Northwoods Atlas (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Nickel, 2017)
Most often, I write these remembrances when, after living a long life, a special dog passes. In those cases, you see the end coming and you can, somewhat, prepare yourself. But when a favorite dog dies suddenly, without warning, in the prime of its life, the heartache and pain are almost unbearable.
Atlas died like that on July 11.
Northwoods Atlas (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Nickel, 2017), call name Jet, was owned by Greg and Michelle Johnson of Wisconsin. Previously they had owned Gordon setters. Jet was the first dog “white dog” Greg trained and entered in cover dog field trials.
From the beginning, Greg and Jet were a winning duo. From his first derby placement through two runner-up championships, Jet placed in almost every trial—whether in Minnesota, Wisconsin or North Dakota and whether in wild bird or planted quail trials. The stake wasn’t over until Jet ran.
A stellar field trial season placed Greg and Jet as winners of both the amateur and open 2024 Minnesota/Wisconsin Shooting Dog of the Year awards.
Jet had all the characteristics of a champion—style in motion, style on point and the ability to find birds. In addition, Jet had consistency. In 2024, he won a distinctive honor by taking home the Minnesota/Wisconsin Shooting Dog of the Year for both open and amateurs. Jet was invited to the 2023 Grand National Grouse and Woodcock Invitational field trial, the most prestigious in the cover dog world as only the top 14 point-earning dogs are invited. Most likely, he would have been invited again in 2025.
Jet possessed another attribute: he passed on his special qualities to his offspring. He sired only four litters but there are many happy dog owners to whom Betsy and I have sold puppies. Jet had a bright future in our breeding program and he leaves a big hole. In addition, one son, Big Big Energy, won the 2024 Minnesota/Wisconsin Open Derby of the Year award, so a father/son pair won in the same year.
On a vacation to the Southwest last winter, Michelle and Jet rest in rugged terrain.
It’s said that actions speak louder than words. Seeing Greg and Michelle interact with Jet in their day-to-day lives, at field trials and on vacations, they didn’t have to talk about how deeply they loved him and were devoted to his health and well-being. And knowing Jet as we did and watching him, it was clear the feeling was mutual.
National caliber cover dog winner, excellent producer, devoted companion. What more could a dog give?
Northwoods Atlas (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Nickel, 2017) strikes a stunning pose for owner and handler Greg Johnson. They had just won the Moose River Grouse Dog Club Open Shooting Dog Classic.
Cover dog field trials in Minnesota and Wisconsin are thriving. The number of dogs entered at spring trials often reached 30 dogs. Many handlers of those dogs are relatively new, as are spectators walking in the gallery. These newcomers are grouse and woodcock hunters and they come not only to watch good dogs perform but to enjoy the camaraderie of others who share their passion.
Cover dog trials are run on ruffed grouse and woodcock. Two handlers, followed by two judges, two scouts for the handlers and the gallery, walk on pre-determined courses through native habitat of aspen forests, thick hazel understory and lowland edges. The handlers’ two dogs search the course for birds—similar to a hunting situation—and the dogs are judged on how they respond to their handler, how they move through the cover, how they interact with their bracemate and, ultimately, how they find and point birds. The dogs are run with only a bell to track their movement; no GPS collars, beepers, or e-collars are allowed.
There are three levels of competition based on ages: Puppy, Derby and Shooting Dog. Different standards exist for different levels but all levels must have the drive and desire to hunt through punishing cover in search of a bird. Then, while focused on hunting, the dog must keep track of its handler so that when it finds a bird and points, the handler can find the dog. When pointed, the dog should exhibit poise, confidence and accurate location of the bird.
A dog that competes at the shooting dog level must be steady-to-wing-and-shot and, if the opportunity arises, back its bracemate. In addition, the dog should move and point in a manner that excites and do it with minimum direction from its handler.
In short, the winners of shooting dog stakes are very high-class bird dogs—with physicality, stamina, focus, bird-finding, style and verve. In other words, most serious bird hunters would be proud to own these winning dogs.
To win in field trials, though, takes more than a talented dog. It takes an extremely committed owner willing to start with a young prospect and wear out several pairs of boots in the dog’s development, training and competition. The owner must be dedicated to spend time in the field to bring that prospect to its full potential—and that time isn’t counted in days or months but rather in years.
It’s always fun to see the group photo after a weekend of trials. Pictured with Greg Johnson and Northwoods Atlas are judges, handlers, other participants and spectators.
When it all comes together, though, and the handler’s name and dog are announced as winners, the feeling of exhilaration and of accomplishment render most handlers speechless and all that time is forgotten.
