Dogs make us happier

…owning a dog promotes the flow of oxytocin, a hormone that decreases our heart rate and fosters feelings of well-being and relaxation.
~ Dr. Lauren Powell, Wall Street Journal, January 9-10, 2021

The Wall Street Journal Weekend edition is outstanding and surely among  top editions of any newspaper in the country. The paper’s strength is ordinarily focused on big topics like national and international business, finance, economics and politics. But in Weekend, it lets its hair down a bit with features on books, culture, design, fashion, food, wine, cars and sports.

The Review section is a favorite and often takes me several days before finishing. In the Mind & Matter column last weekend, Susan Pinker wrote about her experiences of being a new dog owner. She received a four-month-old puppy last summer as a birthday gift. Leary at first, she is now “besotted” with Otis, which led her, as a psychologist and author, to study dog ownership.

Pinker sites a 2019 study led by Dr. Lauren Powell that explored “whether getting a dog improved the owner’s activity level, cardiovascular health and psychological state.”

The psychological impact was the most amazing discovery for Dr. Powell. Besides the oxytocin flow, dogs ‘“encourage their owners to get out in nature, maintain a sense of routine, and stay in touch with their neighbors.’”

Perhaps all this is preaching to the choir. Just as Jerry and I have known for decades—and as our clients also know—dogs give us profound, immeasurable, never-ending “feelings of well-being.” But sometimes, it’s nice to have it recognized and corroborated.

Sporting Dog Talk podcast features Jerry

On a rare, quiet afternoon at Northwoods Bird Dogs recently, Jerry was interviewed by Tony Peterson for the Sporting Dog Talk podcast.

Tony is the host and co-creator of the podcast and is an enthusiastic, knowledgeable dog lover and hunter. He and Jerry discussed many aspects of owning and training a bird dog.

Tony Peterson, host of the podcast Sporting Dog Talk, and his Labrador, Luna.

The bird dog world is a small one, and so, it seems, is the dog world in general. Tony owns a Labrador but became aware of us through two of our clients—Kali Parmley and Jeremy Moore.

Jerry and I got to know Kali this summer when she drove from Utah to pick up her 8-week-old male setter puppy from us. Her day job is editor of Gun Dog Magazine and Backcountry Hunter. Tony does freelance work for Kali.

Jeremy Moore is another freelancer for Kali. Jeremy and a group of friends visited our kennel last summer and, even though he is a Labrador guy like Tony, put his name on our 2021 puppy list.

https://www.sportingdogtalk.com/

https://www.sportingdogtalk.com/podcasts/episode94-jerry-kolter

Results from a few fall field trials

What an extraordinary wave of firsts.

First-time competitor Lindsey Saetre handled Northwoods Cedar, her first pointing dog, in Cedar’s first field trial to a first-place finish in the Reuel Henry Pietz Derby Classic held by the Minnesota Grouse Dog Association.

Cedar was whelped in 2019 out of Northwoods Carly Simon by RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus. Cedar is owned by Lindsey and her husband, Eric, of Minnesota.

And out west, Northwoods Charles (CH Ridge Creek Cody x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2013) continues his amazing string of championships and placements. Charlie won the Northwest Chukar Open Shooting Dog Championship. He placed second in the CanAm Open Shooting Dog Classic. Charlie is owned by Bill Owen of California.

Congratulations to Cedar and Lindsey…and to Charlie and Bill!

Trust your dog

2002 National Champion Miller’s True Spirit

Many years ago, a friend and I attended an all age field trial held near Mortlach, Sask. A highlight for me was riding the brace when Ferrel Miller handled his 2002 National Champion, a liver-and-white pointer male named Miller’s True Spirit.

Ferrel is well-known in the bird dog field trial world. He was highly successful as an amateur handler who also bred a string of mostly white pointers. He was honored by the sport when he was elected to the Field Trial Hall of Fame in 1993. But his penchant for bending ownership rules and falsifying pedigrees for dogs he bred cost him dearly. Ferrel was banned for life from competing in American Field trials and from registering any dogs in the Field Dog Stud Book.

