I am committed to training you and your pointing dog to be a polished, working team
Go, Birdie, go!
This is Birdie she is 11 months old and is just figured out how much fun birds can be. Look how proud she is.
I love watching this process, watching it all start to click in their head. If you want to see pure joy watch a vizsla work birds.
Fin x Moxie
The three resident clowns — Keg Stand, Havthor, and Hecho— all making great progress learning to be broke dogs.
It’s all about successful transitions: learning the pinch collar cue, learning the ecollar means the same as the pinch collar, learning the same lessons apply when there’s quail crack up your nose, dragging the line so you can lose the line.
Thank you to Mark Chestnut for reaching out to get some opinions on using bird launchers in your training program.
https://www.gundogmag.com/editorial/remote-bird-launchers-dog-training/501887
Thanks, again, to Jerry Imprevento for the gorgeous picture of Aanya Petunia.
Understanding how a remote bird launcher can help create a great bird dog.
Some of the current inmates, learning to be broke. Lots of room for them to make choices, but setting things up for them to make it easier to find the right ones.
From top left going clockwise: Her Royal Highness, dragging the cord into scenarios; the dog now-known as Keg Stand, settling in to the routine and expectations; Havthor, too, learning to control his monkey-brain; and Hecho also dragging the cord into scenarios.
Giving a seminar gives you an opportunity to both reflect and hopefully refine what you have been doing and thinking and doing into a succinct, readily understood presentation. And hopefully I was able to do that the other weekend for the Finger Lakes Bird Dog Club – and the purpose of this piece isn’t to necessarily share that content, but a book review of sorts.
Over the time I spent with Bill Gibbons, I was struck by several of the books he had on his shelves – particularly Ray Hunt’s Think Harmony with Horses (1978) and Tom Dorrance’s True Unity (1987) – and he and I talked about the importance of trying to empathize with the dogs we were trying to train. And there are great lessons to be learned in those books too. But even in their most loyal, trusting, and bravest incarnations (like the bullfighters’ Lusitanos), horses are not animals we value for their predatory skill.
When I first picked up Matt Mullenix’s Four Falconry Fundementals (2020), I skipped through it and put it aside. I am not a falconer – and it seemed quite specific. For example, Mullenix’s four fundamentals are Prey Base, Husbandry, Recall, and Slip Management: the first is about selecting a hawk that suits the kinds of native game it will primarily see; the second is about four-Fs of feathers, feet, food, and furniture (the tackle used to fly and house the hawk); the third, the recall, might seem the most obviously applicable but is and isn’t; and, deceptively, perhaps because it is a commonly-used term in falconry, the fourth seems technically-specific, but is not in fact, however critically important.
It wasn’t until I was asked to give this foundation seminar that I picked it up again and realized that, from a philosophical perspective, there were any number of topics that might be applicable to starting a bird dog. And, perhaps, not surprisingly, it was the third section, Recall, that anchored me into the wider wisdom of this book.
Towards the end of this section of this book, Mullenix writes: “Rather than think of a new hawk as a blank slate awaiting detailed instructions in these duties, consider it instead a box of well-built parts with some assembly required.” (p.40)
This resonates for me because, in the majority of cases, we are hunting with animals who have been specifically bred for their purpose for over a century – and yet, we often seem to forget that we bred them to do and know better than we can. All to often we assume that all those ‘well-built parts’ are developing at the same relative speed, or that we somehow have a better grasp on scenting conditions to know where a dog should have pointed a bird from. ‘Assembly,’ in this regard means development through experience, not the piling on of subservience before the dog has ever had a chance to develop any sense of autonomous purpose. Or as Mullenix himself states, “... we treat the entire purpose of training a hawk as almost an afterthought! As a result, many hawks are over trained when finally entered, too focused on the falconer and unable to guess what’s expected in a hunt.” (pp. 39-40).
