A little about you...

SakoBavarian · Post by **SakoBavarian** » Wed Apr 03, 2013 7:06 pm

G'day all,
I'm 22 and from Australia. I have been hunting all my life but have only ever used running dogs (sight hound breeds) for chasing foxes, hares and rabbits.
It's just recently become legal in the past couple of months to use indicator dogs on deer - I hunt mostly red deer, as well as a few fallow and sambar. So I have been very keen to get into this. I have had no experience with this kind of training so just looking to get to know a few like minded people and hopefully learn a bit about what to expect and how to train my pup that I'll be getting later this year.

I currently have a 2 1/2 year old whippet named "Sika" who is currently at the vets having most of his tail amputated after a scuffle with a fox that left him with half a tail and two inches of bone showing.

I'm looking to get a deer indicator dog later this year. The breed is still up for debate but I'm currently sitting on the idea of a Brittany.

Cheers,
SB

brujito · Post by **brujito** » Sun Apr 07, 2013 1:45 pm

I am a first time dog owner and I am seeking some advice on training colors, books, and other sorts of training tools that are necessary. I am ready to buy what is needed but I have to be cost conscious.

BigJoe8504 · Post by **BigJoe8504** » Tue Apr 09, 2013 9:12 am

Hi,

Im 28, mechanical engineer, Hunted deer most of my life with dove and duck from time to time in West TN. I recently got 2 Pointer/GSP pups and they will be my first bird dogs of any type. Had coonhounds (mostly blueticks) most of my life. Now Live in Houston, Tx area and am looking to train pups for dove/quail... if I can ever figure out how to train them.

1hogfan83 · Post by **1hogfan83** » Tue Apr 16, 2013 8:02 pm

Hi, I'm a 29 year old Arkansan. I'm originally from the northeast area, duck hunting capital of the world. I am now a stay at home dad. After college my wife and I moved to Iowa so i could work for a large agricultural company. After 3 years my disability had become quite an issue so i had to quite so we came to Arkansas so my wife could teach. I bought a lab about 6 weeks ago that im having some worries and issues with. I guess that's why im here, work these problems out. Maybe some day he'll be a good dove or squirrel dog. Oh yeah, woo pig sooie! I live in Fayetteville now.

gsp1985gj · Post by **gsp1985gj** » Tue Apr 23, 2013 5:53 am

New to the forum, which has provided me with a lot of good reading material. I'm 27 a teacher, alpine ski coach, live in upstate New York. Just rescued a gsp, Paisley, great dog and I'm excited to work with her. I enjoy wingshooting and putting the dog together with it is something I look forward to greatly.

Redfishrick · Post by **Redfishrick** » Wed Apr 24, 2013 8:59 am

Rick Olsen
Fairhope, AL
Wife Sarah (insurance)
2 boys, Jackson 9, Connor 6
Pharmaceutical Marketing
We have an 11yr old Golden Retriever that is great with Dove but hates ducks so we don't hunt them anymore!
Plan on getting a GSP soon

tdbmd · Post by **tdbmd** » Wed Apr 24, 2013 9:51 am

New member here.

I have just put money down on a new hunting dog. We will pick up our new female Vizsla pup at the end of May. I am a 45 year old guy, who has been hunting since the age of 5. When I was a kid and through high school, I mostly hunted upland and waterfowl. Over the last 20 years or so, I have been doing much more big game hunting, both here and abroad. My daughter is now 10 years old and my son is 17 and both have a increasing interest in upland hunting and my daughter really wants a new dog, so we decided to kill two birds with one stone and take the plunge for a new hunting dog. We are all excited. So far, the stuff that I have been reading here on the forum has been interesting and helpful.

Redfishrick · Post by **Redfishrick** » Wed Apr 24, 2013 12:17 pm

Redfishrick wrote:Rick Olsen
Fairhope, AL
Wife Sarah (insurance)
2 boys, Jackson 9, Connor 6
Pharmaceutical Marketing
We have an 11yr old Golden Retriever that is great with Dove but hates ducks so we don't hunt them anymore!
Plan on getting a GSP soon

Well, by Soon I guess I was spot on....put a deposit on a GSP today. Pick up May 4th!

LeonStagg · Post by **LeonStagg** » Fri Apr 26, 2013 2:40 pm

image.jpg

LeonStagg here, Sugar Land Texas is where I live.

