First aid kit for bird dogs

Even though the cupboard in our kennel office has shelves full of pills, bottles, solutions and salves, Jerry keeps his traveling first aid kit to about two dozen supplies. Whether he’s training, hunting or guiding, this red box (a fishing tackle box) is always handy. Over the years, Jerry has performed countless field dressing and stapling jobs which, not only help the dog in need, but speed recovery and reduce long-term complications.

Listed below are the general supplies and the field supplies Jerry considers essential for his traveling first aid kit.

General Supplies

• Amoxicillin:  general antibiotic
• Benadryl:  allergic reactions
• Buffered aspirin:  pain
• Duct tape (of course!)
• Metronidazole:  giardia
• Pepto Bismol:  diarrhea
• Q-tips
• Rimadyl:  anti-inflammatory (by vet prescription only)
• Thermometer
• Vaseline

Field Supplies

• Betadine:  liquid disinfectant
• Dog Booties:   protect pads
• EMT Gel:  use on cuts, tips of tails
• Eye wash (sterile):  flushes out seeds and other debris
• Gauze
• Nutri-cal:  quick supplement for low blood sugar, weakness
• Scissors
• Stapler
• Tape
• Triple antibiotic ointment:  prevents infection and provides temporary pain relief due to cuts, scraps and burns
• Triple antibiotic ophthalmic ointment (non-steroidal):  works for minor eye irritations but not scratches
• Tuf-Foot:  heals and toughens pads
• Vet wrap

Many of the supplies are the same that people use and so are easily purchased. We also buy certain supplies from our vet, including the prescription-only Rimadyl. Otherwise, we order from catalogs such as Lambert Vet Supply and Lion Country Supply.

Silk chills…or air-conditioning at Northwoods Bird Dogs

Silk has exalted status at Northwoods Bird Dogs. She is the eldest dog at 13 years of age and at the top of the pecking order. Much like a Dowager Duchess governing her estate, Silk rules our kennel with gentleness and wisdom but will tolerate no fools.

Silk was only bred three times but whelped our two best-producing setter males. Blue Shaquille is out of a frozen semen breeding to Houston in 2004 and from CH Peace Dale Duke, Silk bore Northwoods Blue Ox in 2007. Through her sons, she has shown up in every setter puppy’s pedigree for many years.

Silk herself has an impressive pedigree. Her dam was our extraordinary Blue Streak, a four-time champion/four-time runner-up champion, and her sire, First Rate, was a multiple champion in horseback field trials. Besides a very sweet disposition, Silk inherited an accurate nose, uncommon stamina and a tenacious application. Prior to retirement, she amassed several placements in grouse trials and was a first-string member of our grouse-guiding team.

Silk has earned her special treatment and now spends evenings and nights with Jerry and me in the house. But before we head to the house and while we’re finishing feeding and kennel chores in late afternoon, Silk is free to roam. She trots outside the building and seemingly inspects everything—puppy pens, gates and perimeter fences. She then comes back to do a quick look-see at the dogs and runs inside the kennel.

One hot afternoon last week, Silk rested in front of the fan while she waited for us to finish.

CH Ridge Creek Cody wins presitigous award & national championship

Betsy and I are very proud of CH Ridge Creek Cody and his latest accomplishments. He won the 2012 Elwin G. Smith Setter Shooting Dog Award that honors the top setter shooting dog in the nation in open horseback competition.

Four-year-old Cody accumulated his points by winning the Idaho Open Shooting Dog Championship and placing runner-up in the All America Open Shooting Dog championship. Placing in these stakes is quite an accomplishment for a setter because his competition is mostly pointers and some outstanding ones at that.

In addition, Cody was just named champion in the National Amateur Pheasant Shooting Dog Championship held in Circle, Montana. Cody bested a field of 38 dogs with three finds and, according to one source, “a scintillating ground race.”

