Training Tips
Here's how we make the most of each hunt
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...
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...
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...
When Your Dog Should Enter the Hunt
by 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...
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...
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...
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...
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 2
by Charlie Jurney
In Part 1 of this article series, I discussed purchasing a puppy and considering bloodlines. Now we'll dig into the best breeder and how to pick the right litter. The most reasonable way to locate a well-bred puppy for yourself is by doing a great deal of research. Ask each breeder...
Gun Shy Dogs Can Blossom
by The SportDOG Staff
Every dog training book will preach that you must be so very careful when introducing a young dog to the sight, and especially the sound of a shotgun, but rarely will they tell you how to cure a gun shy dog. Some dog training veterans simply will not try. It...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
