Thoughts of A Dog Man

How to Get Your Dog Food Paid For | 7 Creative Ways to Save Money What if you could get some, or maybe even ALL, of your dog food paid for?  🐕💰 And no, we're not just talking about landing a big sponsorship deal or having thousands of followers on social media! Whether you own one dog or fifteen, feeding dogs can become a pretty expensive responsibility. But what if there were opportunities...

THEY SHOULD KNOW BETTER... BUT WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO TEACH THEM? How can we expect somebody to know something they've never been taught? In this episode of  Thoughts of a Dog Man , we're talking about something I believe deserves more attention in the hunting dog community: the expectations we place on new and beginning handlers. It's easy to look at somebody's decisions and say, &#3...

Some of the most valuable lessons aren't always the ones that jump out at you during a conversation. Sometimes, you've got to go back, listen again, and dig a little deeper. Welcome to  Hidden Gems — Part 1  on  Thoughts of a Dog Man ! Recently, I sat down with Mr. Donald Savoy, a dog man with over 40 years of hunting experience, and his mentee, Chris, for a conversation about hunting dogs...

What happens when over 40 years of hunting experience meets the next generation of dog men? On this episode of  Thoughts of a Dog Man , I'm joined by Donald Savoy, a member of our Dog Man Insider community who brings over 40 years of hunting experience, along with his mentee Chris, who has spent the past four years learning from Mr. Donald. We sit down for a conversation centered around someth...

When somebody gives you a hunting dog, or you purchase one from a breeder, what exactly are you agreeing to? Sometimes we get caught up in the excitement of bringing a new dog home without having conversations that could save us a lot of frustration down the road. In this episode of  Thoughts of a Dog Man , we're discussing the importance of clear expectations, communication, and understanding...

When is a young hunting dog actually ready to hunt alone? Soloing young dogs is something dog men have different opinions on. Some believe it’s an important part of developing independence, while others would rather build a young dog up around experienced dogs before asking it to do everything on its own. But maybe the better question isn’t simply, “Should I solo my dog?” Maybe it’s: **What has th...

Buying a hunting dog can get expensive fast—especially when you get the dog home and realize it isn’t anything like what you thought you were buying. In this episode of Thoughts of a Dog Man, I’m talking directly to new and beginner handlers about some of the questions I think you should ask BEFORE money changes hands. This episode came from a real conversation I recently had with someone who has...

There are a lot of little things I do when training hunting dogs that probably wouldn’t sound like “secrets” to everybody—but they’re techniques I’ve picked up over the years that have helped me get more out of my dogs. In this episode of Thoughts of a Dog Man, I break down five of those little training techniques and explain how I actually use them. We talk about teaching a hunting dog to hit the...

What does a Nite Champion title really prove? In this episode of Thoughts of a Dog Man, I take a deeper look at competition titles and ask a question I think is worth discussing: does the title tell us enough about the dog, or do we need to know more about the road it took to get there? We talk about the difference between a dog that earns its wins quickly versus one that needs considerably more o...

Rabbit season is open here in Iowa, and before we get too caught up in the dogs, the races, and putting rabbits in the bag, I wanted to spend some time talking about safety. In this episode of Thoughts of a Dog Man, I go through several things I think every rabbit hunter—especially somebody new to hunting with dogs—should think about before heading to the field. We start with muzzle control and th...

When you’re working with a young tree dog, it can be easy to focus on one question: Is he treeing yet? But there’s a whole lot more I’m watching before I ever decide what I think that young dog might become. In this episode of  Thoughts of a Dog Man , we talk about some of the things I look for while a young tree dog is developing—hunt and desire, how they use their nose, whether they seem more tr...

Practice what you preach. Recently, Bawlin Out Kennels crossed 10,000 followers on Facebook. It’s a milestone I’m proud of, but it also made me think about the process it took to get there and how similar that process is to developing a young dog. There were times when 10,000 followers felt a long way away. Times when growth was slow, things didn’t work, negativity showed up, and I questioned whet...