Cody is owned by Larry Brutger of St. Cloud, Minnesota, and handled by pro Shawn Kinkelaar. He was co-bred by us and Paul Hauge. He is out of Paul’s 2X CH/4X RU-CH Houston’s Belle and CH Can’t Go Wrong.  He was whelped and raised at our kennel and I worked him at our North Dakota prairie camp his first summer.

Congratulations to Larry and Shawn!

Are we sad when puppies go?

Northwoods Blue Ox x Northwoods Chablis female puppy gives her new owner a kiss.

A common question Jerry and I hear when a family picks up their eight-week-old puppy is:  “Aren’t you sad to see your puppies go?”

It seems such an innocent question but, as with many things, the real answer is complex.

First of all, it’s our business. Even though we train dogs, guide hunters and sell gear, a key component of Northwoods Bird Dogs is breeding dogs, whelping litters and selling puppies.

The reason we’re in this business, though, is because we love dogs and sometimes it is difficult when puppy dispersal time comes around. For whatever reason, a certain puppy will become a favorite of Jerry’s or I’ll fall hard for the littlest male or the perkiest female. In fact, I still remember very special puppies from years ago…puppies we named Lily, Linus, Moxie, Cotton, Pete, Peanut, Zeus and Jingles.

Northwoods Blue Ox x Northwoods Chardonnay female puppy takes a nap on her new owner.

Ultimately, the whole thing becomes a win-win-win situation:  Jerry and I make a living, the new owners gain a treasured pet/hunting companion and the puppy has a great life.

To borrow from Ina Garten, how gratifying is that?

P.S. I’m happy to report that puppies from our three litters this year seem to be relishing their new lives. Many thanks to the Gudenkauf, Blomberg and Rader families for sharing these photos.

Blue Shaquille x Snyder’s Liz female puppy loves rides in her family’s boat.

Prairie 2012: how sweet it is

Great things can be accomplished by prairie training in summer.
~ Jack Harper, Bird Dogs and Field Trials, 1983

There is no better place to evaluate a bird dog than on the prairies. In this vast open countryside, every move the dog makes can be followed and analyzed. You see how the dog uses the wind and what objectives it chooses to hunt. Often the temperatures are warm and the ground is hard so you learn how the dog copes with stress and how much desire and heart it possesses. Plus, an inefficient gait, unattractive carriage or poor ground application can’t be hidden.

This summer as usual, my good friend and training partner, Frank LaNasa, and I head out to a camp we’ve had in North Dakota for 13 years.  We spend long weekends working our small strings of dogs from horseback. Our days are lengthy ones that start at 4:30 in the morning and end after dark but we love it.

Northwoods Lager points in the foreground while Frank handles his dog Northwoods Nirvana.

Running side by side with some of the very best dogs is an excellent way to observe and learn. Frank’s string is as good a yardstick as can be found. His five includes two female pointer champions, CH Homemade and CH Lil’ Miss Sunshine, a pointer male True Confidence and setters Houston’s Blackjack and Northwoods Nirvana.

Northwoods Parmigiano.

Our string consists of five setters—Northwoods Highclass Kate (owned by Barry Frieler), Northwoods Lager (Jim Bires), Northwoods Parmigiano (Paul Hauge), Northwoods Grits (Bob Senkler) and Snyder’s Liz (Steve Snyder)—and Betsy and I own the lone pointer, Northwoods Vixen.

A more spectacular place to train dogs can’t be found. And if the dog work doesn’t attract your attention, the vistas surely will.

Northwoods Highclass Kate.

Raising puppies at Northwoods Bird Dogs

Seeing little puppies on point is definitely exciting but that cute stance is just the beginning. Developing puppies into a top-notch hunting dogs or finished field trial performers will take years. The paramount time for that development is during the first few months of life.

Our goal is to raise happy, healthy, well-balanced puppies. Over the years, Jerry and I have developed a program that works. At a minimum, we feel puppies need:

•  mental and physical stimulation
•  exercises and introductory training to develop their natural instincts
•  exposure to different situations, people and dogs

We also provide structure, stability and consistent rules. Equally important, though, we want them to enjoy life and have fun.

