Georgia 2013: February training report and photo album

One early morning on the Miami Plantation, Grits (Northwoods Blue Ox x Northwoods Chablis) had a nice covey find in the midst of lush, native wiregrass (Aristida stricta).

The weather here in southwest Georgia has been lovely and the bobwhite quail plentiful. Due to the warm temperatures, Jerry starts early in the morning, breaks in the middle of the day and then works until dark. All the strong storms have swung to our north so no days have been washed out.

Jerry has identified more than 30 wild covey locations on the Miami Plantation and, here on Arrowhead Farms, several of the put-out coveys and all the Johnny house birds are thriving.

Jerry and I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity to live and work in southwest Georgia. The training opportunities have been outstanding and the quail coveys couldn’t be more thrilling when they flush wild and strong. Best of all, the dogs are healthy and making excellent progress in the field.

Displaying the style of her famous parents, Trixie (CH Ridge Creek Cody x CH Satin From Silk) nails a covey behind a young longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) in its “grass” stage.

Even after the shot and even though panting, big, strong Gus (Blue Shaquille x Houston’s Belle’s Choice) stands tall and tight.

Oh, to be a puppy! Littermates out of Northwoods Blue Ox x Northwoods Chardonnay, Martini (left) and Manhattan, cool off in a horse tank during an afternoon training session.

Carly (Blue Shaquille x Houston’s Belle’s Choice) finally nails a single bobwhite in a harrowed strip after the covey had run the entire length.

Even though Tyler (Blue Shaquille x Houston’s Belle’s Choice) gets credit for this find on a big covey, Franny (Northwoods Blue Ox x CH Houston’s Belle) came in and backed on her own.

Oscar (CH Peace Dale Duke x Blue Silk) was moving so fast when he winded a quail covey that his ear stayed flapped back.

Hazards in the grouse woods

This broken stick was embedded deep in the back of the mouth and into neck tissue of Northwoods Grits when he just a puppy. Our vet expertly removed the stick and Grits recovered perfectly.

The grouse woods are a tough place for a bird dog to work. Big, rotting logs and downed tree limbs are scattered everywhere. Young aspen cuttings and stands of hazel are tight and can be almost impenetrable and swamp edges can be thick with alders. Dogs must be nimble and be able to react quickly for they are constantly jumping over, ducking under and pushing through some sort of obstacle. Other hunting cover types such as field edges, wide open deserts and mowed pine plantations seem tame in comparison.

Grouse dogs have to make their own way in the woods and in addition to being physically demanding, it’s often hazardous.

Our dogs have run into plenty—from mere scrapes and bangs to some very serious situations—but (knock on wood), Betsy and I have yet to lose a dog. Listed below, in alphabetical order, are the hazards we’ve encountered and what we do. Our advice is based on years of experience and guidance from our veterinarians, so much so that we’re now able to handle many of the problems ourselves. When in doubt, though, please go to a vet and go quickly. Often, time is of the essence.

All manner of seeds–some even quite long–can enter a dog’s eye and cause problems.

Eyes:  debris
Seeds and other debris often get in the corners of the eyes and sometimes under the eyelids. One of the worst culprits is a long, black seed that can get under the third eyelid and cause serious abrasion.

What we do:  After each session, we rinse the eyes with sterile eye wash. A dampened Q-tip can be carefully run along the inside bottom of the eye to remove stubborn debris. If a dog develops matter in its eyes or reddened lower lids, we apply Terramycin (non-steroidal, antibiotic ophthalmic ointment) twice a day for 3-5 days.

If a dog paws at its eye or keeps the eye partially closed, something more serious is usually going on. Get the dog to the vet as soon as possible.

Warning:  Never apply steroidal eye ointment on a dog’s eye without consulting a vet.

Eyes:  fur worn off underneath
Certain, hard-driving dogs that would rather go through things than around are prone to wearing off the fur under their eyes. A secondary problem occurs when the area bloodies and scabs over.

What we do:  Vaseline applied carefully (avoid the eyes) works fairly well for protection but usually the problem recurs especially if early in the season. Pace the dog’s time in the woods.

Eyes:  scratches
Occasionally, debris, seeds or sticks can actually scratch the cornea.

What we do:  Some are small enough to heal themselves with assistance from Terramycin (non-steroidal, antibiotic ophthalmic ointment) applied twice a day for 3-5 days. But if the dog paws at its eye or keeps the eye partially closed, get the dog to a vet as soon as possible.

Warning:  Never apply steroidal eye ointment on a dog’s eye without consulting a vet.