Listed below are winners of field trials in Minnesota and Wisconsin this spring. Congratulations to our clients and their dogs who have put in the effort and felt the thrill of winning.
2X RU-CH Northwoods Atlas (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Nickel, 2017), owned and handled by Greg Johnson. • 1st place Chippewa Valley Grouse Dog Assoc. Open Shooting Dog stake • RU-CH Region 19 Amateur Walking Shooting Dog Championship, sponsored by Minnesota Grouse Dog Assoc. • 1st place Moose River Grouse Dog Club Open Shooting Dog Classic • Winner of Minnesota/Wisconsin Cover Dog Open and Amateur Shooting Dog of the Year
Eric and Lindsey Saetre, owners and handlers of Northwoods Cedar Edge (CH Snyders Pioneer Scout x Northwoods Cedar, 2022), and Edge’s silver trophy as Minnesota/Wisconsin Cover Dog Amateur Derby of the Year.
Northwoods Cedar Edge (CH Snyders Pioneer Scout x Northwoods Cedar, 2022), owned and handled by Eric and Lindsey Saetre. • 3rd place North Country Bird Hunters Assoc. Open Derby • 3rd place Minnesota Grouse Dog Assoc. Open Derby • 2nd place Minnesota Grouse Dog Assoc. Open Shooting Dog • Winner of Minnesota/Wisconsin Cover Dog Amateur Derby of the Year
Northwoods Cedar (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2019), owned and handled by Eric and Lindsey Saetre. • 1st place North Country Bird Hunters Assoc. Open Shooting Dog
Ruffed Country Sweet Lily (Northwoods Rob Roy x Northwoods Minerva, 2018), owned and handled by Jordan Pharris. • 2nd place North Country Bird Hunters Assoc. Open Shooting Dog
Northwoods Paco (CH Southern Confidence x Northwoods Comet, 2023), owned and handled by Josh Matel. • 2nd place Moose River Grouse Dog Club Open Derby
CH/RU-CH Northwoods Sir Gordon (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2019), owned and handled by Ben McKean. • 1st place Midwest Field Trial Assoc. Open Shooting Dog
Northwoods Eddie Setter (CH Northwoods Sir Gordon x Northwoods Valencia, 2023), owned and handled by Ben McKean. • 2nd place Midwest Field Trial Assoc. Open Derby
Pretty cool for first-time trialers Mitch Anderson, on right, and Brad Gudenkauf, center, to place first and second, respectively. Even cooler, the two derby-aged dogs are littermates.
Northwoods Homer (CH Snyder’s Pioneer Scout x Northwoods Cedar, 2022), owned and handled by Mitch Anderson. (These were the first field trials for both Mitch and Homer.) • 2nd place Moose River Grouse Dog Club Open Derby • 1st place Minnesota Grouse Dog Assoc. Open Derby
Northwoods Pied Piper (CH Snyders Pioneer Scout x Northwoods Cedar, 2022), owned and handled by Brad Gudenkauf. (This was Brad and Rigby’s first field trial, too.) • 2nd place Minnesota Grouse Dog Assoc. Open Derby
And in other parts of the country…
Riley Crumbie, on left, and Pine Fair Lady (Northwoods Parmigiano x Northwoods Rum Rickey, 2014).
Pine Fair Lady (Northwoods Parmigiano x Northwoods Rum Rickey, 2014) owned by Pine Fair Plantation and handled by Riley Cumbie. • 1st place Georgia/Florida Hunting Dog Invitational, Aucilla Plantation, Thomasville, Ga.
Northwoods Sunny Day (RU-CH Northwoods Atlas x Northwoods Stardust, 2023), owned and handled by Tom Keiffer. • 3rd place Black Moshannon Field Trial Club Open Puppy, Philipsburg, Pa.
CH Charlie’s Zip Tie, sired by CH Northwoods Charles (CH Ridge Creek Cody x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2013), is owned and handled by Bill Owen of Santa Barbara, Calif. • 3rd place Cahaba Bend Field Trial Club Amateur Shooting Dog Classic, Greensboro, Ala. • RU-CH California Open Shooting Dog Championship
In addition, it’s worth noting that winning carries on when dogs out of our breeding are crossed with other dogs.
An impressive father/son duo: Jordan Pharris, on right, is owner/handler of Big Big Energy and Greg Johnson, on left, is owner/handler of Northwoods Atlas, and Energy’s sire.
Big Big Energy (sired by RU-CH Northwoods Atlas) is owned and handled by Jordan Pharris. Call name “Lotto” won the Minnesota/Wisconsin Cover Dog Open Derby of the Year. Amazing fact #1: Lotto is the first puppy-age dog to win the Derby of the Year Award in its 34-year history. Amazing fact #2: This is the first time in the Shooting Dog/Derby of the Year that a father/son won.
