dog training

Preparing for Your First Hunting Season Success

January 28, 2025 by Ruffed Grouse Society

Article and photos by Steve and Jodie Ries, Top Gun Kennel Is it possible that our spring puppy will be ready for the upcoming hunting season? Yes, your new hunting partner is about to start paying you back for the time and efforts you’ve committed to at this point. We’ve completed introductions to basic commands, rides in a vehicle, habitat cover, water, birds and gunfire. So, are you ready? Let’s compare our current situation to athletes who practice all the fundamentals of the sport they participate in to contribute to the success or outcome of the game. It doesn’t matter which sport. “Game...

Purely Dogs – Summer Safety Strategies

July 5, 2022 by Ruffed Grouse Society

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...

Training Tips from NAVHDA Dog Handlers

October 14, 2021 by Ruffed Grouse Society

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...

Spaniels, Serena Style

September 21, 2021 by Ruffed Grouse Society

by Keith Schopp It’s June 2020, and if you’re looking for a bright spot in a sea of COVID, look no further than that splash of pink in the North Dakota switchgrass. The pink belongs to 10-year-old Serena Horak, the smallest person competing in the largest cocker spaniel field trial ever – aside from the Nationals. Serena stands out in the crowd despite her 54-inch stature; she’s wearing pink Crocs, a pink watch, ballet slipper earrings and a glittery unicorn t-shirt to match her shorts. Serena is preparing to handle her 3-year-old cocker named Boom in the first brace of the Amateur...

Winter Foot Care and Injury Prevention for Bird Dogs – RGS

January 7, 2020 by Ann Jandernoa

Examining risks and foot care methods for bird dogs during the winter. From the crusty hard snow to the dry air and freezing cold temperatures, winter conditions can take a toll on your bird dogs, especially their feet. Being prepared and knowing how to deal with foot care, maintenance and injuries simply come with the territory of owning bird dogs. Having owned a large sled dog kennel, I am very familiar with booties, putting booties on my dogs and getting a sore back in the process. I have found it much easier to prevent problems than than trying to heal an active dog’s...

dog training

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