Ferrel Miller and CH Miller’s Happy Jack (from dogsanddoubles.com)

The brace broke away in late morning on a course of sparse, slightly rolling, short-grass fields and cattle pastures, bordered by brushy tree lines.

Twenty minutes into the heat, as we all passed through a barbed wire pasture gate, True Spirit stopped. He was directly ahead about 30 yards, but on the opposite side of the fence. We rode parallel to the fence line and stopped to watch. The other handler and his judge continued across the pasture.

True Spirit stood amid that short grass—little cover for a bird—but Ferrel dismounted, crawled through the fence strands and did his best to flush. The birds weren’t there. Ferrel walked back to his dog and released him to relocate. True Spirit moved cautiously down the tree line 50 yards and stopped again.

This time Ferrel vigorously and thoroughly kicked the grass far in front of True Spirit in his attempt to flush the birds. But again, nothing flew. And again, Ferrel tapped his dog to release him.

By now, the gallery had ridden off to catch up to the other handler and judge, which left only Ferrel, his judge and me.

We watched True Spirit continue to work the tree line. About 60 yards ahead, almost to the last of the scrubby trees, True Spirit pointed. Ferrell hustled to flush and, this time, a nervous covey of Hungarian partridge lifted about 40 yards out.

Ferrel fired his gun, walked back to the still-composed True Spirit, patted him a couple times on the side and then led him through the barbed wire fence and released him.

As Ferrel mounted his horse, he turned to us, smiled knowingly and said, “Trust your dog.”

Trust your dog. That’s a great line. What does it mean?

Trust in a bird dog means the handler intimately knows the dog and is confident in its ability to do its job. When the dog smells game and points, the handler trusts there are birds. When the dog makes a far cast around some distant objective, the handler trusts the dog will check back or be found on point. When another dog is on point, the handler trusts his dog will back. And yes, when the dog is working running birds, the handler trusts it will get them pointed.

But trust in your dog doesn’t just happen. Trust is earned by the dog but created by the handler. Trust starts when the dog is a puppy.

The puppy needs to be developed properly, exposed to different situation and allowed to exercise judgement. Trust grows by letting the dog make mistakes without constant fear of reprisal. Trust matures by consistent expectations, more exposure and coaching. Trust does not develop with micro-management, reprimand and intimidation.

Ferrel trusted his dog. Do you?

~ Written by Jerry Kolter

Just released: three fine dogs for sale

Northwoods Nickel (CH Shadow Oak Bo x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2014)

Jerry and I have just released three setters for sale. Northwoods Nickel, a six-year-old female, is a “10” in every aspect. She is beautiful and intelligent, stellar in the field and a calm companion.

Northwoods Istanbul and Northwoods Geneva are two-year-olds out of Nickel by CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock. These young dogs have it all—wonderful disposition, physical conformation and fully trained on ruffed grouse, sharp-tailed grouse, woodcock and bobwhite quail.

For more information, please visit Dogs for Sale.

Project Upland interviews Jerry about breeding and developing bird dogs

Nick Larson, on left, of Project Upland, interviews Jerry in the kennel office for Nick’s podcast.

On a recent summer morning, Nick Larson of Project Upland visited the kennel. Although he brought his six-year-old setter Hartley (Northwoods Grits x Houston’s Belle’s Choice, 2014) for a nice run in the pasture, his main purpose was to interview Jerry for the Project Upland podcast.

Besides lots of talk about bird dogs and grouse hunting, specific topics include how we raise puppies and what a new buyer should do during the puppy’s important first season.

https://projectupland.com/project-upland-listen/107-breeding-and-developing-wild-bird-dogs-with-jerry-kolter-of-northwoods-bird-dogs/

News from the 2020 Minnesota spring/summer field trial season

At the summer trial held by the Minnesota Grouse Dog Association, Jerry, with the blue ribbon, poses winner Northwoods Comet (CH Rock Acre Blackhawk x Northwoods Vixen, 2018). Standing in the back row are judges Rod Lein, on left, and Ryan Hough.