I am an avid waterfowl hunter, dove hunt every chance I get as well.

Other hobbies include gardening, music, and cooking. Married with (2) grown kids.

My gun dog is Magnus, a Large Munsterlander. (5 months old and shows a great deal of potential)

Glad to join you here, seems like a great place!

Birddog · Post by **Birddog** » Sun Apr 28, 2013 6:04 pm

Hello, my name is Ron Smith. I live in Richmond Twp. Michigan. I have three GSP's. I am very active in our local Pheasants Forever chapter. I hunt mostly for ruffed grouse in northern Michigan, but occasionally make it out to South Dakota to hunt pheasants. I'm 39 and work for the Huron-Clinton Metroparks.

Dave712 · Post by **Dave712** » Thu May 02, 2013 11:06 pm

Hi Folks- My name is Dave Shepard I am 45 years old, work as a hospital pharmacist. Used to hunt birdogs with my Dad years and years ago when I was a little kid. Very interested in getting back into it...thinking seriously about getting a french brittany and training it to hunt quail. Absorbing as much info as I can as I ramp up this project

palabman · Post by **palabman** » Thu May 09, 2013 4:23 pm

I just wanted to say hello and glad to be here. I have a 12 yo Lab and a 3 yo Brit. The old girl is now retired but she still goes to camp and gets her morning walk before we hunt. It's sad when they want to go out so bad but just can't handle it anymore. The Brit is a ball of energy and did a good job on grouse this last season. Now if only we could do our job ans hit a few more...

Lee M. · Post by **Lee M.** » Sat May 11, 2013 9:03 am

Hi everyone!

I'm glad to be here. I am a photographer, specializing in dogs and horses. I started photographing bird dog trials and I just love it. I have done several NYS bird dog trials and I'm going to do a retriever trail next week. I'm really excited to capture some great dogs splashing around in nature.

I have my first photograph in Gun Dog Magazine this month and even though its a small one, I'm so excited about being in the magazine and part of the community of passionate dog owners. There is nothing better than a dog with a job they really enjoy.

I'm looking forward to learning more about the different breeds, trials and hunting around the country and seeing and sharing photos.

I live in Upstate NY, in Buffalo, NY.

I've had a passion for dogs since I was a little girl and its the same with horses. I love to travel, cook and of course take photographs.

I've also discovered that I love the smell of gunpowder on a clear cool morning!

Have a great day and I look forward to meeting all of you!

TexasReds · Post by **TexasReds** » Thu May 23, 2013 9:13 am

New Member but feel like I already know a lot of you. I lurk around here a lot and appreciate your input. I live in Benbrook, TX (just outside of Fort Worth) and I have 5 Vizslas. I also have a coop of Black Eagle pigeons used for training and watching. I might like to get into racing them, but for now - just training birds. I am an Air Force Civilian and work on the F-16 Program. I am married and have 5 kids and 10 grandkids. I guide at several Preserves around North Texas and can also do custom hunts on your property. I hunt all I can, mostly bowhunt for deer and hogs and all the upland I can get. I've done some field trials and hunt tests, have a few good placements and enjoy the trials, but a horse is probably not in the cards for now. I look forward to chatting with you and sharing my experience.

abradley0408 · Post by **abradley0408** » Sun Jun 09, 2013 1:27 am

Hi I'm Alex, I'm Newly Married, and 3 weeks from now picking up my new pup Blaze a German Shorthair Pointer. I work as an ethanol plant production operator in NW Iowa. I joined gundog forum to get info on training my new pup and looking to get into hunt test and field trials.

PicaEatsRocks · Post by **PicaEatsRocks** » Sun Jun 09, 2013 10:16 pm

My name is Megan. I'm 32 years old. I moved to central CA to work for a glass artist after a couple of years of stressful work in the food processing industry that wasn't satisfying. A few months ago, the Universe dropped a 3yo Chesapeake Bay Retriever into my life that needed a good home. My 3rd rescue, but first retriever of any kind. She didn't even know how to sit. About the 3rd day I had her, I took her to the slough. I let her off her leash, and before I knew what happened she had swam out so far I thought she might not come back. She saw 2 sea lions out there and started swimming after them. After about 30 minutes, she finally came back, but I decided then and there that she needed to be properly trained to retrieve. Pica has some issues, but fear of water isn't one of them!

