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James Seibel
Providing your dog with loads of structured training programs.
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At the age of 10 years old I was first introduced to hunting by my father. When I was 12 my dad gave me my first bird dog. When I was 16 I bought my first German Shorthaired Pointer and I joined the German Shorthair Pointer Club of Pittsburgh. At 17 I won the first AKC field trail I ran Gretchen in. Now I was really bit by the bug to campaign my dog. When I graduated from high school in 1972 I went to work for Richard S Johns of Benton Pa. I worked many pointing dogs for hunting and field trials with him for 7 years. In 1983 I made the big decision to go in business for myself and never regretted it one minute. I have owned many outstanding pointing dogs that I have hunted grouse and woodcock with as well as Labrador Retrievers that have been used for waterfowl hunting. In the 70's I hunted Ringneck Pheasant from horse back over some of the widest running field trial dogs of that time.
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German Shorthaired Pointers were required to retrieve dead birds. I first force broke a bird dog to retrieve at age of 18.In 1972 to 1979 as a pro working for Richard S Johns I got allot of time in force breaking many breeds of dogs including some retrievers. There is nothing harder to train to retrieve than a bird dog that does not want to retrieve. When I opened my kennel in 1983 was when I first started gearing the business towards a retriever kennel.
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With my first retriever I got as a gift in 1983 I started to hunt ducks When hunt test first started I was very much interested in hunt testing for myself and clients. I currently do Not handle dogs in hunt test but friends and client dogs trained here are currently running hunt test and trials. 1990 was the year I changed my training program to what Rex Carr was teaching. 1995 the Total Retriever Training tapes by Mike Lardy came out. Much reading studying attending seminars by Andy Attar and Ed Fory and training LOTS of retrievers has brought me to the program I now use .I owe a big thanks to these trainers and others that have made a great effort to upgrade the level of retriever training we have today for everyone to know and understand. I have hunted ducks in Michigan Ny Del Md Va Pa and Mass. from canoes, boats to field blinds pit blinds shore blinds and floating blinds. I have hunted Rivers , Big lakes , swamps , Flooded timber , marshes, creeks, ponds and fields just about ever where a duck or goose go’s. I have a real good idea how to train your dog for hunting or hunt testing.
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Over 35 years ago I trained my first bird dog using pigeons. Today I still prefer to use Pigeons in a pointing dog program. If the pup will point them and play the game. One of the reasons is that you can train with them 365 days out of the year.
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The second reason is I can place them in many spots; In fact I can train with them anywhere within 100 miles or more of the Pigeon loft. I have seen many dogs leave my program and go right into the woods and point Grouse. It is far easier to get a dog steady to wing and shot using pigeons. This is made possible with electronic release traps and pigeons that are race birds or descendents of them. I have birds on the team that have flown 500 miles. My pigeons can fly over 60 mph and when a dog goes on point if they as much as move a foot or their head to look at me I can release the birds. If I see the dog moving in on the birds creeping or running at them and I know he smells them I can release the birds. If the dog is uneasy about me moving in at the early stage of training I can release the birds. The point is I can simulate a wild bird that explodes out of the trap and also it is to get the dog to point way off at the first smell of scent. I can control the event in order to develop the dog in the right direction. After many perfect points it is time to move on to something harder. I do not believe it is good to work a pup on Quail or Chucker if they are going to be a Grouse dog. A dog that can point Pigeons 20 to 60 yards should be able to point grouse . Any closer and I would have my doubts. The second method would be developing a dog on Hungarian Partridge or wild birds, which is very hard in this day and age to do. One of the Best dogs I owned was Ginger she was started of pigeons. I can tell you that the first woodcock she smelled she pointed. The first time I took her into the Grouse woods she pointed a Grouse. Then she was hunted 6 days a week for Most of her life on Grouse and Woodcock. The big reason she was so great was Genetics she was from dogs that pointed grouse. The big factor was TIME SPENT IN THE WOODS, A Great Nose, Brains and Endurance also helped.
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How did I get another great Grouse and Woodcock dog as in Sam? I bred Ginger to a Field Trial Champion and Grouse dog from a proven family of dogs that were hunted on Grouse. I kept the whole litter and hunted them on wild birds and selected Sam as the Best pup in the litter. Then he was hunted 6 days a week most of his life. Genetics, Great nose, Brains, Endurance and TIME SPENT IN THE WOODS on GROUSE and WOODCOCK made it possible. Sam was a dog worked on Pigeons made Steady to wing and Shot then challenged on something harder to point as in Pennsylvania Ruffed Grouse The King of the game birds.
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