Over The Hill Morgan (sired by JTH Cooper (CH Rock Acre Blackhawk x Northwoods Vixen, 2015)), is owned and handled by Rod Lein. She won 3rd place in the Chippewa Valley Grouse Dog Assoc. Open Shooting Dog.
Kona’s Blue Sky (sired by CH Northwoods Sir Gordon) is owned and handled by A. J. Kalupa. Sky placed 3rd in the Moose River Grouse Dog Club Open Shooting Dog.
Note: Scroll down to a post written by Betsy, dated May 1, 2024, for an in-depth piece on the Dog of the Year awards.
Ten-month-old Cupid shows beautiful, high-headed style when she accurately points a covey on a chopper trail at the edge of a block.
After spending two brutal winters in Minnesota, Betsy and I decided to go back to the bobwhite quail plantations of the Red Hills region of the Southeast. We missed not only the mild weather but the training opportunities on wild birds and the friendships we had formed at several of the plantations.
So in mid-November, we made lists and packed up everything we’d need for five months. Besides 16 dogs of various ages (12 years to seven months) and two crates of pigeons, the lists included training equipment, office files and supplies, books, clothes and boots. Some 1,500 miles later, we landed at our home for the winter, Meander Plantation in Monticello, Fla.
*****
When it comes to finding and pointing birds on the wild bobwhite plantations of southwestern Georgia/northern Florida, it’s not about the dog’s range but rather how thoroughly it hunts the ground. This is in stark contrast to most suppositions about big running quail dogs.
Backing—or honoring another dog on point—can be confusing. It sure looks like Sweep (in front on the chopper trail) was first to the birds with the others backing. But Sweep pointed where the birds had been while Cupid (in center) had the birds accurately pointed. Either way, Queen had a nice back.
The key is the maintenance of these many-thousand-acre plantations. They are meticulously groomed in a checkerboard pattern with six-foot-wide mowed strips separating 24’ x 24’ blocks of quail cover. These blocks hold quail, often at mind-boggling densities of eight coveys per hour.
But when the conditions are tough or the birds aren’t moving, the coveys can be extremely difficult for a dog to find; and this is precisely when experienced grouse dogs shine. These dogs hunt every step and exhibit a naturally forward, quartering pattern. They hunt the blocks of cover at the ideal range of about 100 yards on either side of the hunting course.
All are ready and waiting for Jerry at the breakaway: Lyon, on left, Stardust and Strut, Jerry’s horse.
The winter was ideal for working dogs—and not only because the temperatures were the coolest we’d experienced in 10 years. Our puppies learned how to find and point bobwhites early in the season when the birds were more plentiful and less spooky. They had gained proficiency by January and February when the birds started to run or flush wild.
With both our own and client-owned seasoned dogs, we had one of our strongest hunting/guiding strings. No matter which plantation we hunted, our dogs regularly pointed as many birds as the plantation dogs and frequently out-birded the best of their kennel.
At eight years of age, Hercules has found and pointed many wild birds—both in quail country and in his home state of Montana. His polish, stance and confidence are stunning.
Our string, in mostly alphabetical order, included the following dogs. Charlotte Bronte (Northwoods Louis Vuitton x Houston’s Dancing Queen, 2022) Comet (HOF CH Rock Acre Blackhawk x Northwoods Vixen, 2018) Confidante (HOF CH True Confidence x Red Sunshine) Della (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Nickel, 2018) Dixie (CH Shadow Oak Bo x Northwoods Carbon, 2016) Dublin (CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock x Northwoods Nickel, 2018) Four Roses (CH Rufus Del Fuego x Northwoods Valencia, 2021) Hercules, Madrid and Stardust (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2016, 2018, 2019) Lyon (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Minerva, 2018) Penny (CH Elhew G Force x Northwoods Vixen 2013) Rolls Royce (Blue Shaquille x Houston’s Belle’s Choice, 2013)
It’s not only fun to gang run puppies, but it’s a good training tool as they learn from each other. From left: Queen, Molly and Cupid.
For part of the season, three owners sent their puppies from last year’s breeding of 2X RU-CH Northwoods Atlas x Houston’s Nelly Bly. Layla, Molly and Tinkerbell joined Queen, the female we kept, and those four had a ball together. They were fun to train, fun to run and gratifying to watch mature.
With countless bird contacts, young Eddie matured from a puppy into an outstanding derby over the winter.
