Training TipsHere's how we make the most of each hunt


Avoiding and Dealing with Heat Emergencies
by The SportDOG Staff
Take some time to understand the many factors that can lead to a heat emergency, prepare for your outings to avoid such an emergency, and then have an action plan in place to deal with the Big 3: heat stress, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

All About Retriever Training Dummies
by Tom Dokken
Training dummies are a staple of a good retriever training program.

5 Starter Tips for Raising a Great Pointing Dog
by LTC Jim Morehouse
So, you have a new pointing dog puppy in your house. Congratulations! I hope all your hopes and dreams about turning that pup into a bird-finding pro come true. But, as is true with all things in life, excellence doesn’t happen overnight. Everything is a process, and that’s especially true...

6 Travel Considerations for Hunting Season
by Tom Dokken
One-day or weekend bird-hunting trips are nice if you’re fortunate to have good destinations close to home, but for many hunters, long-distance, out-of-state trips are the norm. These extended adventures require more planning if you want to enjoy them to the fullest. Here are some considerations to keep in mind. Where...

How Tone and Vibe Can Improve Your Upland Bird Hunting
by Tom Dokken
A flushing dog that has learned to work at just the right distance in front of hunters is a huge advantage in a pheasant field or grouse covert. “Just the right distance” varies with terrain and personal preference, but I think we can all agree that anytime your dog puts...

5 Must-Read Safety Tips for Working Your Dog in the Winter
by The SportDOG Staff
Keep your training sessions with your dog quick and efficient to stave off cabin fever, while keeping your dog safe in inclement weather. For those of you caught in the polar vortex, you know it can limit your time out with your dog. The freezing cold temperatures can make it tempting...

5 Reasons To Use The SportDOG Brand® NoBark SBC-R Collar
by The SportDOG Staff
Let’s face the facts … dogs bark! For most dog owners, barking is considered a norm. However, there are a variety of circumstances and situations in which owners seek out ways to correct this behavior. Most commonly, owners look for assistance through the use of an electronic bark-control collar. Leading the way...

3 Ways You’re Ruining Your Gun Dog Puppy
by Greg McGuffin
Owners of puppies make countless training mistakes. They may not know it initially, but it’s the little things that separate professional trainers from owners that dabble in training. As a professional trainer, I’ve see every type of misguided puppy and spent countless hours undoing bad habits. Commonly, when a 6-month-old puppy...

Using the TEK 2.0 in the Big, Wide Open
by Ben Garcia
Hunting with English setters, English Pointers and Brittany spaniels provides me with a lot of variety in my bird hunting. I want my dogs to cover lots and lots of ground, so I really let them stretch the horizon. While some of them work more closely than others, I’m confident...

TEK 2.0: Utilizing the Trip Computer
by Matt Mates
If you’ve paid attention to the reviews for the TEK 2.0 system from SportDOG Brand®, you know that hunters are really impressed with the mapping feature. Count me as one of them. While a lot of hunters and dog handlers rely on the screen’s information to help them locate a...

TEK 2.0 Improves Grouse Hunting Success
by The SportDOG Staff
The TEK 2.0 from SportDOG Brand® has turned out to be a real difference-maker in my grouse and woodcock guiding in northern Minnesota. I admit I wasn’t always a fan of using a tracking product, because to me it sounded like one more piece of equipment I’d have to maintain....

5 Tips for TEK 2.0
by Aaron Robinson
When it comes to choosing an e-collar you must consider several key factors before deciding which unit is ideal for you. First, consider your canine hunting companion. Is your dog close working, or a “horizon chaser”? Second, what is your primary hunting species? For example, are you a hunter who likes...

How to Match Your E-Collar to Your Hunting Conditions
by Tom Keer
One of my dogless hunting buddies lives in the city. He's the guy who has all the new gadgets. I kidded him about all his new toys and he tried to explain it like this; he said he’s an “early technology adaptor.” Say what? In my “bird hunter's English,” I...

Summer Hazards – 5 Precautions for your Hunting Dog
by The SportDOG Staff
Summertime means extra fun in the sun, but it also means some new dangers. These tips will help make sure you and your hunting partner stay safe in the field: Increased Hydration – Warmer weather means increased chanced of heat exhaustion for you and your dog. Even mild temperatures can pose...

Controlling Multiple Dogs
by The SportDOG Staff
One of the questions I am asked most is, "how do you control so many hounds at once?" Well that's easy: you need a good multiple dog training system like the SportDOG Brand® HoundHunter® 3225 with 2 mile range. Then you need to know each of your hounds individually. Hounds...

Where to Find a Dog with the Right Stuff - Part 2
by Charlie Jurney
In Part 1 of this article series, I discussed purchasing a puppy and considering bloodlines. Now we'll dig into the best breeder and how to pick the right litter. The most reasonable way to locate a well-bred puppy for yourself is by doing a great deal of research. Ask each breeder...
AUTHORS

Charlie Jurney
13 articles
Charlie Jurney has been training performance and hunting dogs for more than 30 years. During that time he has produced hundreds of titled dogs including Grand Hunting Retriever Champions, Hunting Retriever Champions, Master Hunters, Grand Master Hunting Retriever Champions, and Master Hunting Retrievers. His writings have been featured in The...

Shawn Kinkelaar
3 articles
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 trialing in the early 1980s and in the late 1980s he began working for and with several of...

Ben Busby
1 article
Ben Busby has hunted since he was old enough to walk. He was fortunate enough to have a mother and father who introduced him to hunting at a very early age. He harvested his first whitetail deer with a 12 gauge out of a lawn chair at age 10. From...

Greg McGuffin
1 article
Greg McGuffin has been professionally training hunting dogs for 8 years. 3 years ago he and his family sold their house in Tulsa, Oklahoma and decided to dive head first into Retriever Training. They now live on the 2,000 acre family ranch in south central Oklahoma where Greg, his wife,...
