My Hunting Dog Training Blog

Posting this for a friend who had bigger than expected litter of puppies, 11 puppies in all. This is a picture of one of the 5 week old male german wirehaired pointer puppies pointing a wing. You can see a lot more photos and the litter pedigree at his website brucegwp.blogspot.com. Sounds like a real nice litter of hunting dogs for those that like the GWP. If you are interested you can also call Bruce Jabaay directly on his cell phone (616)443-6718. He wants to make sure he finds good hunting homes for thes fine puppies.

Posted by Big Bad Jon at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Another great litter of german shorthaired pointer puppies is available in Northern Utah. These are from strong german lines and are solid liver for those that really dig the solid liver puppies like me. This litter of puppies were whelped on September 13th and are currently 18 days old. Three females are currently available from this fine litter of GSP hunting dogs. If you are interested in learning more about this litter of pups you can contact Scott Jacob of Sweet River Valley kennels at (801) 330-3986.

Posted by Big Bad Jon at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A few weeks ago I had a friend who was trying to decide between two well-bred german shorthaired pointer puppies. We thought it would be interesting to see how the two pups performed when placed in an enclosure with some live chukar chicks. The goal was to find out if one pup had more natural desire or prey-drive than the other. Take a look at the movie and see which puppy you think has the most potential as a hunting dog.

The real question is whether or not this test is conclusive? While one puppy definitely appears to be more interested in the birds, both could turn out to be great hunting dogs. I would guess that the more agressive dog may be a little more challenging to train and will probably be more head-strong. In the end, my friend chose the puppy that hung back (honored?) from the other puppy while still interested in the chukars. Which puppy would you choose to take home?

Posted by Big Bad Jon at 9:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

When choosing a puppy from a litter it seems there is always a real go-getter in the litter. The pup that is always first to the feed dish, first to explore the backyard, first to run up to new people and the first to chase a carded pigeon. Sometimes the most outgoing puppy is a female but more often it seems the spitfire is a male pup. The question is - will the pup stay aggresive and outgoing. Usually a bold puppy will stay that way and will continue to have a burning desire to go and do. Some people look for this quality in a new puppy with the mindset that the most aggresive dog will be the best hunter or bird finder as an adult.

Then there is the wallflower. This is the puppy that stays back and watches things develop around them. Perhaps this is a smarter puppy that learns from its litter mates mistakes. The shy or reserved puppy is often a very affectionate puppy. She is often the one that crawls onto your lap for a nap while the others are chasing balls and each others tails. Will the timid puppy be less likely to get out and point birds? Or, does this puppy just require a compatible owner to bring out the best?

While both puppies have good qualities and may turn out to be great bird hunting dogs, I tend to stay in the middle of the road. I tend to avoid the hyper-agressive puppy that is bouncing off the walls and bullying the other puppies into submission. By the same token, I also avoid the reserved or timid puppy that hangs back from the group or stays too close to Momma. To me the perfect puppy is the one who is not the most aggressive and not the most shy. The perfect puppy to me is the one that is happy and friendly but not overly so. The key is in the parentage. If the parents are the kind of dogs that you would be proud to own, then there is a great chance that the pups will be the same.

Posted by Big Bad Jon at 10:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Yesterday I had my two nieces over for the day and they just love animals. We went to my neighbors house and brought home one of his 6 week old german shorthaired pointer puppies for the girls to play with. First, I had to set down some ground rules to make sure it was a positive experience for both Taylor and Morgan and the puppy. The main rule is that the kids don't pick up the puppy. This can often end in disaster if a frightened child drops a puppy on a hard surface. Instead, I have them sit on the ground and then they are welcome to hold and pet the puppies. We were careful not to chase the puppy or be mean in any way. After 20-30 minutes of this the puppy had explored the cool grass, licked all the kids and was ready for a nap. In just the short amount of time I could see the puppies confidence grow as he learned that the kids were friendly and fun. It wasn't long before the neighbor kids came around and the poor puppy was held and petted by 10 different children ranging in age from 1 to 9 years old. When raising a litter of pups, nothing can be more helpful than positive, safe interaction with lot's of children. A variety of people and situations will help build a bold and confident young hunting dog.

Posted by Big Bad Jon at 12:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Our friend Barbara McKell called the other night to check how our little "Annie" puppy is doing. We couldn't be more happy with Annie's progress and look forward to getting her into some birds this fall. Barbara has another beautiful litter of Brittany puppies available in Utah. The litter of puppies will be ready for their new hunting homes this week. If you are interested you can call Barbara directly at her home (435)384-2923 or on her cell phone (801)592-7602. She is willing to deliver pups anywhere in Northern Utah.

