We got these pics via email of Bailey and her holiday adventures. Bailey spent christmas with her family in Kansas City where she got her first introduction to snow. Anita says Bailey is settling in nicely and loves to play outside. She mentioned a problem about biting. It is important for puppies to have chew toys that they are encouraged to bite and chew on. Anytime a puppy tries to bite a person or something they are not allowed to chew, a correction should be made. They key is to set your puppy up for success not failure. We know that when puppies are excited they are more apt to bite or play rough, this is when we should have their chew toy handy to direct their attention and sharp teeth.

Bob had to wait until Christmas to find out what his daughter had purchased him. This little Brittany female was my personal favorite of the litter. She had a lot of prey drive when I put her in front of some quail and chukar. But, she was still enough of a people lover to crawl up into your lap for a nap. We are excited for her to be in her new home in California where she will be a hunting/companion dog. We hear that their are some decent quail populations near where Bob lives. It is always a joy to see our brittany puppies placed in just the right homes. We recommend that new gun dog owners subscribe to the excellent magazine titled “The Pointing Dog Journal“. Steve Smith and his team publish the most respected magazine geared specifically to hunting upland game with pointing dog breeds like the american brittany.

One challenge of living in a climate where there is 4 seasons is roading the dogs in the snow and cold. We have to be careful and attentive because the deer tend to move lower when a big snow falls. This can present some distractions when training and roading the dogs. It can also be a good time to break the dogs from chasing deer and rabbits. A gentle reminder from the e-collar usually does the trick after they learn that chasing deer is uncomfortable. Another potential hazard in our area with winter are the presence of bobcat and fox trap sets.

This morning we woke up to 12 inches of new snow. It makes things interesting with simple chores like cleaning the kennels. First we have to dig the kennels out of the snow. Our kennels have an indoor outdoor access so the dogs can get out of the weather in addition to their K-9 Kondo insulated dog houses. We also use a heated water bucket with a thermostat to keep their water from freezing solid on the sub-zero nights. Lizzy is enjoying the snow very much and loves to bound through it checking the area for tweety birds. I can tell she is gonna run big as she gets older.

The last two brittany puppies are going to their new homes tomorrow. One is headed for Nevada (Freckle face) and the other (Brown face) is headed for California. Alyssa helped me give the puppies a bath and comb out their coats. Just if they could stay clean for more than 24 hours. We were thrilled to find hunting homes for all 5 of these females. Only one stayed here in Utah. The other two went to Wyoming and Arizona families.

Some will argue that wing on a string training can be counter-productive. While I agree that the wing on a string can possibly be over-used and may encourage a dog to sight point. I think it can be a great teaser when a puppy is young to bring out that pointing instinct. I only do it 2-3 times while the puppy is young and usually try to include the bird introduction lessons a few days before or after. Puppies will respond quite readily to the simple wing on a string and it is fun to see how deeply ingrained the pointing instinct is.

Ideally you would tie a quail, chukar or pheasant wing to the end of a fishing pole although a piece of tissue will work as well. It is important to not let the puppy get a hold of the wing. A few flutters out in front of the pup will draw their attention. When the puppy charges in, jerk the wing away to a new spot 10-12 feet away and flutter it again gently. The soft twitching motion will drive the pups crazy and you should see them point very soon thereafter if not instantly. Keep in mind this is just a short game and should only go on for a few minutes. Do not get worried if your puppy does not point. Some bird dogs take a while to point. They all seem to develop at their own pace.

In bringing a young hunting dog puppy along, the bird introduction is one of the funnest places to start. You can use a clipped wing pigeon, quail or chukar. I like to use the quail or pigeons on young pups because the size of the bird is not too intimidating. You can trim the flight feathers on one wing, or simply pluck them out. They will grow back with time if the bird doesn’t get chewed up too bad. I start by waving the bird in front of the puppy and let them get a good sniff. Then I toss the bird a few feet and see if the puppy will give chase. Typically they can’t stand the bird running and flapping and their prey-drive will kick in. The main goal of this drill is to get the puppy excited about birds. Being interested in birds is the foundation for building a bird dog.

This training drill can also be turned into a retrieving introduction. For best results you should do this in an enclosed area or with a lead fastened to the puppies collar. It is very natural for a dog to pick up a bird in his mouth, but bringing it back is the trick. Once they pick it up reel them in slowly with the lead and give the “fetch” or “here” command. When they get within reach, don’t take the bird right away. Pat them down good and pile on the praise. Let them hold the bird for a minute or two while you really build them up. Then get the bird and throw it again for another try. Do it a few times and put it away. Training should be fun, as well as short and sweet.

This weekend the pic of the litter went home to her new family in Wyoming. Forrest (Necha’s Father) drove more than 20 hours in a weekend to surprise his daughter Necha with the new puppy. The liver and white puppy was the pic of the litter and Necha decided to name her “Maple”. We are thrilled that she is in a loving home where she will be with a family who enjoys hunting gamebirds. Necha is getting ready to take hunters safety and is excited about hunting next year with her own pointing dog. This puppy seemed to be the most well-balanced of the litter. A real people lover but also quite adventurous and bold.

We took another puppy to meet her new family this week. They have chosen the name of Bailey for this fine little brittany puppy. She will be living in Arizona with the Perez family and I have a feeling she will be spoiled rotten. We look forward to seeing Bailey’s progress and have been promised pictures and updates from her new owners.