Inducing emesis in dogs

The only items you need to induce emesis in a dog is a bottle 3% hydrogen peroxide and either a large syringe (no needle) or a turkey baster.

Some rudimentary medical knowledge can be very helpful when caring for a bird dog. In some circumstances, that knowledge can be vital to the dog’s life.

Inducing emesis, i.e., vomiting or throwing up, is one of those pieces of information.

Jerry and I have induced emesis several times. Once was when actual tick collars were still common and one dog ate the tick collar off its playmate in the exercise pen. Another time a dog ate an entire hard plastic chew toy that was rated for “Serious Chewers.” (We could actually piece the toy together afterward—not a bad way to ensure all the pieces are accounted for.)

Here’s a list of potentially dangerous items.
• chewed material from collars, chew toys and and other small items
• cleaning products
• human medications and pain relievers
• toxic foods like chocolate, grapes and raisins
• poison from garden and yard chemicals
• mouse, rat and insect poisons
• poisonous plants

Inducing emesis is an easy solution. The crucial element is time. The procedure must be done when the contents are still in stomach, which means within about 2 hours.

The only medication you need is a bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide. The only tool you need is a big syringe (140cc with no needle) or a turkey baster.

Use 1 teaspoon hydrogen peroxide for every 10 lbs. of dog weight. (For example: use 4 teaspoons for a 40-lb. dog.) Squirt into the dog’s throat, behind the tongue. Wait for 10 – 15 minutes. It’s always worked on that first dose for us but, if necessary, repeat once more.

If your dog is showing signs of an adverse reaction or you’re at all unsure, call your vet and/or contact a poison hotline.

Do NOT induce emesis if the ingested item could be:
• glass, other sharp/hard object, batteries
• chemicals like bleach, oven cleaners, drain cleaners
• petroleum products such as gas, kerosene, motor oil

Possibilities of problems with those dangerous items are ingested include further damage to the esophagus or the possibility of the substance getting inhaled into the lungs.

Northwoods Jones

Northwoods Jones (Northwoods Grits x Houston’s Nelly Bly, 2020)

Northwoods Jones is one of seven tricolor puppies whelped out of our 2020 breeding of proven sire Northwoods Grits to first-time-but-oh-so-worthy dam, Houston’s Nelly Bly.

Jones is a perfect male model for that litter as he has the handsome, blocky head and muzzle spots of his sire and the warm, expressive eyes of his dam. Most essential, from both parents he inherited prowess in the field—bird finding, confidence, style—and an ideal temperament for the home.

Jones is owned by Kali Parmley of Utah. Kali is the editor in chief of Gun Dog and Backcountry Hunter magazines. What a perfect fit for Jones.

Northwoods Charles wins prestigious national award

5X CH / 5X RU-CH Northwoods Charles (CH Ridge Creek Cody x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2013)

5X Champion / 5X Runner-up Champion Northwoods Charles is the recipient of the 2020-2021 Elwin G. Smith English Setter Shooting Dog Award. This accolade is bestowed on the nation’s winningest English setter in open shooting dog horseback field trials, based on wins during the previous trial season.

Charles, call name Charlie, is owned by Bill Owen of Santa Barbara, Calif. As an amateur, it’s even more impressive that Bill won this award handling Charlie in open stakes.

Charlie was whelped in 2013 by CH Ridge Creek Cody x Northwoods Chardonnay. Cody (CH Can’t Go Wrong x CH Houston’s Belle, 2008), a famous dog in his own right, was co-bred by Paul Hauge and Northwoods Bird Dogs and is likely the most prominent sire of winning setters of the past 20 years. Chardonnay was a blue hen producer of many field trial winners and top-flight hunting dogs.

Charlie’s field trial achievements exhibit his versatility; he has won on the West coast, on the Canadian prairies and in the piney woods of the southeast. He has won on several species of wild, released and planted game birds.

On a training run in Saskatchewan, Northwoods Charles is backed by Northwoods Rolls Royce (Blue Shaquille x Houston’s Belle’s Choice, 2013).

This award is one of the annual English Setter Fund Awards. They were created to promote the breeding and campaigning of English setters in All Age, Shooting Dog and Cover Dog categories. There are also awards for Derby-aged dogs in each category. Each award is named after a prominent setter devotee of the past.