Grouse 1 me nothin · Post by **Grouse 1 me nothin** » Fri Jun 14, 2013 5:37 pm

I'm 34, an electrician, love to watch dogs work and learn from them! Simply amazed at these creatures of fur and feather. I have a DL and hunt as well as test with him. He is a part of the family and i hope to acquire many more over the years! I noticed some bickering and have been criticized myself for whatever reasons. I urge everyone to "lighten up Francis" and just do what you do and enjoy our little buddies!

BRUUUCE · Post by **BRUUUCE** » Sat Jun 15, 2013 9:44 pm

I'm Robb, High School Teacher from Boiling Springs, PA (Near Harrisburg.) I'm Married, and I have three young daughters ages 3,5,and 9. They keep me real busy. I got them a dog in January, Bruce, a currently 7 month Yellow Labrador. Bruce is the smartest dog I've ever known! He totally amazes me! I've hinted most of my life. I hunt rifle, archery, and flintlock in deer season. I'm a member of a hunting camp in Renovo, PA. We have a grouse camp in January, this is my favorite hunt due to the lack of hunters on state lands in January. Some go for Flintlock, some go for grouse. The grouse hunters push to the flintlocks, great time!

I've never known anyone with a bird dog. I want to teach Bruce to Hunt grouse, and I'm interested in learning more about Upland birds and duck hunting, I just need to meet duck hunters, I know none.

I've started Bruce with a book I picked up, Tom Dokken's Retriever training. I almost have obedience down (SOLID) and we play around with a bumper. In the water, he is perfect with dummy retrieves. In the field, he gets real distracted with the dummy. I'm ready to move on to frozen birds and clip wing pigeons, but I''m afraid of spooking out my neighbors. Everyone looks at me like I'm cruel when I mention I want to start training Bruce on birds. I'm determined to move on. I live in a neighborhood with a lot that has nothing but woods behind it, and I have a good amount of wooded property.

That's me and Bruce. Hello!

Bad1hq · Post by **Bad1hq** » Sat Jun 22, 2013 4:07 am

Hi,
Fisrtly I'm from South Africa,
We have a very good hunting culture here and I like to get involved in as many of the different types hunting as often as possible.
Most of my experience with hunting dogs were either tracking dogs finding those tricky bucks in the bushvelt or hunting pigs with packs.
I have always loved wing shooting and it has always been amazing to watch people work their dogs flushing up francolin or driving guinea fowl. So i decided to get my own flushing dog and decided on a English springer spaniel pup named Remi. I am planning on letting take part in field trails, but he is still a pup and has alot of training sessions ahead.

I am really greatful for this site, hearing other peoples experiences and advice is a fantastic tool in not only training my dog but helping in training myself to be a better partner for the dog.

Thanks

Bad1hq

NewEnglandGriffon · Post by **NewEnglandGriffon** » Sat Jun 22, 2013 6:28 am

Hello, my name is Chuck and I'm from New Hampshire. I'm 19 and have just recently acquired my first gun dog. Her name is Ruby and she is a WPG. I live in the seacoast of New Hampshire where it is a waterfowl hotspot, but I mainly hunt grouse, pheasant, and woodcock. I have never hunted with my own dog and I am new to the whole gun dog world. Ruby (now about 10 weeks) is doing great and her basic obedience training was much easier than anticipated. I still am a little unsure of when to start doing certain things but for now I'm just letting her be a pup. I hope to learn as much as I can from everyone so that she can be a successful gun dog!

mrweaver628 · Post by **mrweaver628** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 2:18 pm

Matt
Tulsa, OK
Coordinate Trials for a cancer hospital

My girlfriend and I recently adopted a black lab pup (6 months/50 pounds) that was dumped on a friend of a friend (thank you Facebook). He is wonderful and laid back pup that everyone swears must be full blood American Black Lab. I would love to teach him to be a versitile gun dog (even though right now he won't wake up long enough to chase anything). On the good side, we have been to the lake a few times and he seemed to enjoy chasing birds when we are out there. I've never realy hunted fowl but grew up around guns, hunting and spent several years in the military. So, I think that I would really enjoy hunting upland fowl and duck. Well right now we are just working on obedience and I am planning to get ahold of a few pigeon or quail to work on getting him birdy. Another great thing is that I have never seen him get startled by loud noises, so I have high hopes that he won't have problems with guns.

