Dogs Unlimited

Success in North Dakota

Dogs Unlimited — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:19:31 -0600

Dan S. from Colorado writes:
Heavy cover, young birds, cold weather Made opening day in North Dakota ideal for my GSP's.
Thank you for helping make my good dogs better,
Dan S.

First Time's a Charm

Dogs Unlimited — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:35:50 -0600

From Brent in Colorado:

Just a quick note and picture of Lacy's first official duck outing from this weekend. Lacy had 9 retrieves for the first time out!! Needed some coaching on the first couple of birds. Then nature, training and my enthusiasm took over and she did very well, including a double in the fast water of the Platte. My hunting buddy said we can hunt with him anytime. Just want to tell you "Thank you" for giving me advice on training my dog, equipment selection, and basically helping me out with my first time training my dog!!! We are Dogs Unlimited folks for life!!!

Summer Camp in Nebraska

Dogs Unlimited — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:34:03 -0600

The Legend Returns

Dogs Unlimited — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:09:04 -0600

He's back at it.

A few years back John was sidelined for a couple of seasons. But the above photo shows he is back at it. He and hunting companion, Mike Frash, along with John's English Setters, Teddy and Trouble, returned in 2008 to the Rend Lake (Illinois) Pheasant Hunt.

He writes: "The five-day hunt was grand. Not shown are the pheasants in front of the dogs and hunters."

His plans for the coming season are not final but John does allow that there might be some photos coming from the back yard "tune up" sessions.

If you are new to DOGS UNLIMITED, John Ingram founded the company in 1971, and has been the wind at our backs since he passed it on to us in 2005.

Versatile Dogs

Dogs Unlimited — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:55:31 -0600

We recently received these pix from "T.B," location: confidential. He is an avid outdoorsman who is passionately dedicated to the Weimaraner and Vizsla breeds. As a "Country Gentleman," he would rather spend his days at any kind of field event, than anywhere else in the world.

Remington Makes Another Appearance

Dogs Unlimited — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:55:29 -0600

Besides being an excellent wetland and upland hunter, Remington competes in the field, and even tried Dock Dogs. Now this is what we're talkin' about.

Dog are happiest when they have a job to do. Based on that, we'd say that Remington is one of the happiest dogs on earth. Russell has done all of the training himself, so he must be very happy too.

Girl Power

Dogs Unlimited — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:53:45 -0600

It's been a long time since we've seen a girl on our blog. John D. sent us a few pix and ended the drought! And, of course, we HAVE TO comment on the good looking pups as well

"I hunted with my daughter in Southern Saskatchewan, Canada for Sharptail Grouse and Hungarian Partridge."

Thank you, John!

Getting the Most out of Your Bird Releaser

Dogs Unlimited — Tue, 26 May 2009 20:55:13 -0600

We’re here to talk about getting the most from whatever releaser system you use. Ultimately it depends upon your dog and where they are in their training program. For most young dogs we feel that a manual releaser is better than a remote launcher during the breaking process. The major downside to the remote launcher at this stage is releasing the bird when a young prospect is too close to the launcher. Too much unnatural mechanical stuff going on too close to their face can often frighten a young dog and create issues. The last thing you want is a dog that is fearful around birds. Using a manual bird releaser like the Tip-Up Bird Releaser can eliminate some of the possibility of frightening your dog.

Once you see your dog becoming firm around their birds, becoming confident in their nose, and standing off a good distance from their birds, it's time to bring in the big guns: your remote launchers.

DISTANCE

More distance between the handler and the dog often means a higher probability for the dog to test the envelope and become (nicely put) "less broke." Many dogs will stop-to-flush when they’re close to their handler, but when they're out on a limb they "forget" their manners. The remote releaser allows you to close the distance by flushing the bird before your dog gets too close to the releaser, and while you're close enough to give your "Whoa" command.

WORKING IN MULTIPLES

Whether you're working your dog on a check cord, or they've progressed enough to run free, we think it’s important to use multiple birds at multiple release points. This builds style and staunchness because your dog never knows how many birds he or she will encounter on point or during a stop-to-flush. This can be as simple as putting two quail in one releaser or as challenging as multiple releasers with multiple birds in each. Another option--and ultimately a very nice combination--is a remote launcher with the addition of one or more Tip-Up Bird Releasers, all in the same area. Now you've shown your dog that there may be more birds in the same area after the initial flush, and they've got a good reason to stick around and stand still.

