Dog Training | Bluestem Kennels

BB’s First Hunt: Our Six Month Old Wirehaired Pointing Griffon

August 24, 2011

Charity Upchurch Bird Dog Training, Kennel Update, Puppy Update Bird Hunting, Dog Training, Gun Dog, Hunting Dogs, Korthals Griffon, Pheasant Hunting, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons 1 Comment

Saturday morning, Charles and I took BB out to the local dog training wildlife management area to plant some juvenile pheasant, in order to break her to the gun and get her used to quartering in the field.

In place of my usual still camera, I opted for shooting some video this day. The first video I put together is Charles explaining the equipment that we use for planting birds for dog training purposes and the actual technique of planting the birds:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4vq9krd09A

The second video is Charles and BB actually hunting down the birds. Over two sessions, there were six birds planted, but only four of them are documented on video. One of them was a lame flier and didn’t get up high enough for Charles to shoot it. Another of them must have ran off, as we never located it. The midday sun was beginning to make things a little uncomfortable, so we opted for heading home instead of pushing BB too hard.

What I enjoyed about watching this process was that in the beginning BB stuck close to Charles and exhibited a lot of puppy play behavior, but by the end of the adventure, she was more concerned about getting out and searching for birds. She also displayed her natural pointing instinct. It was also important to keep it fun, so that birds and guns mean dog party. If someone were to make it a frightening disciplinary training session, it would do more harm than good.

We will need to continue to work on the retrieve piece. She “marked” the birds, meaning that she went to the bird and sort of sat down with it in front of her, so she’s able to scent/sight track the downed bird, but she wasn’t quite ready to pick them up just yet. BB will fetch dummies and toys in the yard all day long, so I don’t think it will take too much to get through that next step, but that will be the next thing we will focus on.

Here’s the video of BB’s first hunt, enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Di7x2KFzOIQ

Planning for the upcoming season

August 18, 2011

Charity Upchurch Guiding Hunts, Kennel Update Bird Hunting, Dog Training, Gun Dog, Hunting Dogs, Hunting North Dakota, Korthals Griffon, NAVHDA, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association, Pheasant Haven, Pheasant Hunting, Pheasants Forever, Prairie Chicken Hunting, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons Leave a comment

Youth Hunt 2000, with Charles and I in the back on the right

Heartland Chapter #491 Pheasants Forever meets tonight, Thursday, August 18th at 7 PM at El Bee’s on Hwy 50, near the Sapp Brothers Coffee Pot/Water Tower. Youth Hunt Planning Meeting, new members welcome!

Sue has been in heat the past week and it has been a real pain keeping Sam away from her. We do not want fall puppies because it conflicts with hunting season. I hadn’t been letting them exercise together, until Sam wore me down with his endless whining about not getting to hang out with his lady. So a few days ago I started letting them run together again, but just practicing manual birth control, which consists of lots of yelling and running after him to prevent him from mounting.

I have also been busy doing battle with the burr plants on my property because I’m tired of brushing out BB every night to bring her in. I think that I about have them defeated and should finish the clean up this weekend. I am normally anti-herbicide, but these plants have me ticked off. I don’t think that I can convince Charles to spray though. Hopefully the good old weed and seed will do the trick.

We have our first guiding gig of the year lined up for September 19th out at Pheasant Haven and are looking forward to it. Charles does the majority of the dog handling in the field and I assist with gear. It’s very enjoyable to share our love of dogs and hunting with other people.

At this point we are planning on staying in Nebraska to hunt through mid-October, then head up to North Dakota for a week. Which reminds me, I need to order my hunting license and get my Eastern Nebraska Prairie Chicken tags. Also on my hunting related agenda for the day is I need to order some training birds for this weekend so that we can work with BB on planted birds and the gun before we hit the real deal.

Charles and I have decided that we are not going to do AKC or NAVHDA hunt tests at this point. I know it looks cool to have a title behind your dogs name, but we just don’t have the time for it in addition to hunting and guiding. Not taking away from the folks who do hunt tests, it is good for them, but it just isn’t our deal right now.

