No, it's not a new television network. It's the Weimaraner Club of Tennessee Valley , and we were fortunate enough to be their guests at their Spring Field Trial. What a great group of people! Friendly competition, inter-club cooperation, and a hard-working group of club members who put on a trial that ran like a well oiled machine, with plenty of great southern cooking thown in!

Back Row Left to Right:
Johnny Johnston Head Cheerleader and Dog Wagon Chief; Melanie Boer Bird Wrangler, Stall Cleaner, Co-Cook & Bottle Washer and Field Trial Chairman; Marcia Davison of DOGS Unlimited; Cindy Solis Photographer, Kitchen Crew, all around Fun Chick; Wanda Gunter Line Marshal, Whip Cracker, Fun Chick; Angela Still Photographer, Kitchen Crew, all around Fun Chick, Trey Johnston Dog Wagon Driver and All Around Good Guy
 Front Row Left to Right:
Jim DeMarco Bird Planter & Judge; Bob Henderson: The Big Dog; "Bailey" General Food Cleanup

Here are some of the happy winners:

 Amateur Walking Derby
Left to Right: Mike Cavender, Aileen Scharpf, Jacob Cavender, Wanda Gunter

 Open Gun Dog:
Tim Smelcer, Nikolaus Scharpf, Dave Walker, Ben Coller

 Open Limited Gun Dog
Left to Right: Tim Smelcer, Bob Erbe, Dave Walker (scout, Ben Coller standing), Mike Mullineaux

Open Derby
Left to Right: Dave Walker, Nikolaus Scharpf, Tim Smelcer, Kirsten Hochstein

 
 Open Puppy
Liz Paxson, Bill Barber

First Steps provides an introduction to the fundamentals of training your gun dog.
* A low-stress training program, First Steps is suitable for new or experienced handlers
* Addresses training gun dogs of the pointing and flushing breeds
* Features real training exercises using gun dogs of all breeds, ages and experience levels
* Not only shows you how, but tells you why
* Includes a list of required equipment and a demonstration on how to properly use them
* Includes pre-exercise checklists and diagrams used in the training exercises

Watch it here!

Order First Steps here.

It's everything you wish for in a training vest, and everything you need in a hunting vest - all rolled into one!

Click here for more details!

The new 2008 Big Book will be on its way to your mailbox in mid-January. Click here if you don't receive one!

We've finally been able to catch our breath in time to post some pictures of this year's Rick Smith Seminar. We had a great group, saw some wonderful dogs, and of course, learned an amazing amount about our dogs from Rick.

There's no finer pleasure in the world than hunting with a well trained dog--be it in competition or a day afield with friends. And here's where it starts.

 

For more information, visit our website at www.DOGSUnlimited.com and check under "What's New"
 or http://www.huntsmith.com/seminars.php

The heat of the summer is hard on all of us, but it's especially hard on our dogs. If shade and ventilation just aren't enough to keep up with the extreme temperatures many of us have been experiencing, a cool dip or soaking from the garden hose will cool your dog down fast.

 

The harness is designed to:

1. Give you control over the bird as well as your dog and

2. Protect the bird from damage due to an overexcited or hard-mouthed dog.

It can be used in a number of training situations.

It’s a good idea to place the harness on the bird in a closed area—at least until you get used to the procedure. This way if it slips from your grasp, you haven’t lost the bird altogether.

The Quail Harness

•The hole in the harness goes over the quail’s head.

•With the "D" ring at its back, the two straps fit behind the bird’s wings and snap together at its
breast.

•There are two studs, two holes and two caps at this point, so that the harness can be attached
snugly.

The Pigeon Harness

•The pigeon harness fastens behind the bird’s legs.

•In many cases we find that a pigeon harness can be used on chukkar partridge, and that the
pheasant harness can be used with small ducks.

Uses for your harness

There are three common techniques employed with the harness.

1. Using the "D" ring, the bird is attached to a fishing pole. The bird then simply becomes a live replacement for training with a bird wing. This kind of yard training is usually done with a young pup. It’s important not to let the youngster catch the bird. This is a fun thing for the dog at this stage and punishment is to be avoided. A word of caution: It is possible to over-do this kind of training.

2. You can slow the bird by either attaching a "tail" to the "D" ring or fishing sinker at the point where the harness snaps together. Here the bird is planted and is free to fly. However, the weight of the sinker or drag from the cloth tail will keep the bird from flying far. Work your dog on this bird only once or twice for the bird will tire and may then be caught by the dog—and this will set your training program backward. Someone to help is recommended as you will be busy with your dog. He or she can mark the last flush on the bird, and since it is tired they will have little trouble catching it. This technique is more difficult with the larger, stronger pheasant, so you might consider hobbling the bird since it’s prone to escape by running as well as flying.

