The Accidental Bird Dog Podcast

  What does it take to raise a field trial puppy that develops into a National Champion?   In this episode, I sit down with amateur field trialer John Bacik to discuss the puppy-raising and foundation behind his remarkable success. This year, John's older Vizsla Shelby won the Vizsla Club of America's National Gun Dog Championship, while his younger dog Taylor won the Open Derby and earned her Ama...

Experienced Vizsla breeder Michelle Dowd of Broad Run Vizslas joins me to talk about her journey into breeding and the important things to consider when breeding dogs for field ability. Breeding has its ups and downs, and Michelle shares about the good and bad she's encountered over the past 26 years. She also offers her advice for people who might be looking to start breeding dogs themselves. You...

Are you interested in learning how to start hunting with your bird dog? Do you have a young, energy-filled Pointer, German Shorthair, Vizsla, Brittany, etc. and you're curious about hunt tests or field trials? It can be confusing when you first get started, especially if you are new to bird hunting or bird hunting games. Where do I begin? How do I find someone to help me? What if I have never shot...

  Jessica Predom joins me again for part 2 discussing the Vizsla national walking field trial last month. We go into the details of how each of our dog's runs went and who got a placement ! As this was Zara's retirement run, I talk honestly about how it felt to run her and my feelings about the end of her field trial career. You can follow Jessica on Instagram at @fieldtrial_lifestyle or @ridge_th...

Fellow Vizsla owner, Jessica Predom, and I recorded a two-part episode about our Vizsla national walking field trial. This episode was recorded in multiple parts over the two months leading up to the event. We discuss our preparations, expectations, and goals for this prestigious trial. Stay tuned in two weeks for a recap of how everything panned out! You can follow Jessica on Instagram at @fieldt...

Many people get into the bird dog world with a young dog and train for beginner-level events, like the NAVHDA Natural Ability test, AKC Junior Hunter tests, or field trial puppy and derby stakes. With a well-bred bird dog and some deliberate exposure, doing well at these events shouldn't take a ton of effort. However, the jump to intermediate or advanced levels of testing is large. I find that peo...

  Emily has been involved in the dog sport world for a while, starting with agility and training and eventually moving into shed hunting when she met her husband. She trained her Lab and then her first German Wirehaired Pointer for shed hunting. They even started a shed dog club in their area. Through this club, they met friends who took them chukar hunting and soon after, they were hooked. Althou...

  Heather Wallace and I discuss the topic of getting burnt out with your bird dog training, testing, and trialing. We talk about two main kinds of burn out. The first is the feeling of mental exhaustion that can come when your training is not going well, or you are not having a lot of success in tests or trials.    The second is the fatigue from all the logistics – setting up training sessions, li...

New podcast episode! Planning Out A Hunt Test/Field Trial Season 🎙   A successful field trial or hunt test season doesn't happen by accident. If you're a planner like me, then you'll enjoy this topic. 😜   In this episode, I walk you through how to plan your season strategically instead of just signing up for every event that pops up on the calendar. We talk about starting with your goals (Earning...

AKC hunt tests can feel overwhelming, no matter what level you're running. After judging a test last weekend, I walked away with a long list of things handlers could do in training and at the actual test to set themselves up for more successful runs. In this episode, I'm sharing those tips and tricks to help you and your dog be more prepared and confident. -- The Accidental Bird Dog Podcast is spo...

For the first episode of the year, I'm kicking it off with another story of someone who got a pointing dog as a pet and then decided to get into hunting later.  In this episode of Tales of Accidental Bird Dogs, I sit down with Jeff Beck, whose journey into the bird dog world started with one goal: finding an active dog he could train and do fun things with. Jeff's first dog, a GSP named Jinx, was...

  For the third year in a row, I'm wrapping up the year with an end-of-year listener Q&A. In this episode, I answer questions submitted by you—covering everything from how I taught my dogs whoa, to whether it makes sense to start with field trials or NAVHDA first, and how to keep making progress when you have limited access to birds.   Thanks to everyone who submitted a question and thank you for...

