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A dog conditioned for big runs in the open prairie with relatively flat terrain may not fare as well in the mountains  chasing chukar  or the thick brambles of the north country  chasing ruffed grouse  and  woodcock . When the training grounds don’t match the hunting conditions, it’s like training for a marathon but running a Tough Mudder instead. The body will eventually adjust, but not before sh...

Getting a willful, prey-driven hunting dog to heel can be difficult at first. It is one of the most common reasons a handler loses their prize one in the  NAVHDA  testing system. It’s also one of the reasons owners avoid stimulating environments while walking their dog. The drive within our hunting dogs is the putty from which we play. Because heeling is a drive-based activity, drive can be a bene...

Doves are the highest-harvested game bird in the United States, with over 10 million bagged annually.  The high harvest rate isn’t surprising, considering dove hunting  season is the first hunting season to open for most wing shooters. However, the dove’s  widespread range  no doubt contributes to the large harvest. They can be found in nearly every state and much of Canada. They breed from the we...

When acting selfishly while playing youth sports, the common phrase “there’s no I in team” was repeatedly thrown around. My coaches insisted I trust others with the ball to develop good teamwork. But giving up the ball didn’t come naturally. I often got “the eye” from my coaches, revealing their disappointment in my lack of team play. They’d use various positive and punitive techniques to get thei...

The recall is an extremely important ritual we have with our dogs. When called, the dog quickly and directly finds its position either in front or to our side. It happily and thoughtlessly finds its position, returning as excitedly as it went out and finishing with robotic consistency; something that has been groomed into it since the day it came home.  READ:  Understanding Timing in Dog Training...

Like most parents, I hope my children will share my interests so we can enjoy them together. As a passionate upland hunter, I dream of days spent in the field nurturing their curiosity, instilling a desire for  conservation , and fostering a profound respect and appreciation for the game birds we pursue. There’s a special kind of magic and responsibility involved with welcoming young children into...

Vintage shotguns  can be particular with the kinds of  shotgun shells  you put through them. In a world filled with high-velocity, heavy payload shells, the difficulty of finding lighter loads can take away some of the allure of owning a classic. But it shouldn’t stop you. There’s something warm and cozy about hunting with a 50-, 75-, or even 100-year-old shotgun.  Only a handful of ammunition man...

“Suddenly into the middle of the coterie of breeders a bombshell was flung, so startling as to cause a violent upheaval of all the old theories, and a complete revolution in setter breeding, the effects of which have lasted to the present day.”    —Walter Baxendale Walter Baxendale’s “bombshell” was a man named Edward Laverack, now universally regarded as the father of the modern  English Setter ....

In May of 2024, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced new rules governing dog imports into the United States. The rules are aimed at standardizing the process between countries and preventing the introduction of canine rabies into the U.S., but the broad-sweeping changes will have lasting impacts on breed clubs that depend on imported puppies for  genetic diversity  a...

I can’t help but stare through the conference room’s glass curtain wall, in awe of some of the world’s most productive wetlands on Earth. This morning, the frozen wetlands are blanketed in snow after this winter’s biggest storms pounded the area, which is great for recharging those wetlands later in the year. During spring, summer, and fall, these Great Salt Lake wetlands are so valuable, that the...

My first-ever interaction with an English Springer Spaniel was when my wife, Emily, brought one home. When considering which  dog breed  our first hunting dog should be, we ultimately landed on the one with which Emily was most familiar. She grew up with Springers, and consequently, that is where we landed. At that time, we weren’t aware of the differences between bench and field bred dogs. Perhap...

“Where were you last night?” These words strike fear in nearly all adolescent children. Is the parent simply curious? Was it an ambivalent conversation starter or a knowing and accusatory set up? The answer always lies within the subtle tones, expression, and body language of the parent. The same is true when thinking about the delivery of a  command in dog training . It is very important to be co...

It’s not quite U.S. domestic politics or  dog food , but raise the topic of “force fetch” or its euphemism, “trained retrieve,” and you’ll quickly discover that pointing dog folks have lots of feelings about it. You’ll generally find four camps: a camp of those who say they don’t need it because they don’t need their dog to retrieve but only help them find a downed bird; a “natural retrieve” camp...