3. Teaching a hard-mouthed dog to handle his retrieved game properly can also be accomplished with the harness with studs. Here the harness is placed on a dead bird. It is then planted or thrown for the dog. If the dog is used to grabbing the bird hard, he will be surprised when he tries it on this one. The studs will cause discomfort, and force him to use a softer mouth for his retrieve. If you have a really hard case dog, the studs can be sharpened, however, we recommend this only if you really know what you’re doing. It’s very possible to put a dog off from ever retrieving again using sharpened studs.

CAUTION!

When working with a check cord, do not jerk a dog up when he is carrying a bird wearing a harness with studs, especially if they have been sharpened. This jerk can cause an involuntary biting down and the dog can hurt his mouth. The aim is to make a better dog, not ruin one.

DOGS Unlimited is pleased to bring you another edition of the Rick Smith Foundation Seminar August 24-26, 2007. Get personal attention from the leader in bird dog training. Class size is limited and filling up fast. Make your reservation now by clicking here.

 

We just ended our Ronnie Smith Intermediate Seminar and couldn't wait to show
you some pictures of some of our participants:

 

There were some humans there too. Here's a group about to get to work:

Ronnie is a terrific trainer and teacher. Here he is with a student with a successful stop-to-flush.

We all learned a lot.

And by the end we were all dog tired.

For more information, visit our website at www.DOGSUnlimited.com and check under "What's New"
or Ronnie Smith's website at www.RonnieSmithKennels.com or http://www.huntsmith.com/seminars.php

A Tip-of-the-Hat to "Cas" for many of the pictures.

So new we don't even have pictures yet, but we couldn't wait to tell you about it.

Think about all you wish for in a Training Vest.

Now think about all the features you need in a Hunting Vest.

Roll them all into one, and you have the new DOGS Hunting & Training Vest.

Spring snap pockets? Yes. Built in bird bag? Yes. A place to keep water? Several. A place to hook on accessories? Several of those too. Breathable, adjustable, lightweight? Yes, yes, yes!

Keep an eye out here and on our website under "What's New" to be the first to experience the ultimate in training and hunting comfort and convenience.

From time to time we receive photos from placement winners at the various events we support. These are some NSTRA folks who were kind enough to let us see their champs. We apologize because we've had the pictures for some time now, and no longer have the specifics of the events or the folks in the pictures. If you know the people and/or dogs, or if you're the person in the picture, let us know!

Want to see your picture on our blog? Send a digital file to OrderDesk@DOGSUnlimited.com.

The new DOGS Unlimited 2007 Big Book catalog is here!

It's sixty-eight pages of your favorite gear, new products, and big, bold pictures of Dog Oriented Gear for Sportsmen and Women.

Check out all the possibilities of our Custom Shop, plus TWELVE pages of E-Collars and Beeper Collars, some amazing things for your home from the Hunter at Home, and even jackets, chaps, and duffel bags, and MUCH MUCH MORE!

To get yours, call us at 800.338.DOGS(3647) or click HERE

Sometimes the weather cooperates and sometimes it doesn't.  The Christmas Blizzard of 2006 here in Colorado was an example of weather that didn't.  As most of you are aware, the Denver International Airport had its fair share of issues, and so did we here at the World Wide Headquarters of DOGS Unlimited, though it did seem to go better for us than it did for them.

It was readily apparent by mid-morning that things were going to get very serious so everyone worked extremely hard to get the orders filled and to the post office.  Shortly before lunch it was time to send everyone home so that if they did get stuck it would be at home and not here.  Most of our customers should have received their orders by now but if you haven't they ought be getting to you shortly.

It wasn't until two days later that we were able to get back to the office and get ourselves dug out enough to commence operations once again.  After a careful inspection of the premises all seemed to be in order except for the telephones which had been adversely affected by the storm.  Qwest has helped us out in the short-term by getting one phone line up and running, with a promise that the major fix should be done by the end of the week.

So if you happened to call only to find out that we didn't answer, and the voice mail didn't pick up, we greatly apologize for the inconvenience.

To all of our customers we appreciate your business and we're very happy that you've made us your bird dog training supply store of choice.  We know you have options and we're glad that you've chosen us.

Take care and may the New Year bring many happy moments afield for you and your good bird dog.

Jim Marti of Burnt Creek Setters started this project. He had a bag made locally from leather so he could carry conveniently a quantity of pigeons in the field. This bag was about as heavy as a traditional mail carrier's leather sack, and the maker only put in a couple metal vents on each side which limited ventilation. This allowed birds to overheat and concentrated scent making the “plant” more artificial. It was a great idea, but the execution needed a little polish. Jim brought the “problem” to my attention when I was visiting in North Dakota.

We knew a shop which worked with an open weave material and they were making sun screens which we sold at DOGS Unlimited. We presented the project to them, and for a few years they made the green Steward's Bag.