Oh, my boy's name is Theta.

Skye · Post by **Skye** » Fri Jun 28, 2013 9:33 am

Hi all name's Josh I am from Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.
I own Open Sky Archery llc,
I love to gun hunt pretty much any thing,
I like to bow hunt
I do bow 3d competition
I work very hard at my job,
As well as play hard in free time,
I just picked up this little bundle of fun

I am looking for any and all advice on Gun dog training,
I shoot clay's often, and well that is about it! Any one living near me please pm or reply with any and all advice!!

Thanks Josh

walterguns · Post by **walterguns** » Fri Jun 28, 2013 6:38 pm

Hello Gundogforum members.

My name is Walter and I am 64 man in N.E. Texas in a community of Poetry, Texas. I am the manager at the Poetry Shooting Club which is a Quail Hunting Preserve and Bird Dog Training Facility. Poetry Shooting Club is licensed by the State of Texas as a Private Bird Hunting Area and also has a Game Bird Breeders License.

The club aggressively supports DIY gun dog trainers, new and young shooters, handicap shooters and gun safety education. I have three gun dogs one is an English Setter Lile Marleen, 2nd a English Pointer Bonnie and 3rd a German Shorthaired Pointer Josie.

I live on property with my wonderful wife Xi and we have small private range for precision shooting out to 500 yards and planning for a Ruger Rimfire Challenge event later this year.

We have flighty quail and homing pigeons on site for gun dog training and some equipment and looking for more and all donations deeply appreciated. I have very good water in ponds and making plans to create a technical for you retriever clubs.

Also have day leases for dove and duck hunting and day bow doe leases available. Catering to families for outdoor experiences with catch and release fishing, plinking at the turtles, and squirrel hunting.

Come see us and I look forward to meeting you

Thanks Walter

hunting in nevada · Post by **hunting in nevada** » Mon Jul 01, 2013 1:04 pm

My name is Chandler and I live in Reno Nevada. I am 53 year male. I'm a contractor in Nevada and California. I have owned Golden Retrievers most of my life. When I lived in Klamath Falls Oregon, we hunted ducks. I decided to get a English pointer to hunt Chukar in Nevada. Im looking to get more knowledge about English pointers here.

uglydogg · Post by **uglydogg** » Mon Jul 01, 2013 10:24 pm

Whats up guys? been lurking around and finally decided to join. My name is Trevor and Im from Sunny southern California unfortunately hahaha. I mainly hunt waterfowl and upland.Been on a few pig hunts and i really want to take the plunge into big game hunting. Anyway we just put a deposit on a GWP pup Our son named him Bullseye and were pretty excited to have hime come home.I am a commercial refrigeration tech and also do electrical on the side when my father in law needs help with his company.

brewer · Post by **brewer** » Sat Jul 06, 2013 10:29 pm

Two dogs, both labs. 12.5 y/o and a 9 week old. Ellie is the old one, Nemo is the young pup.

I live in SD, so we hunt. Upland, waterfowl, and everything in between.

This is the first pup I've ever had the chance to train. Looking for advice... I'm using Huntsmith method to train the little terror.

centraliamedic · Post by **centraliamedic** » Mon Jul 08, 2013 1:01 pm

I just joined about a week ago and I am looking forward to receiving my first GSP on July 19th. I'm a Firefighter/Paramedic and live in western washington and am getting involved in NAVHDA. I am also looking for places to hunt and people to hunt with in Eastern Washington.
I love reading through this site, thanks to all that post yur advice on training etc...
Chris

808allday · Post by **808allday** » Thu Jul 11, 2013 3:27 pm

fdsjr wrote:Tell us a little about you so we can get a perspective on who we are talking to. How old are you?? Male or Female?? What do you do for a living?? How long you been hunting/shooting?? What kind of hunting do you do?? What kind of dog(s) do you have?? How long have you had dogs?? You into any field trials, show, competition or anything like this??