The damage to the right eye of Northwoods Rob Roy was caused by an infection that entered through a small scratch. The spot should slowly shrink so it’s barely noticeable.

Eyes:  weird bacterial infection
Last fall, our six-month-old setter puppy Northwoods Rob Roy received what everyone thought was a simple scratch on his eye while hunting in north central Wisconsin. But some sort of bacteria entered the eye via the scratch and, within 24 hours, the situation grew very serious. An infection developed that basically ate away the eyeball until his eye was in danger of bursting. With hourly applications of antibiotic drops and miraculous assistance from Chris Bye and Dan Stadin, we kept Roy quiet until our vet performed a complicated corneal graft surgery. The surgery was successful but Roy is still on eye drops and will always have a small, grayish spot on his cornea.

Lesson learned:  Be extremely vigilant of seemingly minor injuries.

Randy got an mouthful of porcupine quills.

Porcupine quills
Betsy and I have been fortunate to have few problems with porcupines but I’ve seen bad ones. Sometimes a dog (usually males…pointer males are the worst) will actually hunt for porcupines. A lot depends on the dog’s temperament and its first encounter.  If the result is just a few quills, it usually doesn’t develop into an issue.  But if the dog gets a mouthful because it’s trying to kill the porcupine, the problem can be life-long.

What we do:  For just a few quills and a cooperative dog, remove the quills with a Leatherman tool or hemostat. Be careful to get them all and don’t break any. Quills left in the dog can migrate around the body and exit through the neck, jaw and eyes.  If in doubt, get the dog to a vet to check for remaining quills. For a bad encounter, get the dog to a vet.

Scrapes:  belly and inner thighs
Grasses, ferns and thorns can scrape the belly and inner thigh area and sometimes cause a secondary problem of small pustules. This is more common on certain breeds (pointers) and under certain conditions (early season or open fields and meadows).

What we do:  Apply Bacitracin (first aid antibiotic ointment) and rest the dog.

Scrapes:  knuckles and forelegs
Gear on the neck—whether ecollars, tracking collars, beepers, bells or Garmins— can hang too low, be too big or be too much.  It can also be a matter of mechanics, i.e., a dog that runs with a low head and/or raises its front legs.

What we do:  Make adjustments to the neck gear. Try switching from a bell to a beeper, place the bell on top of the neck and/or have the gear ride higher on the neck. Or use less gear.

Scrapes:  legs
Grasses, ferns and thorns can abrade fur and/or scrape legs. Foreleg (where the legs meet the chest) abrasion is caused by running through tall grass. Again, both are more common on certain breeds (pointers) and under certain conditions (early season or open fields and meadows).

What we do:  Apply Bacitacin (first aid antibiotic ointment) and rest the dog.

Scrapes:  wrists
The wrists are the part of the leg above and behind the pad. Abrasions and scrapes to this area are caused by woody stubs, thick brush, etc.

What we do:  Apply Bacitracin (first aid antibiotic ointment) or EMT gel and rest the dog.

Seeds
Some grass seeds can be ingested through the mouth as the dog pants or enter the body through the skin. The most dangerous seeds have small barbs that allow them to penetrate farther as muscles and skin contract. These seeds can become encapsulated near the skin surface and cause localized swelling, or worse, can migrate into the body cavity.

What we do:  Be vigilant about masses near surface, especially at the end of the rib cage. All of our dogs that developed such a mass required a trip to the vet.

Sticks and other foreign stuff
Betsy and I have had several dogs get a puncture-type wound in the pad, foot and ankle area from sticks and stiff weeds. Dogs can also drive stuff into other body parts, such as mouth, nose, neck, throat and chest. While these are rarely life threatening, I’ve had two very close calls.

One of my first setters, Patch, got a stick in his neck. When I pulled the stick out, blood immediately gushed out. So I stuck my finger over the hole and hurried to a vet.

More recently, Northwoods Grits somehow got a five-inch stick embedded deep in his mouth and into his neck. I couldn’t see anything at first but when I checked later in the evening, he was definitely not feeling well. Wayne, a physician/friend/guiding client, felt what turned out to be the end of stick. We rushed him to the vet. Amazingly, no surgery was required; the vet simply sedated Grits and pulled the stick out.

What we do:  All but the most obvious of these injuries will require a trip to the vet.

One ingenious method to protect a broken tail is an empty plastic syringe case.

Tails:  broken
Broken tails are an uncommon occurrence.  The break usually occurs about ¼ to 1/3 from the tip and results in a slightly bend at the break.  The fracture can be felt by very gently palpating the bent area.