Also joining us for training sessions were several very nice young dogs. Eddie (CH Northwoods Sir Gordon x Northwoods Valencia, 2023) Enni (CH Snyder’s Pioneer Scout x Northwoods Cedar, 2022) Flirt and Hope (HOF CH True Confidence x Northwoods Comet, 2021)
Rounding out our southern kennel were several puppies that Betsy and I own. Boots (2X RU-CH Northwoods Atlas x Northwoods Stardust, 2023) Bunny (CH Ponderosa Mac x Northwoods Redbreast, 2022) Cupid and Rudy (CH Southern Confidence x Northwoods Comet, 2023) Sweep (CH Northwoods Sir Gordon x Northwoods Valencia, 2023)
Birds other than bobwhites are prevalent in the region and exciting to see. We regularly had eight pairs of cardinals at our feeder.
Littermates Queen, Molly and Tinkerbell (RU-CH Northwoods Atlas x Houston’s Nelly Bly)
Eleven-month-old Northwoods Snow Swept (CH Northwoods Sir Gordon x Northwoods Valencia, 2023) is ready for steadiness training because she stays on point until Jerry flushes.
Steadiness in a bird dog means the dog stays where it points until either a shot is fired, or, after the shot is fired and the dog is released by the handler. The former is called steady to wing and the latter is steady to shot.
Since either type of steadiness isn’t a natural behavior, dogs need to be trained to be steady. Done well, steadiness training is the epitome of bird dog polish. Done poorly, it can create problems around game ranging from over-cautiousness to blinking birds.
But before all that, you need to know when to start steadiness training.
Steadiness training, started too soon, gets in the dog’s head and distracts it from focusing on how to properly point birds. Started too late, the dog can develop habits that make training difficult. The best time to steady a dog is when it will point and stay on point until you flush the bird. However, there are nuances involved and it’s crucial to understand the dog’s genetics and experience.
The important genetic component is the pointing instinct. That instinct varies on a continuum from wanting to point everything to not wanting to point at all.
These dogs are cautious by nature and are prone to pointing where the birds were and not where they actually are.
Young dogs with lots of instinct will point the first bird scent they encounter and let the handler flush. But those points are motivated by instinct alone. The dogs have no idea what they’re doing, are unsure of what to do next and so they stay on point.
These dogs are cautious by nature and are prone to pointing where the birds were and not where they actually are. They need to learn to use their their intellect and experience to determine when to point. They have to develop boldness to jump in and see if the bird is really there. To encourage the dogs to figure that out, don’t flush in front of them. Instead, wait until they either move on or move in. You should only begin to flush in front of the dogs when you’re pretty sure the dogs have a bird pointed.
These dogs are usually bold towards birds and have no qualms about rushing in towards scent and flushing the bird.
For young dogs that have little pointing instinct, the development is different. These dogs are usually bold towards birds and have no qualms about rushing in towards scent and flushing the bird. They need to be exposed to birds until they learn they can’t catch them. They’ll use their intellect and experience to eventually slow down, stalk and point which then allows you to flush the bird.
Once either type of dog points only when birds are present and allows you to flush the birds, steadiness training can begin. However, there is an additional behavior to look for—reduced desire to chase the bird. After finding and pointing enough birds, most young dogs begin to show more interest in the scent of birds rather than the sight of them and so chase less.
The pointing instinct of most young dogs lies somewhere between these two extremes. Determine where your dog is before you begin steadiness training. For all dogs, it will take not only ample bird exposure but also time for them to mature. Most young dogs will be well into their second season before they’re ready for steadiness training.
Mama, an 18-month-old female setter, shows excellent style and composure due to training the Natural Way.
No old-fashioned equipment such as boards, barrels, posts or rope slings. Also, no yard training. Other key elements include no dominance, no talking and no pressure on the dog as indicated by licking, swallowing or looking away.
These are all parts of our Natural Way to teach steadiness.
In the field, I plant pigeons and use low-level, linear ecollar stimulation on the flank and as a motivator. For bird dogs, that motivation is birds.
Combining dog psychology, birds and ecollar stimulation, the dog is taught a behavior without knowing it’s being trained and, therefore, no pressure.
The Natural Way works for the toughest and softest dogs; there are no failures.
In July, I trained Mama the Natural Way. Mama is an 18-month-old female setter owned by Josh Matel of Minnesota. Mama is a sensitive young dog with lots of desire but when trained with our method, her composure and confidence on birds is outstanding.
*** The Natural Way is a term Betsy and I dreamed up to describe the method of training I developed over decades in the field. We introduced the concept in a March 2, 2023, blog post, “A Different Approach to Steady Your Dog.” On July 26, 2023, we followed with The Natural Way: Puppy Development. This post includes videos of marker training, first bird encounters and letting puppies learn on their own how to cross a creek.
