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Purely Dogs – Summer Safety Strategies

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by Seth Bynum, DVM My lifelong love of summer started to fade when bird dogs became part of my life. The once intense and pining anticipation of summer break or dry fly season now feels supplanted by a longing for crisp air and the flush of wings. Most summer training articles focus on hydration and heat, two areas where a healthy dose of common sense can help avoid most life-threatening complications. But other, more common summer ailments from Mother Nature’s arsenal are statistically more likely to leave you with preseason headaches and veterinary bills, particularly when unnoticed or left unaddressed. Throughout much of...

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HOW TO TRAIN DURING A LONG WINTER

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Training Tips from NAVHDA Dog Handlers by Nancy Anisfield with Tracey Nelson, Blaine Carter and Kyle Hough Winters are long in the north country. Once our post hunting season reflections subside, the brush-battered gear is repaired and the dogs have depleted the backyard supply of frozen rabbit turds, it’s time to get back into training mode. Keeping in mind there’s no single “official” training method for the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association, I asked three pro trainers, all with many years’ experience in NAVHDA, for their favorite winter training drill. Heeling Living in Mineola, Iowa, Tracey Nelson finds plenty of wintry precip and low...

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Cold Weather Strategies That Will Keep Your Dogs Safe

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by Seth Bynum, DVM The sting of a strong prairie wind bored through heavy nylon, nipped across the tightly-woven fibers of merino wool and threatened to snuff out what little flame of enthusiasm I had left for this late-season upland hunt. Like the pangs of childbirth or chukar hunting, the mind has a way of purging physically traumatic events from memory, and the gale whipping over crusty snow and across my face served as a harsh reminder of how the wind influences life on the American plains. I spent four long winters here, I should know. But when I moved away for...

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Purely Dogs – Prepare for the Worst

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by Lisa Price Never before did I prepare for the worst things to happen, but then a couple of them did, and I upped my game. There are oodles of articles about safety for dogs in the field, accompanied by pictures of dogs riddled with porcupine quills, slashed by barbed wire and similar disastrous encounters. And lots of people who pursue grouse and woodcock with dogs can head to a local woodland. But lots of us must knuckle down for a long drive. If you’re headed out for a dream hunt with your dogs, make sure the trip there is not a part...

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Training Tips from NAVHDA Dog Handlers

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LET NO GAME GO UNRETRIEVED by Nancy Anisfield and Rob Shaw Every bird-dog-owning grouse and woodcock hunter knows that finding a downed bird in thick cover is no easy task. Autumn leaves, tangled blowdowns, air-washed scent, swirling winds, depth distorting conifers, rocks, crevasses and ground debris seem to exist to confound hunters and dogs. As shooters, we can keep our eyes on the bird and note visible landmarks where it drops. As dog handlers, we have another set of eyes and an impressive nose available to help. Even though a dog’s nose and instincts are superior to ours, there are things we...

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In Mixed Company

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by Brian Koch When I was a teen, my older cousin Chris got a jet-black solid muscle of a Lab named Porsche. I don’t recall the specific circumstances, but life threw some curves at Chris, so Porsche ended up coming to live on my grandparent’s farm.  My family always had dogs when I was growing up. From beagles to rescues at the local animal shelter – none were purebred, papered or pedigreed. Dog selection back then was based on the look a puppy gave you at the pound. I have fond memories of those dogs, but they were pets. I honestly had...

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