Training Tips
Here's how we make the most of each huntBob Ford
1 article
Bob has hunted with beagles from Alabama to the Quebec border in pursuit of swamp rabbits, the eastern cottontail, and hare. He has owned beagles since 1985 and trains his hounds year round, sometimes competing in field trials, but always conditioning his pack with an eye looking forward to the...
Matt Mates
1 article
I’ve hunted upland game birds from North Dakota to Northern Maine, spending most of my time in my home state of Michigan. My love for pheasants dates back to my days as a youngster, first chasing them with our Labradors, German Shorthaired Pointers, or the occasional contact while running beagles...
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,...
LTC Jim Morehouse
6 articles
Raised in the Finger Lakes area of New York State, Jim was involved in hunting and birddogs from an early age. Upon graduation from college, he joined the US Army in 1967. He served until 1989, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. After his retirement, Jim and his wife...
Chris Akin
9 articles
Chris has spent most of his life duck hunting or training in the field. Over the years, his program evolved into one of the most accomplished hunt test programs in the country. Webb Footed Kennels, Inc. has produced more than 350 Hunting Retriever Champions, 175 Master Hunters, and 35 Grand...
Lynne Frady
2 articles
Owning Labrador Retrievers since the age of 9 has given Lynne a rare opportunity. She learned to listen to her dogs. They have taught her more than she has taught them, and to think any differently would be an error on her part, according to Lynne. She has had the pleasure...
Ben Garcia
1 article
Ben Garcia believes there is one secret to dog training: "Know where you want to go and where you want your dog to finish." Ben says that goal is the key to develop your best friend in the field. With this in mind, Ben treats every dog as an individual,...
Gary Sheffer
1 article
Gary has been hunting upland game for 15 years. Training Labs and German shorthairs for upland hunting is his specialty. Whether hunting pheasant or quail in Indiana, it is a great feeling to see a dog that he has trained point a bird and then retrieve it.
Tom Dokken
16 articles
Dokken brings more than 45 years of retriever-training experience to the SportDOG team. He is well known as the inventor of Dokken’s Deadfowl Trainer, which has become standard equipment for retriever trainers everywhere. He is the owner of Dokken Dog Supply and Dokken’s Oak Ridge Kennels, the largest gun dog...
Jeffrey Wood
1 article
Owner of Etehoma Creek Kennels, a kennel that offers a training program for squirrel/coon dogs from beginner to finished dogs, Jeffrey has been hunting tree dogs since he was 6 years old and has continued his passion for hunting for the last 32 years. He also competes in competition hunts...
Kim Bishop
2 articles
Born and raised in the mountains of western North Carolina, Kim Bishop, along with his wife Kirsten, own K&K Kennels. Kim has been competition hunting with hounds since the age of 18, has made four UKC and three AKC World appearances, and has many titles under his belt, including four...
Craig Leair
1 article
With ten years of training experience specializing in German Shorthairs and yellow Labs, Craig currently works as a guide and lives on a 750-acre game preserve that raises over 40,000 pheasants, chukars and Huns annually. Wern Valley Sportsman Club allows him to constantly train dogs in a bird-rich environment, resulting...
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...
The SportDOG Staff
9 articles
Jed Finley
1 article
Jed started coon hunting with his brother and his friends when he was 7 years old. When he turned 16, he started competing in United Kennel Club (UKC) hunts. At 18, he started competing in Professional Kennel Club (PKC) hunts. He has numerous accomplishments in winning state championships, final fours,...
Lyle Steinman
2 articles
Lyle Steinman began his competitive career at the age of eight, traveling all over the United States showing cattle. He won more than 300 championships on the county, state, and national levels throughout the following 10 years. Lyle competed with Labradors as an amateur for many years before turning a...