Training Tips
Here's how we make the most of each hunt
The Ultimate SportDOG Guide: Choosing the Best E-Collar for Your Dog
by The SportDOG Staff
In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to choose the best e-collar for training your dog, ensuring that when the time comes, you’re equipped with a tool that’s up to the task, no matter how tough the conditions.
Avoiding and Dealing with Heat Emergencies
by The SportDOG Staff
Take some time to understand the many factors that can lead to a heat emergency, prepare for your outings to avoid such an emergency, and then have an action plan in place to deal with the Big 3: heat stress, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
The Perils of Hot-Weather Hunting
by Tom Dokken
Having your dog go down from heat stress, heat exhaustion, or heat stroke are all too real possibilities when you work a dog in hot weather.
All About Retriever Training Dummies
by Tom Dokken
Training dummies are a staple of a good retriever training program.
Avoiding Prickly Situations
by Craig Leair
Skunks and porcupines can be a real concern for hunters using sporting dogs. I’ve been involved in plenty of porcupine quill-pulling parties, and trust me, it is a horrible ordeal. Skunks, while not as dangerous, certainly can ruin your day, or even your whole trip.
5 Starter Tips for Raising a Great Pointing Dog
by LTC Jim Morehouse
So, you have a new pointing dog puppy in your house. Congratulations! I hope all your hopes and dreams about turning that pup into a bird-finding pro come true. But, as is true with all things in life, excellence doesn’t happen overnight. Everything is a process, and that’s especially true...
Retriever Training: Making the Most of Spring Season
by Lyle Steinman
When winter drags on a little too long and it feels like spring will never get here, it’s really easy to procrastinate with your retriever training. Sure, you’re looking forward to bluebird days when you can get out and work on water training. This feeling of urgency to get back...
Retriever Care in Cold Weather
by Chris Akin
Cold-weather waterfowling can mean a lot of extra work in sometimes nasty conditions, but those of us who take on those challenges are often rewarded with some of the season’s best hunting. It’s extremely satisfying to limit out when the wind is howling and ice is forming on the decoys,...
The Right Way to Cure Crowding
by Shawn Kinkelaar
One of the core principles of effective dog training is that the timing of a correction is critical. A dog associates a correction with whatever it is doing at the moment. Waiting too long to make a correction can create confusion. It doesn’t matter whether the correction is verbal, a tug...
6 Travel Considerations for Hunting Season
by Tom Dokken
One-day or weekend bird-hunting trips are nice if you’re fortunate to have good destinations close to home, but for many hunters, long-distance, out-of-state trips are the norm. These extended adventures require more planning if you want to enjoy them to the fullest. Here are some considerations to keep in mind. Where...
Think Smart when it Comes to Summer Training
by Shawn Kinkelaar
The list of things you can work on with your pointing dog during the summer months to prepare for the upcoming hunting season is plenty long. In addition to training and/or revisiting things from the last hunting season that need improvement, this is also a time to keep up with...
How Tone and Vibe Can Improve Your Upland Bird Hunting
by Tom Dokken
A flushing dog that has learned to work at just the right distance in front of hunters is a huge advantage in a pheasant field or grouse covert. “Just the right distance” varies with terrain and personal preference, but I think we can all agree that anytime your dog puts...
Controlling the Hunt with the HoundHunter® 3225
by Kim Bishop
One of the most common topics of discussion when it comes to hound hunting is how to get your dog to handle. By “handle” I mean getting your dog to reliably return to you even when it’s far away and out of sight. This is a very simple concept to...
Mid-Season Tune-Ups for Your Retriever
by Tom Dokken
Hunting season! Time for all your summer training and hard work to pay off. Thankfully, your waterfowl dog is now perfectly behaved and executes every command and retrieve with precision, right? Wait, you’re saying that’s not true? That’s OK. I’m mostly kidding because the truth is that none of our...
A Great Summertime Water Drill for Retrievers
by Chris Akin
If you have a young retriever and you’re looking for a great summertime training exercise, I’ve got one that’s super-simple but is also productive and educational for both you and your dog. The drill I’m going to describe is pretty basic as a “de-cheating” method, but it actually accomplishes much more...
How to Avoid Hot-Weather Trouble
by LTC Jim Morehouse
I would hope that most hunters understand how important it is to keep their dogs in shape year-round. You certainly can’t let your dog lie around all summer and then expect it to put in full days when hunting season opens this fall. However, training and exercising your dog year-round does...
