Here are some pictures of a Gun Dog Fun trial we had today.

We were training on planted quail.

A nice Pudelpointer with handler Ben Hong.

Stylish Pointer

A Brittany oldtimer.

Steadying the dogs

A big English Setter on point

You need to have this many Pointers in order to find one that will stay in the same county.

Old Brit again.

UplandJournal.com contingent

It is all about the dogs

For me, it is exactly two weeks until the woodcock opener. Whether you have a pointing dog, a flushing dog or a retriever, it is down to crunch time.

Time to reinforce all that training you’ve been doing all summer and polish up your partners for the quickly approaching season.

What I do at this time is try my best to run my dogs as much as I can, increasing the time the dog is on the ground in order to get those lungs and heart in gameday shape.

I have also been reinforcing my whoa training on my young britt for her second season in the field. I took her to the vet the other day and to my pleasure she said that Jazz is in awesome shape and has the heart of an athlete. Hard to believe having a lazy owner like me.

So this week I’ll open the safe and oil up the 20 gauge double, pick up my provincial deer permit (still waiting for an invite to a deer camp), renew my guide licence and attain my migratory bird permit. I’ll be checking my gear and replenishing my shell bag and counting the days until the fifteenth. All that’s left is to pray that there are a few birds to get my precocious pup into.

Good luck and happy hunting.

I have been know to hang out on internet forums or bulletin boards quite a lot in the past two years. I have found my favorites in each of the areas of interest that I am looking for. When it comes to one of my oldest and dearest pursuits, upland hunting and bird dogs, there is no better community than Upland Journal.

This past weekend I had the pleasure of meeting and hanging out with a few of the members of the Upland Journal, and I have to say that in person, these men and women are some of the nicest people I have ever met.

I have to give credit to Brad Eden, owner of Upland Journal, for creating a no nonsense approach to online community building. Tight moderating (by Brad and his head moderator Alan Briere)and clear rules have attracted the aforementioned group of upstanding e-citizens.

The get-together of the members of Upland Journal, took place in Scarborough, Maine and probably started out as a regional gathering of northeastern (and southeastern Canadian) members, but as a testament to the community, the event attracted members from as far away as Wisconsin, Michigan and Kentucky with upwards of 100 people in attendance.

Events of the day included clay target shooting in the form of five stand and wobble trap, drawing of some very attractive door prizes, a grand prize gun raffle, secondary raffle of some excellent prizes, a clam and lobster bake and to end the night off, there was entertainment from members Lee Sykes and Brian Dietz and socializing til the wee hours. From the feedback on the forum, the general consensus is that this was a special event, made special by those who attended as well as those who wished they had attended. Good Job UJers, it is a privilege to be associated with you all.

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Ok, so you just got your new puppy home. What now? For the first few weeks there are some basics you will need to look after.

Positive Reinforcement

The first rule is to remain positive. No need for the flushing whip or ear pulling and heaven forbid a training collar. It is a time for lots of praise and should you need to reprimand for accidents, chewing, etc, a firm “NO” while looking pup in the eye will suffice but only if you catch him in the act.

Socialization

Socialization is the first step in training a puppy. This should start as soon as you bring Pup home. Begin by introducing Pup to new people. Only a few at first, then gradually more as he becomes comfortable with strangers. This will ensure Pup develops a trusting attitude towards people. Go for walks and meet new people and other dogs along the way.

You can also introduce Pup to some basic commands at this time.

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There are many thoughts and opinions on how to pick a gun dog puppy. Some folks will look for dominance traits, while others will look for appearance traits. Some people will visit the breeder and spend up to a couple of hours rolling in the grass and throwing a wing for the puppies. Do these exercises improve your chances of having a successful gun dog? Probably not. It may give you a sense of confidence and could improve your patience with the pup, therefore increasing your chances of the training being effective.

Delmar Smith, famous pointing dog trainer and author, said that he concentrates on breeding a top notch litter and then lets his clients choose their picks. He then takes whatever is left and trains them to be champions.

Things to Consider

• Choose a reputable breeder.
• If possible, research and select a superior pedigree.
• Choose which sex you would prefer.
• Visit the pups between 5 and 7 weeks old.
• Observe temperament, avoid overly aggressive or overly passive puppies
• Determine your preference in markings. Dogs with more white are easier to spot in dense cover and harder to spot in snow.
• Tell you breeder what traits you are looking for. He knows the pups better than you will in an hour or two that you are there.
• Pick up your pup when they are ready and shower it with love.

Enjoy your puppy and good luck.

- Trapper