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Three Shots to Master Ahead of Hunting Season
We slogged through an hour-long alder hell and didn't move a bird. The boys and I were shocked, for we called the covert Old Reliable. We were at the end, and I broke open my side-by-side and leashed Cider for the walk back to the truck. Wouldn't you know it, there was a brood of grouse feeding on insects at the edge of the field? Cider pointed, and the grouse flushed like a covey of quail. Two went to the left, two went straight away, and two went to the right. Bob missed one of the crossing shots, and Tim missed the straight-aways. Me? I gave 'em grief, 'cause that's what friends are for.
Consistency in Dog Training
Think back to a time when you first started school or a new job. You were probably nervous and didn't know what to expect. How did you make it through those first few months? You had to learn the expectations and how to perform the tasks needed to make you successful. This might have meant performing certain tasks multiple times until you were proficient, or maybe you learned by watching others do the task. It is the same way with your dog when you are beginning training sessions. You have to teach them what you expect of them, and this could mean a lot of repetition for certain tasks. Take your time, don't compare your retriever to other dogs even littermates (they are all different). Be consistent, take your time, join a train group, don't quit. The rewards outweigh the work!
Pie Day
Toward the end of each month, Mother made pies, usually five or six. We kept one The others were delivered and given to various people in the community, the sick or shut ins or sometimes just a friend Mother hadn't seen in a while. I wasn't particularly fond of pie day. It wasn't because it meant me knocking on doors and handing the pies out, it was because of the hugs and cheek pinches all the old women felt obliged to give in return. Just before Thanksgiving and the opening day of quail season in 1964, pie day took on a very different meaning.
Train for your game
Some sports, like shooting and dog training, are best played with a training foundation. Every progression builds on the mastery of the previous level, and repetitions make the master. When it comes to shooting, spring is the best time to review your shooting and to identify what needs work. Proper mechanics build a strong shooting foundation, so here's how to turn those weaknesses into strengths.
Key Nutrients for a Healthy Skin and Coat
Humans can use topical supplements like moisturizing lotion or hair conditioner for good health, but a dog doesn't have that luxury. The condition of a dog's hair and skin comes from proper feeding, and it's far more important than just making them look good. Healthy hair and skin protect them from the environment.
Last Hunt
John Cole had been hunt master on Old Pine Plantation thirty years. Before that he had worked on other plantations in the quail belt, that land between Albany and Tallahassee where quail still thrived, thanks to Yankee old money, fire, and God's providence. He'd been born on one where his father before him had trained bird dogs and managed hunts for the owner and his guests, "folks with more money than good sense," his father used to say.
Trial Dog v Gun Dog
Ben and Sam were gathered in Ben's library-conference room Friday afternoon to celebrate survival of a brutal week of emergencies, Ben's legal, Sam's medical. Law and medicine were the last thing they wanted to talk or hear about; they were weary.
This Summer, Beat the Heat: How to Keep your Canine Athlete Cool
Blistering summer heat and high humidity accompanies a hazy, hot and humid weather report. That intense weather drives people to the beach, the lakes and the shade. If you think it's hard for people to cool off, it's even harder for dogs. Hyperthermia, the raising of a dog's core body temperature above normal, can put animals at risk. Fortunately, there are ways to recognize the symptoms so as to keep dogs safe.
SportDOG® Brand UplandHunter® 1875
Technology has taken over the world these past few decades. It's impact on dog training has caused many handlers and trainers to gravitate towards GPS tracking collars. But for anyone running dogs inside of bell range, the SportDOG® 1875 fills an important gap. 'Complexity is the enemy of execution,' goes the saying, and that defines the SportDOG 1875.
The importance of protein, fats and carbs in a gun dogs diet
The intensity of a flushing dog working for three minutes is different from a bird dog that runs all morning long. Gun dogs need to be fueled by the correct type of energy, one that gives them drive at the breakaway and enough juice to swim against the current for that 15th retrieve. Nutrition tailored to support these different types of activities helps dogs work at their peak potential.
How Much Water Should Your Gun Dog Drink?
Most sporting dog owners and handlers know how to calculate daily amounts of food, but is there a way to determine how much water your dog should drink? According to Eukanuba's Pet Health and Nutrition Center's Director Dr. Jill Cline, there is.
End of a Friendship - by Tom Word
Ben and Sam were sharing an end-of-week dram of The Macallan in Ben's library-conference room when the subject, end of friendships, came up. It was a too-frequent subject on their minds these days, with COVID-19, the fast-approaching presidential election, BLM protests and riots, frequent threatening hurricanes and other impending disasters. Almost everyone seemed out-of-sorts. But Ben and Sam had in eight decades lived through many difficult times, and so had in their old souls a certain confidence that this too would pass. Their shared motto, kept to themselves, was, "Don't take anything, especially yourself, too seriously. Eventually, the pendulum will swing and the country will right itself a bit."
How to Feed your Dog
Feeding hardworking gun dogs requires a bit more than scooping some kibble into a bowl. It's a simple three-step process that pays big performance dividends.
Money Order Scams - Tip #2
If you place a Classified ad on Gundog Central, as sure as the sun rises, you'll eventually be contacted by a scammer trying to get you to bite on a money order scam. It might sound frightening, but you have nothing to worry about if you know that to look for. I've been dealing with these scams on Gundog Central for over a decade now. These scams aren't isolated to Gundog Central but every classified website on the internet were members list items for sale. There will always be some lazy idiot out there trying to trick you out of your hard-earned money. Unfortunately, when someone does fall for these scams, it's not only the anonymous con artist that looks bad, but also the website where the transaction took place. I do everything I can to monitor, block and report these people to the right authorizes. That alone isn't enough, so I want to make sure everyone knows what to look out for and how to deal with these people
10 ways to kill more grouse
Ruffed grouse are hard to hit in any situation. They're wild, just like the terrain in which they live. Here are 10 tips to improve your hits. They're ones I learned the hard way which is short-handle for the fact that I've missed one hell of a lot of birds.
