I usually run two dogs at a time. I like big running, independent bird dogs. That can be a problem when the bird numbers are low and they have to stretch out to find them. You can have dogs hundreds of yards away going in the opposite direction. GPS collars have changed the way we hunt. Most of the change is good. My dogs don’t really get “lost.” Sure they can be a long way out, but you know where they are the majority of the time. You also get pretty confident that you can find them no matter how far they run. It’s just a matter of getting … [Read more...] about Some behaviors of a “lost” dog and that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach when a dog that’s lost “goes on point”
Dogs
Em and The Logging Chains
There was a time when I was running four collar straps on my bird dogs. Each dog would wear an ID collar, an Ecollar, a beeper collar and a telemetry tracking collar. This would have been between 1992 and 2007. There were a lot of jokes about breeding dogs with longer necks. Folks were always concerned about how much weight was on the dogs neck and the stress that it placed them under. At times we could get it down to three straps by combining the Beeper and the ecollar. I even experimented with combining the tracking collars with Beepers … [Read more...] about Em and The Logging Chains
How Many Bird Dogs Do You Run at the Same Time?
I grew up running two at a time. I’m not sure if this came from our field trial background or if it was the normal thing my dad did prior to me starting to hunt. Maybe it was from the two of us hunting together and we were each responsible for keeping track of “our” dog. This was back in the day before tracking collars and it was long before we ran beepers. We used bells to keep up with a moving dog and you had to know where he was last if you wanted to find him on point. These kids have it so easy with their fancy GPS tracking units!! In a … [Read more...] about How Many Bird Dogs Do You Run at the Same Time?
City Dog Boots and the Off Road Summer Options
While I tend to think of our boots as foot protection for hunting dogs, there are plenty of reasons to use boots in both the off-season and for city dogs that don’t hunt. There are plenty of dangers that exist for dogs that get their exercise on the streets. There is no reason you should have to worry about your dog getting injured while you are taking them on a walk. During the heat of the year, the most dangerous thing for dogs walking on paved streets is the temperature of the concrete and asphalt. In direct sunlight, asphalt can quickly … [Read more...] about City Dog Boots and the Off Road Summer Options
Why We Don’t Sell Duck Wings and Why It Doesn’t Matter
We don’t sell real duck wings on our website even though we could sell a bunch. I’m not sure the exact reason behind it but I know it has to do with duck being a federally controlled resource but they are migratory. I’m not sure if it’s illegal or just difficult but either way, we don’t sell them and it really doesn’t matter. Now I don’t say that because the use of feathers isn’t important in training your waterfowl Retreiver. It’s very important. Getting them comfortable with having feathers in their mouths is a big deal, they just don’t … [Read more...] about Why We Don’t Sell Duck Wings and Why It Doesn’t Matter
When Do I Start Training my Puppy?
One of the most common questions we get asked is “when do I start training my puppy?” The answer really seems to surprise most folks. You start training the first time you pick him up. What? That can’t be? Yep, it sure is. Every time you touch your dog some form of “training” is happening. Now it might not be “good training” but it is training. Every interaction with your pup will result in him learning. Every time you do something with him or let him “get away” with a behavior he learns what he can and can’t do. One of the … [Read more...] about When Do I Start Training my Puppy?