What we do:  While some breaks heal on their own with no long-term problems, we advise a trip to the vet. Our vets have successfully set severe breaks. One ingenuously covered the broken area with an empty syringe case. The difficult part is keeping the tail relatively quiet for 4 – 6 weeks.

Tails:  fur worn off, bloody
Some breeds (pointers) and some dogs (very active tail…carried just so) are prone to wearing the fur off the tip of the tail. Eventually the skin becomes thin and the tail bleeds.

What we do:  This is a tough one. Apply EMT gel for protection before heading into the woods. To help heal the area after hunting, apply more EMT gel. We’ve tried several methods of taping—all with limited success because tails move so much. Dave Hughes, pro grouse dog trainer, developed a method that worked fairly well for later in the season and/or if the tail was in bad shape. From the tip to just above the base, wrap loosely with masking tape. Then wind electrical tape in a candy-cane design over the masking tape. Be very careful when taping so there’s not too much weight or the tape isn’t too tight.

Tick-borne diseases
An entire post could be devoted to this subject as it is complicated and generally in flux as new discoveries are made. Here is the pertinent information…currently.

Lyme disease (caused by bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato), ehrlichisos (caused by bacteria in the genera Erlichia), anaplasmosis (caused by bacteria in the genera Anaplasma ; very confusing taxonomy between Erlichia and Anaplasma with continual changes by the scientific community), babesiosis (caused by protozoa Babesia microti) and other tick borne diseases yet to be identified are a major problem in certain parts of the country.

One fall, several dogs in our kennel become symptomatic but nothing could be identified (even by Marshfield Labs!). Common signs of the diseases are lameness in one or more legs caused by joint pain or muscle pain, high fever (often over 104), intermittent elevated fever, loss of appetite and, depending on the specific disease, nausea and vomiting.

What we do:  We administer the antibiotic doxycycline for 30 days. Within a day or two, the symptoms disappear. If a dog is under nine months of age, consult a vet about the correct antibiotic to use since doxycycline can cause problems with teeth in puppies.

Torn dew claws
Betsy and I think this is an extremely uncommon and overrated problem. In fact, for many reasons, we don’t remove dew claws on tiny puppies anymore. We’ve had less than a handful of these injuries and none was serious.

What we do:  Clip off any remaining part of the nail and disinfect daily Bacitracin (first aid antibiotic ointment). Rest the dog for a day or two.

Cool video of drumming ruffed grouse

Good friend and client Ben McKean recently sent a link to a YouTube video with incredible footage and audio of a male ruffed grouse on his drumming log. It is extraordinary!

News and photos from clients

Northwoods Luna (Northwoods Blue Ox x Northwoods Chardonnay)
Age: 6 months
Lives: Twin Cities

From her owner:  “Luna absolutely loves the snow and exploring her new territory!! Her transition to our home has been very smooth and we adore her. We can’t tell you how lucky we are to have her.”

 
More than anything else about our business, what gives Jerry and me the most pleasure and the most gratification is good news from clients. We love seeing our dogs with their new families and in all their new situations—whether running joyfully through the snow, posing after a successful hunt, showing puppy pointing posture or just lounging in a warm house.

Some of our owners are excellent photographers as well. Enjoy!

Northwoods Santana (Northwoods Blue Ox x Northwoods Chablis)
Age: 7 months
Lives: Twin Cities and cabin “up north”

From her owner:  “Here’s a sight point on one of the 100s of gray squirrels we have this year. I snapped the picture most because of how beautiful she has become. Everyone loves her mask but I think her feathering is pretty cool looking.”

Roxie (CH Terhaar’s Rocko x CH A Rolling Stone)
Age: 8
Lives: Pennsylvania

From her owner:  “Roxie is resting and licking her wounds from a tough season. She has slimmed down and I’m now increasing her food a little for the winter.”

Rosie (Blue Riptide x Blue Ghost)
Age: 2½
Lives: Illinois

From her owner’s friend:  “On a Montana hunting trip, Rosie is looking across the field thinking, ‘Why am I in your lap when there are birds over there?'”

Female (Blue Shaquille x Snyder’s Liz)
Age: 6 months
Lives: New York and cabin in New Hampshire

From her owner:  “She is developing nicely and within the last month has really matured and figured out what is expected. She handling quail great, listens well, handles to the front naturally and with little care, and backs some of the time.  She is nice and calm in the house.”