Two more weeks to go…I think this is probably one of the most exciting times of year to be in Nebraska. The football people are excited, the hunting people are excited…we’re just all excited to be a part of “The Good Life”!

Countdown to hunting season!

August 7, 2011

Charity Upchurch Kennel Update, Puppy Update Bird Hunting, Dog Training, Korthals Griffon, Puppies, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons Leave a comment

After my long absence, I thought I had better get my blog on or I might never come back! A little over a week ago I finished up a two week roadtrip with my mother and three children that included six states, four national parks, two state parks and the Pacific Ocean. It was quite an adventure and took a lot out of all of us. Now it’s time to gear up for the kids back in school and hunting season!

Charles worked with BB on fetch while I was gone and says that she is doing very well. He has also been working on his shooting game at the skeet range. Today we took the dogs for an exercise run at the local dog training wildlife management area. Everyone is looking good!

The family out on a walk

Dogs in the field

Sam, our three year old male, sniffs the ground

Sue, our seven year old female

BB, our five month old female, is growing rather leggy and now weighs 35 lbs.

BB in action

BB taking a break in the shade

Sam and Sue taking a break in the shade

We recently received an updated photograph of Duke from our most recent litter that went home in April, taken while he and his boss were boating and fishing up in South Dakota. He knows where the comfortable spot is!

"Is it hunting season yet? I'm not very good at fishing"

Celebrating Freedom!

July 11, 2011

Charity Upchurch Bird Dog Training, Kennel Update Dog Training, Gun Dog, Hunting Dogs, Korthals Griffon, Merritt Reservoir, Nebraska Sandhills, Valentine Nebraska, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons Leave a comment

This summer is slipping away so quickly! We had a great time up in the Sandhills over the Fourth of July weekend. The first two days of the weekend were spent out at Merritt Reservoir swimming and canoeing with the dogs. (I apologize if some of these photos appear faint, I think my little point and shoot had a dirty lens)

Sam and Sue take a swim

Sam and BB in the water, with Sue on the beach

Charles takes Sam out for some canoe practice

BB is growing, weighing in at 27 lbs at 4 months old

BB takes a swim

Sue follows behind the canoe containing Charles and the kids

My mom talked us into walking in the Fourth of July parade, which was quite the adventure. The dogs and the older kids did well, but I didn’t pack the stroller and Caleb wasn’t very cooperative. It was good lead walking and socialization practice for the dogs.

Lining up for the parade

Charles walking the big dogs in Valentine's Fourth of July Parade

I have a busy couple of weeks ahead of me, but I’ll be back with a couple of videos. I want to have a video of BB doing “fetch” and “sit”, then a second video of me grooming Sam. I get several hits a day for a grooming post that I wrote about a year ago and I’ve learned some new tricks that I want to share.

Stay cool in these hot days of summer!

Bluestem Kennels joins the Nebraska Kennel Club

June 15, 2011

Charity Upchurch Kennel Update, Puppy Update American Kennel Club, Dog Training, Korthals Griffon, Nebraska Kennel Club, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons Leave a comment

Cordelia and I are the newest members of the Nebraska Kennel Club, with BB at 14 weeks

Bluestem Kennels is proud to announce that we are now members of the Nebraska Kennel Club, Omaha’s AKC all-breed club. Cordelia and I are looking forward to taking conformation handling classes and possibly doing some dog work with Canine Good Citizen and obedience. The NKC does not sponsor hunt tests, so we will work with our hunt testing contacts through NAVHDA once we are ready to begin AKC hunt testing.

The next NKC dog show is at the Qwest Center, Omaha on July 15, 16 and 17. For more information, see the NKC website at http://www.nebraskakennelclub.com Hopefully, the levees will hold and you won’t need a boat to get there.

We’re still working with BB on “sit”, but she’s really doing well with “fetch”. I’ve been meaning to shoot a quick video of our “fetch” work, but it has been crazy busy around here, so hopefully I can get that posted for next week.

