Getting a new puppy this spring?  

 I acquired two 7 week old GWP's from a reputable kennel last spring 2020.  I  started their training immediately, not intense demanding or harsh  procedures rather just exposing the pups to the natural world, as well  as laying ground work for further more formal training.

   As  the owner of BLUE Collar Kennels  I have had  the opportunity and good fortune to raise many puppies.   Being a breeder, hunter, and devoted dog trainer  I have after many years of experience  developed a step by step program that will make pups and older dogs  the best they can be. My program does involve participation in testing programs such as the  North American  Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) and the American Kennel Club. (AKC) hunt  tests for pointing breeds.   I have trained  several Blue Collar dogs to the highest level of both venues, NAVHDA Versatile Champions and AKC Master Hunters and Advanced Master Hunter.

  Testing is required to get the most out of your dog .  What testing will accomplished is to set goals for you and your pup,  It will make you allocate the time and resources needed to give your pup the best possible chances of doing well in the test.  This will make you spend time with your pup in a controlled goal oriented setting, What also needs to be done beside testing is hunting, which is just as important or even more important in developing a great hunting dog.  To make the best hunting dog possible you must give your dog days in the field. 

 To prove my methods work I tested  last springs pups at the tender age of 6 months in NAVHDA'S  Natural Ablity test. Both pups received Prize 1 maximum score 112 points  without club assistance or ever being at the test site prior to test day.   Don't get me wrong  NAVHDA clubs provide a invaluable amount of support and knowledge especially to the novice, and the comradery you will obtain with folks getting together to share and pursue their dreams of having great hunting dogs will forever be part of of your life.  Being a hunter and a dog enthusiast you will make friends and  memories that will last a life time.  That being said I after many years of being involved in the Utah Wasatch Mountain Chapter of NAVHDA, moved to a isolated area in South Dakota where its impossible without several hours travel time to be near a club.   I had to do it on my own enlisting anyone that was willing to get out with me.

 NAVHDA'S Natural Ablity Training  can be done on your own but for higher level training  such as NAVHDA'S UTLITY  or AKC MASTER HUNT training,  this will require assistance.  That's where club involvement is so important.  I do encourage if possible for you to get involved in a club,  volunteer, you will gain an immense amount of knowledge from being involved and testing your dogs. Here are some pics of my girls at test day. Bone Points Liza Jane and Bone Ponts Lefty Sept 27 2020 . The test was put on by the MIDWEST TRI STATE chapter of NAVHDA, 

  In my next posts I will outline and describe what I do for my puppies to get the most out of them. The first thing you need to do is prepare yourself for  the responsibility of having a puppy  and decide where your puppy is going to live. 

Inside or outside whats best for a hunting dog.

Before  I retried.  I always kept my dogs outside.  Its just wasn't possible to have them in the house when I was at work.   An old boy told me years ago, inside or outside dogs will do fine but you can't have it both ways, if a dog has to be outside sometimes then always leave it out.  They are better prepared for winter that way.  Make sure dogs have a dry doghouse with good bedding and are out of the wind and they will do fine,  Their bodies adapt to the cold.  You can't bring a dog in at night then put it out in the day and expect it to do well.  Its ok in summer but not in the winter.  They get use to the house heat and their coats don't grow as thick as if they were kept outdoors.   That's why horses grow long hair in the winter, for protection.  Some folks put blankets on their horses, its keeps them warmer and  they don't grow the thick hair for winter protection.  This applies to dogs.

Dog Training (Backing)

I went out Saturday morning to work the dogs,  I took some chuckers and pigeons and worked Blue Collar Bron on backing and steady to flush exercises.  I used VC Black Canyon Gin as a pointing dog, I took three

launchers out, bought her in and she pointed, since she will hold forever, I just left her there. I then got Blue Collar Bron out and released him from behind a haystack, as he came around the haystack,  he pointed Gin,(honoring) I released the first homer, I blanked it, then again with the second not saying anything just moving in front of both dogs when I got to the traps I released the third bird, this time I shot it,  Gin stayed so I walked back to Bron and gave him the retrieve.  I later ran the dogs though the traps, old scent. I went out and worked Bron with VC Blue Collar Asia on some planted chuckers. Both were steady on all birds and both backed each other.  After that I refilled the tree traps at the exact location, and took two dead chuckers with me.  I brought Bron in, before he could smell the birds I popped them, he stopped to flush on the first and second and then the third, each time I released a pigeon I would fire my shotgun.  Then I took out a dead chucker  threw it a long way out, came in closer and threw a another bird out closer crossing over the path of the first bird.  I then released Bron on the first close bird, when he came in, I brought  him to heel and then sent him for the longer memory mark, he handled both correctly.