Bess (Northwoods Blue Ox x Northwoods Chardonnay)
Age: 6 months
Lives: Ohio

From her owner:  “Bess is doing fine. She is learning quick and made her first trip to the woods last week.”

Lucy (Northwoods Blue Ox x Northwoods Chablis)
Age: 7 months
Lives: Twin Cities

From her owner:  “She had some beautiful solo points on single quail from some coveys we were following up after the initial flush, and she had one beautiful solo point on a large covey she found on her own.”

Northwoods Brie on tv!

Scott Berry and his wife Lynn bought two-year-old Northwoods Brie (Northwoods Blue Ox x Houston’s Belle’s Choice female) last year. Scott is an avid bird hunter and grouse guide for Ides Guides in Park Falls, Wisconsin, where Brie is used on guided hunts. Too, judging by the photos they’ve emailed, Brie has become a pampered family pet.

Scott recently sent a link to a television news story that appeared on WQOW out of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Brie is on point over a woodcock in the opening scene.

The piece is well done and very interesting. It features Gary Zimmer, Coordinating Biologist of the Ruffed Grouse Society, and Terry Ides, who along with his wife JoAnne, are participants in a grouse and woodcock habitat improvement project. The multi-year plan is part of Wisconsin Coverts Projects.

There is also cool information about woodcock and beautiful footage of a grouse in flight.

Here is the link to the video: Time to Regenerate

Georgia 2013: January training report and photo album

Chablis (Blue Shaquille x Houston’s Belle’s Choice) finds a covey in tall broomsedge bluestem (Andropogon virginicus).

Jerry and I have been in the Thomasville area of southwestern Georgia since January 5 and now are fully in the groove. We’ve even started eating grits, pimento cheese and mayhaw jelly.

Since there were few reported wild coveys on the 600-acre farm where the kennel and house are located, Jerry reserved 175 quail and planned to put out coveys. He explored the grounds to find 12 spots with good cover.

Tripp (Houston x Northwoods Blue Babe) has a beautiful find in the middle of a large strip.

In the afternoon of the day he picked up the quail, we placed 12 birds and spread a bucket of milo at each location. He put the balance of 31 birds in the Johnny house.

After giving the quail a bit of time to settle in, Jerry started working dogs on them. He has also driven the quick six miles to the Miami Plantation, a 2,000-acre plantation managed specifically for wild birds that is part of our farm.

The dogs have pointed quail in different locations and in various types of habitat—including mown and harrowed strips, edges near deciduous shrubs and small trees, in knocked down (un-identified) cane-y plants and near clumps of broomsedge bluestem (Andropogon virginicus).

Even though the habitat can be diverse, one genus of plants provides a unifying look and feel to the landscape. Stately pine trees, either longleaf (Pinus palustris) or loblolly (Pinus taeda), tower high overhead.

Franny (Northwoods Blue Ox x CH Houston’s Belle) points a quail covey at the edge of a harrowed strip.

In the shadow of a tall pine, Liz (CH Magic’s Rocky Belleboa x CH Houston’s Belle) nails a covey.

Choice (Gusty Blue x CH Houston’s Belle) has a nice find on a covey that was buried in dense cover at the edge of field.

Setter puppy Manhattan (Northwoods Blue Ox x Northwoods Chardonnay) and Labrador May (rather unusual but not unprecedented for May) score a divided find while stylish setter puppy Rickey (Blue Shaquille x Snyder’s Liz) backs.

Learning about birds: Common Bobwhite Quail

A covey of bobwhite quail flush under the pines of a southern Georgia plantation.

For almost as long as I’ve been training bird dogs, I’ve used bobwhite quail. I’ve planted single quail, flushed quail from various recall pens and put out free coveys. I’ve followed their tracks in the snow; watched as a separated covey re-grouped; and observed roosting and feeding areas. Whether in Minnesota, Texas, Oklahoma, Illinois, Tennessee or Georgia, I’ve watched hundreds of encounters between bobwhites and dogs.

In addition, I’ve been on countless hunting trips for quail throughout the Midwest. All this experience and observation has taught me a lot about their preferences and habits.

On our home training grounds, I buy enough bobwhites in July to fill four Johnny houses and use them until the snow stops me from training. These quail grow into extremely strong flyers that know their terrain as well as a wild bird. They even become comfortable enough to remain outside the recall pens and are healthy enough to survive on their own during winter conditions.

