Wild Apple Kennel and Guide Service

Wild Apple Kennel and Guide Service
The 2007 Grand National Grouse Champion, Winner 2008 Northern New England Woodcock Championship, Winner 2010 Lake States Grouse Championship, Runner-up 2011 Northeast Grouse and Woodcock Championship, Winner 2011 International Amateur Woodcock Championship, Winner 2012 Southern New England Woodcock Championship

Wild Apple Kennel Training Blog

This blog will try to present a running account of the training and field trialing season for the pointers of Wild Apple Kennel. NOW ACCEPTING BOOKINGS FOR THE 2015 GROUSE AND WOODCOCK SEASON WITH WILD APPLE KENNEL GUIDE SERVICE! PHONE NUMBERS 603-449-3419 OR CELL 603-381-8763.



Monday, June 9, 2014

Smart Dogs

Fiona on a "COVEY" find at the end of her run this morning.
Right now I have the five puppies (Molly, Dot, and the 3 Bud Bros) plus 5 dogs that are 15 months old to just about a year.  What is most amazing about all these young dogs is how fast they learn things.  Both quail pens and the pigeon coop have electric fences around them and out of those 10 young dogs I thing only one or two has hit the fence more than once even though they can see the pigeons through the screened windows and in the aviary and can often see and always smell the quail.    It's not because any of them lack prey drive because when there are birds out on the course or in the bird field they are hunting and pointing (and chasing when they can) with intensity.  They are all smart enough to quickly discern the difference between the place we keep the birds and the birds they are supposed to hunt.

Some like Fiona (pictured above) would really like the rules to be different and has taken to staunchly pointing the pigeon coop knowing the consequences of what will happen if she gets any closer.  I was able to walk up to her and lift her up and away.  Had the fence not been there she would have wanted to flush and chase the birds.  Knowing that she is willing to respect the fence, which isn't all that hot, means that properly applied pressure will get her to stand her birds when there's no fence in front of her.  

We all tend to get a little breed-centric and I'll admit my preference for pointers but dogs like Fiona and Spiggy, a GSP, remind me that there are good dogs in all breeds.  Fiona runs hard and is extremely light on her feet.  Spiggy has a typical GSP gate that is more lope then hard run but she covers the ground well and is quite impressive when she hits bird scent and stacks up in a point.  There is no doubt when she has a bird in front of her.  

All the dogs are making progress on yard work, handling, hunting, and working birds in the bird field.  I'm looking forward to getting them out on wild birds when we go back in the woods later this month.