By David DiBenedetto

Ever since I brought Pritch home I’ve been hearing opinions about gun dogs. My brother told me I’d suffer because I was used to retrievers, and that Boykins “just don’t have the same fire.” And a fellow outdoor writer only half-joked that I had gotten a “chick dog.” But you don’t have to look too far back at the comments to some of my pervious posts to see that Boykin owners are certain they have the best dog on the planet…all of which makes for a great Hump Day discussion: What’s the best pound-for-pound hunting dog?

By David DiBenedetto

Ever have one of those days? One of those days when you get the boss to let you knock off a little early. You rush home, grab the pooch, throw her in the truck and make a beeline for your favorite training spot. So what if you hit a little traffic. You’re out of work, it’s a beautiful afternoon, and you have a pup in the back of the Jeep.

By David DiBenedetto

There’s an old saying, “You can’t fall off the floor,” and as far as training Pritch as a retriever goes, I’m lying prone on the floor. At 13 weeks I shouldn’t be expecting too much from her, I know. In fact, all the books (and I’ll have more to say about the books soon) say I should concentrate more on the SIT, STAY, COME commands at this period. But I’m like most over-eager parents, expecting to see my child perform miracles.