the DECKED Drawer System is a solid alternative. This system comes fit exactly for your truck bed and provides two weatherproof drawers that can each hold up to 200 pounds of hunting and camping gear. The drawers open and roll easily thanks to urethane, sealed bearing drawer wheels, and lock to keep your gear safe and secure. The system comes standard with a few organizational boxes and dividers, while more accessories can be purchased separately to keep your gear orderly and easy to find. Made with galvanized steel and high-density polyethylene, this system is strong and allows you to stack up to 2,000 pounds on top—which means you don’t lose storage space in your truck bed. $1,350 ; decked.com…

1. EXCESSIVE PANTING One of the first signs of heat stress is excessive panting. The solution is to take a break from training or hunting. Sit in a shady area with a cool breeze and provide dogs with lots of water. Resume training when the dog is breathing normally. 2. SALIVA STICKING TO GUMS OR TEETH DURING PANTING Dogs dissipate heat through their mouths. Thick saliva in their mouth, gums, and tongue reduces the air that contacts with the numerous blood vessels found in a dog’s mouth. Carry a water bottle and periodically rinse pasty saliva from the dog’s mouth. Pasty saliva is an early sign of heat stress, so check their temperature. If their temperature is over 104 degrees, consider applying alcohol-soaked pads to the pinnae of the ears,…

CHOKED BY a thick layer of smashed grasshoppers, the dim pickup headlights struggled to illuminate our gravel path through the lush alfalfa and prairie grass ahead. We pulled over and gathered together in the dirt to hash out a plan, realizing that in our enthusiasm for opening morning we had arrived nearly an hour before legal light. With new time zones and the anticipation of the season’s first hunt, none of us had slept much anyway. Kirk and Andrew Schlarbaum—a father-son team of Iowa-based shorthair breeders and avid upland hunters—joined their buddy Bill Schultz from Minnesota at this roadside strategy meeting. Around them, a summer symphony of crickets and transient raindrops ensued, accompanied by the coo of a precocious mourning dove roused from his roost by the headlights and commotion.…

SPORTDOG SPORTTRAINER SD-1275E If you’re running multiple dogs in the field at once, the SportDog SD-1275E is the perfect match. Oversized buttons on the front of the remote make it simple to toggle between collars to control up to six dogs at once. A large display screen makes it easy to see the selected dog, stimulation level, mode, and battery level. The SD-1275E ranges up to ¾ mile and also features 10 levels of static stimulation, vibration and tone to fit any dog and hunting situation. $220; sportdog.com DT SYSTE MS R.A.P.T. 1450 Which of your dogs is on point? The R.A.P.T. 1450 makes it easy to tell with separate beeper tones for up to three dogs. The R.A.P.T. 1450 features a unique curved transmitter with a strap to easily…

FOR MANY upland hunters, the September grouse opener marks the beginning of hunting season. For my husband and me, it is a special, highly anticipated time of year. The doldrums of summer are coming to an end, and autumn—plus all that comes with it—is about to make a comeback. Unfortunately, September in Nebraska also means having to hunt in warm weather. Temperatures can reach well into the 90s, and while this might feel uncomfortable for both hunter and dog, it also does no favors for the flavor of game meat. It’s good practice to cool down your hunted meat as soon as possible. Fortunately for upland hunters, having to gut birds in the field is not necessary. Yet spoilage can occur, and that’s often due to negligence on warm days.…

IN THE SPRING 2021 issue of Gun Dog, we wrapped up part one of steadiness groundwork. Our pup was beginning to understand the response we were looking for with the “whoa” command, but he hadn’t quite made up his mind. We were at a step in the process where the pup was required to stand on his own, and we had begun overlaying our cue command, “whoa.” Before you move on, you’ll find it’s helpful to work your pup through a couple preceding steps he’s comfortable with. Doing so helps build confidence and supports a positive attitude as you swing into the next step. I should note, it’s ok to release your pup to jump down off the table for a short relax period before moving to our next step.…

HAVING THE ability to bird hunt close to home is a luxury some have, and others don’t. Even for those with the ability to hunt within a day trip of home, if they’re like me, they still have a burning desire to see new landscapes, experience new species, and most importantly, to do it all with your gun dog. That’s where having a hunting rig becomes beneficial. Originally, my camping trailer set up was brought to life by my good friend, and dog training buddy, Craig Jones. After being diagnosed with terminal cancer, he decided he needed a rig that would allow him to go anywhere he desired to hunt birds. The trailer has since been passed to me, and I have made some changes, but I appropriately use it…

EVERY SERIOUS gun dog owner or trainer—whether concentrating on hunting, field trials, hunt tests or other gun-dog related activity—seeks to get the very best performance possible in the field. And, in order to get that peak performance, a dog has to be at his very best physically. While most of us might call that getting a dog in “great shape” or “peak physical condition,” there’s another, more scientific phrase that you might not have heard of that relates to performance of both humans and canines: VO2 Max. And according to Dr. Kurt Venator, even if you don’t remember the phrase, understanding the concept can help all gun dog owners get the most from their canine companions. But first a little about Dr. Venator. He has been with Nestle Purina for…