This is the fourth time a Northwoods-bred setter has been honored. Betsy and I won the 2002 Michael Seminatore Cover Dog Award with our 4X CH / 4X RU-CH Blue Streak. Cody won twice: the 2009 Bill Conlin Derby Award and, in 2012, the Elwin G. Smith Award, the same award as Charlie.

Like fine wine, English setters tend to get better with age. Just-turned-eight, Charlie should have many more wins in his future.

Congratulations to Bill and Charlie!

Developing puppies with marker training

Northwoods Redbreast (Northwoods Rolls Royce x Northwoods Minerva, 2021) happily complies with the “place” command using marker training.

I’m continually looking for new ways to enhance the development of our puppies.

For many years, we used the “treat” only technique to teach our puppies the kennel and recall commands. We used treats to lure the them into the desired behavior; such as tossing a treat into the dog crate for kennel or letting them see I had a treat in my hand for recall. With that technique, the puppies didn’t have to think about what they were doing; they automatically followed the food.

But then I found Gary Wilkes.

Gary is a professional dog trainer in Phoenix, Ariz., who got his start in the late 1980s. His resume is impressive, including experience training guide dogs, service dogs and military special operations dogs. An innovative person, he has developed techniques that dogs understand intuitively and respond to quickly.

One of Gary’s methods to teach new behaviors to dogs is called marker training. Initially used for training marine animals, marker training is now mainstream for training dogs. The concept is simple: wait for the desired behavior to occur and then “mark” it with a click and a treat. With this technique, the puppy has to think about what it has to do to get its reward.

And for me, a thinking dog is a better dog. It is more adaptable, more effective in the field and more interesting to be around.

Here is a video of 10-week-old Northwoods Redbreast (Northwoods Rolls Royce x Northwoods Minerva, 2021) working on the three behaviors I taught her:  kennel, sit and place.

For more information about marker training and many insightful tips on dog training, check out Gary’s website at clickandtreat.com.

CH Satin From Silk: April 2006 – May 2021

CH Satin From Silk (I’m Houston’s Image x Blue Silk, 2006)

CH Satin From Silk was knock-out pretty. Her perfectly conformed body was mostly white with a spot or two of orange around her dark eyes and on her ears and tail. Beneath that beautiful exterior, though, beat the heart of a champion—fierce in her focus, determination and application.

Satin From Silk was owned by Greg and Diane Gress of Minnesota. Her registered name honored her dam, Blue Silk (out of our 4X CH / 4X RU-CH Blue Streak), by I’m Houston’s Image, handsome male straight out of Paul Hauge’s favorite setter, Houston. Greg and Diane called her Peggy.

Betsy and I have many fond memories of Peggy.

Peggy and her seven littermates were born on Easter Sunday in 2006 in our rental home. It was, in general, a fine place to live, kennel our dogs and raise puppies. But one day as Jerry and I worked in the kennel, a big “boom” blew the wooden well cover off the floor, ignited some dog hair and dust and shot a ball of flames down the hallway of the kennel until it ran out of fuel.

With the exception of singed eyebrows on Silk, no dogs or puppies were harmed and nothing was damaged. (We did honor the occasion by naming one of the male puppies Boomer.)

CH Satin From Silk, on right, is backed by her dam, Blue Silk (CH First Rate x CH Blue Streak, 1999), on a training run in Oklahoma.

Greg and Diane entrusted us for Peggy’s early training. Highlights include late summer weeks at our prairie camp in North Dakota and a memorable winter in Oklahoma. We watched her develop from an energetic puppy into a national-caliber, field trial competitor. Like her dam, Peggy had the mental toughness and independence to be great but, at times, it could also be her downfall.

Peggy won the 2009 Wisconsin Cover Dog Championship. Still today, her performance ranks as an amazing display of the highest bird dog ability. And I had a front row seat; I was braced with Greg and Peggy, handling her litter sister, CH I’m Blue Gert, owned by Dave and Rochel Moore.

