Training Tips
Here's how we make the most of each hunt![Training Tips](/training-tips/training-tips.jpg)
![Yellow lab swimming next to two duck decoys returning from a retrieve](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/d075r9p6/production/7529d1d321ea7494f0dc7994be92efced9efe686-1451x1080.jpg?rect=0,0,1448,1078&w=1451&h=1080&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)
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...
![English Pointer being handled by person](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/d075r9p6/production/c166f6bc9994547ef7d9827216d0f7e1d71b57ea-4928x3280.jpg?rect=810,0,4118,2741&w=4928&h=3280&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)
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...
![Black lab getting pets from trainer](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/d075r9p6/production/78863ac5a3e6c2e82d4fce9619c9ab0172b0a6c3-2000x2000.jpg?w=2000&h=2000&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)
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...
![man petting black lab sitting on tailgate of truck](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/d075r9p6/production/ba2de986b28e60ea4847e70310a263a86d06b2f4-1336x891.jpg?w=1336&h=891&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)
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...
![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...
![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...
![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...
![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...
![lady kneeling on ground petting two black lab puppies](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/d075r9p6/production/e61604ec0c8aaa4181e4767d380d9f0e1ba51a99-2000x2000.jpg?rect=0,65,1935,1935&w=2000&h=2000&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)
Where to Find a Dog with the Right Stuff - Part 1
by Charlie Jurney
Each time someone calls to ask about locating a puppy, I have flashbacks to my first dog, Sam. I purchased Sam from a friend who had an athletic eager hunting dog. He decided to breed his girl to a very nice looking male whose ancestors found fame in the show...
AUTHORS
![With his wife Terri, Rick co-owns and operates Perfect 10 Kennel. Their business offers boarding, grooming, and retriever training. They also breed Labrador retrievers. Rick has 30 years of experience in retriever training, participating in everything from field trials to hunt tests to upland hunting competitions.](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/d075r9p6/production/5d0374cf0a3d75cc22c18d53eeb4245c2cfc287a-152x225.jpg?w=152&h=225&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)
Rick Grant
3 articles
With his wife Terri, Rick co-owns and operates Perfect 10 Kennel. Their business offers boarding, grooming, and retriever training. They also breed Labrador retrievers. Rick has 30 years of experience in retriever training, participating in everything from field trials to hunt tests to upland hunting competitions.
![Gary has been hunting upland game for 15 years. Training Labs and German shorthairs for upland hunting is his specialty. Whether hunting pheasant or quail in Indiana, it is a great feeling to see a dog that he has trained point a bird and then retrieve it.](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/d075r9p6/production/a9279abf53e382d90082699b8a4b364af5f77c52-281x225.jpg?w=281&h=225&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)
Gary Sheffer
1 article
Gary has been hunting upland game for 15 years. Training Labs and German shorthairs for upland hunting is his specialty. Whether hunting pheasant or quail in Indiana, it is a great feeling to see a dog that he has trained point a bird and then retrieve it.
![Raised in the Finger Lakes area of New York State, Jim was involved in hunting and birddogs from an early age. Upon graduation from college, he joined the US Army in 1967. He served until 1989, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. After his retirement, Jim and his wife...](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/d075r9p6/production/ecfa4e18064edb7b1ea226e01d1e208eae46f9da-366x366.jpg?w=366&h=366&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)
LTC Jim Morehouse
6 articles
Raised in the Finger Lakes area of New York State, Jim was involved in hunting and birddogs from an early age. Upon graduation from college, he joined the US Army in 1967. He served until 1989, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. After his retirement, Jim and his wife...
![People and a dog](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/d075r9p6/production/e07c4451f9527b74a8470fa07e725bda1bf93741-1600x900.jpg?w=1600&h=900&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)
The SportDOG Staff
10 articles
![Gear The Way You'd Design It](/images/gearthewayyouddesignit.png)