Posted by Big Bad Jon at 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Our friends at Rooster Valley Pheasants had a litter of healthy hunting puppies this past week. Max loves to sit right down and watch the puppies nurse. The momma pup named "Polly" was very good natured about the intrusion. Their were 3 males and 6 females in the litter and should be some dang good hunting dogs. They are all mostly white with liver heads and will have very light ticking like their father Duke. It will be fun to watch these puppies grow and develop. If all goes well, we will have a litter of our own next year at this time.

Posted by Big Bad Jon at 11:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Annie is growing up and getting to be quite a spunky little brittany pup. This week we took her on our run up the mountain with the ATVs. She did well and stayed right with the pack for the first mile or so. Then she got a little tired so I let her ride in her kennel on the four-wheeler with me. She had a little scuffle with my female GSP Abby. They are both very strong-willed and will eventually have to duke it out to see who's boss. She will be one-year old next fall when hunting season comes and I hope to enjoy a great first season with her. The trainer says he likes her boldness and thinks she will be a good hunter.

Posted by Big Bad Jon at 8:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Annie is just over four months old now and seems to be doing well with her training. She is having a fun time at her trainers house and loves to be involved as part of the family pack. She is well-fed and seems to have grown a few inches every time we see her. She is kept on a lead when they take her in the backyard as she likes to wander off and explore the world. I think it is good that she is both brave and curious enough to venture out. She likes to go on runs with the other dogs but mostly she likes people. She will sit still for anyone to scratch her ears or pet her. Chris did get her out on some wild chukar before the season ended and she did well with introduction to gun fire. I am sure that obedience training will be the focus for the next little while.

Posted by Big Bad Jon at 7:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This past week my brother-in-law Phil got to bring home his two littermate yellow lab puppies. I think he will have his work cut out for him. There is much debate about whether or not it is a good idea to raise two puppies instead of one. Many argue that the two pups can help entertain each other and keep each other out of trouble. Others will say that two puppies equals no puppy at all - a recipe for trouble in dog training. While the pros often have many dogs in thier kennels and claim it makes training easier. They say that If one pup is off his game, short-tie him and move on to the next puppy. I will keep in contact with Phil and see how this arrangement works out.

Phil did a lot of working creating a safe environment in his fenced-in backyard for the pups to learn and grow in. He built this custom puppy chalet with a dog door and room for two. He sent me a picture of him climbing inside the doghouse with the pups on their first night at home. The dog house really is quite large. He also fenced off a puppy-proof separate play area for the pups to stay in where they will be safe while Phil is at work during the day.

Posted by Big Bad Jon at 3:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

My neighbor ended up getting this male roan pup from the Taylormade litter that I had the pick of the litter on. This little male shorthair named "Ridge" may turn out to be a heck of a gun dog for my neighbor. The female that I had picked got stepped on by its mother and broke a bone in its leg so I opted to get my deposit back even though the pup healed and only had a slight limp. They found her a good companion home with an older gentleman. I hope to give it another try and get a dog from Taylormade Kennels sometime in the future because I think they have a great breeding program. I like how they are mixing show and field champions in their pedigrees. Meanwhile, I still get to watch this pup "a littermate" grow and develop since he just lives up the street.

Posted by Big Bad Jon at 4:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

My Sister Jana sent me this picture of her husband Phil holding there new yellow lab puppy. I guess they decided to buy two little male puppies from this litter of yellow labs. Phil has been hard at work building a kennel in their backyard and a dog mansion. My sister and her husband live in Spring, Texas in the Houston area. They briefly had a golden retriever until they discovered that Jana was allergic to dogs. This time they are hoping that keeping the dogs in the backyard will not bother Jans's allergies.

This past month or so I have been reading another great book by Bill Tarrant. This one is titled "Hey Pup, Fetch it Up!: The Complete Retriever Training Manual" and it is a real gem. There are many great lessons in training dogs and in understanding the relationship between dog and man. His personal preference for retrievers oozes forth in this gun dog training masterpiece. I'm only halfway through the book and I am already convinced that my next dog is gonna have to be a labrador retriever. Now I just have to convince my wife that I need one more hunting dog.

Posted by Big Bad Jon at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Today I took delivery of a beautiful new Brittany puppy from a local gun dog breeder here in Utah. The litter of Brittany puppies was born on October 15th just 60 miles from our home in Central Utah. She has a respectable pedigree on both sides with a few of the right acronyms like DC, NFC, FC, CH, MH and JH. Mostly though she comes from good pheasant farm working stock and family companion hunters. She seems to have a bright and eager personality - she loves people and has just the right amount of spunk. Her freckled face reminded me of little orphan annie so I decided to name her Annabella's Dreamboat Annie. The call name "Annie" seems to fit her and best of all she responds to it already.

