Archive for June, 2010

Training Bird Dogs On Wild Birds

Every year we offer multiple opportunities for your dog to be professionally trained on wild birds. First, in September, we train bird dogs on sharptail grouse, hungarian partridge, and pheasant. Then during the Texas quail season, we will be submerging dogs in true hunting situations on wild bob white quail. This is a great way to start off your bird hunting season with a proficient, confident, and conditioned bird dog.

Young dogs will have the chance to make the transition from pen raised birds to wild birds. Seasoned dogs will be able to refine and polish their skills.  This is a tune up that we recommend for any trained dog.  A month of working wild birds gets dogs physically and mentally fit and ready to perform their best for you this season.

Every day we will be working on handling, bird work, honoring, and conditioning. The dogs will have the chance to hone their ability to scent and work birds in adverse conditions.  Repetition of successful wild covey finds help create and/or maintain a proficient bird finder.

As a hunter, it is very difficult to effectively train a dog and get many game birds in your bag at the same time.  We have the advantage, as trainers, of being able to always focus on your dog during our workouts.  By sending your dog with us for training on wild birds, your hunts during the season will go smoother, as we will have consistently held your dog to a high level of performance during daily wild bird workouts.

These opportunities are a great experience for any dog.  Whether a young puppy needing bird exposure, a freshly trained dog in line for additional experience and to transition to wild game, a field trial dog, or a seasoned gun dog needing their annual tune up, all bird dogs can benefit from this program.

We are already close to full for our Montana trip.  However, if we don’t have room to take your bird dog north with us, we have plenty of room to work with them in Texas. For us, wild bird training programs are the ultimate in bird dog training.  We feel this is where the dogs really shine!

As always, thank you for entrusting your dog to our care.  It remains our goal everyday to set each dog up for success and help him be the best canine citizen he can be.  We hope to help you improve your relationship with your dog, as well as help you in all of your upland adventures.

Vizla on point in Montana


SEPTEMBER IN MONTANA

Our September program offers training on sharptail grouse, hungarian partridge, and some pheasant in Montana.  It doesn’t get any better than this for valuable bird exposure! This program is particularly beneficial in helping transition freshly trained dogs to hunt wild birds.  Sharptail grouse are notorious for getting up individually instead of in a single covey rise.  This allows each dog multiple learning opportunities and gives us multiple opportunities to train.  It also makes this program great for puppy development!

The travel time, physical conditioning, exposure to new upland game birds, and the additional training or fine tuning all ensure that your hunting partner is ready for a successful season.

COST: $750 (including transportation from RSK to Montana)

English Pointer on wild bob white quail in South Texas

WINTER IN TEXAS

(November – February)

The Texas quail season offers training on wild bob white quail. The dogs joining us for this program will have the opportunity to be worked both during live hunting situations and training exercises.  Texas is known for its challenging hunting conditions and for producing world class bird dogs. This is an opportunity for your dog to really rise to the top.

COST: $700/month (owner responsible for transportation to us in Texas)

Who Is Eligible?

  • Puppies (at least 6 months of age)
  • Any dog that has been trained using the Smith’s methods.  This includes all ages of gun dogs and field trial dogs

How to Ensure Your Dog Has a Spot in Our Program

  • Simply email us and we will give you access to the reservation forms.  Once we’ve received the forms and a deposit, your dog is guaranteed a spot with us.

Posted on June 26th, 2010 in Wild Bird Training Program |

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Posted on June 26th, 2010 in Wild Bird Training Program |

Another Generation of Smith Bred Brittanys

We continue to breed the line of Brittany bird dogs that has been associated with the Smith family since Delmar’s first National Championship titles.  If not field trialed, these dogs have been used on our commercial upland hunting operations in tough country.  In short, our dogs will always be “real bird dogs,” whether titled or not.

We are proud to announce that we are having a litter by Bud and Holly.  These pups’ lineage is connected to the Smith family for 11 generations, going back to Holliday Britt who was Delmar Smith’s second National Champion (Many Hall of Fame Inductees can be traced back to Holliday Britt including: Scipio Spinks, Holliday Britt’s Bazooka, Hi-Spirit Bazooka Pistol, Brandy’s Bullet, Perry’s Rustic Prince, Hi Proof Rum Runner, Scipio’s Little Chick, Shady’s Chik-N-Little.). Bud, going back five generations to Perry’s Rustic Prince, is also an outcross to Shambos Dark Shadow and Tequilas Joker.  Holly, another one of Smith bloodlines, has greats such as Hi Proof Rum Runner and El Patron in her pedigree.  Holly has been used on our commercial wild bird hunting operations for the last six years.  She has earned and maintains her position as one of the top dogs on our string.

We are now accepting deposits for the litter.  Holly is expected to whelp the end of June.  As many of you may guess, we will be keeping our pick out of the litter in order to be able to continue our bloodline.  We are very excited about the potential of this litter.