This week on the podcast, I'm doing something a little different—I'm reading a few chapters from my book, The Accidental Bird Dog: My Journey with an Extraordinary Vizsla . If you've ever wondered how my story began—or if you've read the book and want to experience it in a new way—this is for you.   And yes…this is a teaser, because the audiobook is officially in the works. ☺️   The paperback and...

  Do you feel nervous when handling your dog in competitions and events? Even after competing for 10 years, I still feel anxious every single time.    In this episode, I dive into the mindset challenges that come with running your dog in tests and trials. I share my own experiences with negative self-talk, including moments when I nearly talked myself out of competing altogether. We explore what p...

In this episode, I'm joined once again by Cristina Ralph to explore how building engagement and a positive relationship with your dog sets the stage for effective training so they want to work with us. We break down how marker systems create a clear communication language, and we discuss the difference between drive and arousal—plus real-world examples of how these concepts show up in hunting dogs...

If you're new to the bird dog world, one of the first big questions you'll face is: What should I do with my dog? In this episode, I break down the main types of pointing dog events — hunt tests, field trials, and versatile dog tests — and talk about what makes each one unique. We'll cover the organizations behind these events, what kinds of dogs are eligible, and how to decide which might be the...

In this episode, I sit down with Geri Orta to talk about her incredible German Shorthaired Pointer, Ranger (VC TC AFC OTCH2 Sageflyer Gorta's Ranger UDX8 OGM GO VER RE MH NA CA BCAT). Ranger made history as the oldest dog to pass the NAVHDA Invitational and earn a Versatile Champion title—at an astounding 12 years and 9 months old. Geri shares how she set ambitious goals for Ranger from the very b...

I interviewed Adrienne Barber in our latest installment of the Tales of Accidental Bird Dog series. Adrienne got a Spinone, Fig, as an active running and adventure companion in 2016. After a while, she noticed that Fig wouldn't stop pointing tweety birds while she was walking her in the city, so she decided to look into hunting. She got involved in NAVHDA and eventually ran Fig in the Natural Abil...

The AKC just made a major change to field trial rules: judges in walking stakes can now use ATVs and UTVs instead of being required to ride horses. To unpack what this means for the sport, I sit down with Paul Hermes — a Florida-based AKC field trial and hunt test judge — to talk through the impact. Paul is realistic about the situation and in an ideal world, he would prefer to have horses for jud...

Steadiness can be one of the most challenging things to teach to your pointing dog. In this episode, I talk about the general process of teaching steadiness, regardless of the method you are using. I discuss common mistakes I see people making and those I was guilty of with Zara. I also go into detail about the process I'm using to teach Lanka to be steady on birds. Links mentioned in this episode...

  How do you figure out if your dog is ready to enter a hunt test or field trial? In this episode, I break down what readiness really means. From evaluating your dog's skills to assessing your own confidence and long-term goals, I'll walk you through key questions to ask yourself before signing up. I also share how time constraints and mental preparedness play a role in deciding when to enter—or h...

  In this episode, I sit down with Kelli—an Irish Setter breeder, handler, and passionate field trialer who has fully embraced the bird dog lifestyle. What sets Kelli apart is the adventurous path she and her husband have chosen: living full-time in their RV as they travel the country training, hunting, and competing with their dogs.   We talk about how she first got involved with Irish Setters, w...

  So whose dog has gotten picked up in a field trial before?! If you run field trials, it's pretty much inevitable that your dog is going to get picked up at some point, no matter how well trained they are. In this episode, I discuss different ways that can get your dog picked up in AKC field trial gun dog stakes. I also go into detail about Zara's field trial career and explain the times that she...

In this episode, I'm joined by professional dog trainer Emily Shirey of Horizon Retrievers. Emily brings a wealth of experience running retriever hunt tests with both her German Shorthaired Pointer and her Labrador Retriever. We dive into the Hunting Retriever Club (HRC) test structure, focusing on the Started and Seasoned levels, and break down how these tests work. Emily shares insights on what...

In this episode in my series of Tales of Accidental Bird Dogs, I chat with Vanessa Carmean about the unexpected journey that started with her first German Shorthaired Pointer, Camo. After years with Labradors and a family health scare, Vanessa and her husband chose a pointing breed—though she had no idea what she was getting into. What began as a plan to do a little dove hunting turned into someth...