Training Tips
Here's how we make the most of each hunt![Training Tips](/training-tips/training-tips.jpg)
![Watch for Man walking German Shorthair Pointer at heel with leash and e-collarBehavior](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/d075r9p6/production/29f0f4df427eba07e60461cf75befd7fee341694-1200x630.jpg?w=1200&h=630&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)
Watch for Displacement Behavior
by Charlie Jurney
No matter what breed of dog you’re training, at some point the dog will try any number of tricks to avoid giving up its alpha position. Yawning, scratching, sniffing, head shaking and licking are all ways in which your dog will attempt to delay performing a command. Your dog may...
![Yellow lab puppy in back of SUV with window open](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/d075r9p6/production/7bee42dc5ebe50f0164b89a39e713e6d74ace756-1299x1080.jpg?rect=291,193,1008,838&w=1299&h=1080&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)
What Does “Socializing” Your Puppy Mean?
by Tom Dokken
You hear a lot about “socializing” your puppy, but what does that mean and why is it important? Socializing is actually training. By that I mean that every time you are with your puppy he is learning something. You need to make sure he’s learning what you want him to...
![Beagle in dog crate with door open](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/d075r9p6/production/8f681b207d040eb6d34f53b99e59b38d18d568f5-1000x1000.jpg?w=1000&h=1000&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)
Spring Training for Beagles
by The SportDOG Staff
Spring is in the air, which means rabbit season is over in most parts of the country. So now what? I have a kennel full of Beagle rabbit hounds and no hunting, making this the perfect time to give a little extra attention to those younger hounds. Spring is a...
![Yellow lab laying down calmly in crate](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/d075r9p6/production/55e589a34599645c368a1cf70b8b099bd0d48cc6-1620x1080.jpg?w=1620&h=1080&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)
4 Good Reasons to Crate-Train Your Dog
by Rick Grant
One of the first things you should do when you get a new puppy is get him used to spending time in his crate, or portable kennel. If your dog lives in the house, the crate is a good place for him to be when you don’t want him underfoot....
![Yellow lab laying down being petted while in crate](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/d075r9p6/production/07f1c04ef6c903b9742eacd2ff1b069c2d97730c-1620x1080.jpg?w=1620&h=1080&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)
Understanding Canine Influenza
by The SportDOG Staff
If you have been watching the news lately or reading metropolitan newspapers, you may have noticed articles about a “new” flu outbreak in dogs. In some sections of the country, veterinarians are reporting a near-panic situation around this canine flu news. Here are the facts. Canine Influenza Virus is a relatively...
![Yellow lab running through tall grass](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/d075r9p6/production/bdf85bb7fa3aec4389de0352ba11f7851a75824c-1200x630.jpg?w=1200&h=630&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)
Introducing Your Retriever to Upland Hunting
by Rick Grant
One of the most common questions I’m asked when I’m doing training demonstrations for SportDOG is this one: “How do I keep my retriever hunting in range?” Without a doubt, keeping your dog from getting too far out in front of you when he gets on the scent of a...
![Yellow lab sitting in field.](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/d075r9p6/production/94179448bca2c278f335b53c9f287310c9820db6-5568x3712.jpg?w=5568&h=3712&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)
Training Your Retriever for Double Duty
by Charlie Jurney
If you own a waterfowl dog, chances are that sooner or later you’re going to ask it to perform upland duty. It might be a pheasant hunt as a sideline to your Dakota duck hunt, or maybe an afternoon of quail hunting after a morning goose hunt. Most retrievers handle...
![Retriever Training: The Transition to Water](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/d075r9p6/production/439f3db73712b1041223e94ad9bb9f83114cbf96-2000x2000.jpg?w=2000&h=2000&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)
Retriever Training: The Transition to Water
by Tom Dokken
Retrievers love water, so you wouldn’t think that transitioning from land retrievers to water retrieves would be difficult. It isn’t, as long as you follow a few simple guidelines. The key to a smooth introduction and continued improvement on water retrieves is to work in baby steps, just like you did...
![man petting black lab dog on tailgate](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/d075r9p6/production/ba2de986b28e60ea4847e70310a263a86d06b2f4-1336x891.jpg?w=1336&h=891&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)
Where to Find a Dog with the Right Stuff - Part 3
by Charlie Jurney
I talked about getting the pick of the litter in Part 2 of this article series. Now you have to decide whether you want a started dog or a finished dog. So now you know what you’re looking for in a puppy, but what if you do not want to deal...
![Man and woman petting and rewarding yellow lab for retrieving dummy](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/d075r9p6/production/c5191d10cd5fe71e9a0e86f994bfe79e59fabf64-5568x3712.jpg?rect=256,570,4094,2729&w=5568&h=3712&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)
Keeping the Fun in Retriever Training
by Charlie Jurney
Wouldn’t it be nice in the middle of a rough day if someone stopped by and said a few words that made all your cares go away? Instantly your negative feelings would disappear and you’d be happy. Well, in retriever training, there is something that can have that effect on...