I am a 23 year old, Male ,and I'm a student at Texas Tech University studying Mechanical Engineering. Currently I am working in the oil field and when school kicks back up I'm a server at a fine dining restaurant. I have been hunting since I could be taken to the pheasant club in california at the age of 7 or 8. I love hunting dove, quail, pheasant, turkey, duck, and my most recent endeavor of hunting sandhill crane. I'm pretty lucky in the sense that I am kind of from all over. I still have family in California, Hawaii,Texas, and good friends in North Carolina so I can bounce between those states hunting and visiting. I adopted a lab puppy from a shelter that ended up having more medical problems than any dog I've ever heard of. Fantastic hunting partner and companion and she recently passed away. Even with severe hip dysplasia at 3 months old she could tear up a field. I recently put down a deposit for a Brittany pup expected sometime in the spring. I am very excited since it will be my first pointer. My Grandfather has raised only pointers for hunting since before I was born and is on his 8th or 9th GSP. I loved watching him train as a kid and seeing his dogs lock up on point. I am grateful to have his knowledge and experience as well as a forum of people who come from every walk of life and different training methods. I have never competed in a competition or trial but I wouldn't be opposed to it. I just found out there is a brittney club not that far from me so I might make a visit out there and watch them in action sometime soon. Probably wrote a little more than most but hopefully it gives a little insight to who I am.

Steelcityred · Post by **Steelcityred** » Mon Jul 15, 2013 4:18 pm

Hi all,
My name is Lance and I'm 30. I Live in Pittsburgh with my wife and our 2 year old Vizsla named Luca. I recently joined the local Chapter of NAVHDA in January and have met a loot of great people who have a lot of knowledge to give. I am new to hunting, dog training and am hooked. I never new the bond you could develop with a dog until you work through training struggles. I hope ro meet some great people on the forum and hope to meet some more Pittsburgh hunters! the pic is luc pointing a bunny in the back yard.
Happy training!!!

bbengard · Post by **bbengard** » Mon Jul 22, 2013 9:19 pm

Bridget Bengard, 25 years old, avid outdoorswoman, although most of my hunting experience is from assisting my brothers, father, fiance! Recently purchased a Drent (Dutch Partridge Dog) the first AKC registered litter. I chose the dog because I come from a Golden Retriever family and researched that Drents were similar in personality--good family dogs and good hunters! Winchester (Chester for short), is amazing! Very much worth the investment, although I am nervous about training because he needs to be a working dog and I am unexperienced. I have read 2 books (one about golden retreivers, the oher about bird dog training)--can post authors later. Winchester has been doing pretty well--he is 5.5 months old and sits, comes, and stays on command quite well (has been tested thoroughly) and is currently learning how to heel well. He is gun proof and will retrieve in water, but needs more practice. He has been retrieving dummy since a pup, but recently more reluctant to come straight back and wants to plays games. I hope this is a stage! He is also very much a puppy and sleeps A LOT. Am planning on asking a question (separate discussion) after my introduction! I am very green and KNOW it and so welcome any advice you all may have!! I will post pic of Chester soon--he's a beauty!

LAboykin · Post by **LAboykin** » Thu Aug 08, 2013 10:08 am

Hey guys new to the forum. I'm 24 and a lumber broker for a building material supply company out of south Alabama. I've owned dogs my entire life but have only really done pretty light training and working with the dogs (mostly labs). I just bought my first Boykin Spaniel and am looking for some tips on crate training / working / retrieving etc. he's only 11 weeks old at the moment and his named is Otto. Looking forward to reading the forum and picking up some training tips.

Also I have been hunting my entire life. My family has a 170 acres in south east Mississippi that has a lot of flooded timber I duck hunt and also 1-1/2 miles along a river that we duck hunt. Really want to train Otto to be able to get him out there and help me on a few of these trips!

geoff norton · Post by **geoff norton** » Thu Aug 08, 2013 11:32 pm

Hi all, I am from South Africa and have a Outfitter business and am a professional hunter. I have been a very keen hunter for many years and have GSP's. I use them for bird hunting as well as for blood spoor.
There are always questions that one wonders about and hopefully I will get answers from the forum. We learn every day.

GunDawgz · Post by **GunDawgz** » Sun Aug 11, 2013 1:28 pm

Hello all! I am a Web developer and owner of Gypsy, my now 6 year old German Shorthaired Pointer. I love ALL gun dogs-pointers, flusher, retrievers, versatile and mutts! At times I would rather carry a camera instead of a gun, just to capture the beauty of watching a well trained gun dog work!