TRY THIS SCENARIO

You can do this either with a young dog on a check cord (with a friend holding onto the far end) or a steadier, broke dog that you are tuning up. Use a remote launcher system like a DT Systems DBL 509 along with two Tip-Ups. Load each with one pigeon and set approximately 7 – 10 feet apart.

Work your dog in for a point. As you approach, launch the remote. The flying bird will captivate your dog’s attention. Caution him and keep going; walk around the area that's producing the scent cone, then step on the farthest Tip-Up. Now another bird has his attention. As you move back toward your dog, step on the last Tip-Up. Again, another bird to entice your dog. The objective is to get your dog to stand through all of this. If not, your good dog will learn something new and hopefully will display better manners the next time around.

You've accomplished three things with this scenario:

1) You've given the area a lot of bird scent by using extra birds. This is excellent for a young dog and really good for any dog if the field conditions are marginal for bird scent.
2) You've started conditioning your dog to the possibility and probability that there will be more than one bird per point and they should be mindful of their manners at all times.
3) You've started training him or her to keep their style up. This is especially important to a field trialer, as well as anyone who loves the sight of a stylish bird dog.

EXTRA EFFORT PAYS OFF

By training your good dog with multiple birds at a single location you will be ahead of your competition. Many trainers don't go this extra mile in their training sessions and you can see this during a trial or on a hunt. How many times after the flush have you seen the pointing dog get loose and swivel headed? They let down their tails and are ready to be collared and led away. Most judges like to see grand style, with a dog on their tiptoes and a high tail in anticipation of the next bird flush. Train for it.

There are many ways of using launchers/releasers with multiple birds in single locations that will help make your good dog a completely broke bird dog. Offering multiple birds during stop-to-flush drills will convince your dog that standing steady is the right thing to do. The honoring/ backing scenario is also a great place for multiple birds. Get them used to multiple birds and they will start anticipating a multiple bird flush. Soon you will have a staunch and stylish completely finished bird dog.

Have any other ideas for multiple bird release scenarios? Leave a comment by clicking on the link below.

Find products in this article by clicking on the pictures:

all training gear including launchers

Force Breaking a Bird Dog

Dogs Unlimited — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:43:34 -0600

Call it Force Fetch or Force Break to Retrieve. It's a training tool that yields definite results.
But is it always necessary?
Is it better to try other training methods with your bird dog first?
The main ingredient in any training program should be teaching and learning.
So where does the force fetch come in?

We've had a number of bird dogs that have reached Field Champion and Amateur Field Champion status, Master Hunter, etc., without force breaking to retrieve. And (in competition) there's always the knuckle-biting, stomach-knotting retrieve that can take an upland retrieving breed dog from 'first place' to 'no place' in a flash. So maybe we'd have been better off strengthening our dogs' training with force fetch breaking.

Competition aside, let's say you're out with your friends and your hunting dog, having one of your best days ever in the field. You--or worse, your buddy--makes the finest shot possible, but then your dog refuses to retrieve it. What now? Is force breaking the answer?

Let us know what your experiences have taught you. Click on the 'Leave a Comment' link below.

Review: Piranha Lox Locking Pan and Pail Systems

Dogs Unlimited — Fri, 08 May 2009 01:37:44 -0600

The system starts out with stainless steel pails and bowls that cleverly attach to a fence, wall, post or crate using a yoke (bowls) or mounting block (pails) and what Kennel Gear refers to as their Piranha Lox Secure Locking System. These are stainless steel as well. The bowl or pail can easily be placed into or removed from the kennel bar mount by simply flipping the paw proof lever of the Piranha Lox system.

What’s really nice is that all kennel bar mounts accept both the bowls and pails. This is particularly useful when exchanging the feed bowl in the morning with a fresh water pail for the rest of the day. And if you have it mounted high enough you won't have to worry about your male dogs lifting their legs into their water.

We like that the bowls and pails unlock easily with the flick of a tab and can be washed and sanitized. And you don't have your bowls and pails being beaten around the kennel floor, coming in contact with all that is disgusting.

We also like that there are several different attachment methods to fit your particular situation.

The kennel bar mount comes standard with either the bowls or pails can be attached using a simple hand tightened plate style system. This will work on most crate style dog transporters, most divider bars in your vehicle, and outdoor kennels that are not made of chain link fence.

For a chain link fence, they offer a mounting plate accessory which gives you a nice, secure attachment.

For mounting to a pipe they offer a vertical post mount assembly that attaches to a post up to 1¼” in diameter.

