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Road to Utility Test: One step forward after two steps back
Manny backslid on the one part of retrieving on which we weren’t solid: a real bird, brought to hand without um, “tenderizing.” Yesterday, his retrieves were energetic and enthusiastic. Using my Real...
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Control the variables, control the outcome
As I continue to learn almost daily, successful dog training is about control. Sure, control of your dog’s actions, but also control of every situation. Delmar Smith said “never give a dog a chance to...
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Transcending treats
As Shakespeare aptly pointed out, man does not live by bread alone. Neither does your dog. At some point in training a young dog, you’ll need to go beyond food treats for practical reasons if nothing...
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Making progress here … you?
One step at a time, the saying goes, and the steps are encouraging. Despite two TV seasons of breaking at the shot, Manny is making progress on his steadiness to wing, shot, and fall. We had a few...
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Anybody out there?
WANTED: Training partner. Age, gender, shooting skills unimportant. Necessary attributes include patience, tolerance for dog slobber and pigeon poop. Must appreciate burrs in socks and rips in pant...
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Is it really bad typing?
At least three times in the past few days, while typing “dog,” I’ve typed “god.” No, I don’t have dyslexia. I doubt it is a Freudian slip. I’ve been typing since 10th grade. I know how to spell. But...
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That awkward silence that follows a “whoa”
I’m pretty well whoa-trained. When telling a dog to stop, I slam on the brakes too. It’s one of the funny things about that word that got me wondering how differently we think – and act – about the...
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How do YOU rationalize a skunking?
My Little League team lost every game one season. I know a bit about being skunked. So when not a single primer burns, no feather clouds drift with the breeze … well, that’s when you dig deep for...
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Help your bird dog: Get to the point … the right way
Here’s a lesson I’m learning almost weekly this time of year. Maybe you, too. You trudge up the hill to find your dog on point. He’s steady. Birds cooperative. Until you take over, that is. Once he’s...
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Steady to wing & shot: Is less more?
You’ve heard the phrase “less is more.” Does it have relevance to dog training? Manny and I are deep into preparation for an upcoming NAVHDA Utility test (www.navhda.org) and our latest challenge is...
View ArticleWhat’s left before the opener?
Admit it, you too woke up in a cold sweat one recent night. “MY GOD! There’s so much left to do and there’s only (blank) weeks until opening day!” Here, it’s polishing Flick’s steadiness: when he hits...
View ArticleThe practical application of “place learning”
At the time, I thought it was a red herring … an excuse … a pro trainer’s nomenclature to make us feel um, well, less professional than them. But time and time again, I am reminded (and often humbled)...
View ArticleFeeding for top performance – what, when, why, and how
By Scott Linden, Wingshooting USA TV You’re a dedicated hunter. Or field trialer. For all I know, you do agility too. Maybe, all of them … plus a bench show once every while. When you need a boost,...
View ArticleAn “R3” story anyone can tell
He walked, alone, in the cathedral stillness of the shelterbelt. We’d hung back, me and my camera operator, to let Ben gather his thoughts on this, his first bird hunt. We did it again as the trees...
View ArticleThe “rules” for sharing spots … got any more?
Okay, okay, I get it. Willy-nilly broadcasting of a bird-hunting honey hole is verboten. A few personal stories from podcast callers have convinced me there is a slight chance of finding a place...
View ArticleThat time of year: what are you thankful for? Share it on the special holiday...
Who can argue with giving thanks all year round? But this is the time of year when it comes to the fore. If you need motivation, consider that gratitude has direct, personal benefits including better...
View ArticleHow many degrees of separation?
Someone asks about that dog box in your truck … the guy in line behind you is also wearing blaze orange … a window sticker of your dog breed prompts a conversation. Somewhere, some time, you’ve had an...
View ArticleWhy do we hunt birds and play with dogs?
I became a bird hunter because I watched my first wirehair work a field, putting up a pheasant hen after a solid point. I’d never owned a gun before, but decided if he would do that for me, the least I...
View ArticleWalk-in hunting strategies save time and effort
Use it or lose it. A follower pointed this out recently, as yet another reason to spend time and effort exploring those private lands enrolled in states’ walk-in hunting access programs. But there are...
View Article“Just a tool” … or are they?
I have a confession to make. I am not a gun geek. To me, they are tools. I live for bird dogs, so if it’s history, heritage, performance or aesthetics, that’s where I make the emotional and financial...
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