In August 2012, a covey disappeared from a recall pen and Dan and I couldn’t use that Johnny house during fall training. In mid December we heard that a covey of 11 had been flushed not far from the pen. This covey had been on its own for four months! When I checked it out—and by then it had snowed five inches—the covey flushed wild from a hillside with tall oak trees. The area was covered with quail tracks, snow had been scratched away and acorn pieces were scattered everywhere. Those birds had discovered a great food supply and had thrived.

Sometimes, though, they just disappear and I don’t know why.

Here are more observations about bobwhite quail.

•    Late in October 2011, Dan and I put out a covey in a likely location—a south-facing slope with lots of good cover options—and then spread feed around the area several times each week. In spite of several snow falls and sub-zero temperatures, we saw this covey into early March 2012.

•    Dogs often find ruffed grouse in the vicinity of the recall houses.  This might be coincidental but it does seem quail and grouse are in close proximity. In fact, I’ve seen evidence that grouse feed on the scratch grain we spread for the put-out coveys.

•    Like most adult game birds, the worst predators for bobwhites are hawks and owls. Often when it’s difficult to flush them from the Johnny house, a hawk is the reason. One will swoop in after some birds have been encouraged to leave. Cooper’s hawks are especially deadly. Countless times in Tennessee I saw a Cooper’s leaving a covey location when I approached to spread feed. They even chased quail when flushed from a covey in front of a dog’s point.

•    Last year, I hauled two dozen quail from our Tennessee training grounds back to Minnesota, thinking I could use them for some spring training. Even though Dan and I flushed a few, they didn’t recall back to their Johnny house. My guess is that they had started to pair up and preferred to stay out with their chosen mates. One male in particular started showing up around our house in early May. Betsy and I saw him only occasionally but heard his distinctive whistle almost daily. Later in June, our neighbor Jeff spotted a female quail with several chicks just east of our kennel. This brood turned into a small covey that was flushed occasionally in the same vicinity until late fall.

CH Westfall’s Black Ice (2003 – 2012)

Jerry and I are heartbroken to pass along the news that 5XCH/7X RU-CH Westfall’s Black Ice died in December. Even though Ice was healthy when I saw him in June, he had recurring cancerous growths that finally overtook him.

Ice was always impressive in the field and racked up championship win after championship win. But we liked Ice perhaps even more because of his temperament. His beautiful brown eyes were intelligent and displayed a calmness and good disposition. Ice was handsome, too.  He was black-and-white with an evenly marked head. He was lightly ticked and had no body spots.

Ice was owned by Bill and Ryan Westfall of Liberty, Missouri. Jerry and I got to know Ice when we trained on their farm in Tennessee.

Ice is a multiple shooting dog champion with a pedigree to back it up. He is out of the very successful nick of Rock Acre Blackhawk x Elhew Katie Lee whose progeny included many field trial winners and even more outstanding wild bird dogs.

Even though Ice himself was bred sparingly during his lifetime, he had the pre-potency of his sire and produced an impressive list of field trial winners. His numbers are 34-24-213.

When we bred him to Northwoods Prancer in 2011, the entire litter of eight females was outstanding grouse dogs—natural, keen, easy to train, loved to retrieve and even liked the water. Plus, most importantly, all were well-adjusted with happy personalities.

Thankfully, we can carry on with some of Ice’s talented daughters, including our own Northwoods Vixen.

Congratulations to CH JTH Izzie!

Jeff Hintz and CH JTH Izzie

Maybe Izzie is as sharp as Snoopy and can read. One look into her beautiful, brown eyes does reveal her intelligence and good sensibility.

Izzie has been featured in three recent blog posts and perhaps has glanced over Jeff’s shoulder when he powers up his Ipad. She is definitely our poster child for “How to pick a puppy.”

November 28, 2012:  How to pick a puppy
“Since at eight weeks of age it’s impossible to definitively know what the puppy will become, any puppy should be ideal—no matter the picking order, no matter whether it’s the first pick or last.”

About two years ago, Jeff was in the market for a puppy and, in exchange for his work with us, we made a deal. He could have the last pick of our Ice x Prancer litter.

November 21, 2012:  Winning wild bird field trial championships
“Even though Izzie is just a derby, I feel compelled to include her because she has all the makings to be a champion.”

Izzie was whelped on April 17, 2011 (she is only 20 months old!) and was very successful last fall. In four derby stakes, she won two and twice placed second.

October 8, 2012:  Jeff and Izzie:  An inseparable pair
“Izzie is a sweetheart in the house and a tiger in the field. She was quite precocious and last year Jeff successfully hunted her on grouse, woodcock and the quail of southern Arizona.”