And finally, for those who have left bowl after bowl along the side of the road while hunting or traveling, they've come up with a 2” x 2” steel tube for a 2” receiver hitch on the back of you truck or SUV. So no more leaving your good dishes along side the road or in a parking lot.

Sometimes something new comes along that not only is very cool but also serves an important function. That is exactly what Kennel Gear provides. This system keeps your feed bowls and water pails up and off of the floor of the kennel or crate, eliminating your dog's desire to use them as toys, banging them around the kennel for fun and entertainment.

Check them out at DOGSUnlimited.com or give us a call at 800/338-DOGS (3647).

What's the Right Time to Introduce a Young Pup to the E-Collar?

Dogs Unlimited — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:16:18 -0600

Is it a certain age? Is it a certain point of your dog's training? Is it only to accomplish certain things?

There are lots of folks out there that can benefit by your experience. Let us (and them) know what
you've experienced. Don't be forget to include stories of times when things went wrong. Those are
possibly the most helpful lessons.

Click on "Comment" below.

A Sad Day for Dogs Unlimited

Dogs Unlimited — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 11:21:40 -0600

Saturday was a sad day for everyone at Dogs Unlimited. One of our office dogs, FC/AFC Davison's Orion on the Rise MH, call name Reko, had to be put to sleep after a long bout with a tumor that affected his nervous system. From an early age Reko was stylish on point; pointing with intensity the fluttering of a pheasant wing dangling from the end of an old fishing pole. We had high hopes for Reko but during his early formal training it appeared that he just wanted to play with his bracemate. After much soul searching and conversations with our pro handler Tim Hidalgo about Reko's potential as a field trial prospect we decided to continue on with his formal training.

The light came on for Reko during the breaking process and he became as biddable as any dog could hope to be. It seems that all he really ...

A Quick Visit to Wilnor Hunt Club

Dogs Unlimited — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:05:48 -0600

Wil-Nor Hunt Club, located just outside of St. Louis, Missouri, was one of our stops on our trip back to Colorado after participating in the 2009 AKC Gun Dog Championships. Upon arrival one of the first people to greet us was Bill Kunz. He showed us around the property and even let me take my good dog Solo for a couple of laps around their bird dog training field. Solo was very happy to be out of the truck and looking for birds. Anything to stretch his legs.

Unfortunately we were unable to meet with Eric Varnadore, the proprietor of Wil-Nor Hunt Club, as he was competing at a NSTRA trial. It's good to see people doing what they love and we hope Eric did well at the trial. We did meet a good number of members who were glad to see us and tell me about their club. They were excited to let me know that they had thousands of acres on which to hunt their favorite species.

Not only does Wil-Nor Hunt Club offer dog training and quail, chukar and pheasant hunts but the membership, as well as non-members, can also hunt Whitetail deer, turkey and rabbits. Not bad for what seems to be a very reasonable price.

You can go to their website at www.wil-nor.com and get all the information you need.

It was great to see everyone and get a taste for what it's like to be a member of one of the premier hunt clubs in Missouri.

This Dog Will Hunt

Dogs Unlimited — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 06:00:00 -0600

Meet Remington. He's been busy hunting in Arkansas and Kansas with Russell, his son Andrew, and Russell's friend, Matt. Time spent training paid off handsomely this season. Here's what Russell Says: "Remington was whelped 7/7/07. He is already accomplished in both water foul and upland hunting. We call him the bird vacuum."

Andrew & Remington in Stuttgart, Akkansas

Russell, Remington & Matt Independence, Kansas

Russell writes: "Last upland hunt of the year. Lyons Kansas. Came up with goose by accident."

Sticker Spotting Deluxe

Dogs Unlimited — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 10:01:52 -0600

VC Neenah Creek's Autumn Boon takes a rest next to the rig after producing three North Dakota ringnecks for his owner, John Voight of Wisconsin.

Rick Smith Foundation Seminar

Dogs Unlimited — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:24:10 -0600

Join us for the Rick Smith Foundation Seminar in Hudson, Colorado August 21 - 23, 2009.

Rick Smith believes everyone is capable of training their own bird dog and he has dedicated himself to helping people achieve this goal by refining the system that his father, Delmar Smith, started decades ago.

Check out the details HERE.

Glory Days

Dogs Unlimited — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 06:00:00 -0600

Dave from Colorado captured this moment with his Good Dog,Willy, on what will likely be the 11 year-old dog's last hunt.

Should a Hunter Buy a Pup from a Field Trial Litter?

