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The Last Hour Dog
Ben and Sam were alone in Ben's library-conference room on a cold and cloudy year-end Friday afternoon. The week had been brutal for both curmudgeons. Sam had had to tell a favorite patient her cancer had returned. Ben had had to tell a grandfather his favorite grandson had been expelled from prep school.
Understanding Bird Scent - Part 1 The Birds
In his book Best Way To Train Your Gun Dog, Hall of Fame Trainer Delmar Smith said: "No one's ever understood one thing about scent." Add this: Odor chemistry is complex and still poorly understood. (The Science of Smell, Iowa State University May 2004). Now we can understand why few, if any, have dared enter this research field of bird scent and pointing dogs.
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!
The Role of Antioxidants in Recovery
Give a pointer, setter, shorthair or Lab a choice between working or taking a nap, odds are they'll take work at every opportunity. Handlers are in it to win it today, but they've got an eye on tomorrow as well.
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.
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.
Tennessee Panel to Hear Bill Banning Outside Dogs
On April 6, the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee will conduct a hearing to discuss legislation that prohibits tethering a dog outside unless it has constant and uninterrupted access to shelter, shade and water.
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.
Field Cocker Madness
The brace of pointers was stunning, and they were locked up on the edge of one of the thickest patches of greenbriar I'd ever seen. The tangle was so dense it resembled unfurled rolls of concertina wire. A little cocker named Rip didn't care, for when he was cut loose, he snaked his way through that mess with more moves than a belly dancer. I'd I couldn't see him, but to know where he was I just needed to see which section of greenbriar was shaking. When the dog locked on his target, a covey of wild quail exploded. They believed if they held their ground they'd never have to leave. How wrong they were.
The Master Thief
Fred Freeze was a genius at training pointing dogs, of a certain sort. Very smart ones, the ones who understood what field trials were all about. Not necessarily the most athletic or naturally talented, but those that could be taught to leverage the talents of a brace mate. And none had been so well suited to Fred Freeze's methods as Candice, a pointer female who learned tricks from Fred like a circus performer.