It should be pointed out that ‘training’ in Mullenix’s world is largely embodied in, by his own words, his ‘unconventional and expansive’ notion of the recall: “The term conveys a bird’s overall orientation toward the falconer both in the field and in the home.” As he goes on: “What should not vary is the falconer’s consistent messaging to the hawk. The falconer communicates through the regularity of interaction; in the reliable presentation of food; in consistent use of whistles and vocalizations; with the considerate introduction of new people, places, and pets; in short, with the timing, repetition and routine of everything.” (p.35; my emphasis).
Training, in this broad definition, is more than simple obedience – it is the establishment of a responsive and responsible relationship between falconer and hawk. It is not tricks, but trust. And with trust, comes a degree of freedom for both. “The falconer’s faithful routine and the hawk’s awareness of it provide the bird its first opportunity to affect outcomes on its own behalf. For such an independent and self-aware creature as a hawk, the return of its agency and some understanding of its world are, as much as food and flying weight, major motivators.” (p.36) In establishing that broad relational bond, we can then also periodically return the hawk’s (or dog’s) strong, genetic sense of purpose.
And we can develop the hawk (and the dog), to help it accrue experience and therefore skill, by carefully employing ‘slip management:’ “Stacking odds in favor of the hawk is a tactical matter every bit as important later in the season as on the first day.” (p.42) And while Mullenix is almost exclusively describing the development and hunting of hawks on wild game, the principle remains the same: for an inexperienced dog, especially, how can we stack the odds in its favor for it to discover and embrace its genetic purpose (even if the majority of us will still likely have to rely on farm-raised birds)? And are there ways in which we can do that to both instill that sense of self-awareness and agency in the dog? And to prepare them for the first time they are entered on to wild game? The answer is yes. But as for the hawk and a consideration of the meteorological and topographical variables within slip management, once we pay attention to things like scenting conditions, cover, weather, even on pen-raised birds, we can help stack the odds for an inexperienced dog to develop the skills for it to be entered on wild game.
There are of course analogies to be made to the first two fundamentals that Mullenix identifies – Prey Base and Husbandry. Picking a dog, or a line within a breed of dogs, to suit the country, game, and your own temperament would be the first. And while it merges into the weight management section of the book, keeping a dog in relatively good cardio-vascular shape year-round is another.
In short, we can find guidance for developing and training new bird dogs in a variety of non-canine sources – and Matt Mullenix’s Four Falconry Fundementals is another valuable one.
It can be found here at: https://www.westernsporting.com/FB2053/four-falconry-fundamentals-matt-mullenix-.html
Thank you to The Right Paw Scent Club for spending the morning here at the farm learning about scenting for bird dogs and then running a bunch of not-necessarily pointing dogs on birds.
Super interesting for me to see a bunch of different breeds — and meet a group of owners keen to put their dogs to work.
SOLD!: OVD Nomadic 270 Awning.
Purchased in October 2020 and admired at hunt tests ever since. Only reason for selling is that I am rethinking my vehicle options.
Everything is there: poles, pegs, straps, etc. it will also come with the Rhino Rack roof rack it is mounted on. All you need are the rails on your truck or cap.
Awning alone is currently on Father’s Day sale at $800; the rack is extra.
All included: $600.
Thank you to the Nutmeg GSP Club for putting on a very hospitable trial. After the very warm conditions on Friday and Saturday, the ice cream truck at dinner was especially welcome!
Friday was especially good for us despite temperatures in the 80s. Seabank’s Red River Repentless, aka Danny/Doug McKenzie, had a strong three-find race to win the Open Derby. Thanks to Barry Bollinger for being a good competitor and showing super sportsmanship on Danny’s first find.
Seabank’s Let Him Follow Me, aka BillyMac/Toaster, had a super strong race in the heat with two finds to win the Open Limited Gun Dog stake. This was a retrieving stake and his win earned him the three final retrieving credits he needed to finish his Field Champion’s title. (This was also his fifth major win.)