$700 per pup ($100 deposit)

Holly marking singles in South Texas

Bud during his formal training at RSK

Posted on June 16th, 2010 in Upland Bird Hunting |

Summertime Bird Dog Training with Ronnie

Training is in full swing here at RSK this summer! Our first class began on May 3rd, with canine attendees arriving from the four winds.  This is a particularly interesting class for us as these dogs have a wide array of backgrounds and goals.  This class has everything from gun dogs to show champions intent on becoming duel champions to NSTRA competitors to all age horseback field trialers.  With the wide variety of dogs, it is important that our training format is tailored to fit each individual needs and goals.  Not only do we address the mental and physical needs of the dogs everyday in their training, but we also keep in mind the ultimate performance goal for each dog.  We are reminded each day that our success as trainers depends solely on the satisfaction of each client’s goals.

We spent the first month of our training program developing solid foundations on all of the dogs.  Morning sessions around RSK typically begin about 6:00 am with cleaning kennels, catching pigeons, caring for the animals, and prepping for the day’s workouts.  During the Foundation Level we begin with our lessons checkcording dogs in to birds.  This exercise allows us to work to build cues for dogs to go with us and come to us, as well as giving each dog an opportunity to point a pigeon and have multiple opportunities to honor other dog’s point.  When each dog either points or backs, the trainers quietly work up the checkcord and kneel beside the dog to hold them during the flush.  This allows us to begin molding the dog’s behavior around birds and at the same time pre-conditions the flank as a point of contact for standing still.

Pre-conditioning the flank as the dog is held steady through the flush

Our afternoon sessions during the Foundation Level of training concentrate on developing a point of contact for stopping.  This is accomplished by teaching the dog’s on the whoa post. This drill gives us a controlled environment in which to develop a conditioned response to stop. The principle behind the whoa post is cue to stop, release, and wait for the dog’s acknowledgement. Repetition of this drill builds a conditioned response so that a dog will stop without even thinking about it. We feel this is the best and most reliable method of teaching a dog whoa. We like our bird dogs to be intense on their birds. With this Foundation a dog thoroughly understands the cue from the e-collar and therefore complies to a low level cue without ever loosing intensity or becoming confused.

English Setter focuses on a pigeon as it flushes

The month of June will be centered on the Intermediate Level of training.  During this level of training we are transitioning all of the mechanical cues of the rope to the remote cue of the e-collar.  This is where the real fun begins!  This month we will be able to turn dogs loose and “take the chase,” “stop the creep,” and steady the dogs using the e-collar. While dogs are with us we work on the individual as a whole, therefore we will be working to instill manners around people, including off lead heeling.

We are really enjoying working with our first class and looking forward to their future! The second training class which begins on August 2, 2010 is already full. We are taking Reservations for our wild bird training, both in Montana during September and in Texas during the hunting season. Space is very limited, so please let us know soon if you would like us to take your dog along on any of these available training opportunities.

As always, remember a dog is like a book…all you have to do is learn to read!

Smith bred Brittany focused on a bird

A Smith bred Brittany focuses on the bird as it flies

Posted on June 16th, 2010 Tags:
in Bird Dog Training |

Garmin Continues to Improve a Great Product

Since its unveiling a few years ago, the Garmin Astro has quickly become an almost mandatory piece of equipment for bird hunters.  The benefits of the product range much farther than just the ability to keep track of your dog.  It allows you to mark and monitor coveys, analyze the course and speed of your bird dog as he hunts, and much more.

Garmin has taken the time to listen to its consumers and improve the design and function of the collar by the addition of the DC 40.  The new collar, the DC 40, is a self contained unit that can be put on the same collar that you are running your electronic collar.  This eliminates the need to have two separate collars on your dog (and the much joked about need to breed dogs with longer necks to accommodate all of the new fangled equipment!).

Garmin also improved the charging system on the DC 40.  The DC 30s were known to have faulty charging connectivity should even the slightest bit of dust or mud get in the connection.  Garmin has replaced the old charging method with a slip on flat contact charging interface.

Garmin has also added a security feature of a collar lock.  The lock gives you the ability to control who can or cannot track your dog’s signal on a Astro unit.  This feature will make the unit more field trial friendly as it allows the judge to lock your collar and hand you the PIN to unlock it once your dog has completed his run.

We intend to be training and hunting with the new collar after its release in August.  Once we have submitted it to our rigorous use, we’ll let you know the pros and cons that we encounter.  However, while this new collar may not revolutionize the bird dog world, it definitely is a step in the right direction for Garmin.  Thank you to the staff at Garmin for listening to consumer’s concerns and issues.

Posted on June 16th, 2010 in Bird Dog Training Equipment, Uncategorized |