Happy 4th of July from Valhalla Kennels & Gun Dogs!
As we approach 4th of July weekend there is perhaps no better time than now to start thinking about the future of your young pup! If you are starting a new prospect this summer, now is the time to give your pup the foundation it needs to be successful in the field. This starts with confidence around birds and confidence with the shotgun. The 4th of July can be a dangerous time for the future of a young pup as the loud noises from fireworks and noisy neighbors can frighten a young dog and if not properly protected from these elements could even cause your pup to become gun shy. So this year make sure to keep your pup in a quiet spot away from the noise, there is a time and place to introduce noise and that is in the bird field.
At Valhalla we offer our Gun Dog School of Excellence class every Saturday morning at 8 am. This is a great place to get your pup off to the right start! During class dogs of all ages and experience levels can be properly exposed to birds and live gunfire under the guidance of Valhalla’s professional training staff. The class will help you and your pup build a solid foundation to be the best you can be in the field. You will have the opportunity to work your own dog while learning fieldwork fundamentals such as quartering the field, whistle commands and whoa work. Our Gun Dog School of Excellence is a great place to socialize your dog with other people and other pups while at the same time getting early bird exposure and training development. Come work dogs with us on Saturday mornings at 8 am, you and your pup will sure be glad you did!
Valhalla Kennels and Gun Dogs
Handler Training at Valhalla
Well it is the “Dog Days” of summer as they say and unfortunately for all you bird-hunting enthusiasts we still have a little ways to go until the nationwide dove opener in September. But don’t despair, summer is a great time to train dogs or even better train your self! This summer instead of sitting on the couch watching “Hunting with Hank” reruns get on the phone and reserve your handler training session at Valhalla today!
Handler training participants get to spend the morning training along side Valhalla’s Pro Trainer, as he works sporting dogs of all breeds. You will see first hand the intricacies, nuances and “tricks of the trade” when it comes to working all breeds of sporting dogs. You will learn everything from how to gun break a young puppy to watching mature dogs getting professionally trained to retrieve. Pointing dog owners will learn how to teach dogs to hold their point, honor other dogs as well as yard work basics including quartering the field and “whoa” work. Flushing dog enthusiasts will benefit from learning drills like sitting to a whistle and the flush, honoring pointing dogs and advanced water work.
Whether you have an older dog that needs some polishing up this summer, awaiting your first bird dog puppy or are just looking to broaden your knowledge of bird dogs and sporting breeds you can benefit from signing up for handler training today. Chances are you will learn more in a morning of training than by reading every gun dog book on the shelf! Do yourself and your current or future four legged best friend a favor and sign up for a handler training session at Valhalla today, you’ll both be glad you did!
For more information or to reserve your spot, call Valhalla Kennels and Gun Dogs today at 303-644-4300.
Young Guns
There is nothing like starting a new pup and the only thing better than one little rascal is two! Starting a new young pointer isn’t as time consuming as many people think. As a young puppy the most important things we want to accomplish are getting the dog well socialized with humans, building prey drive and running style and acclimated to the shotgun…
For young dogs socialization is key, we want to build a happy, confident and well-adjusted young dog. Take that puppy with you everywhere you go! One of the unique things about a young dog coming into the world is that they seem to enter the world liking humans and us the same, a truly unique relationship that is to be cherished.
As far as prey drive and running style, young pups are too immature for advanced training. Now is the time to let your dog chase around some crippled pigeons and just have fun. Now is not the time to look for pointing perfection, we just want the young dog fired up about birds! At this point in the puppies development it is also advantageous to do some wing on the string drills to bring out the pointing and stalking instinct within your dog. Never let the pup catch the wing and eventually he will become frustrated and start stalking the wing and showing you the beginnings of his pointing instinct!
Young dogs really are a lot of fun, if you are looking for help developing a young dog be sure to visit Valhalla Kennels for Saturday morning puppy classes allowing you and your pup the opportunity to socialize with other people and their dogs and get proper bird and gunfire exposure.
We look forward to seeing you in the field this winter!
Happy hunting,
Valhalla Kennels & Gun Dogs
Self Service dog bathing now available at Valhalla Kennels
Valhalla Kennels is pleased to announce the opening of a fully equipped bathing/grooming area open 7 days a week in the main lobby of the kennels.
This state of the art bathing set-up includes a stainless steel tub with ramp, professional spray nozzles, shampoos, conditioners, towels, brushes, and a caged dryer set up.
Fee for this service is $10/dog or let us do the dirty work for $20/dog.
Don’t drag home a dirty dog, take advantage of our convenient set up. The process is simple. Wet the dog down, work in shampoo, rinse well, and relax at clubhouse while your dog comfortably drys in the forced air kennel. This service is available to all guests and members of Valhalla Hunt Club and The Bluffs.