Both Stormy and Shiner were laying down strong races in the Open Gun Dog stake but we lost them in the jungalicious conditions at Flaherty.
Shikari Capercaillie in the Brambles, aka Bramble/Chaos Monkey, also ran hard and had a divided find in the 13-dog Open Derby — and just got beat in a competitive field.
Bramble did go on to score 2nd place success in the Amateur Walking Derby stake with her owner, Rebecca Rowley, handling. Bravo, you two!
Thank you to Mitch Swierczynski for scouting my dogs as usual. And congratulations on winning Open Gun Dog and finishing Zippy’s Field Champion’s title!
Our spring competition season is now over and it’s time to break out some nice dogs.
Thank you to the Northern New England Brittany Club for putting on a well-organized, hospitable trial. Other than getting a little warm and muggy this afternoon, we were blessed with great weather, good food, and good company.
Congratulations to both Lenny Sinclair and Wyot and Allen Welch and Kira for finishing titles this weekend!
It was a pleasure to judge both the Amateur Limited Gun Dog and Amateur Gun Dog stakes and see some very nice performances along the way.
As for my string, it was a good weekend, especially for two Shikari dogs bred by my friend and conspirator, Ritu Mihir.
Shikari Capercaillie in the Brambles (Bramble), owned by Rebecca & Bill Rowley, bred by Ritu (BillyMac x Birdie), came out like a spider monkey on Mountain Dew to win the Open Derby stake! Good girl, Chaos Monkey!
This was a special win because it came with a plaque dedicated to the memory of Keith Madden, long time member of the NNEBC, a strong positive judge and good human. Keith gave me my first ever field trial placement -- and it is both an honor and bittersweet memory to remember him this way.
Shikari Na'ilde (Sam), owned by Ritu and me, bred by Ritu (Samsson x Aanya), has been growing in confidence each of these three times on the ground as a broke dog. He had a strong powerful race and ended up with 2nd in the 22-dog Open Gun Dog stake. Well done, Top Secret!
Seabank's Red River Repentless (Danny) (BillyMac x Ramona) had a great, 3-find run first thing this morning in Open Puppy for 2nd and then a good run in the heat this afternoon for 4th in Open Derby. Bravo, Doug McKenzie!
Seabank's Let Him Follow Me (BillyMac) (Bull x Peedie) won the 13-dog Open Limited Gun Dog stake in the heat for his fourth major win. Well done, Toaster!
2019 Jones Stainless 8-dog
*SOLD*
$10k (over $18k new today)
*auxiliary battery
*fold-down rear table and sink
*pressurized water system
*gas struts on storage doors
*tires replaced 11/23; 6k miles on them
*spare tire has been covered till now
*water pump replaced 4/24
*new battery 4/24
*80w solar panel for keeping battery charged while parked
All dog boxes have been cleaned and the floors re-sealed; used almost every day but well maintained; only reason for selling is delivery of my new Jones 10-dog.
Can arrange to meet for delivery for negotiable fee.
Message with questions or for more information.
We had a pretty good few days at the Connecticut Valley Vizsla Club field trial this past weekend. And for all the folks who think I should be smiling, this is the third-day face of a field trial chairman 😆
Open Derby:
1) Lindley’s Handmade (Tripp) — owned by David Melnick! This finishes Hecho’s juvenile career!
2) Shikari Capercaillie in the Brambles (Bramble) — owned by Rebecca & Bill Rowley! Very pleased with what ChaosMonkey did in front of the horse.
3) Southpaw Lionheart (Leo) — owned by Riley Wimer! Well done, 300!
Amateur Walking Puppy:
1) Forest King Climb Every Mountain (Summit), handled by owner Kim Barry! Winning the Saul Himmelfarb Memorial Trophy alongside his grandmother and great grandmother ends his juvenile career too! Well done, Havthor!
3) Seabank’s Red River Repentless (Danny) — owned by me but handled by Tristan Boscardin! Thank you, Tristan, for taking Doug McKenzie out on short notice!