Northwoods Setter Tech Ringo, owned and handled by Jeff Forsberg of Loretto, Minn., won the 2020 Minnesota/Wisconsin Cover Dog Derby of the Year award and Amateur Cover Dog Derby Award.

Because spring field trials were cancelled, all Ringo’s winning performances happened last fall when he placed in every derby stake he entered. And in all but one, he had steady to wing and shot work on wild birds. Ringo is out of a litter Betsy and I bred in 2018—CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock x Northwoods Nickel.

Jeff and I worked dogs in the woods together this spring and I can verify that Ringo is a focused wild bird finder. Jeff’s work in the field developing and training Ringo definitely paid off I’m sure there will be more wins in his future.

Northwoods Setter Tech Ringo (CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock x Northwoods Nickel, 2018).

Jeff takes home a beautiful trophy that’s been traveling from winner to winner in the 26 years since the inception of the Derby of the Year award. We’re proud to note that Northwoods dogs are well represented on the plaques mounted on the trophy’s base. Betsy and I have bred, sired or handled nine winners and four runner-up winners.

Congratulations to Jeff and Ringo.

On June 20, the Minnesota Grouse Dog Association held its summer trial on the grounds at Four Brooks, near Milaca, Minn. Betsy and I were thrilled that our young pointer female, Northwoods Comet, won first place in the Open Derby stake. This was a one course trial with planted quail.

Comet was in the last brace—a tough draw in early afternoon—but she ran a strong, forward race, handled perfectly, backed her bracemate and, with two minutes left, pointed a single quail and remained steady at the shot.

Comet is out of CH Rock Acre Blackhawk x Northwoods Vixen.

Backing point

Northwoods Vixen (CH Westfall’s Black Ice x Northwoods Prancer, 2011) is backed expertly by Northwoods Gucci (CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2015) while bobwhite quail hunting in northern Florida.

Even though there are countless heart-thumping sights an upland bird hunter encounters, there is something at once classic and captivating, mannerly and marvelous about seeing one dog backing another dog’s point.

Backing point, also called honoring or, simply, backing, is when one dog sees another dog on point, stops and points that dog. A back doesn’t involve scent; rather it’s strictly by sight. According to C.B. Whitford, author of the 1908 book Training the Bird Dog, “Backing is another form of expression for the pointing instinct.”

Like the ideal point, the ideal back isn’t either too far away from or too near to the dog that is pointing. The backing dog should be close enough so it can mark where the birds fly and find dead birds.

Backing point is genetic. Dogs that inherit a strong instinct might back perfectly the first time they see a dog on point while it might take several opportunities for dogs with less. Still others might have to be trained to back.

Backing point is important—and at times essential or crucial—when two or more dogs are hunted together. Not only does backing keep one dog from flushing birds pointed by another but it keeps the hunt safe and dogs out of shooting lanes.

Backing point is complex. Over the last 35 years, I’ve seen many unusual backing situations while hunting and guiding. There have also been interesting circumstances in field trials whether I’ve been competing or just watching a brace.

A heart-thumping site! During a training run on bobwhite quail, Jerry and his horse come upon three setters—one pointing and two backing.

Patch, one of my first setters, had lots of instinct to point, but when braced with Adrienne, my veteran Brittany, he waited for her to find the birds and then backed.

I’ve observed dogs refuse to back a bracemate after that bracemate had several unproductive points in a row. Sometimes bracemates become competitive and refuse to honor the other’s point.

Occasionally, a dog doesn’t see another dog on point, even though it seems obvious. While walking a brace during the Lake States Grouse Championship many years ago, I watched a setter, nose to the ground, run circles around a dog on point. The setter was so intent following his nose that he didn’t see the other dog. When he finally raised his head, he immediately backed, but by then it was too late and he was ordered up.

