Bird Dogs Afield host Paul Fuller is the gun dog columnist for Northwoods Sporting Journal.  The Journal has granted permission to re-print Paul’s articles. Thank you Northwoods Sporting Journal.



 

  • October 2012: Preparing For A Long Distance Hunt:  How to prepare for that bird hunting trip of a lifetime.

  • September 2012: Natural Ability & Trained Ability:  Understanding each ability and how they’re acquired.

  • August 2012: Conditioning: Paul’s annual article on the importance of conditioning before the hunting season.

  • July 2012:  Then & Now: We look at modern training methods and how they differ from years ago.

  • June 2012:  Dena Goes To School:  The Fuller’s young shorthair goes to school at a NAVHDA training day.

  • May 2012:  The Force Fetch:  A discussion on the benefits of force fetch training.

  • April 2012:  Saying Goodbye:  Paul offers advice on how to make one of the hardest decisions of your life...putting down your pet.

  • March 2012:  Training on Wild Birds:  Paul describes the importance and benefits from training on wild birds.

  • February 2012:  Bird Dog Words:  Paul defines frequently used words in dog training and field work.

  • January 2012:  Kansas Upland Hunt:  A review of the Bird Dogs Afield November hunt for pheasant and quail in Kansas.

  • December 2011:  Good Grouse Year:  A review of the Bird Dogs Afield 2011 Ruffed grouse year.

  • November 2011: Grouse Utopia? Try Northern Ontario.  The Birds Dogs Afield team visits Kap River Outfitters for remote grouse hunting.
  • January 2011 2010 Grand National Grouse Championship
    Paul visits the 2010 Grand National Grouse Championship held this past November in Stark, NH.  The best grouse dogs in the country compete.

  • December 2010  October Bird Hunting Recap
    Paul recaps the various grouse and woodcock trips he took during October.

  • November 2010  A Montana Bird Hunting Odyssey
    The Bird Dogs Afield team travels to Plentywood, Montana for sharp-tail grouse and Hungarian Partridge.

  • October 2010  Opening Day Preparation & Excitement
    Paul reviews how we prepare for the opening day of bird season.

  • September 2010 Pre-Season Tune-up For The Pointing Dog
    A step-by-step pre-season system for tuning-up the already trained pointing dog.

  • August 2010  Feeding and Conditioning for You & Your Dog
    Both you and your dog need to eat right and exercise before the season.

  • July 2010:  Forced or Natural Retrieve
    Paul examines the pros and cons of the forced fetch and the natural retrieve.

  • June 2010: Talking to Your Dog
    The various methods of communicating with our dog are explored.

  • May 2010  Introducing A Puppy to Birds
    If a puppy has a bad experience with a bird, training may have a train wreck.

  • April 2010  Association:  Positive & Negative 
    Paul discusses positive and negative reinforcement and how association makes the connection for the dog.

  • March 2010 Curing Hard Mouth
    A bird needs to be delivered suitable for the dinner table.  Here are some tips for curing hard mouth.

  • February 2010 Bird Hunter’s Utopia
    Paul travels the country (on paper) looking for Bird Hunter's Utopia.

  • December 2009 Paul Answers Dog Questions
    A reader's email asks about pointing dog relocation and shooting grouse.

  • November 2009  How to Hunt Grouse With A Pointing Dog
    Tips on how to use a pointing dog on Ruffed Grouse.

  • October 2009  Locating A Good Grouse Covert
    Tips on how to locate good grouse coverts by studying habitat.

  • September 2009  Don’t Expect Too Much From Pup.
    Pups are exactly that…puppies.  They’ll make mistakes.  Paul provides tips for handling the first-year pup during hunting season.

  • August 2009  Preparing for the Hunt. 
    Paul offers tips on preparing both the hunter and the dog for the upcoming bird season.
  • July 2009  Best Grouse States. 
    Paul reviews the statistics provided by The Loyal Order of Dedicated Grouse Hunters to help determine the best Ruffed grouse states.

  • June 2009  New Experiences for Young Dogs.
    A visit to a North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association training day.  Paul watched the three exercises to which dogs were exposed.  They included search pattern, tracking and water retrieving.

  • May 2009  Justin Gets A New Puppy.
    Paul receives an email from a young man about to get his first bird dog.  Justin gets tips on how to select his pup and how to begin the training process.

  • April 2009  Guidelines For Training A Pointing Dog.
    Paul outlines his basic guidelines for training a pointing dog.

  • March 2009  Buy A Finished Dog.
    Don’t have time to train a pointing dog?  Then simply buy a brag dog from a professional trainer.

  • February 2009  Picking A Puppy. 
    Tips on picking a puppy.

  • January 2009  Woodcock Holes.
    Paul covers the importance of improving your woodcock coverts, answers emails and discusses the forced retrieve.

  • August 2008  Why Finish Your Dog?
    Paul explains why he feels pointing dog owners should finish their dog.

  • December 2008  Which Breed is Best?
    Tips on picking a breed, pointer vs. setter and “Are grouse numbers down?”

  • November 2008 Stephen Rafe Interview.
    Dog behavioral expert Stephen Rafe answers questions about dog training; Paul reports on a grouse hunting trip to Ontario, Canada and the fist week of bird season in Maine.

  • October 2008  Dog Nutrition. 
    Paul explains the importance of feeding your dog a high fat/protein diet prior to, and during, the hunting season.

  • September 2008  How to Finish Your Dog.
    Following up on the August column, Paul provides instructions on how to finish your dog and be the envy of your bird hunting friends.

Guest Writer Articles

Stephen Rafe, one of the most accomplished dog training behavior specialists in North America agreed to provide an occassional guest article on dog behavior.  This article is titled Does Your Dog Fear Thunder?  This subject fits the season perfectly.  You can reach Stephen at rapport1@verizon.net.