All these young dogs spent time in south Georgia with me this winter! It’s great to see the results getting recognized.
Open Limited Gun Dog (Ret)
2) Seabank’s Let Him Follow Me (BillyMac) — whether coincidental or causal, after three weeks of doxy, so nice to see the Wee Man looking more like himself. And an immaculate retrieve for 1 retrieving credit!
Thank you to Mitch Swierczynski for scouting all my dogs. I greatly appreciate your help and support.
Thank you, too, to all the judges for enjoying these dogs as much as I do.
Getting back home and back up to speed (and trying to cope with ‘heavy pollen alerts’: here are some of this week’s super stars:
From the top left: 300 standing a bird from a super distance; she’s back!!!! working the groove with Tropicana!; Milo, a nice young dog from Huckle Hill GSPs, standing like a champ; Top Secret with a nice woods find; Mr P finishing up his force fetch!
We had a good weekend at the Southern New England Brittany Club trials at Flaherty. Thank you, as ever, to the folks putting on the event — and especially the volunteers who showed up to support the club and work hard even though field trialing is not their thing.
Thank you, too, to the various judges for recognizing the dogs. And thank you to owner, David Melnick, for getting a crash course in scouting.
Lindley’s Handmade (Tripp), owned by David, showed huge progress off the horse and won the Open Derby stake handily! Well done, Hecho!
Southpaw Bootlegger (Shiner), co-owned by Meredith Wadsworth and David Melnick, had a last-minute brain fart in Open Gun Dog, but with David handling had a strong race with two finds in Amateur Gun Dog to claim 3rd in a nice, strong stake. Bravo, Hobgoblin!
Seabank’s Red River Repentless (Danny), owned by me, also showed significant progress off the horse and claimed the win in Open Puppy! Well done, Doug McKenzie!
I was waiting for more of the group placement pictures to post about last weekend’s Vizsla Club of America National Gun Dog Championship out at the Oak Ridge Pointing Dog Club grounds in Harrisville, PA. But I know there’s a good-reason delay and so here are some other pictures.
I ran Forest King Climb Every Mountain (Summit), owned by Kim & Mike Barry, in both the Puppy stake and the 30min Derby stake. Both stakes were extremely strong — perhaps even deeper in talent than at the VCA horseback Nationals in November. Havthor earned a Judges’ Award of Merit in both stakes!
The first two pictures are the two of us at the breakaway for the Derby… in the snow… and his fourth and final find at the call of time with Tania Campbell’s nice young dog, Saga, executing a beautiful, natural honor.
The third picture is of our own BillyMac with a Judges Award of Merit in the championship itself. He had three finds, including a nice retrieve on course and never let up for the hour. (Thank you to Jordan Wells of JWells Kennels for keeping him in tip top shape for me before the event.). He never quit but was also only about 80% — and so is being treated for an undetected tick-borne illness with a month of doxycycline.
I am grateful to all the vets at the VT-NH Veterinary Clinic for their excellent care of our dogs over the years and for trusting an owner with a treatment plan when all exams and tests appear to suggest nothing is wrong.
Other Winter Camp successes included:
Shikari’s Capercaillie in the Brambles (Bramble) ran a great race in the Derby stake with owner, Rebecca Rowley, handling. And was unlucky to never be seen pointed before birds were seen skyward and the bracemate and then Bramble seen in pursuit. We still love and trust you, ChaosMonkey!
Dynata’s Bonnie Glenn Shee (Fae) also had a good showing in the Derby stake with owner, Shawn Harris, handling and earned 3rd place! Bravo, Conehead!
And Bluegrass Mouth of th’South (Hank/ Bob McKenzie) had a great couple of days with breeder/owner, Holly Hatfield, handling in both the Puppy and the Derby, earning 2nd in the Puppy stake and 4th in the Derby stake! Well done, Spankypants!