Having dealt with so-called “fine” firearms for decades, the question “What exactly is a ‘best gun?’” comes up a lot. Explaining what a best gun is can be challenging because it’s more of a concept or ethos to building a gun, not something that follows a set of rules or criteria. As such, the term is used quite liberally, especially when it comes to shotguns. Moreover, best quality  shotguns  made...

As each year passes, some of us find enough time to raise and finish our dream upland dog. It is an amazing opportunity to have your dog at the ready, all day long, just begging to be educated. Extra time, whether due to retirement or working from home, has inspired many of us to get out there every day and mold our pup into the finest hunting machine. Of course, spending lots of time with a dog c...

Depending on where in the world you’re hunting turkeys, you may be fortunate to see other remarkable wildlife while you sit and hammer on your box or  slate call . You may even have one or two curious predatory critters come into your calls, hoping for an easy meal.  For many modern turkey species, their main predators are owls, coyotes, and cougars. But what if they were golden eagles, sabertooth...

If I were to ask you to honestly explain to me your expectations of  whoa , what would your answer look like? Would you be okay with the three or four step California roll type whoa, utilizing more than a few commands while throwing in a few choice expletives? You know, the kind of whoa where you turn red while the dog sighs and rolls its eyes at you in that teenage “Are you done?” manner. I find...

Dogs that have been trained to hold point until the handler arrives will do so partly due to it being cooperative. However, this is mostly due to the dog fearing that if it moves, the bird will fly away.  Steadiness comes into play once the dog realizes the presence of its handler.  Before initiating the steadiness process, you would have hopefully provided your dog with a hunting season filled wi...

You did your homework, picked the right hunting  dog breed , and found the breeder who provided you with the genetic package you dreamt of. On the drive home it hits you.  Have I  prepared for this new puppy ?   Now what? How do I start?  You own the equivalent of a Ferrari but are unsure how to take it for its first spin without scratching it. Too often, folks are afraid to work with a little pup...

Setters are incredible dogs that offer a wide diversity of type, hunting tendencies, and coat colors. Although some may be harder or softer than others, and some pups may be slightly more hesitant to retrieve, there are two constants that remain regardless of breed or strain: their beauty and amazing companionship in the field and at home. Llewellin Setters have a bit of a complicated history.  Ri...

Sit and stay is a tall order. I don’t know about you, but this is no easy task for me or my bird dogs. Many of us are now quarantined in our homes. I’m sitting here writing this article with four very patient  hunting dogs  huddled up beside me awaiting anything remotely training related. And so place training is one of the things that can be accomplished at home and even with some help from the k...

The reverberation of a  ruffed grouse  drumming during early mornings in spring forests is one of the most magical sounds. When you hear it, it starkly contrasts against all other sounds found in the springtime. Its unique nature provokes human curiosity and admiration. No doubt, that very same feeling we get today is what sparked  naturalist John Bartram  to write a letter to his home in England...

Our bird dog training routine has been completely uprooted, though my dogs are thoroughly enjoying all the extra training. Unfortunately for many people, what would have been the start of training season with friends and professional trainers has now become a stay-at-home DIY situation. Nevertheless, we can take this extra time to get some excellent training drills put together and maybe even incl...

So what if my dog has a wiggle butt and flags a bit on point? It’s kinda cute and still gets meat to the frying pan. If that’s the case and your dog will efficiently hunt, locate plenty of birds for you and stand point, I would happily agree with you. More often than not, however, it will affect your hunt in some aspect as it’s a symptom of underlying holes in your bird  dog training . It could de...

Being part of the hunting and shooting industry, I get to try the latest and greatest new guns every year. But when I’m not toting a gun for work, I’m usually carrying a vintage shotgun. My duck and pigeon gun turned 100 this year, and my  grouse gun  isn’t far behind it.  I have a safe full of old  pumps ,  semi-autos ,  side-by-sides , and  over-unders , and I’ll probably never get rid of them....