Dog days of summer

June 7, 2011

Charity Upchurch Bird Dog Training, Kennel Update, Puppy Update Dog Training, Gun Dog, Hunting Dogs, Korthals Griffon, Missouri River, Puppies, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons Leave a comment

I have managed to work daily with “BB” on sit, stay, release (I use “okay” as the release command). She does great on stay and release, but doesn’t have the “sit” pose down just yet. So, after the command “sit” I push down on her rear and lift her chin just slightly, to put her in the position that I want. I then give the “stay” command (you could also use “whoa”) with the stop hand signal. Right now, I’m backing away facing the dog, so that I can catch her if she moves, but eventually I should be able to walk away with my back turned to her and she shouldn’t move. Here’s a shot of her enjoying the “doggy pool” on a hot day this week:

BB cools off at 13 weeks

Summer is here and with it comes so many distractions! All three kids are home, Charles just had a week-long break and the heat and humidity have gone off the charts here! Another glitch in our training is that the private land that we normally use for water and light field work is underwater from the Missouri River flooding. It is supposed to crest around June 15th, after a major release of water from Gavin’s Point Dam and they are projecting a record crest. Our prayers go out to all who are being affected.

Stranded RV on River Road, Plattsmouth, Nebraska

I received a puppy update from Kyle in Nevada, via an e-mail from his father, Stan (who’s as sharp as a tack in his 80’s). Stan reported that “Shady Lady” is up to 24 pounds and did some great tracking and retrieving practice up in Montana with Kyle. Stan says it best, here’s the quote from the e-mail, “The other day in Montana she found and retrieved the hidden pheasant wing from 100 feet downwind! Dropped it at Kyle’s feet! Sign us ………. “Happy”. I always appreciate the great updates and photos from my puppy owners; thanks Stan and Kyle!

Shady Lady from our "B" litter at 3 1/2 months

Spring in the Sandhills and other adventures

June 1, 2011

Charity Upchurch Bird Dog Training, Kennel Update, Puppy Update, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons Dog Training, Gun Dog, Hunting Dogs, Korthals Griffon, Merritt Reservoir, NAVHDA, Nebraska Sandhills, North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association, Valentine Nebraska, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons Leave a comment

We had a surprise visit last night from Kyle and his three month old pup from our recent “B” litter, named Duke. It was a shock to see how large he is, most likely pushing the 30 pound mark. I wasn’t able to get a measure on his shoulder, but he is tall enough that BB can run between his legs. As Duke lives within 15 miles of our house, so we will be seeing the most of him out of any of the pups from our litters. It will be exciting to watch him develop!

BB, Sue, Duke and Sam having a Griffon party

Duke points BB

BB and Duke had a great time playing together

Memorial Day weekend was spent up in my hometown of Valentine, Nebraska. The dogs went for a run out on some public land outside of town and enjoyed the exercise in a change of scenery. Working the dogs in different terrains in the off-season makes for confidence in varied environments during hunting season.

Sam and Sue on a run through the Sandhills

BB and Cordelia also take in a jog

BB swamping in a wet area near a windmill

Our next stop was Merritt Reservoir, a popular local fishing and swimming hole. The dogs and the kids had a great time playing in the water and sniffing around.

BB points the kids playing in the lake

Sam takes a dip

Sue wades deep in the chilly water

Sam surprises us with a treasure: a brand new minnow bucket full of live minnows

In BB news, we took her to the vet for her 12 week shots and she weighs 17 lbs., a 7 lb. gain from when she arrived. We’re getting close to being finished up with housebreaking and I’m going to start a daily obedience training regimen. She has “come” down, but I’m going to work daily on sit, stay, whoa, and heel. We’ve started cap gun conditioning while she’s playing in the kennel with Sue and will continue to work on “fetch” with the pheasant wing.

BB at 12 weeks

BB picks up the duck dummy while Duke looks on

Bluestem Kennels is now an officially registered kennel with the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association http://www.navhda.org/. We look forward to training and testing BB with the local Heartland Chapter http://www.heartlandnavhda.com/.