Thank you to the various judges for recognizing these young dogs’ potential, to the committee for their hard, hard work, and to the Oak Ridge Club for their hospitality and excellent grounds!
With Spring upon us, it is time to think about what sets Seabank Kennel apart for developing your young dog into a canine powerhouse.
Besides our CMUTs and Alphabet programs -- where we completely make up titles or tack on a few extra acronyms -- we employ a balanced, non-aversive, pure-positive smackdown program for young dogs called Puppy NinjaTM. As can be seen in the video, based on our grossly exaggerated, highly-limited experience with the US Military Biosensor program, we deploy a multi-phased search, evade, resist, and escape algorithm to bring out the most in your puppy.
We reinforce these versatile characteristics throughout a dog's career with a bespoke, small-batch system we refer to as Random BeatingsTM. None of this may be perfect, but 60% of the time it works all the time!
For those who asked about our softgoods and apparel lines: undersized, broodingly tactical t-shirts and logo-embroidered place boards will be available shortly.
Thank you to Jordan Wells at J. Wells Kennels in Woodstock, CT for keeping BillyMac in shape for the upcoming VCA NGDC while Seabank is taking some vacation.
Might seem strange for one pro to acknowledge another professional’s commitment but the fact is that it is better for the dog sports as a whole for quality to recognize quality. And Jordan has a pristine facility, experienced, friendly staff, and models an excellent work ethic.
Seabank is taking a radio-silent vacation until the end of the month. But for your entertainment, here is one of Hobgoblin’s final finds in south Georgia.
Seabank is making its way home from Georgia via the DC Weimaraner Club field trial in Felton, DE. First of all, thank you to the club for a well-organized, very hospitable trial as usual.
Forest King Climb Every Mountain (Summit), also known by his trailer nickname Havthor, owned by Mike & Kim Barry, had a great debut in OD taking second place behind a fabulously strong GSP — and then a wonderful win in OP for the first 2pts towards his FC.
Lindley’s Handmade (Tripp), aka Hecho, owned by David Melnick, also had a good showing in OD taking 4th place.
And with breeder Meredith Wadsworth handling him for owner Riley Wimer, Southpaw Lionheart (Leo), aka ‘300,’ takes a scorching win in AWP for his first 1pt towards his AFC.
In broke dog news, Southpaw Bootlegger (Shiner), aka Hobgoblin, bred and co-owned by Meredith Wadsworth, took 4th in the 14dog OLGD behind three extremely strong GSPs — and then repeated the feat two days later in the 26dog AGD behind three very strong GSPs with other co-owner, David Melnick, handling. With the size and strength of both stakes, we’re very proud of this grey dog.
Thank you to all the judges for appreciating these dogs.
Congratulations to Bluegrass Mouth of Th’South (‘Hank’), also known by his trailer nickname ‘Bob McKenzie’!
Hank had a wonderful weekend at the Heart of Illinois Brittany trial, taking second in Open Puppy and then winning the Amateur Walking Puppy with breeder-owner, Holly Hatfield!
This qualifies Hank to run in the National Derby Classic at the VCA National Gun Dog Championship!
Congratulations, you two!
Wk (z-1): It doesn't get old.
Nothing like watching young dogs making progress, adapting to the conditions, learning from the birds and learning from each other. WIll post some pictures in the first comment, but the video shows Doug McKenzie (in the blue collars) honoring Havthor pointed down by the draw.
The video doesn't show Havthor discovering how deep that draw is when he tried to follow the birds!
What the video doesn't show is the initial point by Doug -- and what might have been either an atypical honor or a confirmation from Havthor that the breeze had in fact carried all way from the draw some 25-30yds away (and then shifted). In either case, when the initial flushing effort produced nothing, the two dogs then began an increasingly-wide series of circles to see if the birds were in fact there. That the two dogs went in entirely different directions tells me the breeze such as it was had either died or completely changed directions. But it was Havthor who ultimately ended up 25+yds in the direction Doug had originally been pointed getting the still-balled-up covey pointed, leaving Doug to honor.