We were hoping to purchase another female german shorthaired pointer this winter but our pick of the litter puppy fell ill and we opted not to pursue any litter mates. When we found this Brittany puppy available from a local breeder it seemed like a good fit. Since my first dog was a Brittany I have always wanted to have another. Hopefully with some proper training she can be molded into the close working gun dog that suits the terrain and hunting conditions in our area.

Posted by Big Bad Jon at 4:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

When choosing a new puppy from a litter of healthy german shorthairs it is often hard to decide on a color. When they are first born they are distinctly white or liver in color and more often a combination of the two colors. After a few weeks the puppies true colors and markings start to show up. A primarily white puppy at two weeks old can easily turn to a heavily ticked or almost roan in a matter of a few weeks. It is amazing the changes that the puppy goes through during the first 6-8 weeks of life, not just mentally but physically as well.

In the Southwest and high desert country many hunters prefer dogs that are mostly white simply because they are less likely to overheat when hunting in the late Summer. Some people avoid all liver or dark colors because they seem to disappear in the shadows and are difficult to spot when they are on point. Largely it is a matter of personal preference and has less impact than factors like pedigree and temperment. But, this dog will be apart of your life for 12-16 years so it is important that you like how she looks.

The picture above is the Sire to the puppy I am purchasing at the end of December. The male is heavily ticked with a liver head and white-tipped tail. On the other side of the coin the Dam of the litter is a solid liver color with very little white markings. I am waiting to see if the mostly white female in the picture below will morph into a more ticked dog or will stay heavily white. I am also curious to see how the white on her muzzle will turn out. I will go for another visit at 6 weeks old where I will be able to get a pretty good idea of where her color and markings are headed.

Posted by Big Bad Jon at 2:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A new litter of German Shorthaired Pointer puppies was born on Halloween to Taylormade GSP in American Fork, Utah. Bart and Cindee were kind enough to hold my deposit on a previous litter for a few months so I could get pick of the litter. At this point I am leaning toward the white and liver female with the blaze on her face. I think she will probably have some good ticking like her father "Taylormades Out of the West" a Utah product sired by Rock Hard's Mr Destiny. It will be fun to have a new puppy around christmas time. TaylorMade seems to have some nice dual potential dogs combining show lines and proven hunting lines.

Posted by Big Bad Jon at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Since I spend a lot of time online surfing for cool sites about gun dogs and training, I thought I would share a few of my favorites. The first site I stumbled across when I started my search for a new puppy last year was GunDogsOnline.com. They have one of the busiest classified ads systems I have found with a variety of dog breeds available. I usually like to surf through the Premium Ads because they usually have pictures and pedigree info. I am surprised everytime I visit their site by how many new listings there are.

Another cool site that I stumbled across is Field Trial News. Now I am a foot hunter and I have never competed in a field trial but there are usually some good dogs available for sale on this site. The breeds definitely are more of the pointing breeds and more specifically English Pointers but there are other breeds advertised there also. Now you can also find stuff like started dogs and equipment for sale on their site. The site design is a little clunky and outdated but the classifieds are great.

This past year my buddy and I have been creating our own puppy for sale classifieds system. It is part of a site that we have developed to help potential buyers find quality dog breeders in their area. Part of our focus was the fact that you may have a great dog breeder in your area but not even know they exist. When buying a new puppy it is far better to be able to visit the kennel and meet the breeder in person rather than ship a puppy across the country. You can take a look at our work in progress at GunDogBreeders.com. We welcome any feedback on how to make it easier for buyers to find puppies for sale in their area.

Posted by Big Bad Jon at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I've read enough books and talked to enough dog folk to know that there are about a hundred and one opinions on how to pick out a puppy. There are a few common themes that come up frequently, like issues of health and agression. But for the most part people have many different ideas on what factors are most important. I think experienced dog people probably develop a talent for finding the pick of the litter. Others will argue that if the litter is of good quality then all of the pups will have the potential to become great dogs. Personally, I tend to follow my gut when it comes to puppies and I try to let the puppy choose me.

What do you do when the litter is hundreds of miles away and a road trip is out of the question? Ask the breeder. The dogs breeder lives with these puppies each and every day and has the benefit of watching the personalities develop as the pups grow and learn. The alpha pup is often the first puppy to stand out in the litter and some people would choose this dog every time, male or female. This is the puppy with drive and is almost certain to be a real go-getter. The next puppy to stand out would probably be the runt or the most timid puppy. This continues on and on each week until there is a litter of very different personalities and individual dogs.