Spring training!

May 16, 2011

Charity Upchurch Bird Dog Training, Kennel Update, Sire and Dam Ability, Trap and Skeet Shooting Bark for the Cure Cancer Walk, Dog Training, Gun Dog, Hunting Dogs, Korthals Griffon, Puppies, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons Leave a comment

Happy First Birthday, Bluestem “A” Litter, on April 30th!! Here’s Winston’s 1st birthday picture, he lives on an acreage outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Thank you to Kelvin and Nancy for the picture!

Winston from our "A" litter at 1 year old

I also received some pictures from one of my new owners of a “B” litter puppy. “Roxy” (formerly known as Bess) lives out in Utah with Randy and Pam. They are very happy with her progress and surprised at how fast she is learning. Once again, many thanks to them for the photo contribution:

Roxy of our recent "B" litter checks out the wing

Roxy on retrieve to Randy

Roxy points the wing

Roxy on water retrieve

While we’re talking water, Monday and Tuesday of last week were 95+ degree days here, so I took the opportunity Monday afternoon to take the big dogs out for some swimming practice and see if we could get our new puppy “BB” in the water. Water practice is not only fun, it is vital for the dog’s desire to water retrieve waterfowl during hunting season.

Sue and Sam take a dip

BB takes her first swim

BB heading back to shore

The water was still pretty cold even though the air was warm, so our time in the water was limited. Swimming is an instinctual behavior for dogs, therefore you can’t introduce them to water too soon after picking up a puppy from a breeder (weather permitting).

As a follow-up to the wing work that we’ve been doing in the house, BB got into her first live chukar on Saturday. I used the same technique on BB that I just used on the litter of puppies. I put the chukar on a bird harness attached to a leash, I then used my puppy training pen (a 5 ft. x 10 ft. area that I created with metal fence posts and snow fence) to get the puppy to focus on the bird. I first hold the bird in my hand and put it into the puppy’s face, then slowly give more and more leash, until the bird can move about pretty freely (run and flap) within the confines of the pen and my leash. Naturally, at first the puppy is apprehensive about this strange new creature, but the scent from the training wing made it somewhat familiar. By the end of the 10 minute session, BB was chasing and pouncing on the bird with vigor! This is a good first step to get a new puppy excited about birds.

BB a little apprehensive at first

It didn't take long for BB to get aggressive with the chukar

Spring training isn’t only something for the dogs, it is important for humans too! When it comes to upland hunting, we have to do our part to ensure success also. Dog training and handling are very important, but the hunter’s shooting skill and physical fitness are also key. We’ve been spending a few weekends a month at the local skeet range tuning up our skills with the shotgun, in preparation for hunting season (which is only 3 1/2 months away). If you can’t hit the bird, then the dog doesn’t have anything to retrieve!

Charles walking back to station 1 to start a new round

Charles smashes the high bird on station 7

Those are the happenings over the past week at Bluestem Kennels! We will have a booth at the Bark for the Cure Cancer Walk on Saturday, May 21st from 9 AM -12 noon at the Lied Activity Center, 2700 Arboretum Dr. in Bellevue, Nebraska. If you would like more information about the walk or would like to register for the walk please see their website at https://sites.google.com/site/rflthunderingherd/bark-for-a-cure-cancer-walk We will be there to talk Wirehaired Pointing Griffons, versatile hunting dog training and just for some good canine fellowship! Hope to see you there!

Guiding at Pheasant Haven: February 20, 2011

February 22, 2011

Charity Upchurch Guiding Hunts, Hunting Tales Bird Hunting, Dog Training, Gun Dog, Hunting Dogs, Korthals Griffon, Pheasant Haven, Pheasant Hunting, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons Leave a comment

A cool, moist day for a hunt.