Sunday morning I took out the dogs this time all three running together, all were just having fun.  I just wanted a photo shoot.  I wanted the dogs just to run and have a great time.  I wanted to see if I could get a photo of all three on point, not a lot of training just letting the dogs run and come back to me naturally.  I dropped three chuckers down, I did not plant them just set them down,  I made a large circle after taking the dogs to water.  I circled them back towards the birds,  all three birds had moved, but the dogs found them and pointed them.  They remember the training from the day before. I was able to handle all three dogs,  We found all three birds, and the dogs pointed and honored each other.  This was without the aid of e-collars.   It's great to have three trained dogs and hunting season just beginning.    

Blue Collar Duke

Here are some pics of BLUE COLLAR DUKE,  He is out of my D litter out of VC BLUE COLLAR ASIA x VC Heildwolf BENELLI, as it turned out,  because the owner had some conflicts on picking him up, I kept the pup until the pup was just shy of 16 weeks.  Duke went home after the test.  The pup got a lot of my attention, we played games every night.  Because I was running a NAVHDA test  in Sept , I entered him.  Anyway at 3 months I knew he would have a hard time passing the search segment of the test.  He ended up getting a 2 in search but ended up getting a Prz III 93 points.  I was thrilled.  He tracked a pheasant down on the track and pointed it,  he found two chuckers in the field and pointed them  and he also swam.  His scores were:  Pointing 4,  Use of nose 4,  Tracking 4, Search 2 , Water 3,  Desire to work 3,  and Obedience 4.  


I don’t recommend testing this young but I knew the dog would point, swim,  and track.  I ‘m  moving to SD and I had him out there the week before the Utah test , I saw him point and track wild pheasants.

Kennel Update

Blue Collar Kennel is moving to South Dakota. I will in SD most of the fall hunting and training my GWP's.    What better place to be than in pheasent heaven.   I will be retiring from the Air Force this Oct,  after 36 years of service to pursue my true passion.  Hunting and Training my GWP's.   I will still be whelping my dogs in Utah for anyone that has depoits for Asia's next litter.  I have a great puppy compond/puppy training program here and do not plan on staying in SD for the winters, only during late summer and until the weather really gets nasty , late dec. 

Blue Collar Dahlia update

This is another Blue Collar Pup out of Asia, Blue Collar Dahlia I  knew she was going to be a great little dog.  The owner is thrilled with her.

Her words on her new pup:

"Wow, congrats on Duke. Had a friend take this pic yesterday of Dahlia. She was great at the test. No openings so couldn't run her, but she was a little trooper while I ran my male. No barking, even when surrounded by other dogs. Just sat there and watched everything, napped in the truck, ate, socialized. Calm but VERY bold and fearless. Excellent temperament. Points the wild quail out back and loves the water. Has a very short attention span, but that is just puppy. Very smart."

BLUE COLLAR DUKE - 3 Months Old NA Test

I ran BLUE COLLAR Duke in his NA test, at 3 months! Our Pup, Duke just made us both look great today!  The senior judge who has been judging dogs for over 30 years said that Duke was the youngest dog he had ever judged. He was awesome again, in the field he pointed two chuckers and let me go past him and kick out the birds, the second one I was going to flush and the bird took off running, before it flew, Duke gave a small chase then came back to me. His search, and I knew it was going to be hard is  on him is where, he got docked,  he did the best he could, but he was being evaluated as a dog with a search that is 16 months old , in fact all aspects of the test he was judged as if he were a 16 month old.  So his search wasn't a big enough and he would occasionally look  back at me, but I was extremely please with his search,  He will expand and run harder as he matures, the other natural inticnts and the ones that are most important he exelled. On the releases of the clipped rooster where then just pull some feathers out so he can't fly, he was more than excellent, I took him to the feather pile released him he took off about 10 yards slowed down put his nose on the ground and followed the track for about 40 yards, then he locked up on point, He held the point for a long time, the  judging team did not think there was a bird there, Duke never bulged, after talking it over one of the judges said he would go look see, the judge went out got in front of Duke kicked around, still Duke did not move, The judge then shook his head as if he he were saying no bird, but Duke didn't move, so the Judge got right in front of the dog to encourage Duke to move,  at that point about 8 feet in front of Duke out jumped the rooster!

I almost jumped for joy! Duke was pointing the bird  whole time! I was so proud of him, he was stanch as a rock head and tail held high.

He was a little tired by the time we did the water work, he went in the first time got the bumper and retrieved to hand, then I had to do it again, this was hard on him so he was a little recluctet, but he did go,  they made him go three times, he swam and retreived to hand all three times!    Anyway he has no issue with water  he was just a little tired, So he got a 3 for water , still a very good score, but for the most important things he kicked butt!

Use of nose 4, Pointing 4, Tracking 4. Cooperation 4, Water 3 and search hurt us with a 2.  Anyway everyone was amazed by his performance. He is a awsoneme pup.. He ended up with a qualifying score for the Natural ability breeders award with a 93 prz 3, because of the 2 in search. I was so proud of my little dog I was beaming from ear to ear!