More Prospects

Sammi and Ella

These two pups were recently acquired from Robertson Kennels in Payette, Idaho. The Sire is Ch. Riverton's Funseek'N Scooter; and the Dam, Spectre Express. Scooter was sired by  Nat. Ch. Funseeker's Rebel and out of Ch. Riverton's Blackeye Pea; Express was sired by Ch. Utah's Red Rock Express and out of Spectre Lucy, which goes back to a Nat. Ch. Whippoorwill Wild Agin X Spectre Ella breeding. Ella was a littermate to Ch. Spectre Pete. Both pups are cleanly marked, bold, and stylish running around the yard.

Spring Training

Indian Head Pistol - Pete

Going into bird season my three pups, Jim, Pete, and Jill, had been collar conditioned, had been through a lot of yard work, and worked in the bird field quite a bit.They all had a good here, whoa, and heel in them, and all were running to the front, pointing their birds, and holding for the flush. All three had been run in horseback field trials and had qualifying placements in derby stakes. None were steady to wing and shot, none were finished. Now that spring seems to have sprung, all are going back to the fundamentals; all will start from the beginning by reinforcing yard work, transition work, and work in the bird field. Having a good foundation, then falling back on it to reinforce training, and then moving forward, will save a lot of headaches and produce a dog that will show style and intensity when around game. In the picture above Pete is stacked-up waiting to be cast-off in the bird field. He's dragging a check cord and wearing his e-collar in the same fashion he did prior to bird season. By the end of summer he should be a finished bird dog; running to the front, finding and pointing birds, backing other dogs, and steady to wing and shot.

Check Cords

Check Cords

I made these four check cords in about fifteen minutes out of some old, frayed, climbing rope; unsafe for it's original purpose, but perfect for yard-work with a dog. A 20-foot length of rope, a brass clip, and a bowline knot and you have a functional piece of equipment. I don't check-cord my dogs into birds, however I do let them a drag a rope around the bird-field. I use check-cords for teaching my pups to bend and stay to the front, to put a "here" in them, in heeling and whoaing and backing drills, and other yard work.