Plenty of physical exercise is crucial to happy, well-developed puppies. They play hard until they tire; then they rest.
Betsy and I believe the first six months of a puppy’s life is crucial to its development. We put tremendous effort into preparing the puppy for situations it will encounter as it matures.
Everyday examples include exposure to different people, exposure to dogs of different ages, introduction to water and getting comfortable going into a crate and loading into a dog box. In early training exercises, exposure to birds, marker training, leash training and spending time on a stakeout chain are all extremely valuable.
Time on a stakeout chain teaches puppies to be comfortable with restraint. In addition, they learn to give to the chain when another puppy moves around.
A simple and often overlooked key to a happy, balanced puppy is plenty of physical exercise. Our puppies spend mornings in the exercise pens and go for walks of suitable length in various places.
Essential to how we develop puppies is that we rarely force the puppy to do a desired behavior. Instead, we set up the puppy to succeed by making the right choice easy and the wrong choice difficult. We then reward it with a treat when it chooses the desired behavior. We say very litte to the puppy, using verbal cues only when it has learned the behavior. This teaches the puppy to think.
Life experiences, though, are not all positive. Often, puppies learn more from choosing the wrong behavior and suffering the consequence. For us, jumping up on people and excessive barking are two undesirable behaviors that are met with soft “bonks” from a “bonker,” a rolled-up and taped hand towel.
Most behaviors are taught during the normal course of the day. When specific training is required, we keep the sessions very short, usually five minutes or less.
Below are five videos of puppies during our development process this summer. Enjoy!
Tink, Molly and Queen (RU-CH Northwoods Atlas x Houston’s Nelly Bly) are introduced to navigating a stream crossing.
How easy is this? With their bowl of dog food as enticement, littermates Rudolph and Cupid (CH Southern Confidence x Northwoods Comet) can’t wait to load into a truck box.
Fifteen-week-old sisters Tink, Molly and Queen (RU-CH Northwoods Atlas x Houston’s Nelly Bly) learn to use their noses and read littermate’s body language around birds.
Molly learns to choose behaviors that will earn a treat.
Boots (RU-CH Northwoods Atlas x Northwoods Stardust) learns an invaluable lesson. During the first few bird contacts, young puppies often stay on point because they are not bold enough to jump in on the bird. We never flush the birds on these early contacts; instead we allow the puppy time to jump in and flush the bird itself. The puppy becomes bold and confirms that it had the bird well located.
CH Erin’s Three Leaf Shamrock (CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2015), on right, was handled by Tracy Swearington for owner Tucker Johnson in the Masters Open Shooting Dog Championship.
At Northwoods Bird Dogs, Betsy and I strive to breed dogs that possess the talent and ability to win field trials. But winning field trials isn’t the goal—it’s a consequence. It’s a consequence of breeding our own and knowing outside exceptional dogs, of passion, of uncompromising high standards. It’s a consequence of decades of selecting dogs that are intelligent, physically capable and easy to train. It’s a consequence of hunting every generation on wild birds and it’s a consequence of devoted clients who give our dogs the opportunity to reach their genetic potential.
As a consequence, several of our dogs placed in prestigious field trial competition around the country over the past several months.
Greg Johnson, on left, with his runner-up champion setter male Northwoods Atlas (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Nickel, 2017).
Northwoods Atlas (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Nickel, 2017), owned and handled by Greg Johnson, won Runner-Up Champion in the 52-dog Wisconsin Cover Dog Championship. This win, combined with other placements earned during 2022, qualified Atlas to compete in the Grand National Grouse and Woodcock Invitational Championship. In that event, the previous year’s two winners and 12 top point-earners in 2022 cover dog trials compete for three days to determine a winner. The trial was held in early April near Phillipsburg, Pa.
Cody’s Sadie Belle (CH Ridge Creek Cody x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2013), on right, with her owner Ryan Bjerke.
Cody’s Sadie Belle (CH Ridge Creek Cody x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2013) won Runner-Up Champion in the National Amateur Grouse Championship held last October near Moose Junction, Wis. Owner/handler Ryan Bjerke has done a marvelous job with Sadie—his first bird dog.
CH Erin’s Three Leaf Shamrock (CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2015), handled by Tracy Swearington for owner Tucker Johnson, is having a stellar year. In November, at Burnt Branch Plantation near Ochlocknee Ga., Three Leaf won the 40-dog Blackbelt Open All Age. This setter was also named Runner-Up Champion in the recently completed Masters Open Shooting Dog Championship.