![Setter with orange e-collar on with grouse in mouth.](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/d075r9p6/production/27e29835dc30d1edbcb43b89b3066d0f25a16ec6-4594x3280.jpg?rect=413,595,3660,2613&w=4594&h=3280&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)
Early Season Grouse Hunting
by Aaron Robinson
The 2010 hunting season is just around the corner, and in many states the Sharp-tailed grouse and Partridge season are the first to kick off. This is where our summer dog training and conditioning finally materializes, or so we hope. Dogs at this time are usually accustomed to liberated birds...
![Yellow lab in orange e-collar behind tall yellow grass.](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/d075r9p6/production/2926db2c3a373a3dafafc50a24800ffe5416f4a2-5568x3712.jpg?w=5568&h=3712&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)
Getting Your Retriever in the Thick of Things
by Rick Grant
If you were going to go pheasant hunting on a farm where you’d never been before, where would you start your search? You would probably head for the thickest cover because you know that’s where birds feel safest and therefore tend to hang out the most, right? Well, when you...
![man walking with black lab on leash while hold training dummies](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/d075r9p6/production/4eecd9a76b6db1f6f27e2ee011e30adec6061555-736x920.jpg?rect=101,258,530,662&w=736&h=920&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)
Straight Talk About Protein for Hunting Dogs
by The SportDOG Staff
As I travel across the country attending field trials, visiting kennels and hunting, I get a lot of questions about dog food for some reason. One topic that stimulates many questions is protein quality and protein’s role in dog nutrition. Protein is required by the body for two reasons: To provide...
![German Shorthair Point at heel by trainer](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/d075r9p6/production/1036120e09eb1274a2e3b23110874e292d2f6041-2400x1260.jpg?w=2400&h=1260&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)
Talent Is Not Obedience
by The SportDOG Staff
Whoa! Can your hunting dog “whoa” or stop on a dime? Does it always come when called? Will it turn on command or always sit or lie down when instructed? Will it gently deliver a bird to your hand without chewing the least little bit? Good bird dogs have been...
![Yellow lab wearing e-collar on green strap in duck blind](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/d075r9p6/production/45e87ce2471a7abcc9d317f234fbf265810ae3d1-1620x1080.jpg?w=1620&h=1080&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)
Pup’s First Hunt: Building Your Future
by Chris Akin
A puppy’s first season, and more specifically, his first hunt, can be the most pivotal in his life as a gun dog. You only get one chance to make a first impression, and that impression can have a major impact on how a young dog is molded into a hunting...
![Two setters in the woods on point.](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/d075r9p6/production/8320bc837145a2521600fd43387a67b25b696cf4-2400x1260.jpg?w=2400&h=1260&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)
A Dog Ready for the Field
by The SportDOG Staff
Hunting seasons are in full swing. In bird fields you can hear the cackle of a bold rooster taking wing, along with the hoarse voice of a hunter screaming at his dog as it chases the gaudy pheasant to the next farm field. It is easy to hear all about...
AUTHORS
![Jed started coon hunting with his brother and his friends when he was 7 years old. When he turned 16, he started competing in United Kennel Club (UKC) hunts. At 18, he started competing in Professional Kennel Club (PKC) hunts. He has numerous accomplishments in winning state championships, final fours,...](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/d075r9p6/production/f2f33952932eea06356525c615d3fe7b429262ec-148x139.jpg?w=148&h=139&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)
Jed Finley
1 article
Jed started coon hunting with his brother and his friends when he was 7 years old. When he turned 16, he started competing in United Kennel Club (UKC) hunts. At 18, he started competing in Professional Kennel Club (PKC) hunts. He has numerous accomplishments in winning state championships, final fours,...
![He decided to make the leap and make training retrievers a full time occupation. Billy has successfully trained and titled dogs in all levels of HRC hunt tests, as well as trained gun dogs and taught basic obedience for companion dogs. Billy has also competed in SRS events as well...](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/d075r9p6/production/2a2752dd690ae89270f56b680402dd3159a7d73a-1280x854.jpg?w=1280&h=854&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)
Billy Mosley
1 article
He decided to make the leap and make training retrievers a full time occupation. Billy has successfully trained and titled dogs in all levels of HRC hunt tests, as well as trained gun dogs and taught basic obedience for companion dogs. Billy has also competed in SRS events as well...
![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...](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/d075r9p6/production/728994e1dd99f978097fca7992e1aefb12a23d10-366x366.jpg?w=366&h=366&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)
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...
![Bradley was introduced to wild game hunting at 10 years old and has been passionate about it ever since. While Bradley works as a volunteer fireman, he also heads the duck hunting group DCWATERFOWL, which films hunting excursions to show fellow sportsmen the joys of waterfowl hunting.
He is married to...](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/d075r9p6/production/4d1855b5d8f7552233d0a78fff5d5ca2d7e7764f-227x178.jpg?w=227&h=178&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)
Bradley Bradshaw
1 article
Bradley was introduced to wild game hunting at 10 years old and has been passionate about it ever since. While Bradley works as a volunteer fireman, he also heads the duck hunting group DCWATERFOWL, which films hunting excursions to show fellow sportsmen the joys of waterfowl hunting. He is married to...
![Gear The Way You'd Design It](/images/gearthewayyouddesignit.png)