Training Tips
Here's how we make the most of each hunt
5 Things to Remember When Training Your Hunting Dog
by The SportDOG Staff
Training your own gun dog can be one of the most rewarding and humbling experiences of any pet owner’s life. The sense of pride and elation that one feels after their dog has learned a new command is only rivaled by the feelings of doubt and frustration after a training...
SportDOG® Brand Announces Winners of 2017 Companions for Conservation Contest
by The SportDOG Staff
Earlier this year, SportDOG called for families with children between the ages of 10 and 18, who have an interest in hunting and conservation, to submit a dog training, youth-education project, hunting, or wildlife-habitat related photo via social media or online web form, after which, 9 finalists were chosen to...
5 Training Tips to Beat the Summer Heat
by The SportDOG Staff
Keeping a hunting dog in shape during the off season will give it the best chance to perform at peak levels once the hunting season opens in the fall. The continued workouts will maintain tough paw pads, loose joints, proper weight, and preserve endurance and stamina. To achieve this, training must...
3 Facts About the NoBark SBC-R Bark-Control Collar
by The SportDOG Staff
One of the latest products from SportDOG, that embodies this acceptance of the new-age technology, is the NoBark SBC-R. Engineered to offer the most advanced bark detection possible, the SBC-R continues to raise the bar of expected performance in electronic bark-control collars.
SportDOG® Brand Kicks Off Fourth Annual Companions for Conservation Contest
by SportDOG Staff
We’re excited to announce the kick off of our 4th annual Companions for Conservation contest! This social-media based giveaway will result in 3 lucky youth hunters winning prize packages with items related to hunting, conservation, and dog training. Below are more details about the prizes and how to enter. Grand Prize Started...
3 Myths About Bark-Control Collars
by The SportDOG Staff
Reliability, simplicity, and effectiveness are among the reasons to use a bark-control collar, as well as why they’ve become increasingly more common with dog owners in recent years. However, when the electronic bark-control collar was first introduced, questions and skepticism regarding its use were brought up by multiple sources. Over time,...
5 Reasons To Use The SportDOG Brand® NoBark SBC-R Collar
by The SportDOG Staff
Let’s face the facts … dogs bark! For most dog owners, barking is considered a norm. However, there are a variety of circumstances and situations in which owners seek out ways to correct this behavior. Most commonly, owners look for assistance through the use of an electronic bark-control collar. Leading the way...
3 Ways You’re Ruining Your Gun Dog Puppy
by Greg McGuffin
Owners of puppies make countless training mistakes. They may not know it initially, but it’s the little things that separate professional trainers from owners that dabble in training. As a professional trainer, I’ve see every type of misguided puppy and spent countless hours undoing bad habits. Commonly, when a 6-month-old puppy...
How To Choose An E-Collar For Retriever Training
by Charlie Jurney
Opinions on the right way to choose and use a remote electronic collar for retriever training are as varied as the countless training methods used to create a top-notch waterfowl dog. I’ve been fortunate that my time and experience in retriever training have allowed me to experiment with a lot...
Using the TEK 2.0 in the Big, Wide Open
by Ben Garcia
Hunting with English setters, English Pointers and Brittany spaniels provides me with a lot of variety in my bird hunting. I want my dogs to cover lots and lots of ground, so I really let them stretch the horizon. While some of them work more closely than others, I’m confident...
TEK 2.0 Improves Grouse Hunting Success
by The SportDOG Staff
The TEK 2.0 from SportDOG Brand® has turned out to be a real difference-maker in my grouse and woodcock guiding in northern Minnesota. I admit I wasn’t always a fan of using a tracking product, because to me it sounded like one more piece of equipment I’d have to maintain....
How to Match Your E-Collar to Your Hunting Conditions
by Tom Keer
One of my dogless hunting buddies lives in the city. He's the guy who has all the new gadgets. I kidded him about all his new toys and he tried to explain it like this; he said he’s an “early technology adaptor.” Say what? In my “bird hunter's English,” I...
Proper Introduction to the E-Collar
by Chris Akin
The e-collar is an amazing tool. It can fine-tune a dog, extend your control, and even save an animal’s life. But here’s the thing: You must understand what it is. It is not a magic bullet. I call it a polishing tool. It’s an enforcement tool and a distance minimizer. What...
Summer Hazards – 5 Precautions for your Hunting Dog
by The SportDOG Staff
Summertime means extra fun in the sun, but it also means some new dangers. These tips will help make sure you and your hunting partner stay safe in the field: Increased Hydration – Warmer weather means increased chanced of heat exhaustion for you and your dog. Even mild temperatures can pose...
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...
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....
AUTHORS
Kim Bishop
2 articles
Born and raised in the mountains of western North Carolina, Kim Bishop, along with his wife Kirsten, own K&K Kennels. Kim has been competition hunting with hounds since the age of 18, has made four UKC and three AKC World appearances, and has many titles under his belt, including four...
Tom Keer
6 articles
Tom Keer is an award-winning writer, columnist and blogger who regularly writes for over a dozen outdoor magazines. He owns The Keer Group, a full-service, outdoor marketing company and hunts and fishes with his wife and children. Don't hold it against him, but he's a setter guy. Visit him at...
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...
Shawn Kinkelaar
3 articles
Shawn Kinkelaar was born and raised in the town of Effingham in central Illinois. Kinkelaar grew up hunting quail and pheasant over pointing dogs with his grandfather and uncle. He began field trialing in the early 1980s and in the late 1980s he began working for and with several of...