CH Erin’s Three Leaf Shamrock photo by Chris Mathan.
The Masters, held on three prestigious wild-quail plantations near Albany Ga., drew a whopping 69 dogs vying for the title. Only six of those competitors were English setters and three of them were either sons, grandsons or great-grandsons of Northwoods Chardonnay (Blue Shaquille x Houston’s Belle’s Choice, 2009). Four of the six were grandsons of CH Ridge Creek Cody (CH Can’t Go Wrong x CH Houston’s Belle, 2008).
Northwoods Sir Gordon (Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2016) placed second in the Minnesota Grouse Dog Championship last October. Owner Ben McKean handled Gordy to his two-grouse-find performance.
Nick Allen, on right, with Northwoods Cosmic Ray (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Nickel, 2019).
Northwoods Cosmic Ray (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Nickel, 2019), owned and handled by Nick Allen, placed second in the Big Sky Field Trial Club Amateur Shooting Dog stake, a U.S. Complete Association Trial held near Barber, Mont. This placement was especially gratifying as it was Nick’s and Ray’s first field trial.
Dave Moore, on left, and his derby-winning pointer, True Ending (CH True Confidence x Northwoods Comet, 2021).
True Ending (CH True Confidence x Northwoods Comet, 2021), pointer male, owned by Dave and Rochel Moore and handled by Dave, won first place in the Region 19 Open Shooting Dog Derby and third place in the Open All Age Derby. The Region 19 trial was held last October at the Namekagon Barrens near Danbury, Wis. All the dogs were handled from horseback.
Another consequence? Our genetics pass on to the next generation. Here are winners produced by sires and dams we bred.
In Canada Runner-Up Champion in the North American Woodcock Championship in McAdams, New Brunswick, last fall was Wynot Pete, a pointer male handled and owned by Steve Forrest. Pete’s dam is Northwoods Maddie (CH Rock Acre Blackhawk x Northwoods Vixen, 2015).
On the East Coast Runner-Up Champion in the Northeastern Open Championship held in East Windsor, Conn., was setter male Erin’s Big Casino, owned by Paul Berdiner and handled by Mike Tracy. Casino has several of our dogs in his pedigree; he is sired by CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock whose sire, CH Ridge Creek Cody (CH Can’t Go Wrong x CH Houston’s Belle, 2008), was whelped and started at our kennel. In addition, Casino’s dam, Three Stripe’s Livewire, was sired by RU-CH Northwoods Nirvana (CH Houston’s Blackjack x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2011).
In the Heartland Last fall, two pointers owned and handled by Rod Lein of Chippewa Falls, Wis., and sired by JTH Cooper (CH Rock Acre Blackhawk x Northwoods Vixen, 2015) placed in derby stakes. Over The Hill Morgan placed first in the 24-dog Wisconsin Cover Dog Championship Open Derby while littermate Over The Hill Try placed second. Try also placed second in the 18-dog Open Derby held in conjunction with the North Country Championship trial.
Out West Near the town of Payette, Idaho, on the Oregon/Idaho border, setter male, Charlie’s Zip Tie, owned and handled by Bill Owen and sired by CH Northwoods Charles (CH Ridge Creek Cody x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2013), won the Northwest Chukar Open Shooting Dog Championship. In the Larry Brech Memorial Open Derby held during the Chukar Championships, third place winner, Mauck’s Wyest Molly, setter female owned and handled by Alex Mauck, is out of High Prairie Gypsy (CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2016).
Congratulations and continued success to all these owners, handlers and trainers!
That was the title of the half-hour talk given by Ronnie and Susanna Smith of Ronnie Smith Kennels at the recently held Pheasant Fest in downtown Minneapolis. Because Betsy and I have usually been somewhere in the South at this time of year, we’d never been to this exhibition sponsored by Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. But feeling a touch of cabin fever and being intrigued by this talk, we decided to venture out and hear what they had to say.
What we heard was a short course on a way of training that was new for the Smith’s. The basic premise is to give the dog the freedom to decide how to act when it smells a bird.
After planting a pigeon in a launcher, lead the dog on a check cord, directing it to the area downwind of the bird. When the dog scents the bird, let it decide how to act instead of physically stopping it. If the dog points the bird, praise it. If the dog gets too close, launch the bird and stop the chase.
While this method is new to the Smith’s, it’s not new to me.
I’ve used it for the past 20 years and call it the Natural Way. I first became familiar with the basics when I went to Bill Gibbon’s place in Arizona to learn the West/Gibbons Method. Their method was vastly different from how most handlers trained.
