KENNEL TALK
By
Ken M. Blomberg
Buying Christmas presents for your outdoor enthusiast
relations, or friends can be made simpler if they’re proud owners of hunting
dogs. There’s a host of options and
sources available to satisfy the tastes and wants of most gun dog owners.
Badger residents don’t have to travel far from home to browse
through many training and hunting supply displays that are available at many
outlets. In Wisconsin, several stores
carry good selections of basic gun dog training needs. Those outlets include Gander Mountain and
Fleet Farm with various locations around the state, Cabelas (Prairie du Chien),
Herters (Beaver Dam), Scheels (Eau Claire) and Bear Paw (Rice Lake). While the selection may not be the best,
they all have enough of the basics and plenty of other gift-giving ideas. Here are a few examples of gifts sure to
please your bird dog hunting friend, or relative.
BOOKS. Gun dog
training and various breed texts usually grace bookshelves near the training
equipment section. Some are geared
towards the pointing breeds, while others lean towards retrievers. Don’t pass up the upland bird hunting
selections, as many contain a wealth of training tips and advice.
COLLARS AND LEADS. A
hunter and his, or her canine companion can never have enough collars and
leashes. Nylon and leather are usually
the material of choice. While I prefer
leather leads, I use nylon colored collars, which seem to dry out faster when
wet.
TRAVEL CRATES. I
bought my first dog crate nearly 30 years ago when the only style was
wire. Since then, plastic has become
the most popular and can be purchased for under $50. Plastic travel crates, originally designed for shipping dogs by
air freight, are a great housebreaking tool for new puppies and useful for
transporting older dogs to and from hunting locations.
DOG BEDS. Would make a
great Christmas gift for your friends with hunting dogs that are kept in the
house. Check the ones with removable
liners for easy washing and upkeep.
Many of these cost in the neighborhood of $20 - $30.
WHISTLES, LANYARDS AND BELLS. These items make great stocking stuffers and are essential
equipment used to keep track and control of hunting dogs in the woods and
a-field. Each can be purchased for
under $10.
RETRIEVING DUMMIES.
Various sizes and colors of dummies can be found at the above-mentioned
stores for around $5 in both canvas and plastic varieties. Recent additions to the dummy world include
life-like duck and pheasant dead fowl training dummies. These specialized dummies run from $20 to
$30.
VIDEOS. The list of
gun dog training video titles grows with each season. Most outdoor related retail stores have a small selection of
quality choices. Start with the basic
training videos and work towards the more advanced, specialized titles which
push the $70 range. I’ve purchased
previously viewed tapes at discounted prices.
CATALOGS/INTERNET SITES. For a greater selection of gun dog training
items, look at the numerous mail-order catalogs and internet sites from across
the country. Too numerous to list, the
best access to a number of catalog supply firms is through a search engine on
the internet. Or check out the ads in
magazines like Gun Dog, P.O. Box 343, Mt. Morris, IL 61054, or Bird Dog &
Retriever News, 563 17th Ave NW,
New Brighton, MN 55112.
Finally, for a full line of sporting dog
equipment in western Wisconsin, check out Rush River Outfitters online at www.rushriver.com, or toll free at
(877)944-3100.
With winter upon us, it’s time to insure that our outdoor gun dogs are snug in their kennels. As always, make sure their doghouses are draft-free and contain plenty of dry bedding. Over the years we’ve found that a grassy hay, or better yet, marsh hay makes the best bedding. It holds up better and is less abrasive than straw.
Make sure your dog has access to fresh water daily and
increase the amount of feed you offer.
Dogs burn many more calories in cold weather. It doesn’t take much to make your buddy more comfortable during
long winter nights.