Detailed below are some of our puppy development and training ideas.

Time in the exercise pens

Ample time in our exercise pens allows the puppies to play and to rest at their choosing. We believe this freedom develops a physically sound dog with a calm, well-adjusted mental disposition. They also learn the invaluable lesson of how to interact with other dogs.

Barrel work

We put our puppies on a barrel where they learn to stand still with confidence. They love this exercise because they have our full attention and receive lots of praise through touching.

Retrieving

We encourage puppies to retrieve because they’re at a stage when they really want to please. Starting with a retrieving dummy we progress to freshly killed birds. A few retrieves two or three times a week is plenty and we always praise them lavishly when they bring the dummy or bird back.

Time on a stakeout chain

Especially when puppies are young and getting used to wearing a collar, we clip them to stakeout chain. They learn to give in and to be comfortable with restraint. They all struggle at first—some more than others—but all eventually do relent and relax.

Gang run

We gang run puppies from foot at eight weeks and later introduce them to group runs from four-wheeler as the next level in physical exercise. During these runs we also teach them to turn on a whistle, run to the front and handle to our voice.

Swimming and finding water

On our gang runs we swing by ponds. Not only do the puppies learn to swim (they follow May, our Labrador retriever) but they learn to cool off and drink. This method teaches them independence to find water on their own.

Some Simple Commands

We introduce preliminary commands such as HERE, KENNEL, and call their NAME using pieces of wieners as rewards. This encourages puppies to obey simple commands and create a positive association with people.

Patience and puppies

pa-tience (pa’shens) n. 1. The capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble or suffering without getting angry or upset.

For several weeks, I’ve been exercising three male littermates out of our Ox x Chablis litter and Molly, a female from Sean Derrig’s breeding. All are five months old. I run them off a four-wheeler and plan routes to pass ponds along the way.

At a very young age, the three males took to the water like fish. They loved to swim—but not Molly. She would ease up to the edge of the pond, get a drink and then watch. She was just as hot as the others, but unsure of the water.

This happened time after time….until today. When the other puppies jumped into the pond, so did Molly. She swam around and played like she’d done it all her life. It was so satisfying to see.

I didn’t teach Molly to swim. I just gave her ample opportunity and then she figured it out.

The key was patience.

There comes times when it is absolutely necessary for the breaker to go afield with his dog and do nothing but let the dog develop.
~ Training The Bird Dog, C. B. Whitford, 1908

Dogs develop on different schedules and at different paces. To get the best out of your dog, don’t rush it.

Remember this the next time you head out to work your dog. Be patient.

Proper conformation

…the distinction between a good and bad specimen in the canine world is conformation.
~McDowell Lyon, The Dog In Action

Good conformation in a dog is highly valuable but essential for a working dog. It allows a bird dog to perform its job effortlessly and gracefully. It provides stamina for long periods of work. It endows the dog with durability for many years of service. Also conformation that is pleasing to the eye can be appreciated even when a dog isn’t working.

Northwoods Nirvana displays ideal conformation for strength and endurance.

Two characteristics form the foundation of good conformation:  balance and symmetry; angulation of the front and rear limb assemblies.
Balance and symmetry refer to a dog having proportional size and structure from front to rear, top to bottom and between the individual parts. Some examples of improper balance and symmetry are:

• heavy fronts combined with light rears (a common fault in setters)
• heavy bone without corresponding musculature
• overly large heads
• short necks
• long bodies with short legs

Northwoods Lager shows how the parts should fit together.

Correct angulation provides the propulsion for the dog which gives it strength, speed and stamina.  These angles work like levers, multiplying the result for a given amount of effort. It is critical that both assemblies are angulated in unison and don’t work against each other. Examples of improper angulation include:

• straight shoulder blades which cause the front legs to hit the ground too hard
• straight rear legs which cause a reduction in drive and speed
• over-angulated rear legs that interfere with the front legs when in motion, also called crabbing

Northwoods Parmigiano displays good shoulder angulation and balance between front and rear assemblies.

