ABOUT US

Ronnie and Susanna Smith

Located in the rolling hills of northern Osage County, Oklahoma, our Prairie Hills Ranch provides a respite to a fast-paced world full of concrete and is the home of Smith Kennels. Pavement ends well before you cross in to the Prairie Hills Ranch and you can feel the stress melt away as bird dogs and the great outdoors become the center of attention.

This area is a unique part of the country where you can drive a few miles from our ranch and see thousands of buffalo and mustangs. Our hometown of Pawhuska is also the home of the Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, and the location of her fabulous Mercantile. The area and the people will welcome you and leave you with a smile. There is no denying the majesty of the Osage when you see a golden sun setting upon layers of hills carpeted in waving grass and dotted with oaks.

The Smith Family Bird Dog Trainers

Smith Kennels has been a family endeavor for decades. Ronnie Smith Sr., started it back in 1956 in Big Cabin, Oklahoma. Some of his son’s earliest memories are of being with his father at the kennels. As a toddler Ronnie Smith, Jr. was cleaning kennels and filling water buckets. At the age of 14 Ronnie’s dad set him up with his first professional training dog. His father’s patience with a young boy in the kennel sparked a passion and a love of dogs that have been a driving force throughout Ronnie’s life.

Ronnie took over the kennels 1982 after his father passed away. Since then he has worked diligently to improve the business and the training format. He has spent decades giving bird dog training seminars across the country, helping people to better understand their dogs and how to interact with a dog in a way that helps the dog.

Ronnie spent much of his life in hunting camps where he guided hunts for wild bobwhite quail on some of the largest ranches in Texas. He has run the guiding operations on the 6666 Ranch, the Mariposa Ranch and the Norrias Division of the King Ranch. Ronnie has had the privilege of guiding dignitaries such as President George H. W. Bush, President George W. Bush, Secretary of State James Baker, astronaut Eugene Cernan, and hall of fame football player Lynn Swann.

Even though he is a member of a family recognized for their training abilities, whom some have called "bird dog training royalty," Ronnie always remains very humble and eager to learn from others. He is the consummate student of animal behavior and will always be looking to animals to learn more about them. He, like all of the Smiths, simply enjoys bird dogs and feels privileged to work alongside them.

Bird dogs and upland hunting are a way of life for much of our family. Ronnie’s uncle is the bird dog legend, Delmar Smith. Delmar is recognized as the founder of the Smith Training Method (also sometimes referred to as The Silent Command System or HuntSmith) and is a Field Trial Hall of Fame inductee. Delmar’s field trial career gained him early recognition in the 1950s and he built on that knowledge for the remainder of his career. He began the well known Smith Training Seminars which his son, Rick Smith, and Ronnie still continue. Delmar's long career in the bird dog world has garnered recognition through many awards, such as the T. Boone Pickens Lifetime Sportsman Award. Called a "living legend" by many, Delmar has left an indelible imprint in the bird dog industry. Both Delmar’s sons, Rick and Tom, are also noted for their skills with bird dogs. Rick earned many Brittany field trial championships, is a Brittany Hall of Fame inductee, and also a Smith Seminar instructor. Tom also trained bird dogs for the public, successfully campaigned dogs in horseback field trials, and guided wild quail hunts throughout his career.

Susanna, a 4th generation rancher, is originally from far west Texas. Her roots are tied closely to the conservation of land and the welfare of wildlife and livestock. Whether through low-stress handling methods for cattle or natural horsemanship theories, Susanna has always looked for a quiet, natural way to interact with animals. The transition to training bird dogs over 20 years ago was easy for her.

Susanna has a General Business degree from Texas Tech University and a Juris Doctorate from St. Mary's University. What seems like a lifetime ago, she worked for the House Committee on Agriculture in Washington, DC. Her time living in DC reinforced her belief that her true calling is working directly with animals.

Together Ronnie and Susanna have hunted with dogs from Canada to the Mexico border. They have guided hunters and trained dogs in good bird years and in bad. They know the conditions that challenge bird dogs and what makes dogs successful.

It is a family atmosphere at the kennel. Ronnie and Susanna's twins, Reagan and Gage, are wholly incorporated in the daily life with the dogs. The family believes it is important for youth to be a part of the outdoors and for young ones to experience the joy a bird dog can bring.

Ronnie and Susanna feel blessed to have been recognized as leaders in the industry and are proud to have strong working relationships with other industry leaders such as Purina, Garmin, Gun Dog Supply, and Orvis. They have been fortunate to be featured in many publications such as Pointing Dog Journal, Gun Dog Magazine, Outdoor Life, Shooting Sportsman, Field and Stream, and Covey Rise. Ronnie has been guest speaker on the Big Billy Kinder Outdoors radio show. One of the couple’s quail rigs was featured in the book Texas Quail Rigs by A. Lokey which showcased the unique quail rigs found on hunting operations across Texas. Garden and Gun magazine included them in their selection of Five of the South's Best Gundog Trainers. For many years Ronnie has been selected as a presenter on the Bird Dog Bonanza Stage during Pheasant Fest with Susanna joining him when she can spare the time away from the kennel.