Sunday, July 4, 2010

Dog camp with Bill Gibbons

Great post by my blogging friend and fellow Vizsla owner, Andrew Campbell from NYC, and his month trip west to train with Bill Gibbons in the White Mountains of Arizona. 

 Andrew's blog, The Regal Vizsla has been my inspiration for redbirddog.


http://regalvizsla.blogspot.com/2010/07/dog-camp.html




I'd express jealousy, but Andrew is several years ahead of me in my adventures in dog training and field trialing and completely deserves treating his dogs and himself to "the best."


I will be following his adventure closely.


I drove out to Hastings Island yesterday and visited Randy Berry at his kennels.  It was day 18 of break training of Bailey.  I watched with amazement at the progress Randy has made with Bailey over this time span.  I know there is much more to be done, and I felt great about how it is going.  Do I understand everything?  No, but that is of little importance at this point.  What Randy is doing is working.


The idea that I would have attempted the break training process now seems a bit less realistic.  A professional dog man can read the dog.  I can't yet.  That is just how it is.  Why screw up a good dog for the self-satisfaction of saying I did it myself?


One summer in the future, I will want to follow Andrew's lead and  head to the White Mountains myself to surround myself with world class hunting dogs and world class hunting dog trainers.  Real "Dogmen" in God's country.

http://www.magmabirddogs.com/aboutBill.html

 
But that is in the future.  One step at a time.

1 comment:

Andrew Campbell said...

Rod: I am flattered to hear that the Regal Vizsla was in some way an inspiration for your own blog. For me, I just hope that other folks will learn from my mistakes and get themselves and their red-dogs out doing what these great dogs do so well... find birds!

I have been blessed with two great dogs and a wife who encourages me to do crazy things like this. I wish you the same kind of fortune.

best
Andrew