Too, Izzie has the genes of a champion. Her sire is Westfall’s Black Ice, a five-time champion and seven-time runner-up champion. Out of Northwoods Prancer on the bottom side, her great grandparents were both multiple grouse champions, Brooks Elhew Ranger and Dance Smartly. Rather unusual for a dam, both parents of Dance Smartly were also multiple champions, Northern Dancer and Vanidestine’s Rail Lady (a six-time champion!).

But, truly, Jeff deserves all the credit. What any dog becomes depends on how it is raised, developed, handled and trained. Since she was a four-month-old puppy, Izzie has been hunted and worked at least three days a week.

In early January, on the Empire Ranch of Sonoita, Arizona, Izzie was named champion at the Region 12 Amateur Walking Shooting Dog Championship. She ran a strong, forward race and went on point where no dog had gone. At the shot, she stood tall and firm. Amazingly just days before, Izzie had placed third in the horseback derby stake.

Congratulations, Jeff and Izzie! You deserve that big blue ribbon.

Range

The purpose of a pointing dog is to hunt, find birds and point them until the shooter arrives. Unlike flushing dogs, they are supposed to hunt outside of shotgun range and find birds the hunter would not have found otherwise

…And range, although it is partly governed by training, is basically in the blood.  Anything you do to alter it requires continued effort.
~ George Bird Evans, Troubles With Bird Dogs

The distance a dog hunts, or makes casts, from its handler is referred to as its range. Range is a genetic quality that can be selectively bred just as square heads, long legs and desire for birds. Consequently, a dog is born with a tendency to hunt at a certain range. If two wide-ranging dogs are bred, odds are the offspring will also be wide ranging.  The same can be said for close- and medium-ranging dogs. This inherited range can be modified through training, but trying to make drastic changes can have a negative impact on a dog’s hunting ability.

Range is somewhat difficult to describe because dogs don’t consistently hunt at a specific distance from the handler.  While a dog hunts, it is either going away or checking in with the handler.  A dog that will willingly make contact, either visually or by sound, at frequent intervals during the hunt is said to be handling. This checking, to a large extent, determines the dog’s range.

In open country, the dog might see the handler from several hundred yards away but in tight cover that distance might be less than 20 yards. Making contact confirms the whereabouts of the dog and that it is hunting in the right direction. Our grouse dogs may make casts of 100 – 200 yards through the woods—depending on the density of the cover—but at the end of each cast, they hunt their way forward and make eye contact as they cross in front. As an alternative, they might stop and listen for our whereabouts before continuing to hunt.

Good hunting dogs are divided into three classes: wide, medium and close ranging.  It is not practical to try to make a close-ranging dog out of either of the two other classes. You positively cannot make a wide ranging dog out of a close-in hunting dog.  The wide and medium range dogs should be trained so that they will hunt close in under restraint.  After the restraint is lifted, they will revert to their natural range.
~ Er Shelley, Bird Dog Training Today and Tomorrow, 1921

A common thought is that a wide-ranging dog finds more birds because it covers more territory.  Actually, though, two dogs hunting at the same speed can only hunt the same amount of ground.  The difference lies in what ground was hunted.  This is where coverage of ground comes into play.

A wide-ranging dog may cover more linear distance, but it doesn’t cover that ground as thoroughly as a closer-ranging dog.  Depending on the nature of the terrain being hunted, this could make a difference in which type of dog finds the most birds.

At Northwoods Bird Dogs, we favor a well-conformed, athletic dog with a strong desire to find birds; and one that has the ability to adapt its range using intelligence as opposed to one with circumscribed range because it is physically inferior or lacks desire. Our type of dog will naturally adjust its range and speed depending on the terrain being hunted and the pace of the handler. This dog will hunt wider in prairie, desert or field edges, but shorten up its range in thick or wooded areas.  Along with increasing their range, they will also increase their speed when hunted in open areas.

Some dogs have the ability to adapt their range to different types of country and handle themselves properly no matter what type of terrain they are asked to work. But this quality is unusual and valuable, indeed, when a dog possesses it in a marked degree.
~ Henry P. Davis, Training Your Own Bird Dog, 1948

For a dog to have such an adjustable range, it must not only be intelligent but must have a strong desire to work with and please its handler. The latter quality falls under the broad category of “trainability” and is one of the most important traits in a dog. A trainable dog will allow its range, and other habits, to be more easily modified and without the side effects of one that is less trainable.

Top photo of Northwoods Vixen taken by Chris Mathan, The Sportsman’s Cabinet.