Dana Giovannello
Cabot, AR
Background
Dana has been training and hunting with dogs for some 30 years. He began in New Hampshire hunting pheasants, woodcocks, grouse, and ducks with his Brittany spaniel, Maize. They moved to Alaska and stayed for 6 years, then to Idaho for 3 years, before finally settling in Arkansas. Maize hunted with Dana, regardless of the game Dana asked him to retrieve.
Dana has been training and competing with retrievers for over 17 years, having trained numerous retrievers to their Hunting Retriever (HR), Hunting Retriever Champion (HRCH), Upland Hunter (UH), Grand Hunting Retriever Champion (GRHRCH) and Master Hunter (MH) titles. He competed in the Super Retriever Series qualifier in March 2003 and came second, which qualified him for the 2003 ESPN Great Outdoor Games. At the GOG in Reno, Windy and Dana set the all-time lowest single round record in a GOG event with a score of 2 points, finishing in 8th place. They came 7th in the Super Retriever Series in Middleburg, Virginia recently and competed in the World Retriever Championship in Oxford, Mississippi, reaching the sixth series. He has been a UKC licensed judge since 1992 and has also judged the 2004 Great Outdoor Games in Madison, Wisconsin and two Super Retriever Series events.
Why I Use SportDOG Brand
There is an old saying, ‘Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.’ I didn’t think any electronic collar could compare to the products I had used in the past, especially with regard to cost, quality and reliability. A training mate was using the SD-400S and I gave it a go. I was astounded by the size of the collar and transmitter and the punch it packed. For the average Joe who is looking to train one, 10 or more dogs, SportDOG has a quality collar for his or her needs at a price that won’t break the bank, and their customer service is second to none.
Favourite Products
For everyday training I like the FieldTrainer400S and WetlandHunter® 1825. I also like the Deluxe Bark Collar (SBC-18). I have a dog on my trailer who thinks every mark should be his and the SBC-18 keeps him quiet and relaxed.
Other Senior Prostaff
Ed Gover
Owner of Real Deal Retrievers, a kennel which offers basic and advanced dog training, Ed has been training for over 10 years and has been a professional trainer for the last 5. Ed enjoys training hunting dogs as well as running UKC hunt tests. He is an avid outdoorsman from...
Shawn Kinkelaar
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 began field trialling in the early 1980s and in the late 1980s he began working for and with several of...
Rick Grant
With his wife Terri, Rick co-owns and operates Perfect 10 Kennel. Their business provides boarding, grooming, and retriever training. They also breed Labrador retrievers. Rick has 30 years of experience in retriever training, participating in everything from field trials to hunt tests to upland hunting competitions.
