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4 Ways to Stimulate Your Puppy’s Mind
A puppy’s brain and nervous system develops rapidly, much faster than their bodies. Sporting breed puppies have a lot to learn, so here are 4 ways to help stimulate their active minds.
The Long Journey Home
Belle’s favorite pastime time lately, was to become perfectly still, and at the most opportune time snap and catch one of the deer flies that tormented her. That’s what her life had become. She hadn’t known freedom for a year now and her spirit was weak, waning, nearly broken. She had plenty to eat, that wasn’t a problem. Brown Man brought meat scraps to her, and he kept her water clean too. But her whole world lay within the radius of the chain she was shackled to. She had grown to accept the chain, but not willingly. After a while she learned it best to not dream of home and Randall. She rested solely in the fact that Pup was growing strong, and that Brown Man was not a cruel man.
Positive Training Methods for Puppies – 4 Tips for Success
Positive training methods are becoming increasingly popular and work well when your puppy is young. This training method rewards puppies for successfully completing a task. Once a puppy understands the kind of behavior that gets him a reward he’ll want to do more of it. Here are four ways to get started using positive training with your puppy.
The Basics of Clicker Training for Puppies
To become successful hunting companions, sporting breed puppies have a lot of skills to master. Clicker training is a great training method for any of the sporting breeds. The method is simple and it marks and then rewards good behavior. Every time a puppy completes a task correctly, he is conditioned with a click. The click is a unique sound that comes from a mechanical noisemaker and marks the precise moment he is doing the right thing. The mark is followed by a training treat to reinforce the correct behavior. Here’s how to use clicker training to teach three basic commands.
More Than Just Retrievers
As an avid duck hunter growing up in central Arkansas, it is a given that most of the outings in the duck waters would be accompanied by a retriever, most often a lab. Labs and ducks go hand in hand. In Arkansas, practically all duck hunters have labs, plus they fill the role of family dogs in an endless number of non-hunting homes. Labs are loyal, loving, and obedient; something that makes for a great duck dog as well as a family dog.
How to remove Cockleburs from your hunting dogs coat
I have two Field bred Cocker Spaniels, aka Cocklerbur Spaniels, magnets for all things like cockleburs to get mired in their little wisp of hair. As sure as the sun rises, my dogs will be covered in hundreds of these annoying prickly little burs within minutes of being turned loose in the Field. I’m sure it’s no different for any other long-haired breed like English and Irish Setters, Brittany and Springer Spaniels. What I’ve put together here isn’t meant to be a comprehensive guide on how to remove Cockleburs, this is just the method that I use. If you’d like to share your own method, please do so in the comments below.
Tails We Could Wag
“It's not much of a tail but I’m attached to it,” said Eeyore, the donkey made famous by Winnie the Pooh. When it comes to tails, some hunters require them on their dogs while others do not. But regardless of your breed of choice, did you ever wonder why some tails are bobbed while others are not?
The Versatile Beagle
There is a lot of emphasis on versatile hunting dogs in recent years, and guys like me have been running them for decades. What am I talking about? Why, the ever-popular beagle is what I am thinking has been the versatile hunting dog par excellence for centuries. Growing up in the Northern Appalachian Mountains, specifically in the Alleghenies, there were lots of hunters who kept a beagle or two for rabbit hunting. Beagles are hounds, with a powerful nose, and a strong urge to pursue game. Typically, the biggest problem faced by owners of beagles is ensuring that they do not chase off game—deer being the most tempting and problematic off game species. A cottontail rabbit might run in a circle a few hundred yards in diameter. A deer chase might take a pack of beagles so far away that you no longer hear them baying, and it ruins a day afield. Experienced houndsmen do not venture afield for a hunt with a beagle that will run off game.
Finding a reputable hunting dog breeder
Start by researching a breeder specializing in the hunting dog breed you're interested in, such as the English Pointer, Labrador Retriever, or Cocker Spaniel. Seek recommendations from experienced hunters, trainers, or local hunting clubs who might have firsthand knowledge about the breeder.
The Importance of Mental Stimulation for Sporting Breed Puppies
Training your puppy starts the moment he comes home, and it begins with mental stimulation. Keeping him on task from the beginning will build a better adult sporting dog—but how do you do it? Read on for advice on how to hold a puppy’s attention.
Comparing Performance Metrics of Bird Dogs by Gender
If you ask any bird-dog enthusiast what they look for when choosing a future upland dog and hunting companion, you are bound to get a wide array of advice. Many bird-dog enthusiasts favor specific breeds and bloodlines that align with the species of upland game they pursue or the hunting methods they use (i.e., walk hunting vs. horseback, etc.). When selecting puppies, they may favor certain mannerisms, such as boldness vs. timidness, or with a preferred conformation or coloration. Most enthusiasts also prefer a specific gender—male vs. female.
Nutrition to Support Your Sporting Breed Puppy’s Digestive Health
Digestive health is integral to a puppy’s overall health. The digestive system turns food into building blocks (nutrients) used by every other system, such as the muscular, skeletal, respiratory, and nervous systems, for proper growth and development. Feeding a highly digestible, nutrient-dense puppy food can help a highly active puppy’s body put vital nutrients to work with optimal efficiency.
Nutrition’s Role in Supporting Your Sporting Breed Puppy’s Immune System
A sporting breed puppy’s exposure to the natural world can occur early in life, and frequently. Introduction to the woods and waters in which they will eventually work is important for future training. However, these environments often contain pathogens that can challenge a young puppy’s immune system. Selecting a nutrient-dense diet with prebiotics and a fortified antioxidant complex can help support a puppy’s developing immune system and natural defenses. A strong and functional immune system helps a puppy’s body identify and address potential pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and parasites.
Fly Management Plan by Steve Snell
I had a customer last week who was having trouble with a Fly Trap. It wasn't catching the flies that were around his dogs. Come to find out, the trap he used was designed for house flies, but he had biting flies. When I told him that was the problem, he responded, "No, sir, a fly is a fly is a fly." Well, that's not true.
How Much to Feed a Sporting Breed Puppy
Puppies are a lot of things. They’re curious, they take a lot of naps, and when they wake up they’ve got a tremendous amount of energy. They’ve got powerful appetites and are always on the lookout for the next meal. But there’s more to feeding a puppy than filling up a bowl with kibble.
