Training Tips
Here's how we make the most of each hunt
Steadiness at Its Best
by Bradley Bradshaw
Have you ever been out hunting in the blind with your buddies and just before shooting time a group of mallards come lighting into the decoys? You know if your dog breaks on them, the hunt is over. Well I'm gonna give you a training tip that will help make...
Lyme Disease - Keeping You and Your Dog Safe in the Field
by The SportDOG Staff
While there is nothing better than a day in the wild with your dog, it does come with its risks. One of these is Lyme disease. Most every outdoorsman is familiar with this tick-transmitted disease, but what you might not be aware of is that it is on the rise....
The Golden Rules of Dog Training
by The SportDOG Staff
Dog training is an art man has been trying to perfect since the domestication of canines. There are almost as many theories on dog training as there are on raising children. Many of these theories are effective and having multiple options allows you to tailor your training to your dog....
Leading the Pack
by The SportDOG Staff
Spring time is upon us (at least that’s what the weather people are telling us) which often means new puppies to train. As you begin working with your new little hunting buddy, it’s important to remember that dogs are pack animals, and as such look for a leader. If it’s...
Teaching the Down Command
by Gary Sheffer
Down, sometimes referred to as the Down Stay command, is a Strong Control Command. Down is an essential Command for all types of working and non-working dogs. The command can be used in a boat, blind, or field. I find it very useful after the hunt, to check the dog...
Recipes from the Field
by The SportDOG Staff
If you’ve been following our blog for a while, you know that occasionally we like to share some of our favorite recipes. Despite popular belief, we can cook. We’re actually pretty daggone good at it, and we assume many of you are as well. Why? Because it just goes with...
Growing Up in the Outdoors
by The SportDOG Staff
The Outdoors. It is something that we as outdoorsman are all passionate about and something that we hold dear to our hearts. We often have some of the best times of our lives in the outdoors, whether it is in a tree stand or a duck blind, on a 4...
Keeping Steady at Retriever Trials
by Billy Mosley
It's game day. So, now what? It’s early on a Saturday morning; you pull into the test grounds excited to see how you and your retriever handle the judges set ups this weekend. This is a common occurrence at hunt tests across the country; unfortunately another common occurrence is that the well-behaved...
Training Retrieve to Hand
by Ben Busby
We often lean on our ProStaff when we run into difficulty training. ProStaffer Ben Busby has provided insight on training the critical "Retrieve to Hand" in this week's blog. I have heard of different gun dog owners making the statement that their dogs have been retrieving but sometimes will stop short...
10 Mistakes in Gun Dog Training and How Not to Make Them - Part 2
by The SportDOG Staff
Read the first 5 mistakes to avoid with hunting dog training in the first article in this series. Not Adapting to the Dog No two dogs are exactly the same. Like children, they all learn differently, have differing strengths and have that free-will thing that can leave you grinding your teeth in...
10 Mistakes in Gun Dog Training and How Not to Make Them - Part 1
by The SportDOG Staff
The best thing about the years that ourselves and our ProStaffers have spent training dogs is that we've made the mistakes. We preach the value of mistakes because you will learn from them even more than your successes, but there's no reason you can't learn from ours. We constantly hammer...
Traveling with Your Hunting Dog
by The SportDOG Staff
Hunting season brings many of us the opportunity to travel in pursuit of game. This is a great opportunity for you and your dog to explore new territory and challenges. One of those challenges can be getting your dog comfortably from point A to point B. Travel can be stressful...
SportDOG Brand NoBark SBC-R Bark-Control Collar - Video
by The SportDOG Staff
Few things can stress the relationship with your dog like incessant barking, that's where the most advanced bark-control collar from SportDOG Brand comes into play.
Proper Foot Care for Your Dog in the Season
by The SportDOG Staff
For many of us, season is here. You and your pup have worked hard for this, and it’s time to enjoy it. Nothing can end that fun quicker for you and your dog than a foot injury. The following tips will help keep your hunting partner fit and ready for...
Tom Dokken: Dedicated to the Dogs
by Tom Dokken
Looking back over my last 40 years as a professional dog trainer it seems like it was just yesterday. Although dog training has changed allot over the years, the starting point remains the same. As a young high school kid, I remember the day that made me realize that I...
Platform Training Your Hunting Dog
by The SportDOG Staff
One of the most useful training concepts for your retriever is platform training. This lesson is one that to me is an absolute necessity. There are endless applications for platform training or place training as some call it. First, you will need some sort of platform that is large enough...
AUTHORS
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,...
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...
Aaron Robinson
3 articles
Aaron has a long history of dog training and upland bird hunting. His passion was so great he pursued a master’s degree in Wildlife Biology. He has an education in upland game ecology and management. He has presented numerous technical papers about upland birds. Aaron was a board member for...
Bob Ford
1 article
Bob has hunted with beagles from Alabama to the Quebec border in pursuit of swamp rabbits, the eastern cottontail, and hare. He has owned beagles since 1985 and trains his hounds year round, sometimes competing in field trials, but always conditioning his pack with an eye looking forward to the...