I have owned a Golden Retriever, a black Lab, 2 Cocker Spaniels, 3 English Springer Spaniels, and 2 Shorthairs over the last 30 years or so. I grew up in Minneapolis, lived in South Dakota for about 20 years, and now live in West Fargo, ND. There is nothing short of phenomenal upland and waterfowl hunting within 4 hours or less of a drive from where I live-a hunters dream!

Looking forward to the interaction with other gun dog owners on this forum!

IMG_0063.jpg

LApointer · Post by **LApointer** » Sun Aug 18, 2013 11:13 pm

Male 65 Y/O retired Military, seems like I've been hunting since I was 12 years old. I hunt anything when assisted by dogs. I do a little still deer hunting, but love being accompanied by a dog. I train my GSP in obedience as well as quail hunting. He much prefers the field to the ring. I also have a small kennel of Beagles 11, which I hunt rabbits. I also hunt squirrel, and Coon when given the opportunity. I do enjoy the training of the dog as much as hunting. It is a pleasure to watch a dog you breed and trained, work the field. I look forward to learning more and sharing what I have learned with others.

akardos · Post by **akardos** » Thu Aug 22, 2013 1:32 am

Good morning...here in GR is 10:00 am.
I am new member...my name is Tony.
I own a German kurzhaar 4 years old.
I hunt rock partridges ( 2 species here), woodcocks, quails, doves , wood pigeons mostly...and less hares and waterfowls.
Other games here, are wild boars (russian type),
roebucks, wild goats and huns, allowed only in preserves
In heavy central-north Europe winters, many places here, are woodcock and wood pigeon paradise.
In my country, there are many ...many ...many...high mountains with thick forests....prairies are few...there are lakes, rivers, and swamps also.

I am glad to be here...

jack the dog · Post by **jack the dog** » Thu Aug 22, 2013 10:25 am

Another newbie to the forum.
My name is jack and I live in the mountains of Western North Carolina. My two American Brittanys and I do a lot of walking searching for Ruffed Grouse, sometimes we find them and sometimes we don't. But we still have a good time. These guys are young, one 15 months and the other 19 months, but they are real go getters. Just lost my best old friend a while back so I still hang my head when I think about him. but me and the pups are well underway in a life long friendship.
Sometimes we slip off to my friends hunting preserve in the middle of the state to hunt a few of his gentleman Bob's, but mostly we are climbing this side and sliding down the other side of a mountain looking for Ruff.
I hope to retire, if anything is left then, in a few years and hope to travel with my dogs hunting. Never been bird hunting outside of NC but we are wanting to go chase them long tailed roosters out west and some of the grouse up north of here. I hope I have the money to go when I have the time.

I love the sport the dogs and the guns that go with them. I have met a lot of nice people hunting birds, and a lot of jerks, my dogs can pick them out a mile away but I am a little slower at that than they are. I reload my own shot shells and take a poke or two at sporting clays when I can. Oh, and I have a weakness for older sxs scatterguns.

Anyway, this looks like a good place to hang out to learn and share what I know, which ain't much. I will get some fresh pictures of my pups to post as soon as I can get them to be still long enough.
See you guys around.

Diesel · Post by **Diesel** » Sun Aug 25, 2013 5:20 am

Hey, Im from the Uk and have a mix of breeds, they include:

Diesel a 9 yr old English springer spaniel, he is a fab beating dog, also works the peg well and will also be competing at a couple of game fairs this season.
Tweed a 12 week old yellow lab pup who we are planning on bringing on as peg dog.
Beamer a 7.5 yr old choc lab who beats and is a fab water retrieve dog.
Fox a 1yr old harrier hound who every now and then comes along for a days beating.
Saskinovski a otter hound.
Reaper a rottie
Roxie a rottie
Hunter a rottie
Tally-ho a American bulldog
Tia a GSD
and Scooby a Great Dane.

I am a avid photographer, admittedly not very good at it but I love to take pics of the dogs and am sure there will be many added here

Boykinguy · Post by **Boykinguy** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 9:38 am

Am 66 and retired, but only from work.

Five months ago, we got our second Boykin spaniel, Rhino.