They ceased operation and we elected to make the bag ourselves. We also incorporated several suggestions which were offered by our customers. Orange color so it was easy to find when set down in the grass. And we used a new “screen” material which when used with the solid nylon on the “bottom” of the bag made a sturdier stitch – a stronger bag. The latest improvement is a new spring which will last longer and work better that some we have tried in the past.

We also added sizes. The 10 inch opening is still our most popular bag since it works well with quail and pigeons – it is o.k. for chukars too. The 8 inch was our original opening. However folks working with gloves and using some big pigeons wanted a bigger opening, so we added the 10 inch bag.. We started the 12 inch opening in response to trainers wanting a pheasant bag. With our improvements in the construction materials, we were confident that the bag would now hold a bad-tempered cock pheasant. In fact this bag is bigger overall so it is likely that three medium pheasants would fit o.k. Most recently I am advised that the bag is also handy when using shackled ducks for training.

The horseback field trial trainers wanted a snap to fasten the bag to a saddle ring but we kept that as an option since many trainers used bags for introductory field training. They didn't need the snap since they were doing this on foot. Clubs also find the shoulder strap approach more universal.

The Game Steward's Bag may not be quite as universal as the check cord, but it has found a lot of uses in training and at field trials. Credit given where due, Jim Marti made this tool come to life. We at DOGS Unlimited were able to add refinements making the bag more useful. And the trainers using the bag added the ultimate adjustments – just by letting us know what worked, and what didn't. The bag likely has not reached its final form yet. We are still open to new ideas and new applications.

   

The Original Game Steward's              Today's version                          And now, you can customize it
Bird Bag in one of its earliest                                                                     any way you like it.
incarnations.                            

Welcome to the DOGS Unlimited Blog!

While this is a new media, this is not entirely a foreign function for me. Before I discovered bird dogs I trained as a journalist and worked in that field – on paper. In fact, I first set type from a California Job Case while still in high school. Later offset printing eliminated the need for lead type. Next documents were prepared on computers for publication on paper. Now I move on to preparation on computer for display on the web.

Like a new publication just where and how it will grow is unknown at this moment. If it is to grow, it must serve its readers. Their “feedback” will provide direction. This might become a collection of articles on how to train and develop dogs for field work. It might be a vehicle for civilized exchange of opinion. It might become a reliable source for information. It might do all of this and more.

This introduction is my first posting, so it is a beginning for me. I am hoping this “first step” is but a beginning of a long and interesting journey. With my horizons open, I see the only limitation at this point is that this is a site for dogs which function afield. Pointing, retrieving and flushing breeds are all candidates for this site. Might we touch on related topics like guns, where to go to hunt, equipment of interest to hunters is entirely possible. On the other hand, we do not want the “focus” of the site to be lost so we will likely avoid fishing, auto racing and other topics unrelated to bird hunting or water fowling. We will also screen out “advertising” since that will distract from information and discussion.

While the site is new, I am not. I was “into” bird dogs before NAVHDA and NSTRA were founded. I originally sold leather collars painted with orange to make them more visible. Bill Brown was editor of American Field and Henry P. Davis was still writing and judging. Some of the issues that were discussed over coffee then are still being discussed now – and may be topics for discussion for many years to come.

It has been my observation that many who take up this bird hunting sport are involved for the rest of their lives. It does not get “old” or lose its luster. Even when the “learning curve” is mostly accomplished, there is the appreciation that there is more. Every young dog brings something new. At the beginning of each hunt, there is anticipation that this one will be special. And for those who get involved with the breeding of dogs, they now look to see how progeny do afield; are they better than their parents? What characteristics do they display?

Technology has changed the sport some. We have electronic collars. We have dog locaters. New studies of animal behavior have lead to new training techniques. Nutrition for dogs is better understood and resulted in improved rations. This has led to better performance over a longer life span in many cases.

That said, bird hunting is still a sport of tradition and many of the practices of 200 years ago are still in place. There are many who like traditional double guns,.traditional clothing and want the dogs to hunt in a “traditional” way. They enjoy reading the classic sporting books and may even display classic sporting art in their office or den.

There are events held nationwide so competitors can see who has the best dog. There are more different kinds of venues today than ever. There are also non-competitive events available so hunters can get together, help each other, exchange ideas and, hopefully, come away with better dogs. Not every hunter takes advantage of this. Many still seek the peace of field, forest and lake reveling in nature with their dog. For them the “competition” is their teamwork against meeting their quarry in their native habitat. Through all of this diversity, the dog is a pliant partner. He will share your joy on “shooting a double” in the grouse woods. He will feel your exhilaration when you are handed a blue ribbon. And he will know his world is o.k. when you put down that food pan in the evening.

A lot of this is about me. That will change. Oh, I'll be here. I'll still be hunting. I'll still be making some events. I'm still cleaning kennels and putting down food pans. But this is not MY blog; it's yours. Let me hear from you. You can email me at: blog@dogsunlimited.com