Patrick Flanagan
Scottsdale, AZ
Background
I grew up with a few bird dogs. 2 nice little Brittney Spaniels and a few very athletic German Shorthaired Pointers. After I got out of the Navy I wanted to start hunting the uplands again, but birds were scarce and my readiness for a dog was not in the near future. Until ... I met Kansas. I found work out in west Kansas and started hunting with the locals on the weekends. Flushing Labs ... I loved it. Birds were back, but I needed a dog - a pointing dog. A GSP. That was fall of 2008 and now I run 6 dogs and hunt them hard. From the northern timbers of Minnesota to the Mexican border of Arizona locking on coveys of Mearns, Scaled and Gambels quail. With stops in between the dogs learn to adjust from weary ruffs to running roosters and then picking scents from large canyons. I love this life. The dogs do to.
I first tried SportDOG Brand collars after meeting some people in the field trial/horseback community. They introduced me to the TEK 1.0, and I saw how I could know where a dog is and how he is working without him actually being visible to the eye. The majority of our hunts are in tight cover or sharp cuts and canyons. Although, we want the dogs to work for the customer it is not always the best for finding birds in lots of ground.
Last season I upgraded to the TEK 2.0. I was quickly running multiple dogs at once. I was calm in handling three or even four in any cover southwest of the Mississippi. In the grouse woods I will still run two but feel confident I can multitask my controls to keep the dog in solid standing position while we make the approach.
Why I Use SportDOG Brand
What I enjoy most about the SportDOG Brand is the people that use these products.
I can't count during my travels how many times I've been stopped, flagged down or just pulled aside by SportDOG Brand users keen to tell me their great yarns and that they feel confident in their choice.
I want to be the best guide I can be for any hunter spending their time and money. I'm only going to use products that get there!
Favourite Products
TEK 2.0 and UplandHunter 1875
Other Senior Prostaff
Ethan Kimmince
Ethan began his career in the zoo-keeping industry, spending nine years as a tiger handler at Australia Zoo. His expertise extends beyond big cats, having worked in Canada with bears, wolves, and cougars. After leaving the zoo world, he founded Wolf Within Dog Training, applying his deep understanding of animal behaviour, operant conditioning, and training science. In just five years, Wolf Within has become one of Queensland’s top-rated dog training companies, renowned for helping owners build stronger, more harmonious relationships with their beloved pets.
Dana Giovannello
Dana's been training and hunting over dogs for about 30 years. He kicked off in New Hampshire chasing pheasants, woodcocks, grouse, and ducks with his Brittney spaniel, Maize. They shifted to Alaska and stuck around for 6 years, then to Idaho for 3 years, before finally settling down in...
Bob Ford
Bob's been hunting with beagles from Alabama to the Quebec border chasing swamp rabbits, the eastern cottontail, and hares. He's had beagles since 1985 and trains his hounds all year, sometimes entering field trials, but always getting his pack fit with an eye peeled for the...
