Puppy-Training Tips from the Pro
Legendary dog trainer, Al Brenneman, promoted a simple, straightforward, common-sense approach to starting a puppy in the field. The best part of doing what I do is the cast of characters it’s allowed me to rub elbows with along the way. In other words, it’s the...
What’s the Rush? The Best Time to Neuter/Spay Your Dog
The practice of neutering at an early age may increase a dog’s risk for developing a laundry list of serious health problems. In terms of wisdom-per-page, a slim little paperback called Common Sense Grouse and Woodcock Dog Training by Roy W. Strickland as told...
Reading Season
This has been a big season for books. You’ve undoubtedly caught wind by now of the Sporting Classics book on famed outdoor illustrator (and Hemingway pal) Lynn Bogue Hunt, Lynn Bogue Hunt: Artist, Angler, Hunter. It just so happens that I scribbled the text for it,...
A Better Blind
My pro trainer friend Bob Olson had been raving about the Switchback Dog Blind/Kennel Crate, and when I finally made it up to his place (River Road Kennels in Lena, Wisconsin) for a look, I immediately became a believer. While the Switchback has a lot to recommend...
Brittanys
An angel at home and a demon in the field, the French Brittany packs maximum ability in minimum volume. In the 30 years or so that I’ve been scribbling about gundogs, the biggest “breed story” has been the renaissance of the cocker spaniel. Finding a...
Bay Of Pigs
Fishing the Bay, you can’t help but feel you’ve been handed the keys to a private kingdom, where the smallmouth bass reigns supreme. I should have gone to her, should have been there in her hour of need. I should have let her collapse in my arms and told...
Blastomycosis: A Little Known Disease That Can Affect Man And Dog
Literally two days after winning an 82-dog open all-age stake in the summer of 2016, a male black Lab named FC-AFC B Bumble, call name “Stinger,” was barely able to walk. Rushed to the veterinarian by his owner, Oskhosh, Wisconsin, sportsman Fred Kampo (who...
Pointing Lab: The Do-It-All Dog?
As a card-carrying traditionalist, I’ve always been more than a little skeptical about the pointing Lab. Why fix something that ain’t broke, you know? Then I met hunting and fishing guide John Klus of Lake Waubesa, Wisconsin. Klus is the owner of Oscar, a...
Lynn Bogue Hunt: Angler, Hunter, Artist
Angler, hunter, and above all artist, Lynn Bogue Hunt was the most popular and prolific outdoor illustrator in mid-20th century America.