I’ve also seen a dog that doesn’t stop until alongside another dog on point. While not considered good behavior, it isn’t a major offence as long as the dog doesn’t flush the birds. But the situation can degenerate if a dog points in front of the other dog on point (stealing point) or flushes the birds (bumping). In a hunting situation, the hunting companion might become alienated and in a field trial, the offender will be picked up.

With e-collar in place, Northwoods Super Nova (Northwoods Rob Roy x Northwoods Minerva, 2019) backs the dog silhouette.

Training to back point is incorporated into my sessions at the same time I teach steadiness around birds. Ideally, the dog is ready after a season of hunting wild birds and when it holds point long for me to flush the birds. The dog is usually between 8 and 12 months of age.

The first step of steadiness training is teaching the dog to stop and stand still when it feels e-collar stimulation on its flank. Once the dog masters that association, I move to the next step which is to create an association between birds and a dog on point.

For this, I use a dog silhouette, a life-sized cutout of a dog on point that I made out of plywood and painted. I place the silhouette in the field with a pigeon in a remote bird launcher behind it. I lead the dog into the field and, if it doesn’t back as soon as it sees the silhouette, I flush the pigeon and stop the dog with e-collar stimulation on the flank. If the dog does back, I walk in and flush the bird, stopping the dog if it starts to chase. Once the bird is gone, I lay the silhouette on its side.

When teaching a young dog the essentials of backing point, Jerry uses his handmade dog silhouette which he cut out from plywood and painted.

At this stage, I don’t use any verbal commands. I want the dog to learn with minimal distraction.

When the dog backs, I physically reward it with light strokes against the grain along the top of its back. I also say, “Whoa,” in a soft but firm tone. After this praising, I walk in, flush the bird, tip the silhouette on its side and release the dog to move on.

I keep the sessions short and mix them up. I have the dog back once and point its own birds once or twice but I also have a session or two without requiring a back at all. The silhouette is moved to different locations, too. It’s important not to overdue this phase.

Once the dog backs reliably in the training field, it is ready for wilds birds with a bracemate.

Since dogs learn behavior in context, I don’t expect the dog to back the first time on wild birds. Initially, I use a reliable bracemate, one not prone to unproductive points. Once that dog points, I let the inexperienced dog decide what to do. If it doesn’t back, I let it go past the pointing dog until it causes the birds to flush and then stop it with flank e-collar stimulation, again without any verbal distraction.

When the dog backs, I physically praise it and say, “Whoa,” just as in the training field. Repetition, time and maturity will still be necessary before the dog becomes dependable.

But even with training, experience and maturity, backing point is never 100% reliable. There are just too many circumstances with endless possibilities.

The best bird dogs I’ve trained, owned or competed against occasionally made mistakes.

A fine morning with a setter puppy on a Florida quail plantation

Northwoods Madison (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Nickel, 2018) and Jerry. Photo by Ben McKean.

At the age of one, Northwoods Madison (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Nickel, 2018) is precocious—and not only in desire and focus but in stamina. From the moment she’s released at the breakaway, Madison has one thing on her mind. Birds. During this morning’s session, she finds and points four coveys.

Madison is owned by Barry Frieler of Minnesota.

Spring in Minnesota

Our kennel on a cold spring morning.

The sun was warm but the wind was chill.
You know how it is with an April day.
When the sun is out and the wind is still,
You’re one month on in the middle of May.
But if you so much as dare to speak,
A cloud comes over the sunlit arch,
A wind comes off a frozen peak,
And you’re two months back in the middle of March.
~ Robert Frost

Northwoods Geneva (CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock x Northwoods Nickel, 2018) on a sunny afternoon in the woods.

Evening meal of sharp-tailed grouse from last fall.

Our pond on a pretty spring day.