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How your dog thinks ; I think - by Scott Linden
"If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then give him only two of them."
Joe and Denny and Me -- and Lucky - by Tom Word
In the summer of 1973, when I was thirty-five and a striving Richmond lawyer, I got an amazing gift from a more striving life insurance salesman hoping for referrals from me, an introduction to his brother, Joe Prince, perhaps Virginia's most striving grain farmer, and after his crops of wheat, peanuts, soybeans and corn were up, most striving quail hunter.
Mission: Condition
Is your favorite companion tuned up and ready for season?  Well, if  he, or she is not by now, chances are you are too late. When we neglect conditioning our gundog before the season opener, the results can make for what should have been a great hunt, turn out to be just a bad memory. Exercise during the off season is just as important to your dog, if not more important, than during season. Lets face it, life is a busy place and there is alot to worry about in the off season, like fishing, and spring turkey. But if you choose to leave ole fido in the kennel until season arrives, then throw him in the dog box, turn him out in the field, and expect the model hunting companion, then I promise you that you are going to be very disappointed. And, shame on you for doing it. Just like us, that dog has waited since last year for this day to come, and if in the months leading up to season you have not taken some time out of your busy schedule to exercise your dog and spend some time on the basics, then you have no one to blame but yourself when you cant talk at the end of opening day and your e collar is dead. Not to mention the fact that your buddies will probably not be calling you next weekend because of your dog busting birds all morning, and then burning out by the afternoon. So, spend some time with your gundog all year long, not just during hunting season. The benefits of a dog that has had the proper amount of exercise during the year will show great rewards during hunting season. Your dog will be more focused and ready to please. Just remember, the instincts are in the breeding, the rest is up to you. Happy hunting.
Bending Drills Teach Dogs to Hunt Efficiently
A dog that searches for birds in a consistent pattern covers ground efficiently and hunts with confidence. Whether you're hunting quail, grouse or pheasants, the result is the same: more shooting opportunities.
Training Your Retriever for Double Duty
If you own a waterfowl dog, chances are that sooner or later you're going to ask it to perform upland duty. It might be a pheasant hunt as a sideline to your Dakota duck hunt, or maybe an afternoon of quail hunting after a morning goose hunt. Most retrievers handle their second job pretty well. You can help your dog perform that job even better.
An American Tradition, Bought and Paid For
Yesterday was opening day of dove season here in Kansas, a day that for me and my shorthairs, could not have come any sooner. We live on a small farm here in Kansas, so a short walk out back is all the traveling we have to do to get down to business, so to speak. We did have some decent shooting in the morning, notice I say shooting. Thats because my disappointed dogs thought that my percentage of kills was rather low. There is nothing worse than the disappointment on their faces when you pull up and fire, but yet the bird keeps right on going. During the heat of the afternoon, I decided to tackle a few items off of my honey do list around the yard. As I worked outside I kept my Franchi 20 gauge leaned up against the picnic table close by, just in case a single or two happened by. I put the chores down in the late afternoon, picked up the shotgun, rounded up the dogs, and headed back to my spot to get down to what I hoped would be some better shooting on my part than I had accomplished earlier in the day. I would like to say that my aim was better in the afternoon than it was in the evening, but my dogs would call me a liar.
Choosing a Dog Box
If you are in the market for a dog box to haul your dogs to field trials and hunting, there are a number of decisions you
Better Training with Tri-Tronics
In their never ending desire to help our TRI-TRONICS' customers achieve more and better results, TRI-TRONICS has recruited John Wick to write a monthly web article. Nationally respected and trusted in the tree dog field as a breeder and trainer, John is known for his commonsense, yet innovative training tactics. Although tree dogs are his specialty, many of his philosophies and methods can be adapted to dogs of all types. We, at TRI-TRONICS, believe you and your dogs will benefit from his many years of experience and his sincere efforts to help all dogs and their trainers. ENJOY!
The Opener
This year I was blessed and duck season opened while I was home on leave from Iraq. Luckly, it also happened to be three weeks earlier than any date I can remember. As soon as I heard the news of the opener, I couldn't help but think of all the good days and the not so good days spent in the duck blind. I remembered hunts from the past, dogs I've hunted over and the friends I shared these experiences with. This one was sure to become one of those fond memories.
Topbrass Retrievers for all Reason
The Three "S"s Of Puppy Training: SHORT SIMPLE SUCCESSFUL
Retriever Corner
There are many schools of thought regarding progression with yard basics. In this article I will address my personal schedule aimed specifically at the T pattern drill I use in developing skills needed for swim-by work and beginning cold blind work.
Training a new puppy
In the summer of 2002, I raised two 8-week of females GSPs, from weaned puppy to started bird dog. Beginning with their introduction to birds, gunfire and all the rest that goes with being a bird dog and culminating with a successful 4-day hunting trip to South Dakota in October just prior to their being shipped to Japan to be with their new owners. This project was alot of fun. I miss these pups alot, but I know that they are doing well due to the nice start I gave them. You can do the same thing with your young bird dog, it just takes time and patience. Of course you must remember the most important thing about making a bird dog...start with a bird dog!!