Everyone wondered if we were in for rain or snow as we set out Sunday afternoon in search of pheasants and chukars. For the first time, the owner had completely turned over the reins for this hunt and it was just Charles, Sam and I on the property with the hunters. It was three generations of a family from a rural southeastern Nebraska town by the name of Geneva: a grandfather and great-uncle, the son and the sons-in-law, and most importantly, the grandson.

The flushes all came in singles throughout the property. We hunted for a couple of hours, took a water break back to the cabin, then set out again for more birds for another hour and a half. It was getting up towards supper time when we finally parted ways. The weather cooperated and so did the dog. The best part of the day was to see the anxiousness and timidness of the young lad melt away, turning into joy and excitement for the sport. This was confirmed by his dad, as we all left and shook hands, he stated that his son told him, “Dad, this pheasant hunting is fun!”

A chukar partridge flushes between two hunters.

"Nothing like a good clean kill."

Charles and the youngest hunter.

A hunter walks into Sam's point.

Another chukar goes down.

Sam retrieves a chukar.

A rooster pheasant in flight.

A rooster pheasant upon impact.

The youngest hunter requests to carry a pheasant.

A happy young hunter, what it's all about!

Three generations of hunters: grandfather, grandson, son.

The hunters and their quarry along with Charles and Sam.

Waiting for Puppies and Pheasant Cordon Bleu

February 14, 2011

Charity Upchurch Kennel Update, Puppy Update Dog Training, Gun Dog, Hunting Dogs, Korthals Griffon, National Geographic Adventure, Nebraska Sandhills, Pheasant Cordon Bleu, Puppies, Valentine Nebraska, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons Leave a comment

Happy Valentine’s Day from Bluestem Kennels!! It is an extra special observance for me as a native of the North-Central Nebraska town of Valentine, which was recently named a “Best Adventure Town” by National Geographic Adventure magazine! Check it out: http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/weekend-getaways/nebraska/valentine-travel Over the years, we have had some adventurous upland and waterfowl trips to the Nebraska Sandhills ourselves.

Spring is in the air here in the woodlands of Eastern Nebraska! Robins galore, squirrels scurrying about and a pleasant morning sunshine for some photography this morning. We are still anxiously waiting the arrival of the puppies, but I anticipate that by this time next week, I’ll have some puppy photos to share. Of course, I will post those up as soon as they are born, so it could be any day now! For now, here’s some shots of Sue and Sam during morning exercise.

Sue on the sniff

Sue doesn't let her big belly stop her from inspecting a deadfall

Sam looking regal in the sunlight

Sam on the sniff

Closeup of Sue's belly

Sam running to check back in

If you have any pheasant breasts hanging around in your freezer, you really should try making this Pheasant Cordon Bleu recipe for your Valentine! It is an adaptation of a Tyler Florence chicken recipe, but it didn’t take very long and the family was very pleased with the results (as Charles cooked in restaurants in his younger days, I have a tough crowd).

6 pheasant breasts, skinless and boneless
Salt, black pepper and either crushed thyme, basil or oregano
6 thin slices deli ham
12 thin slices of good cheese (typically Swiss, I used extra sharp white cheddar
1/4 cup flour
1 cup bread crumbs (I used Italian style bread crumbs)
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lay the pheasant breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, gently pound the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. Take care not to pound too hard because the meat may tear or create holes. Lay 1 slice of cheese on each breast, followed by 1 slice of ham, and 1 more of cheese; leaving a 1/2-inch margin on all sides to help seal the roll. Tuck in the sides of the breast and roll up tight like a jellyroll. Squeeze the log gently to seal.

Season the flour with salt and pepper; spread out on waxed paper or in a flat dish. Mix the bread crumbs with thyme (or oregano or basil), salt, pepper, and oil. The oil will help the crust brown. Beat together the eggs and water, the mixture should be fluid. Lightly dust the pheasant roll with flour, then dip in the egg mixture. Gently coat in the bread crumbs. Carefully transfer the roulades to a baking pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until browned and cooked through. Cut into pinwheels before serving.

Pheasant Cordon Bleu

Enjoy!!

Bluestem Kennels