A well-performing dog is the result of good conformation.
~ Robert G. Wehle

At Northwoods Bird Dogs, Betsy and I apply a singular conformation standard to both our pointers and setters. We adopted it from legendary pointer breeder Robert Wehle.

These are the details we look for:

• square, balanced head
• long neck and smooth shoulders with angular blades that are well laid back
• feet should be tight with the dog standing well up on the pad
• front legs should be straight with a medium-deep chest (as opposed to wide)
• back should be slightly arched and have strong, developed loins
• well-tucked stomach
• well-angulated hind legs
• hind quarters should be square and straight
• tail should be set and carried high

For more information about conformation and locomotion in dogs, read McDowell Lyon’s excellent book, The Dog In Action.

Minnesota 2012: May training report

For the months of May through August, our focus is training  dogs to be steady to wing and shot. With invaluable help from Jeff Hintz, Dan and I worked a talented group of young dogs. All possessed natural instincts and trainability that made them a joy to work with.

Dan, his own Northwoods Guns and Roses (Houston’s Blackjack x Northwoods Chardonnay) and Jeff.

Houston’s Bold and Fresh (Houston’s Blackjack x Northwoods Chardonnay).

Northwoods Aerosmith (Blue Shaquille x Houston’s Belle’s Choice).

Northwoods Anhiwake Grace (Northwoods Blue Ox X Houston’s Belle’s Choice).

Northwoods Carly Simon (Blue Shaquille x Houston’s Belle’s Choice).

Northwoods Carly Simon (Blue Shaquille x Houston’s Belle’s Choice).

Northwoods Heart (Houston’s Blackjack x Northwoods Chardonnay).

Northwoods Jeter (Blue Shaquille x Houston’s Belle’s Choice).

Northwoods Mars (CH Can’t Go Wrong x Cold Creel Pearl).

Northwoods Vixen (CH Westfalls Black Ice x Northwoods Prancer).

Jake (bred by Superior Pointers).

Shigger (Ryman setter).

How older dogs adjust to new homes

When Jerry and I sell a started or trained dog, two questions are always asked.

•    How do they adapt to living in a family environment?

•    How well do they bond with new owners?

The answer:  very easily. Judge for yourself.

Northwoods Led Zeppelin, call name Gus

Gus is a setter male by Blue Shaquille and Houston’s Belle’s Choice whelped June 18, 2011. He was one of several from last year’s breedings that we kept to start and train. Gus was taken for group walks in pastures and in the grouse woods. He was worked on bobwhite quail in Minnesota and Tennessee as well as local grouse and woodcock. He had birds shot over his points. We introduced him to all kinds of other experiences such as being in a dog crate, being on a stake-out chain, riding in dog trailers and pickups and interacting with other dogs and people.

David and Pam recently bought Gus and have sent two messages—one after Gus’s first night and, about 10 days later, the next message.

We made it home with no problems. He didn’t make a sound the whole way home and no fuss during the night. We are spending most of our time letting him explore and adjust to the house. The picture was after getting back from a thirty minute run.

Thanks for all the time you spent with us. It was sincerely appreciated.

————————–

Gus is doing very well. He is adjusting to the sights and sounds of the house, he sleeps through the night, he has learned to ask to go outside, we have not had an accident in the house, and we did not hear him bark until this weekend. I am very pleased with the way he is responding to his name in the field and his rapid response to “here”.

Thank you again for our opportunity to purchase Gus. We could not be happier.

Win-win-win

Jerry and I say we couldn’t be happier.

This is a win-win-win situation. David and Pam bought an older puppy whose size, personality and strengths are readily apparent. Gus will have a wonderful life in a loving family situation and will have ample hunting opportunities.  Jerry and I are able to breed good dogs, train them and move them on to good homes.