Are you helping your young dog too much? In this episode of Thoughts of a Dog Man, we talk about something that can be easy to overlook when training a young dog: sometimes the best thing you can do is step in—and sometimes the best thing you can do is get out of the way. We get into the difference between teaching a dog and doing the work for him, why a little struggle can actually help build pro...

Do you actually know what motivates your dog? A lot of us have a certain way we like to train dogs, but one thing I've learned is that the same approach doesn't necessarily work the same way on every dog. In this episode of Thoughts of a Dog Man, we're talking about learning the individual dog in front of you. Is that dog motivated by food? Praise? Play? Chase? Does pressure make him w...

Have you ever wondered what happens after the puppies are weaned? Most people spend all their time talking about raising the puppies—but very few talk about helping the mama dog recover. In this episode of Thoughts of a Dog Man, we’re discussing the weaning process from both sides: preparing the puppies for independence while safely helping the female transition out of nursing. We’ll cover:
• Prep...

If everyone wants a good rabbit dog... why don't we all want the same kind of rabbit dog? In this episode of  Thoughts of a Dog Man , I answer several listener-submitted questions about rabbit dogs and the different preferences hunters have. We discuss the kind of rabbit dog I personally enjoy running, why different styles of dogs fit different people, how I decide how many dogs to run at one...

Where does the ALCBA stand today, and how can owners begin registering their American Leopard Curs moving forward? In this episode of  Thoughts of a Dog Man , I share an update on the American Leopard Cur Breeders Association and the new registration process launching August 1. We discuss how registration was handled in the past, how the new online system will work, and the different registration...

Your puppy finally opened up and ran with the dogs—but does that automatically mean your puppy is started? The word  “started”  can mean several different things depending on who you ask. For one person, it may mean a puppy showed interest or joined a race. For another, it may mean the dog can recognize the track, contribute to moving the rabbit, work through a check, or even jump and circle its o...

You finally brought home a started dog. Now what? For many new handlers, the excitement of getting a new dog leads to one of the biggest mistakes they can make—taking that dog hunting before it's had time to settle into its new home. In this episode of  Thoughts of a Dog Man Podcast , we discuss why the first few days and weeks after bringing home a started dog are so important. From building...

In this episode of  Thoughts of a Dog Man Podcast , I'm answering eight of the most common questions I hear from new and beginner hunting dog handlers. From choosing a puppy and understanding bloodlines to knowing when to hunt a young dog and avoiding common mistakes, this episode is designed to give you practical advice and a better way to think about your dogs. Topics include: • How to recog...

What's the hardest part of dogs? Most people might say training, breeding, finding good dogs, or dealing with setbacks. But the more I've thought about it, the more I've started to wonder if the hardest part might be something else entirely. In this episode of Thoughts of a Dog Man Podcast, I explore the role patience plays in every stage of the journey—from puppies and development to...

What actually makes someone a Dog Man? Is it the number of dogs they've owned? The years they've spent hunting? The trophies on the shelf? Or is it something deeper than that? In this episode of Thoughts of a Dog Man Podcast, I explore a question that every dog person may answer a little differently. I share some of the things that, in my opinion, don't necessarily make someone a Dog M...

What are you REALLY buying when you buy a puppy? Most people would probably say they're buying a dog. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized a puppy represents much more than that. In this episode of Thoughts of a Dog Man Podcast, I explore the different things people are actually investing in when they bring home a new puppy. From potential and genetics to relationships and drea...

Are you REALLY prepared for a great dog? Everybody says they want one. A dog with more talent, more drive, more ability, and more potential. But what happens when a truly exceptional dog finally shows up? In this episode of Thoughts of a Dog Man Podcast, I explore a question that most dog handlers never stop to ask themselves: Are you actually prepared for what comes with a great dog? We discuss:...

This episode takes it back to some real dog talk with my mentor Mike! Taking you guys back to one of the first long-form podcasts I had done! Before the audio was polished and everything was dialed in, we sat down and talked about rabbit dogs, tree dogs, hunting stories, dogs from the past that left an impression on us, and lessons learned over the years in the woods. There’s a lot of wisdom in co...