Congratulations to Dynata’s Bonnie Glen Shee (‘Fae’), also known by her trailer nickname ‘Conehead’! Congratulations too to the dynamic duo of Shawn & Maria Harris for her OP win at the Old Dominion Vizsla Club trial this past weekend!
It’s a true pleasure to have the opportunity to develop young dogs like Fae and then see their owners enjoy success. The future is bright, young lady!
Week (z-2): things are winding down here as some of the owners are able to come down and watch their dogs at work and take them back home. Nevertheless, there are still plenty of birds even if the scenting conditions are going to heck as vegetation is either dessicating or greening up.
From the top left going clockwise: Stormnormulous with a find on some swamp birds; 300 shows a super natural honor on Hecho; Havthor looking like a stud muffin; Club Tropicana on some of her final birds; Mr What Day Is It? making a guest appearance and hoping for a bird to get shot for him [cough, cough]; a gratuitous picture of one of the plantation's Cockers, Abel, on one of the final retrieves of the season; Saucebox with a nice honor on Top Secret; the Hobgoblin just being awesome.
Week (x+1): temperatures have started to rise and scenting conditions have certainly not improved as a result. One of our hunting clients has a pilot’s license and flew himself and his group in. And he has an app which gives him way more information than most of us need. When I ran a couple of dogs after he’d left yesterday afternoon, the humidity was in the single digits.
Dogs’ noses need to stay moist to keep them sensitive. And so, when you find yourself in hot, dry, windy conditions, I encourage you to not merely allow your dog to drink, but also to wet your dog’s nostrils specifically.
As the subsequent references to swamp birds infer, the quail also have a tendency to spend the warm, middle hours of the day in cool, damp, shady places. And in other swampy news: Top Secret also performed an excellent stop-to-flush on a snipe.
From the top left: 300 demonstrates a natural honor on ⭐️; Hobgoblin honors Toaster; Mr What Day Is It makes a guest appearance with a nice find on swamp quail; Club Tropicana with a lovely well-mannered find of her own; Saucebox honors Top Secret on some swamp birds; Doug McKenzie and Havthor with a nice divided find; Hecho with a lovely evening find; ⭐️’s last find in front of her owner as he came to pick her up!
Wk 97 😆: Grey Dog Jamboree!
Really nice to have a few days in a row to get a groove going with some of the dogs. And it’s showing!
From the top left going clockwise: 300 and ⭐️ with a true divided find; less ‘true,’ but good style from both Havthor in the back and Doug McKenzie in front; ⭐️ on a solo adventure looking fabulous; Club Tropicana making great progress; Top Secret honors Saucebox on a nice find; Top Secret on his own solo adventure; the Hobgoblin and the Toaster get a covey nailed after a perilous double relocation!
With a very busy two weeks of hunting parties, the broke dogs were all getting roaded off the ATV — which doesn’t make for sexy pictures.
Neverthess, lots of good bird work for everyone else.
From the top left going clockwise: after a super relocation, Havthor gets them nailed without bumping them; Saucebox with one of three great finds in crapulent hot, humid conditions; Tropicana decides she might be a team player after all; Doug McKenzie looking like a marathon runner but still able to find them in the heat; gratuitous spa pictures of Havthor and Tropicana; Hecho with a nice, strong find; ⭐️ showing lots of style!
Week 3: we have had bonkers weather changes, from low-40s to mid-70s. The birds don’t like it either.
Even if we have some say in whether to go hunting or not, we can’t choose when we compete. And challenge makes us and our dogs stronger and more adaptable.
From the top left going clockwise: a nice divided find for Doug Mackenzie and Havthor; ⭐️ nails another one down; Hecho with a nice stand of his own; Club Tropicana with a nice find of her own; Top Secret looking super sexy in the evening light; the dingo brothers, Saucebox and Hobgoblin, with a divided find; and 300 getting a lesson from an almost-pointed single.