When you can't make frequent visits to see these things for yourself, you have to trust in the breeder. They will be able to guide you to the right puppy for your situation and needs. Most reputable breeders will ask you a great many questions in order to figure out what you are looking for. I think that the puppy's personality is probably the single most important factor. Generally speaking, males tend to be more agressive or hard-headed and the females more docile or easy-going. The least important factor is probably the color or markings of the puppy. My family has to decide which puppy is coming to our home of the puppies in the picture above. I have narrowed it down to females but after that I am trusting completely in the dog breeder.

Posted by Big Bad Jon at 7:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Today I took my son Travis to look at a litter of pups. There were a couple of liver german shorthair puppies for sale in the litter. They are almost two weeks old and are just starting to open their eyes and walk around like little drunks. Before today my son was dead set on getting a Beagle puppy but after holding a few GSP puppies he had a change of heart. Of course, all puppies are cute when they are small and cuddly. In the next couple of weeks we make the trip to Northern Utah to check out the litter from Taylormade GSPs.

After visiting the puppies we went to pick up Jake and take him to the vet to get caught up on his shots. I was impressed with the vet and his staff who came highly recommended by other local GSP owners. We also stopped by our new house to check on the progress. The owners are starting to pack and they are almost done replacing the siding on the bay windows. I was looking at the backyard by the bird barn trying to decide how to fence in the yard for the dogs. I'm also trying to decide which side of the shop to put the kennels on - North facing or South Facing. You can view my site plan here.

Posted by Big Bad Jon at 11:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I decided that it would be best if I could find a German Shorthair breeder in Utah where I could go and visit the kennel and meet the sire and dame. I discovered one that I think may be just what I was looking for. In American Fork, UT there is a breeder called TaylorMade GSPs. They have a litter due this week and they expect to have a few liver females as the dame is an all liver Shorthair. Most of their dogs seem to have good bloodlines and they look to be a rebutable breeder.

I hope to hear from them soon when the litter is born. I have placed a deposit with them and currently have second pick of the females in the litter. Thier stud dog is pictured above and his name is TAYLORMADE'S MO MONEY. He has some Moesgaards blood as well as some heavy crosses with HMK's Dandy Runaway Rusty and Rawhides Clown. The dame is out of FC/AFC ERDENREICHS NAVIGATOR.

Posted by Big Bad Jon at 1:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As Jake nears his first birthday and gets to be more and more like an adult dog and less like a puppy, it makes me want to have another puppy. As I've been thinking about it and researching German Shorthair puppies on the internet I have decided that I am going to get an all liver female this time. For some reason I am drawn to the all liver GSPs that seem to be gaining in popularity. But, as I realize how very little I do know about the breed it drives me to further research about German Shorthairs and their heritage. I hope to discover when and how the different colors and ticking patterns came into play. I am sure that I will discover some snobbery concerning certain color patterns and bloodlines.

This puppy pictured above is from the litter born two days ago at Rooster Valley Pheasants. I noticed that while their dogs are great bird dogs the females seem to be a little on the scrawny side. This concerned me a bit as I hope to have a litter or two of puppies if either of my dogs turn out to be worth a dang. If I do have a litter down the line I want to be sure that I am contributing something back to the breed. I have enjoyed training Jake and watching him progress even though we still have a long way to go. As we get settled into our new home next month I hope to get more serious with Jake and get him out hunting a lot more. I certainly am looking forward to getting to know my neighbor a lot more.

Posted by Big Bad Jon at 3:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jake is coming along nicely. We play the game called "find it" once in a while. This is where I drag a small piece of hotdog through the grass leaving a scent trail and hide it several feet away. I then lead Jake to the start of the scent trail and tell him to find it. He then goes to work trying to find the treat with his nose to the ground. We started out just a few feet on a straight trail. Now we are up to 10-12 feet away using a curved trail. I don't really count this as training but it does help him to practice using his nose in trailing scent.

Continue reading "Jake Update 5 Months Old" »

Posted by Big Bad Jon at 12:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There are more than 150 different breeds officially recognized by AKC. If you are interested in hunting birds and upland game like I am then you will likely settle on one of the many so-called versatile hunting dogs. You can break them down into four basic categories. The Pointers, Setters, Spaniels and Retreivers. But within these four basic categories of versatile dogs there are more than 50 different choices in breeds. When it comes right down to it, they are all very capable hunters and great companions so there is no right or wrong choice. There are however a few important points to consider when choosing your new hunting partner.

Continue reading "Which Dog is the Right Dog?" »

Posted by Big Bad Jon at 9:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One decision that every potential dog owner must face is that of gender. One can make a valid argument either way. I have come to the conclusion that it is mostly a matter of personal preference for the dog owner. Some would argue that a female dog is more calm and trainable because of the nurturing instinct that the title mother brings. Others would say that males generally have more spirit and natural drive. But, the question that must first be asked is what are you looking for in a dog.

Continue reading "Male or Female?" »

Posted by Big Bad Jon at 9:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)