When it comes to hunting dog woes, Tom Poorker and Doug Schoenborn have seen or heard it all:
The retriever that won't retrieve.
The pointer that cowers at the sound of gunshots.
The Lab that won't sit still in the duck blind. Or the pooch that simply won't come when called no matter what.
"There's nothing more enjoyable than working with a quality gun dog and nothing more frustrating than working with a poor one," said Schoenborn, 35, of Mahnomen, Minn.
He and Poorker, 46, of Milaca, Minn., are longtime professional gun dog trainers and dog breeders who, for the past half-dozen years, have teamed up to share their expertise with gun dog owners. They do free-wheeling question-and-answer seminars at sport shows around the Midwest, including Game Fair in Anoka this weekend and next.
There's never a shortage of questions.
"What amazes me is the misinformation out there about gun dogs and dogs in general," Poorker said.
Though both get paid to train dogs, they say there's no reason average hunters can't properly train dogs themselves, given some basic knowledge, time and desire.
"If people do their homework, it's very easy to have a good quality dog," Schoenborn said. The old axiom that a hunter only gets one good gun dog in a lifetime is false, he said. "There's absolutely no reason every dog can't be a quality hunting companion."
Both say success begins with genetics.
"You can't make a racehorse out of a Clydesdale," Schoenborn said. "The dog has to be born with talent and ability. There are lots of quality gun dog breeders out there. If you know what to look for, it's real easy to have a good dog."
Match the type of hunting you do with the breed, they say. But even a well-bred dog needs training.
Time and patience
Dog training isn't rocket science, but it takes time. And people often aren't willing to spend enough.
"It doesn't require a lot of time -- especially basic obedience," Schoenborn said. "We're talking 10 to 15 minutes twice a day, but doing that five or six days a week. You can't just go out and do it on Saturday afternoon."
Said Poorker: "Our society wants things right now. I call it the fast-food syndrome. But training dogs is not like fixing a car or flipping a burger. It takes time and patience."
Basic obedience is the foundation. If you can't get your dog to come to you in the backyard, it certainly won't come to you out in the field.
outdoors
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