Dogs Unlimited — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 21:03:12 -0700

One of our customers, a hunter, asked us if we thought he ought to buy Setter pup out of a Field Trial litter. The breeder told him that this particular pup didn't have the range or drive he wanted to see in a competative bird dog, and he thought the dog would make an excellent hunting companion.

How would you answer the question? Post your reply below.

Fine Looking Hunters

Dogs Unlimited — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 10:56:30 -0700

This is Mitch, fifteen years old, with his hunting buddy, Jessie, a three year old Vizsla.
Hard to tell who's having a better time!

Illinois Vizsla

Dogs Unlimited — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 12:41:47 -0700

Field Trial Club of Illinois member, Mark, sent us this picture of Reba. She's a young Spring 2009 Derby contender.

Looking Good

Dogs Unlimited — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 12:27:58 -0700

This photo was submitted by Mark and his son, Mitch. The pups were three months old when the picture was taken.

Should Your Hunting Dog Wear A Camo Vest?

Dogs Unlimited — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 13:41:40 -0700

A customer recently had been invited on a goose hunt with some friends. While he had hunted upland with dogs most of his life, he had done very little waterfowling.

Here's his question:

While everyone was decked out in camouflage and cautious not to let incoming birds see their faces he noticed that the dogs (black labs) did not have any camo on at all. While they did get some geese he was wondering if the labs had been wearing camouflage vests would they have had more opportunities at some birds?

Tell us what you think! LEAVE A COMMENT

Looking for Camo Dog Vests and other protection gear? CLICK HERE

Restoring Red Pride

Dogs Unlimited — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:56:00 -0700

Champion Irish Setter Gets Breed Back In Hunt
By Charlie Meyers
The Denver Post
Reprinted with permission

KIOWA — With a recent snowfall stirring beneath a chill prairie wind, the dog caught the scent from yards away, then assumed the statue pose that marks an animal of high breeding and even greater training.

But something else, more profound, grabs the eye in what might otherwise be an ordinary training exercise. The dog is rusty red, with the wavy, flowing hair of a breed rarely associated with field trial excellence.

Ishkote Animosh, Fire Dog in the Chippewa language and just plain Fred for the crisp and frequent commands of dog training, is a, gasp, Irish setter. He's also a dual champion from the American Kennel Club national breed championship last fall at Boone-ville, Ark.

To Spero Manson, a Native American who owns him, and Steve Bailey, his trainer, Fred is all that and considerably more. As is the case with these oft-maligned red dogs and certain other breeds strayed from their working roots, he represents a return to those elemental instincts that still trickle through the bloodline.

Through dilligent effort, they hope to restore red dogs to proud hunting status, one generation at a time. There is much work to be done. Many decades of show breeding turned Irish setters into something of a canine joke, infamous bubbleheads of great beauty and precious little sense.

"The show population is much larger than for field," Manson said. "We hold no grudge against show people. They have their purposes, we have ours."

A professor of psychology at the University of Colorado Medical Center, Manson might be exercising a bit of his professional craft in what has been an age-old dispute. But at the bottom of it all, his focus is too keen to indulge in needless debate.

"I got into this strictly to improve the breed, plus the personal satisfaction of working with dogs," Manson said of a movement that began in the 1950s when a small group of enthusiasts set out to reverse the trend.

Manson's interest began when he laid eyes on an Irish female named Java a dozen years ago. A love affair at first sight was consummated when the owner expressed a willingness to sell. Java, who died last year at age 14, became the matron of the nation's most prominent Irish trial line.

Fred, now 7, became an even more prominent entry in the American Field Dog Stud Book when he won the dual championship at Booneville. Manson handled the dog in winning the amateur division; Bailey, who has been training dogs since 1965, guided Fred through the open division exclusively for Irish setters.

This marked only the second time one dog has won both. Another Manson dog performed the feat in 2003, further ratifying the Java bloodline.

"Fred is very desirable as a stud," Bailey said.

Thus far, he's been bred a dozen times, a selective process aimed strictly at improving the line.

"We're constantly asking whether the breeding makes sense," Manson said.

"We're not a puppy mill," Bailey chimed in.

This sudden center of attention looks very different from the tall, lanky, long-maned Irish dogs with which we are most familiar. At about 45 pounds, Fred is much shorter, more muscular, and not at all likely to be called daft.

Nor does he carry all the hopes of the Manson kennel. Ishkote Waagos, Fire Fox, was named puppy and derby dog of the year by the Irish Setter Club of America and shows similar promise at age 2 1/2. An 8-month-old female is waiting in the wings.