Greg and I broke away on the infamous “crash” course at the Chippewa Valley Grouse Dog Association’s grounds near Augusta, Wis. Peggy’s nose dragged her around the course—and she dragged Greg. Peggy went from grouse to grouse to grouse to grouse. Greg caught up in time to flush each bird and shoot, and then Peggy was quickly off to her next bird before he could even holster his pistol.

Peggy was never an easy handling, close-working dog and this hour she pushed—and beyond at times—the limits of the bell. When Greg finally put the lead on Peggy at the end of the hour, all who had witnessed her performance knew we were running for second place.

RIP, dear Peggy. We will always remember.

Northwoods Queen Anne’s Lace

Northwoods Queen Anne’s Lace (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Minerva, 2020)
Photo by Eukanuba Sporting Dog

On a quintessential summer day last July, Zenas Hutcheson and his wife, Susanne, from Minnesota, chose a pretty, orange-and-white female puppy from the litter of mostly tricolors.

The puppy—call name Lacey—matured over the winter months into a strong, beautifully conformed dog. This spring, Zenas and Lacey attended a woodcock banding certification session at Pineridge Grouse Camp in Remer, Minn. A Eukanuba photo shoot was also taking place and Lacey was chosen to be photographed.

Even though Lacey is still young, Zenas reported that she did “very well on all but one test. Next spring she will be ready.”

What do puppies dream about?

Twelve-day-old puppies out of Northwoods Stardust by Northwoods Grits snuggle in their nest.

Jerry and I never tire of watching puppies of any age. There is something especially endearing, though, about tiny, vulnerable puppies when they’re sleeping. Not only do they always snuggle together in some conglomeration of bodies and limbs but they seem to dream.

What do puppies dream about?

Impressive spring wins on the field trial circuit

Northwoods Atlas (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Nickel, 2017), on right, is posed by his owner Greg Johnson after Atlas’ third place finish in the Don Didcoct Amateur Classic held near Augusta, Wis.

What a successful spring it has been for our clients who compete in field trials with their dauntless dogs! Whether handled from horseback or foot, whether campaigned on released or wild birds and no matter the geography, dogs from our kennel garnered ribbons and trophies.

Congratulations to all! We’re very proud of you and your dogs.

MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN/MICHIGAN
Three must be Greg Johnson’s lucky number. His dog, three-year-old Northwoods Atlas (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Nickel, 2017), placed in three shooting dog stakes on three different grounds.
• 2nd — Minnesota Grouse Dog Association (MGDA) Open Shooting Dog held near Mora, Minn.
• 3rd — Don Didcoct Amateur Classic held near Augusta, Wis.
• 3rd — Moose River Grouse Dog Club Open Shooting Dog held near Moose Junction, Wis.

Two Northwoods’ dogs are in the money after the April 2 MGDA derby stake. First place (blue ribbon) was won by Northwoods Sigurd Olson (Northwoods Rob Roy x Northwoods Minerva, 2019), owned and handled by Chris Bye of Wisconsin. Northwoods Gale (Northwoods Grits X Northwoods Minerva, 2020), owned by Northwoods Bird Dogs and handled by Jerry, placed second (red ribbon).

Derby Northwoods Sigurd Olson (Northwoods Rob Roy x Northwoods Minerva, 2019), owned and handled by Chris Bye, also had a tremendous spring. Sig placed in three of his starts.
• 1st — Chippewa Valley Grouse Dog Associations Open Derby held near Augusta, Wis.
• 1st — MGDA April 2 Open Derby
• 2nd — MGDA April 16 Open Derby

Sig narrowly missed winning the MN/WI Cover Dog Derby of the Year Award, losing by only three points to Bill Frahm’s worthy setter.

Other Northwoods-bred dogs placed in the spring MGDA trials, including two in the Open Shooting Dog stake.
• 2nd — Sadie (CH Ridge Creek Cody X Northwoods Chardonnay, 2013), owned and handled by Ryan Bjerke.
• 3rd — The Highway (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus X Northwoods Carly Simon, 2018), owned and handled by Dave Moore.

And two derbies placed in their stakes.
• 1st — Lily (Northwoods Rob Roy X Northwoods Minerva, 2019), owned and handled by Jordon Pharris, in the April 16 stake.
• 2nd — Northwoods Gale (Northwoods Grits X Northwoods Minerva, 2020) owned by Northwoods Bird Dogs and handled by me, in the April 2 stake.

