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Shawn Kinkelaar

Effingham, IL

Background

Shawn Kinkelaar was born and raised in the town of Effingham in central Illinois. Kinkelaar grew up hunting quail and pheasant over pointing dogs with his grandfather and uncle. He started field trialing in the early 1980s and in the late 1980s he began working for and with several of the top shooting dog trainers in the country. Thus, developing a program that is an accumulation of, not only his own training methods, but also those of fellow trainers that he was lucky enough to work with as well.

Kinkelaar is now one of only two blokes in the history of Open Horseback Championships to win more than 100 championships. He's also won more National Dog of the Year Awards than any other trainer, which includes eight awards won by four different dogs. He's also snagged three English Setter National awards and three National Handler of the Year awards. His training and competition has allowed him to cover a span of nearly all of the United States and a large majority of Canada.

Why I Use SportDOG Brand

I use SportDOG Brand® because it's a product that's made for the average outdoor enthusiast. It's easy to use, affordable and the company will do anything they can to provide great customer service in a personal and friendly way.

Favourite Products

My favourite product is the TEK 1.0, and I’ve been using it since it first hit the market. I never let my dog out in an outdoor setting without it. I also use the rechargeable bark collars for all of my dogs.

Websites

http://www.shawnkinkelaar.com/

Articles by Shawn Kinkelaar

English Setter Running Through FieldEnglish Setter Running Through Field

Skin Laceration Repair in the Field

There's nothing better than being out in the bush during autumn with your bird dogs. The flutter of wings as a group of scaled quail bursts out from the sand sage can shake off the cholesterol from this morning's greasy diner brekkie. Gun smoke clears the air as the setter works through the tight five-stranded...

Dog in paddock wearing SportDOG training collarDog in paddock wearing SportDOG training collar

The Right Way to Fix Overcrowding

One of the core principles of effective dog training is that the timing of a correction is critical. A dog associates a correction with whatever it's doing at the moment. Waiting too long to make a correction can create confusion. It doesn't matter whether the correction is verbal, a tug...

Dog running through tall grassDog running through tall grass

Think Smart when it Comes to Summer Training

The list of things you can work on with your pointer during the summer months to prepare for the upcoming hunting season is plenty long. In addition to training and/or revisiting things from the last hunting season that need improvement, this is also a time to keep up with...

Other Senior Prostaff

Having started Goose Pit Kennels in 1989, Tab has 18 years of professional dog training experience. He has competed along with his son in goose calling. He won the 2000 Idaho goose calling championship and the two-man goose calling championship in 2002. He is an area chairman for Ducks Unlimited....Having started Goose Pit Kennels in 1989, Tab has 18 years of professional dog training experience. He has competed along with his son in goose calling. He won the 2000 Idaho goose calling championship and the two-man goose calling championship in 2002. He is an area chairman for Ducks Unlimited....

Tab Smith

Having started Goose Pit Kennels in 1989, Tab has 18 years of professional dog training experience. He has competed along with his son in goose calling. He won the 2000 Idaho goose calling championship and the two-man goose calling championship in 2002. He is an area chairman for Ducks Unlimited....

Mike's been training dogs for a bunch of years and's competed with his own dogs in UKC and AKC hunt tests. Plus, he trains client dogs for both gun dog (duck hunting) and all levels of hunt tests, UKC and AKC included. He's also an HRC AA licensed judge in...Mike's been training dogs for a bunch of years and's competed with his own dogs in UKC and AKC hunt tests. Plus, he trains client dogs for both gun dog (duck hunting) and all levels of hunt tests, UKC and AKC included. He's also an HRC AA licensed judge in...

Mike Simmons

Mike's been training dogs for a bunch of years and's competed with his own dogs in UKC and AKC hunt tests. Plus, he trains client dogs for both gun dog (duck hunting) and all levels of hunt tests, UKC and AKC included. He's also an HRC AA licensed judge in...

man with two dogsman with two dogs

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.


Gear The Way You'd Design It