Week 2: it’s amazing what keeping your mouth shut and allowing wild birds to teach inexperienced dogs will get you.
Have been mixing up bracemates to try and bring out (or preserve) different things — but the weather change and its effect on our cover means that the dogs are having to work harder for their birds. And that’s great, too.
From the top left: Hecho demonstrates his capacity to honor Doug McKenzie; Hecho gets a covey nailed down just right; Havthor gets a covey pinned and 300 establishes his own honor; Hobgoblin and Toaster with a nice divided find; Saucebox gets them perfectly located after a 25yd relocation upwind; ⭐️ !!!!; Doug McKenzie with a super honor on a super stylish Havthor!
Welcome to round #2 of Winter Camp and a slew of new trailer nicknames. Some will be familiar, others hopefully mildly amusing.
Very pleased with everyone so far, especially the newcomers. I get a kick out of the quantum leaps these young and/or inexperienced dogs can make with these great-flying birds.
And our 2024 contestants are… from the top left going clockwise: Hecho with a nice find and Doug McKenzie with a sensational honor; Saucebox returns and finds his nose (if not all his manners) right off the bat; Club Tropicana with a lovely honor on Mikey; Havthor figures it out super quickly; ⭐️ making huge strides for a latecomer; the Toaster and the Hobgoblin with a lovely divided find on a scattered covey.
282 Millers Falls Road
Northfield, MA
01360
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With Spring upon us, it is time to think about what sets Seabank Kennel apart for developing your young dog into a canine powerhouse. Besides our CMUTs and Alphabet programs -- where we completely make up titles or tack on a few extra acronyms -- we employ a balanced, non-aversive, pure-positive smackdown program for young dogs called Puppy NinjaTM. As can be seen in the video, based on our grossly exaggerated, highly-limited experience with the US Military Biosensor program, we deploy a multi-phased search, evade, resist, and escape algorithm to bring out the most in your puppy. We reinforce these versatile characteristics throughout a dog's career with a bespoke, small-batch system we refer to as Random BeatingsTM. None of this may be perfect, but 60% of the time it works all the time! For those who asked about our softgoods and apparel lines: undersized, broodingly tactical t-shirts and logo-embroidered place boards will be available shortly. #homeforafewgooddogs #rabbitrabbit #shesgoingtokickyourass #saynotopigeonslappers
Seabank is taking a radio-silent vacation until the end of the month. But for your entertainment, here is one of Hobgoblin’s final finds in south Georgia. #homeforafewgooddogs #birdsmakeabirddog #fiftyshadesofsexy
Wk (z-1): It doesn't get old. Nothing like watching young dogs making progress, adapting to the conditions, learning from the birds and learning from each other. WIll post some pictures in the first comment, but the video shows Doug McKenzie (in the blue collars) honoring Havthor pointed down by the draw. The video doesn't show Havthor discovering how deep that draw is when he tried to follow the birds! What the video doesn't show is the initial point by Doug -- and what might have been either an atypical honor or a confirmation from Havthor that the breeze had in fact carried all way from the draw some 25-30yds away (and then shifted). In either case, when the initial flushing effort produced nothing, the two dogs then began an increasingly-wide series of circles to see if the birds were in fact there. That the two dogs went in entirely different directions tells me the breeze such as it was had either died or completely changed directions. But it was Havthor who ultimately ended up 25+yds in the direction Doug had originally been pointed getting the still-balled-up covey pointed, leaving Doug to honor. #homeforafewgooddogs #birdsmakeabirddog
The Hobgoblin on a lovely scattered covey out sunning themselves yesterday afternoon. Amazing that all these birds are hidden in this sparse cover -- but teamwork starts with giving your dog the tools to make (good) decisions and then trusting them completely when they have. #homeforafewgooddogs #birdsmakeabirdog #slowissmoothsmoothisfast