Over time, I’ve tweaked and modified the technique and now find it to be, by far, the best way to train steadiness. The results are eye opening. The dog is bold around birds. It exudes confidence. And it points birds independently, without being micro-managed by its handler.
For Ronnie and Susanna, whose training method had been based on controlling the dog around birds, this is a fundamentally different approach. But, as Ronnie said, times and dogs change. Kudos to them for recognizing the need to modify their method.
A reward for our efforts was a stop at Brit’s Pub, which was a short walk from Pheasant Fest. The Fuller’s ESB on tap is Betsy’s favorite beer and was perfect with an order of fish and chips.
P.S. Please stay tuned for a future post featuring more details about my Natural Way of steadiness training.
Willow (Northwoods Louis Vuitton x Houston’s Dancing Queen, 2022)
Sometime in late summer, it became clear to me that several things would come together to provide a perfect November bobwhite quail training session for puppies.
Two litters whelped in July would be four months old—a prime age to introduce them to birds. The quail in my four johnny houses that I’d been acclimating and conditioning would be wild-acting, hard-flying birds. My guiding responsibilities would be done and, hopefully, the weather would cooperate. Talk about serendipity.
Many clients were keen and signed up. With the puppies Betsy and I kept from those two litters, I had 11 puppies.
The adage is “It takes birds to make a bird dog.” More specifically and for me, it takes wild birds to make a wild bird dog. For the same reason beginning baseball players start with a ball on a tee, we can’t expect a 12-week-old puppy to handle wild birds—the equivalent of a major league pitch.
The Quail Our ball on a tee for young puppies is quail from a johnny house. Our birds aren’t the standard quail—caught, handled and buried in the grass. Our birds are never touched; they run and fly almost like wild birds. It takes time, effort and specific habitat to get the quail to act wild, but that’s crucial to prepare young dogs to learn to hunt wild birds.
Quail sun themselves on the perches of the johnny house. Birds are released through the hinged door the swings open.
The Johnny House A johnny house is a quail pen that, well, resembles an old outhouse. Ours are 4’ by 4’ square and 6’ high. All four walls are made from green-treated plywood except for the top six inches which is covered with ½ inch hardware cloth. The roof is either treated plywood or corrugated metal. The floor is made of ½ inch hardware cloth. There are perches just below the top six inches of hardware cloth where the birds fly to sun themselves.
An entry door is on one side with a feeder and nipple waterer attached to the inside of the door. Near the bottom of the door on the outside is an entry funnel for the quail to use to get back into the house.
Inside the door of a johnny house a feeder and nipple waterer are mounted. On the floor inside is a dusting pan. On the bottom left is the entry funnel.
How the Quail Act At the beginning, most of the quail fly to the same areas near the house which makes it easier for the pups to find them. Then as the puppies learn to find, point and flush them, the quail run more, flush wilder, fly farther and become more difficult to find. Sometimes, with a dozen quail flushed out of the house, a group of puppies might find very few. But that’s ok. Wild birds are hard to find and the sooner the puppies learn they have to hunt hard to find them, the better.
Really good quail will flush strongly out of the house, flying up and over the trees for 100 yards or more. After a scattered landing, they will quickly gather together leaving foot scent for the young dogs to figure out. Once just one pup finds them, the quail react as a covey, giving the pup only one contact but that one contact will be wild-like.
At times, quail might not come back to the house for a day or more. And at times, I found some coveys more than 300 yards from their johnny house. When flushed, the birds flew another 150 yards in the opposite direction, and yet, they were back in the house the next day.
When to Start the Puppies Young puppies’ brains are like sponges. Too, they are bold, curious and adventurous. But they lack the physical ability to run far or fast and so stay close to the handler. Like other stages in their development, there is a short window of opportunity.
I’ve found that starting puppies on johnny house quail by 12 weeks of age brings the best results. I work puppies in groups of two or three where they learn not only to hunt, find and point quail but also to read their bracemates which can lead to good things like backing. Often I’ve had several 14-week-old puppies backing another puppy that is pointing a quail.
In addition, puppies worked in groups become accustomed to distractions while hunting and are less likely to be competitive with bracemates in the field. Two or three months of this work, threes time a week is about enough. After that the window starts to close; puppies are stronger, start to hunt wider and are more independent in their search.
The johnny house quail have done their job and the pups are ready for the next stages of advanced training and wild birds.
Northwoods Cedar (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2019), setter female owned by Eric and Lindsey Saetre and handled by Lindsey, earned a red ribbon in the Don Didcoct Amateur Shooting Dog Classic.
