We are proud to welcome the latest addition to Annabella Kennels. Bandit come to us from Dave Walker kennels in Idaho. Bandit is a direct son of the late DC Chick’s Blaze’N Sawtooth Sam, JH who was by NFC Beans Blaze HOF. This is very well bred young brittany puppy who we hope to groom into a dual champion and foundation stud dog. He has been a joy so far and is loving his birds. He had a natural retrieve to hand the first time out and is very intense on birds. We hope to campaign Bandit in both field trials, AKC hunt tests as well as show competitions. He has the pedigree and the makings of greatness.

Nothing is more fun than bringing home a new bird dog puppy. It marks the beginning of a 12-14 year relationship with mans best friend. Your new dog will be loyal and a pleasure to own if you get things started in the right direction. The foundation of the first year will effect the outcome of the entire structure, much like building a house. If your foundation is shaky, so will your dog be. If your foundation is strong and well-built, as will be your dog. Here are a few ideass to help you get started right.

The first few weeks can sometimes be the most trying but can also be the most enjoyable. Potty training and basic obedience are often the main focus during this period. We prefer the “crate training method” when house training your young dog. Giving your pup his own private den will help a lot in laying the ground rules in your house. Dogs need a place to retreat for comfort and security. They rarely soil this den so it is very helpful with potty training.

We believe the best thing you can do for your puppies first 6-12 months is socialization. The more people, animals, and environments you can introduce him to, the better. Everything should be fun and positive during this time period. Try to avoid high pressure situations and set your puppy up for success. He is going to make mistakes, relax and don’t make a big deal about it. Enjoy this time with your puppy.

This is also a great time to introduce your dog to birds. Pigeons and quail are best because they are smaller and less intimidating. The goal is to build prey drive and confidence in your young bird dog. He will learn that birds are fun, they smell good, and they are fun to catch and carry around. Pointing will come along in due time. Some trainers let puppies chase and flush birds till they point on their own. While others begin holding the puppy on point with a check cord after they become confident around birds.

You can’t make a bird dog without using birds in the training process. If you want lot’s of bird dog, then you should use lot’s of birds. The time you invest now will help produce a well mannered brag dog when your dog is 4-5 years old. The number one mistake new bird dog owners make is rushing the first year. They want the dog broke to wing and shot at 6 months old. It is not gonna happen. And you will ruin a great dog in the process. Relax, let him be a puppy and enjoy the first year. Take your time.

We love it when our puppies go to the right homes. We have had a lot of interest in this last litter of puppies and they are all sold now. The puppy pictured above is our pup we named Bob, he is going to live in Wisconsin. Here is the breakdown of where these puppies will live.

Female 1 – Saige – Layton, UT
Female 2 – Dotty – Elsinore, UT
Female 3 – Molly – Reno, NV
Female 4 – Weatherbee – Montana
Male 1 – Clyde – Las Vegas, NV
Male 2 – Milo – Wyoming
Male 3 – Trigger – Wisconsin
Male 4 – Larry – Wyoming
Male 5 – Boots – California

One of the things we are proud about is that our brittany puppies are extremely well socialized. They are handled daily from their first hours of life and this makes a big difference. A well socialized puppy is a puppy that is ready for anything. By the time our puppies go home at 7-8 weeks old they have been introduced to many new things. We take them on walks, they meet horses, cats, other dogs, people, mud, water, birds, noises, bugs, bikes, etc… We take them for rides in the car. We get them used to a collar and a leash, loading into a dog crate. More time with kids and meeting strangers, playing with them and retrieving toys. The results? You get a well-adjusted brittany puppy that is ready for anything. A confident puppy that is ready to learn and grow with you. An Annabella Brittany Puppy.

You just never know where Annabella Brittany puppies are going to end up. Hunter was the only male in a litter between Buster and Sadie. He has found an excellent home in Canada with a lot of room to roam. I took a little road trip to meet the new owners in Idaho for the exchange. We are always so happy to find just the perfect homes for our brittany puppies. A short note from his new family.

“Hunter is already twice the size he was when i picked him up, he grows fast. He got his shots up dated yesterday and did not care much for it. Thank you again for him we all just love him to death. My husband Karl started running with him, he has a ton of energy. He already runs about 8 kms before he starts to tucker out. Thanks again we will send you some more pictures again if you like.”

We love to hear how our puppies are growing and developing into great bird dogs and family companions. We received this photo this week from some folks that bought a female from Annie and Buster’s first litter. The name their puppy “Bella” and have spoiled her rotten I am sure. She is turning out to be a great hunting partner for Michael. Pictured above is a recent pheasant hunt. Mike says..

She pointed and retreived 5 for 6 today. The last one was a runner and she got him up in front of my son, he shot it and found her with the rooster pinned to the ground with both front feet. Off to Northeastern Colo. tommorrow. Regards, Mike

There is a famous brittany man named Ben O Williams in Montana who is know for running several dogs at a time. He not only trains like this but he often hunts his dogs in a similar fashion. He feels like they can learn much from each other and learn faster too. He doesn’t mind if they make mistakes and blow some birds. The idea is that they learn quickly to honor and back or there will be no birds in the bag (ie: no birds to retrieve).

Lately I have been running two dogs at a time when I go training or hunting. I wanted to try it out for myself and like Ben, I just love to watch the dogs work. The more the better. My dogs seem to be learning to back and honor points a lot better. Sure we have had a few covey flushes and birds blown, but it has been worth it. I try to mix up the tandem each time as well. Sometimes two dogs of a similar age, but more often I pair an older more experienced dog with a younger inexperienced dog. Try it out if you have more than one dog, you will find it quite enjoyable.

Our young female brittany “Sis” brought home a first place ribbon at her latest field trial. She just turned a year old and is training and competing with Ben Garcia in Colorado. We are so proud of her blue ribbon since she just started field trialing. Her littermate Tucker is also winning some puppy stakes. Last week Tucker had a second place and Sis took home a third place ribbon. These two field trial dogs are out of our Sue X Luke breeding and we are really liking what we are seeing out of their first litter. We hope to breed Sue again this fall for some more field trial competition puppies.

This is just one of my favorite phases of training a bird dog. The bird introduction is so important in getting a young puppy excited about birds and hunting. It is a pure joy to see the light come on as you put the first feathers in front of them. They catch on real fast that birds are wonderful and very tasty. I like to use a small quail in the beginning. If using a live bird be sure to hold the wings securely. You can use a wing as well to get them used to the smell. It doesn’t take long before they want to mouth it and hold it. Then before you know it they are retrieving pigeons.

Had a great weekend introducing our brittany puppy Cody to her new family. We met at the pheasant preserve so Dean could help me work with Buster and Sadie on some live birds. They did great and we even shot a few pheasant. Cody had a great time getting spoiled by Pam and can’t wait to home to California with them when Dean retires next month. Dean can’t wait to be done working so he can focus on bird dog training and enjoying their new brittany puppy. We love to see our brittany puppies going to such excellent homes.