He is 100 percent Boykin but not what you might expect. Unlike our first, Brownie, (and most other Boykins), Rhino is muscular and lanky at the same time. When he's wet (which he dearly loves to be) he presents himself as a physical specimen and he runs like a raw-boned pointer of GSP. He weighs in at 47 pounds, all muscle.

He is a six-year-old (?) rescue dog who has been abused/neglected. We have had to overcome some trying times with him. I believe his fear factor was on all the time. There is far more trust now than just a few weeks ago.

The more I work him, the better his temperament becomes. In addition to the harsh treatment he obviously received, he had some retriever training in his background and is 100 percent water dog.

I'll be honest, there have been a few times when I doubted the sanity of our decision; however, when you see progress at home as well as in the field, it is so satisfying.

We'll be hunting PA this fall. I'll keep you posted.

TbachGSP · Post by **TbachGSP** » Fri Sep 06, 2013 10:07 am

My name is tyler i am 21 years old. I am a full time student and also work 2 jobs, 1 at "bleep" sporting goods (bike tech) and i also work for a powerwashing company where i am head of the sealing team. I am studying criminal justice in school and plan being a police officer, hopefully at the county level. My ultimate goal is to be a K9 officer. I have been hunting, fishing, and camping my entire life. I grew up with 2 beagles, a GSP, australian cattle dog, border collie and jack Russell. now that i live on my own I've finally got my own dog. I decided to get a GSP since that was my favorite dog that i had a child. So this summer i picked up my boy gunner, currently he is 9.5 weeks old. He has impressed me so much in the 3 weeks that i have had him he already know sit, lie down and woah. He is a very athletic dog, he runs through the woods and jumps over logs like he has been doing it for years. My ultimate goal for gunner is get him trained for pheasant. I am currently training him myself so that is why i joined GDF to learn from others so i can train him best to my ability.

bluekona · Post by **bluekona** » Mon Sep 09, 2013 6:11 pm

HI my name is Glenn I live in the upper peninsula of Michigan. I am 40 yrs old married and have two kids who love the outdoors as much as me. I hunt,fish and ride dirt bikes. I have a 8 week old female Brittany that will be starting formal training for hunting birds soon. I look forward to posting pics and reading and absorbing as much info as I can from this site.

nsea · Post by **nsea** » Tue Sep 17, 2013 9:34 pm

My name is Ryan, Im an engineer in Houston and have a 3 month old male boykin. My hunting pursuits take me to the marshes and dove field but I'm also a fly fishing enthusiasts and can never find enough time or money to get enough of either. This will be my first dog to train beyond basic obedience, and I have the basics down (sit, stay, here, heel, no) and am about to start a more structured system just not sure which one yet. Anyways I have already found a wealth of info on the site and hope to soak up some more knowledge.

Swampbilly · Post by **Swampbilly** » Wed Sep 18, 2013 8:08 am

Hey folks, name is B.J..
Been Duckin' and Dovin', Upland for 34yrs., lv dawgs, a musician in a band, and a God fearing kinda' fella' .
Hope everyones' ready for a new season

K3Britt · Post by **K3Britt** » Fri Sep 27, 2013 9:48 am

Hello, My name is Chase and I am a 23yr old college student. I am interested in picking up my first hunting dog within a year or so.I've always wanted a Brittany but post graduation will be the first time I'd have the means to keep one happy. I've hunted pheasant since I was 13 but I've always had to rely on my buddies for their dogs.

I plan on learning training techniques and a timeline of the steps necessary to build a good britt. I am also clueless on breedings and what different lines have to offer.

My ideal dog would be a smaller brittany male with shorter orange/white hair if possible. Where I hunt is kind of thick and my buddies very small brittany can run through that habitat like she's made for it (20", 24lbs).

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Troutbum75 · Post by **Troutbum75** » Tue Oct 15, 2013 6:44 pm

Hello my name is Aaron, I just joined and am interested in finding a great lab. I live in southeast Michigan, 38 years old and have a wife and 3 year old. I have been duck hunting for about 7 years and have contemplated purchasing a lab. I have a 10 year old Weim that can't stand the water and never had the drive to hunt.

trips2win · Post by **trips2win** » Fri Oct 18, 2013 9:54 am

I am Steve and this is my dog Dexter. I am 44 and I work in software engineering at a ECAD company in MA. I live in southern NH with my wife and three kids. I love hunting and fishing and motorcycles. I joined this forum to hear about other's stories and tips for bagging more woodcock and grouse. I have bagged plenty of woodcock here in southern NH, but I have yet to bag a grouse, let alone see one. Dexter is a 3 year old male GSP. He is very good pointer and steady until the flush. He breaks on the flush which I need to work on.