Field trial competition is a bug that some owners of pointing dogs catch. Betsy and I are proud of owners of our dogs who put forth the effort to compete. It’s a fun, rewarding game attended by fellow serious bird dog aficionados. We’re also proud of our setters and pointers that have the ability to compete in the various venues across the country and also that pass on that prowess to future generations.
MINNESOTA & WISCONSIN TRIALS
Northwoods Atlas (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Nickel, 2017) is a setter male owned and handled by Greg Johnson. Atlas gets the nod for consistency, winning three thirds and one second place ribbon in six starts and in three different venues; the Minnesota Grouse Dog Associations (MGDA) grounds in the Rum River State Forest; Chippewa Valley Grouse Dog Associations (CVGDA) grounds near Augusta, Wis.; and the Four Brooks Field Trial Area near Milaca, Minn.
Northwoods Atlas (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Nickel, 2017), on left, setter male owned and handled by Greg Johnson, placed third in the open shooting dog stake at the Chippewa Valley Grouse Dog trial.
Placing third behind Atlas at the second MGDA trial was Rhett (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2018), setter male owned and handled by Dave Moore.
Northwoods Cedar (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2019), setter female owned by Eric and Lindsey Saetre and handled by Lindsey, placed second in the highly competitive Don Didcoct Amateur Shooting Dog Classic held by the CVGDA.
As a puppy, Northwoods Fallset Hope (CH True Confidence x Northwoods Comet, 2021), on right, owned and handled by Mark Fouts, placed third in a huge open derby stake.
Northwoods Fallset Hope (CH True Confidence x Northwoods Comet, 2021) is a pointer female owned and handled by Mark Fouts. She placed third in the gigantic, 28-dog open derby stake at the Moose River Grouse Dog Club spring trial held near Moose Junction, Wis. Very impressive for a 15-month-old pup!
Tony Misura handled his Northwoods Thunderstorm (Northwoods Grits x Houston’s Nelly Bly, 2020) to second place in the 14-dog open derby at Four Brooks. This was the first field trial for both Tony and Thunderstorm. Again, very impressive!
NORTHWOODS CHARDONNAY PRODUCED BIG-TIME WINNERS
Northwoods Chardonnay (Blue Shaquille x Houston’s Belle’s Choice, 2009)
Northwoods Chardonnay (Blue Shaquille x Houston’s Belle’s Choice, 2009) was co-bred and basically co-owned by Paul Hauge, Betsy and me throughout her life. She had the basics of a winner—big race, strong bird-finding, natural staunchness and composure around game. But she excelled in many of the finer aspects of field trial competetion. Her long, strong, graceful stride produced a style in motion that was both exuberant and exciting and her loftiness on point was breathtaking.
Chardonnay placed in every grouse trial we entered her in and won the Minnesota/Wisconsin Derby of the Year award in 2011. After her derby year, we retired her from competition.
In a feat perhaps never accomplished before, Chardonnay produced two Elwin G. Smith English Setter Shooting Dog award winners. This award is bestowed on the nation’s winningest English setter in open shooting dog horseback field trials.
CH Northwoods Charles (CH Ridge Creek Cody x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2013), owned and handled by Bill Owen, won the 2020-2021 award.
CH Erin’s Three Leaf Shamrock (CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2015), on left, owned by S. Tucker Johnson and handled by Tracy Swearington, won the Southeastern Open Shooting Dog Championship.
CH Erin’s Three Leaf Shamrock (CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2015) is owned by S. Tucker Johnson and handled by Tracy Swearington. Shamrock is the recipient of this year’s Elwin G. Smith award. He also won the prestigious Southeastern Open Shooting Dog Championship, a wild quail trial held on the Senah Plantation near Albany, Ga.
A Chardonnay granddaughter, Mauck’s Wyeast Owyhee Dalee, owned and handled by Alex Mauck, recently won runner-up in three all age horseback championships, including the California Quail Championship. Dalee’s dam, Hidden Jasmine, is by CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock x Northwoods Chardonnay.
Mauck’s Wyeast Owyhee Dalee, on right, is owned and handled by Alex Mauck. She won runner-up in the California Quail Championship.
OTHER WINNERS
Others with Northwoods dogs in their pedigree but not bred by Betsy and me also had impressive wins. Pointer derbies sired by JTH Cooper (CH Rock Acre Blackhawk x Northwoods Vixen, 2016), owned by Jeff Hintz, swept all three placements in the 19-dog CVGDA Open Derby stake.
Meredith Grade Katie, winner of the Thomas Flanagan Setter Award for the top Cover Dog derby in the nation, is out of I’m Blue Sky (Northwoods Grits x CH I’m Blue Gert, 2014). Katie is owned and handled by Mike SIngleton.
