Training Tips
Here's how we make the most of each hunt
TEK 2.0: Utilizing the Trip Computer
by Matt Mates
If you’ve paid attention to the reviews for the TEK 2.0 system from SportDOG Brand®, you know that hunters are really impressed with the mapping feature. Count me as one of them. While a lot of hunters and dog handlers rely on the screen’s information to help them locate a...
TEK 2.0: Voice Feature
by Jeffrey Wood
The SportDOG Brand TEK 2.0 e-collar and tracking unit has turned out to be a fantastic addition to my training tools. I train my Mountain Curs hard year round. During the hottest summer days, I train first thing in the morning, and then again in the evening. I’ve been using...
TEK 2.0 Improves Grouse Hunting Success
by The SportDOG Staff
The TEK 2.0 from SportDOG Brand® has turned out to be a real difference-maker in my grouse and woodcock guiding in northern Minnesota. I admit I wasn’t always a fan of using a tracking product, because to me it sounded like one more piece of equipment I’d have to maintain....
5 Tips for TEK 2.0
by Aaron Robinson
When it comes to choosing an e-collar you must consider several key factors before deciding which unit is ideal for you. First, consider your canine hunting companion. Is your dog close working, or a “horizon chaser”? Second, what is your primary hunting species? For example, are you a hunter who likes...
How to Match Your E-Collar to Your Hunting Conditions
by Tom Keer
One of my dogless hunting buddies lives in the city. He's the guy who has all the new gadgets. I kidded him about all his new toys and he tried to explain it like this; he said he’s an “early technology adaptor.” Say what? In my “bird hunter's English,” I...
Proper Introduction to the E-Collar
by Chris Akin
The e-collar is an amazing tool. It can fine-tune a dog, extend your control, and even save an animal’s life. But here’s the thing: You must understand what it is. It is not a magic bullet. I call it a polishing tool. It’s an enforcement tool and a distance minimizer. What...
Summer Hazards – 5 Precautions for your Hunting Dog
by The SportDOG Staff
Summertime means extra fun in the sun, but it also means some new dangers. These tips will help make sure you and your hunting partner stay safe in the field: Increased Hydration – Warmer weather means increased chanced of heat exhaustion for you and your dog. Even mild temperatures can pose...
Working Your Dog in the Winter
by The SportDOG Staff
Keep your training sessions with your dog quick and efficient to stave off cabin fever while keeping your dog safe in inclement weather. For those of you caught in the polar vortex, you know it can limit your time out with your dog. The freezing cold temperatures can make it tempting...
Controlling Multiple Dogs
by The SportDOG Staff
One of the questions I am asked most is, "how do you control so many hounds at once?" Well that's easy: you need a good multiple dog training system like the SportDOG Brand® HoundHunter® 3225 with 2 mile range. Then you need to know each of your hounds individually. Hounds...
Where to Find a Dog with the Right Stuff - Part 2
by Charlie Jurney
In Part 1 of this article series, I discussed purchasing a puppy and considering bloodlines. Now we'll dig into the best breeder and how to pick the right litter. The most reasonable way to locate a well-bred puppy for yourself is by doing a great deal of research. Ask each breeder...
Don't Forget to Introduce Your Duck Dog to Decoys
by Charlie Jurney
In our excitement to build a retriever into a top-notch waterfowl dog, it’s easy to forget small but important details. For example, your dog might make you proud when he completes a long retrieve. But the first time you ask him to swim through four dozen decoys to retrieve a...
Dealing with Hunting Dog Injuries
by The SportDOG Staff
Cuts are common in hunting dogs. Briars, barbed-wire, broken glass, or even sharp broken saplings can slice a dog’s skin as it hunts. Appropriate field care of wounds can decrease healing time and make the veterinarian’s job much easier. Remember the watchwords: flush, fill and wrap. Flushing Fresh cuts may look quite...
Poor Performance in Bird Dogs
by The SportDOG Staff
Your bird dog has been a strong, eager hunter with lots of pizzazz and snap, but now he has lost that snap, speed and stamina. He still eats well, is bright and alert and has normal bowel movements. Have you over-trained the dog or is it poor nutrition, heartworms or...
Reward Based Training for Labs
by Charlie Jurney
Imagine you go to work this week giving your best efforts to satisfy the boss and make the company successful. During that time you forgot to return one phone call and came in five minutes late on Thursday because of a wreck on the highway. The rest of the week...
Rigors of a Tough Hunting Season
by The SportDOG Staff
During the 2009-2010 hunting season, most of us endured our most interesting upland season in quite some time. The entire country experienced unique weather conditions this fall and winter. Hard winters often turn most of our thoughts and concerns towards, "how are the birds going to make it"? A question...
Tips For Dove Hunting And Gun Dogs
by The SportDOG Staff
There are many things that you should do to prepare you and your dog for opening day of dove season. For most of us in the south, it is still very hot during dove season. The most important thing is to keep yourself and your dog hydrated! There are all...
AUTHORS
Greg McGuffin
1 article
Greg McGuffin has been professionally training hunting dogs for 8 years. 3 years ago he and his family sold their house in Tulsa, Oklahoma and decided to dive head first into Retriever Training. They now live on the 2,000 acre family ranch in south central Oklahoma where Greg, his wife,...
Lynne Frady
2 articles
Owning Labrador Retrievers since the age of 9 has given Lynne a rare opportunity. She learned to listen to her dogs. They have taught her more than she has taught them, and to think any differently would be an error on her part, according to Lynne. She has had the pleasure...
Craig Leair
1 article
With ten years of training experience specializing in German Shorthairs and yellow Labs, Craig currently works as a guide and lives on a 750-acre game preserve that raises over 40,000 pheasants, chukars and Huns annually. Wern Valley Sportsman Club allows him to constantly train dogs in a bird-rich environment, resulting...
Matt Mates
1 article
I’ve hunted upland game birds from North Dakota to Northern Maine, spending most of my time in my home state of Michigan. My love for pheasants dates back to my days as a youngster, first chasing them with our Labradors, German Shorthaired Pointers, or the occasional contact while running beagles...