Ed Wahl · Post by **Ed Wahl** » Tue Nov 05, 2013 7:03 pm

My name's Ed Wahl, I live in the Sacramento Ca. area. I've been hunting this area for about 30 years. I currently have 3 dogs, a 3yr old pointer, broke, a 1.5yr old GWP, rescued just a month ago and still in training, and a 14yr old Gordon Setter, retired except for a gimme bird now and then. I hunt both valley and mountain quail, and pheasants. I'm 51 and a truck driver by trade and fly fish and hunt whenever I can. The canyons of the west slope Sierra Nevadas are my preferred hunting grounds but I make use of everything I can find. Can't wait to pick your brains and I'll try to give as much as I get. Ed

mgrucker · Post by **mgrucker** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 5:32 pm

Hi,

I'm a 31 year old guy from Minnesota. I hunt mostly pheasants and grouse. I used to duck hunt but haven't for quite awhile now. I'm here and on the VersatileDogs forum researching my first hunting dog. My family and hunting partners mostly have labs and I've hunted with german shorthairs before. Right now I'm leaning heavily towards a pudelpointer in the spring. Besides trying to make up my mind on breeds I am researching dog training techniques and everything else that goes along with having a hunting dog.

chukkrok · Post by **chukkrok** » Wed Nov 13, 2013 7:11 pm

Hi, my name is Chuck, 48 yrs. old....been hunting grouse here in central pa.. since my teens.. I have a new pup..Roxy, a(brittany)and I have had 2 others previously..my favorite month is january, whenever I am at camp, and there is a fresh snow....due to aging dog issues, and now youthful dog issues, I haven't hunted grouse the last 2 yrs... and yes its killin me...but I am having fun, working with this new girl...no pressure,,, all in fun.... and she is picking up alot ..... I can't wait to get out there , but patience is a virtue...I gotta keep tellin myself that!!! :roll:

Mark Newman · Post by **Mark Newman** » Mon Nov 18, 2013 12:59 pm

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I am 59 yrs old, live in Western Wisconsin and I have a 3 year old GSP "Chip". He is 60 pounds of solid fast moving luv ta hunt dog! He is a joy. I only started hunting Pheasant 3 years ago. Chip is the first hunting dog I ever trained. He has turned out pretty well and has done a great job considering who trained him. When I was 20 my brother and I hunted Grouse in Northern Minnesota. We didn't have any family or friends teach us how to hunt, we learned by reading magazine articles. You Tube has helped a lot and I have picked up a couple books and videos (DVD's). We've hunted North Dakota 3 seasons now and done well, I hunt Wisconsin and Minnesota usually by myself or sometimes with one other (brother, nephew, step son, friend).
I am a sales manager for a company calling on the Plastics Industry. Close to retirement and want to spend more time hunting and trying to figure out how to negotiate that with my wife. :roll: Hunting by myself is fine, but hunting with 4 of us abreast forces me to be hollering out come around, over, in and whistling constantly and making a large racket. My hunting partners don't like it, I don't like it and the dog is tired of it. I hope you guys can help.

paulehale · Post by **paulehale** » Tue Nov 19, 2013 5:23 pm

I have two English Setters, mother and son. Gretchen is gun shy and a wonderful house dog; Nigel has a great nose and hunts with much speed and style. We live in northwestern Connecticut, where we hunt Pheasants and Chukars, both birds stocked on state and club land, and at preserves. I also do some duck hunting, and now that Nigel, 2 1/2 years old, has discovered that he can swim and loves retrieving ducks, there will be more of that. I'm a NAVHDA member and train with the Hudson Valley chapter, but I won't test there as Nigel doesn't have papers. He does, however, have his AKC PAL (Purebred Alternate Listing), and it's my intent to run him in AKC Pointing Dog Hunt Tests, and to get him his Master Hunter title. He certainly has what it takes; the rest is up to me!