Activity at the Manson kennel doesn't stop with Irish dogs. Mary DeVos, 17, of Centennial won the American Pointer Club amateur championship. Bailey won the open division with a pointer owned and trained by his daughter Bridget, 18.

Charlie Meyers: 303-954-1609 or cmeyers@denverpost.com

Pictures are property of the Denver Post.

This Just In...

Dogs Unlimited — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:17:27 -0700

Theron from Colorado just got his good dog, Daisy, back from training and can't wait to get out
pheasant hunting with her. She looks ready to go, no?

Theron will have no problem keeping track of her in that wide blast of orange from her 1 1/2" DOGS Unlimited collar!

We got a new message from Theron. Here his is with his son, Austin. It looks like Daisy's training has paid off!

Hunting is a great outdoor activity that parents can do with their teens. We love seeing pictures of dads and sons and dads and daughters out in the field (although we've only seen one daughter so far, and no moms...).
Parents: Send us pictures of you and your kids in the field!
send to: community@DOGSUnlimited.com

Honor Among Dogs

Dogs Unlimited — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 13:05:42 -0700

Larry from New Jersey sent us a picture of his Brittanys from a recent trip to South Dakota. They are Rock, five years old, and Brandy, one and a half.

Thanks, Larry!

Did Someone Sneeze in the Pepper?

Dogs Unlimited — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 10:26:09 -0700

No.... They're geese in flight in North Eastern Colorado, as this close-up picture shows:

Thanks to FOA member, Dave, for this excellent shot!

The FOA Goes Commando

Dogs Unlimited — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 07:21:29 -0700

Just Kidding! This is NOT a militant farmer. This is NOT a radical splinter faction of the FOA.

The crops were up late this year, and Dave couldn't come out to play. So they killed two birds with one stone, so to speak.

Send us your hunting pictures! E-Mail them to orderdesk@DOGSUnlimited.com!

An Elk Hunter Meets a GSP

Dogs Unlimited — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:08:43 -0600

I have a story for you.

I was elk hunting near Chambers Lake Colorado when I shot a nice bull elk. It was in the evening, near dark and the rain had started. After I shot the elk, I watched it run with the arrow still in it. The elk bolted away from me about 100 yards then went downhill from there. We tracked blood and could tell it was a lung shot but we ran out of daylight and couldn't see anymore.

We came back in the morning and looked all day for the elk and couldn't find it--what blood was left was washed away from the rain. After giving up and being greatly disappointed--because I knew the elk was dead, but just couldn't locate it--I decided to go back to camp and grab my cell phone to go make some calls to let my hunting buddies back home know [what happened].

On the way back to camp I realized we had new neighbors. I introduced myself and told them the story of my elk. It just so happened to be Eric and Jane Cook with 2 horses and 3 dogs, one named Joe These dogs were German Shorthairs. They usually stay a couple miles down the road but were unable to maneuver their trailer into the [camp] drive, so decided to come down to our drive. Eric said old Joe could find that elk for me, and at first light in the morning that is what we would do.

[The next] morning we took the horses up the mountain with Joe leading the way. We went as far as the horses could go, then went by foot to where I shot the elk. We followed the blood trail to the spot where the elk had headed down the mountain. From there Joe did the rest.

He had a GPS unit on his collar so Eric could keep track of him. I was told just to stay at the last blood. So I waited and before too long, I heard a faint yelling. I wasn't sure so I just sat there. Then I heard it again, and sure enough my spirit began to rise as I knew old Joe had found my elk.

I couldn't thank Eric and his dog Joe enough, for the elk I shot was a true trophy. Joe found that elk after 2 days of off and on rain. He is an amazing dog.

I will never forget the elk hunt of 2008.

Thanks A Lot .
Bow hunter Dan Thomas from Ohio

Success!

Dogs Unlimited — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:22:16 -0600

John from Wisconsin sent us this picture of his dog, Belle, and her new pups. He writes:
"I raised my litter in the heated whelping dish from Dogs U. Absolutely one of the best dog products I've ever purchased."

To see the Whelping Nest, click HERE.
For a related article, go to March 2007 archive.

Just Hanging Out . . .

Dogs Unlimited — Tue, 27 May 2008 18:42:34 -0600

Our pal, Molly, from the great state of Texas snapped this picture of her Vizsla pups. This is half the litter. Apparently they're in a hurry to get out into the field before the rest of them wake up from their afternoon snooze.