Training Tips
Here's how we make the most of each hunt
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
When Your Dog Should Enter the Hunt
by The SportDOG Staff
Young dogs take a while to develop into the hunting or field trial champion you want. Your knowledge that the pup you chose is from proven hunting stock is just the beginning. I have been spoiled. During hunting and field trial seasons, I have always had older, veteran dogs to rely...
Understanding Hunting Dog Ear Infections
by The SportDOG Staff
Most hunting dog breeds have flop ears. This drooping ear flap contributes to a high incidence of ear infections because it decreases air circulation and traps bacteria, fungi and debris in the ear. The flop ear also makes it slightly more difficult for the owner to see ear problems promptly. Contributing...
SportDOG Brand® Launcher System Revolutionizes Retriever Training
by Charlie Jurney
Retriever training was changed forever with the introduction of “wingers” and other rubber-band-type devices that could fling dummies or birds from long distances, creating realistic, challenging marks. Now, SportDOG has raised the bar with a new remote launcher system that provides more efficiency and versatility than anything else on the...
Understand This Before you Train
by Charlie Jurney
Every animal on the planet has an alpha or beta relationship with every other animal. We usually think of “beta” as submissive and beaten down, but in wild packs or herds, that is not the case. The beta dog in a pack of wild dogs is still quite happy and...
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,...
Jeffrey Wood
1 article
Owner of Etehoma Creek Kennels, a kennel that offers a training program for squirrel/coon dogs from beginner to finished dogs, Jeffrey has been hunting tree dogs since he was 6 years old and has continued his passion for hunting for the last 32 years. He also competes in competition hunts...
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...
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...