Jade (CH Rock Acre Blackhawk x Northwoods Vixen, 2015) isn’t campaigned often because it cuts into owner Frank Ilijanic’s hunting time. But when she is entered in a trial, she is extremely competitive, including this second place in the Michigan Hunting Dog trial.

Meanwhile, in Michigan, a special female pointer named Jade (CH Rock Acre Blackhawk x Northwoods Vixen, 2015), owned and handled by Frank Ilijanic, won second place in the Michigan Hunting Dog stake held near Gladwin, Mich.

SOUTHEAST
Northwoods Sir Gordon (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2017), owned by Ben McKean, placed in two one-hour shooting dogs stakes. Gordy placed second in the Columbia County Field Trial Club stake held near Lake City, Fla., and earned third at the Mill Pond Field Trial Club held on the Burnt Branch Plantation near Ochlocknee, Ga. Gordy was handled from horseback by professional Tommy Rice Jr. to both of those wins. In the pointer-dominated southern circuit, the wins are especially impressive for a setter.

Flanked by pointers, Northwoods Sir Gordon (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2017), was handled by pro Tommy Rice Jr. to second place in the Columbia County Field Trial Club stake held near Lake City, Fla. Gordy is owned by Ben McKean of Minnesota.

NORTH DAKOTA
Back near his home in Minnesota, Northwoods Sir Gordon won third place in the Northwest Field Open Shooting Dog trial held near Hankinson, N.D. In this stake, Gordy’s owner Ben McKean, handled off horseback. Four-year-old Gordy is well traveled—he’s now placed in field trials in Wisconsin, North Dakota, Georgia and Florida.

Northwoods Sir Gordon, on left, won third place in the Northwest Field Open Shooting Dog trial held near Hankinson, N.D. Gordy was handled by his owner, Ben McKean, in this trial.

WEST COAST
Tian Elhew Verbena (CH Elhew G Force x Northwoods Vixen, 2013) won runner-up champion In the Pacific Coast All Age Championship (a horseback trial) held near Waupin, Ore. Verbena is owned by Angela and Tim Schillereff of Suave Island Kennel near Portland, Ore., and handled by Tim. This wasn’t Verbena’s first win in a titular stake. She’s been named champion or runner-up in several western shooting dog championships, including the top spot at the American Pointer Club National Amateur Championship.

Northwoods Charles (CH Ridge Creek Cody x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2013), owned and handled by Bill Owen of Santa Barbara, Calif., added to his illustrious career by winning the West Coast Open Shooting Dog Championship (a horseback trial) held near Valley Springs, Calif. Charles is a now a 5X champion and 5X runner-up champion (!!), in addition to eight other field trial wins.

Tian Elhew Verbena (CH Elhew G Force x Northwoods Vixen, 2013), on right, won runner-up champion In the Pacific Coast All Age Championship held near Waupin, Ore. Verbena is owned by Angela and Tim Schillereff.

Spring greetings and winter review

Against the quintessential backdrop of longleaf pines and live oaks on a Georgia plantation, half siblings Northwoods Istanbul (CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock x Northwoods Nickel, 2018), on left, and Della (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Nickel, 2019) await the whistle.

Well, it’s been a while since we’ve posted here. We’re sorry about the inconsistency but rather a lot has been going on.

Big considerations that most of us are no doubt weary of—things like the pandemic, political hubbub, civil unrest, important international issues —take their toll and time. But with vaccinations and the arrival of spring, we’re happy and hopeful for the year ahead.

So far in 2021, we’ve bred three dams and three litters have whelped. While the numbers of puppies have been disappointingly low, we’re grateful for their health and thrilled with every single puppy.

• CH True Confidence x Northwoods Comet: Confidence is nationally renowned as a stellar performer with a wonderful temperament. Comet continues our decades-long line of favorite pointers. She has it all—build, brains, personality and talent.

• Northwoods Rolls Royce x Northwoods Minerva: Royce is a son of Blue Shaquille x Houston’s Belle’s Choice, one of our best setter pairings. This was Minerva’s fourth litter—a testament to how much we think of her.

• Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Stardust: Grits is now 10 years old and for much of his life, he was a premier producer of who he is—an outstanding grouse dog with an off switch for the house. Stardust is a first-time dam but so worthy.

On a warm morning, Northwoods Valencia (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Carbon, 2018) points a covey. Strut, the Tennessee Walking Horse Jerry rides, ground ties.

This winter was our ninth in the Thomasville, Georgia, area where we feel quite at home. We’ve made many friends and do our bit for the local economy in the town’s shops, restaurants, vet clinic, library and YMCA. Thomasville is the center of the historical tradition of hunting bobwhite quail on plantations under majestic longleaf pines. We live on a 600-acre (small) plantation but the dogs are trained on a 6,000-acre (mid-size) plantation of plentiful wild birds.

Our Georgia training began in December and wrapped up in March. We brought 21 dogs with us but others joined from Colorado, Idaho, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Illinois. It was go-go-go for six days each week but we felt fortunate to develop such a talented group of dogs. Puppies from our 2020 litters gained invaluable experience on wild birds where their natural pointing and backing instincts blossomed. Veterans Vixen, Grits, Royce, Valencia and Stardust excelled on the temperate grounds where they did what they always do—find and point wild birds.

It’s fun to work four puppies at a time but when all are littermates, it’s exhilarating. Four-month-old puppies out of the 2020 Northwoods Rolls Royce x Northwoods Valencia breeding stop on a chopper trail. In front, Jet points into the cover while siblings, clockwise from left, Strike, Dewey and Earl back.

We’re now happily settled back into our home and kennel in Minnesota and looking forward to two summer training sessions. It’s always exciting to see our clients and to see the young dogs they purchased from us. In addition, we’re planning more setter litters.

As always, we’re grateful for the loyalty of our clients to our enterprise and for the hunting opportunities and devotion they give their dogs.

For a glimpse of the experience of working pointing dogs on a quail plantation, here’s the view from horseback. Black-and-white male Northwoods Hercules (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2016) and Patty hunt the course.

Found pointing on a chopper trail, Northwoods Rolls Royce (Blue Shaquille x Houston’s Belle’s Choice, 2013) shows poise and confidence after the covey wings its way towards the woods.

One aspect of developing puppies on wild game is allowing them to determine the exact location of the birds. They can only learn how close is too close by bumping birds. Northwoods Gale (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Minerva, 2020), in front, boldly follows her nose while Northwoods Lightning (Northwoods Rolls Royce x Northwoods Valencia, 2020) backs.

We plan to update this blog site about every two weeks with a variety of posts and photographs. We look forward to staying in touch!

~ written by Betsy and Jerry

Northwoods Bird Dogs featured in Gun Dog magazine

The photo of the serious yellow Labrador puppy on the cover of the current issue of Gun Dog magazine is just one reason to buy it. That it’s the annual puppy issue is another. Too, the perfect-bound redesign is beautiful, including the larger format and matt finish on the cover. Finally, amazingly, Northwoods Bird Dogs is well represented.

• page 60: Super Puppies by Brad Fitzpatrick
• page 84: Building a Bird Dog by Tom Keer (This piece includes many of our photos, including an awful one of me. Thankfully, the sleeping puppies are adorable.)
• page 94: The Journey by Kali Parmley

Last summer, Jerry and I met Kali, Editor in Chief of Gun Dog, when she drove from her home in Utah to our Minnesota kennel to pick up her eight-week-old setter puppy out of Houston’s Nelly Bly by Northwoods Grits. She hauled a very cool camping trailer and brought her Labrador retriever, Lincoln, too. She wrote an excellent piece about her decision and ensuing journey to add a pointing dog to her hunting string.

Other pieces deserve mention.

Chad Hines of Willow Creek Kennels in Little Falls, Minn., is quoted in Debunking Puppy Development Myths by Tony J. Peterson. Chad and his wife, Tracy, bought two setter puppies from us recently. The first was a male out of CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock x Northwoods Nickel in 2018 and, just one year later, they added a female out of Northwoods Rob Roy x Northwoods Minerva.

Jeremy Moore from Pulaski, Wisc., is a columnist who writes in every issue. Even though he’s a passionate Labrador guy, he’s intrigued by pointing dogs and has a deposit with us for a female setter puppy.