Book Review
A stack of dog books has built up on my shelf-and what better way to usher in the new bird season than to report on works dealing with the partnership between human and canine that adds so much to our days afield?
The Ultimate Hunting Dog Reference Book
By Vickie Lamb (Lyons Press, 800-962-0973, www.lyonspress.com; 2007), 450 pp. $29.95.
Vickie Lamb is a dog trainer and field-trialer from Georgia who works mainly with hounds and retrievers. She has written articles for magazines such as Retriever Journal and Just Labs and authored the book Dynamics of Hound Training (2002). She has hunted behind different dog breeds in many regions of North America.
The Ultimate Hunting Dog Reference Book, according to the publisher, is "A Comprehensive Guide to More than 60 Sporting Breeds." That's not wholly accurate. The book provides a thumbnail sketch (three to four paragraphs) for each of the different breeds, from American Brittany to Weimaraner (grouped with the pointing breeds); from American cocker to Welsh springer spaniel (flushing breeds); from Labrador retriever to standard poodle (retrieving breeds); from beagle to treeing Walker (hounds); and from Catahoula leopard dog to Jack Russell terrier (terriers and curs). Lamb then branches out into the general-topic areas of care and health, training, hunt tests and field trials, and actual hunting. Within these broad areas are numerous short chapters, themselves divided into many discrete sections ("Kennel Placement and Considerations"; "E-Collar Training"; "The Trained Retrieve-Yes or No?"; "Hypoglycemia").
Much of the information is basic, but there are enough intriguing bits to draw in more experienced dog owners. For example, I didn't realize that if a dog eats an onion, it could damage red blood cells and possibly even die (from the topic area "Poisons and Toxins"). I appreciate some of Lamb's training tips: "Always strive to put a period at the end of each command," so your dog will understand that you mean what you say. Her background in hounds qualifies her to offer observations regarding scent: "Two types of scent are left by a moving animal": that created by disturbed vegetation, which can ripen over time as "bacteria have had a chance to form among the disturbed vegetation and soil," and "raft scent," emanating from the quarry itself.
The book makes a good reference for a beginner deciding on a breed and wondering how to train his or her first canine hunting companion. It also has value for veteran dog owners who may be contemplating changing breeds or who enjoy gleaning tips from a trainer working within a different realm of sporting dogs.
Training Retrievers: The Cotton Pershall Method
By Bobby George Jr. (Countrysport Press, 800-685-7962. www.shootingsportsman.com; 2005) 167 pp. $25.
The late Cotton Pershall was a highly successful field-trialer and former chief trainer at the famed Nilo Kennels, in southwestern Illinois. In a foreword to this reprint of a book first published in 1990, Michael McIntosh writes that "if the task is to induce a dog to willingly perform a prescribed set of behaviors, Cotton Pershall [could] do it. If the methodology is intelligent, imaginative, effective, reliable, and sound, Cotton Pershall either invented or refined it." Writes author Bobby George, a protege of Pershall and himself a professional retriever trainer: "The objective of this book is to give the would-be trainer a simple program by which a dog can be trained to a relatively high level of competency... You can start a puppy with this program or you can start a year-old dog."
The book includes anecdotes about Pershall and his methods, some of them written in the present tense-it's as if you are there while Pershall explains the desired outcome of a lesson, handles a dog on dummies or birds, or recalls a hunting or trial situation from the past. Separate chapters explore the early training of puppies and young dogs; how to teach the "forced retrieve" (so that the dog will understand the useful commands "fetch" and "hold"); land and water retrieving, including marked and blind retrieves; what can be expected of a mature, trained hunting retriever; and how to keep a dog in peak mental and physical condition. Perhaps the greatest strength of the book-certainly the aspect I found most intriguing-is the way Pershall was able to get inside a dog's head, understanding and then putting into words exactly why a dog did what it did and how to reinforce or change that behavior.
Training the Versatile Hunting Dog
By Chuck Johnson (Wilderness Adventures Press, 866-400-2012, www.wildadvpress.com; 2006) 211 pp. $24.95.
The North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) recognizes 27 breeds in the category of "Versatile Hunting Dog." Some, such as the Brittany and German shorthaired pointer, are well known. Others are not exactly household names, like the Stichelhaar and braque du Bourbonnais. All are expected to search cover thoroughly, point birds, retrieve game and swim when necessary. They should be intelligent and friendly toward people, including children. "Do-it-all dogs" is how Chuck Johnson characterizes them. Johnson, who lives in Montana, has trained and hunted with German wirehaired pointers over almost three decades. He also writes a column on versatile dogs for Pointing Dog Journal.
Johnson covers the expected ground, including how to select the right puppy (first, choose the right breeder), basic and advanced training, developing a dog's ability to search for game, honing retrieving skills, how to use an e-collar, and methods and tactics for handling in the field. There are thought-provoking sections on how to promote the development of a slow-to-mature dog and how to care for an older dog, maximizing its hunting abilities and its quality of life. The book includes stories of gunning for sharp-tailed grouse, pheasants and waterfowl. Black & white photographs by Blanche Johnson, the author's wife, illustrate training techniques and convey the glories of hunting in expansive Western landscapes.
The Working Lurcher
By Jackie Drakeford (Swan Hill Press; distributed by Stackpole Books, 800-732-3669, www.stackpolebooks.com; 2007) 164 pp. $34.95.
A lurcher's task is to run down and kill other animals; the name probably comes from the sinister verb "to lurk." In Britain, where this type of dog has been bred for millennia, lurchers have been used to take rabbits, hares, mink, squirrels, rats, foxes, even deer. They were poachers' dogs in the past. Now they are embattled, on account of the hunting ban emplaced in February 2005 (the same ban that made fox hunting illegal; let us hope this meddling wrongheaded legislation does not survive the legal challenge that The Countryside Alliance has mounted against it). At present only rabbits and rats can be taken with lurchers. Though as author Jackie Drakeford puts it, "Lurcher work is conducted quietly and unobtrusively, much of it clandestinely."
Lurchers are not a registered breed. Writes Drakeford, "only the finest are bred from, and therefore their pedigrees are written in the work of their sons and daughters." A typical individual may be 25-percent collie and the rest greyhound or greyhound/whippet cross. Other breeds that may find their way into the mix include terriers, salukis, kelpies, pit bulls and German shepherds, depending on the intended quarry. The resulting dog is fast, lithe, strong, long-backed, deep-chested, cooperative and courageous. "Poacher to the eyebrows, as all the lurcher clan/Silent as a shadow, and as clever as a man"-so says a rhyme by Patrick Chalmers used as an epigraph to the book.
Read The Working Lurcher to learn about an intriguing subculture and an amazing dog, one in which form utterly follows function. Leafing through the book, I was transfixed by a photo of a lurcher pelting along in full chase: the dog a blur, one long limb askew as it powers through a turn, jaws opened wide, teeth about six inches behind the tail of a hare. The caption: "A tableau as old as Time."
Zip Zap
By Mike Gaddis (Stackpole Books, 800-732-3669, www.stackpolebooks.com; 2006) 304 pp. $24.95.
A lot of bird hunters probably consider showing off a particular dog in a field-trial setting-especially when a truly brilliant performer comes along, that proverbial once-in-a-lifetime dog. A little English setter bitch whelped in 1976 became that kind of dog for Mike Gaddis. Her name was Pat, and she galvanized him to hit the field-trial circuit in his native North Carolina and ultimately throughout the Eastern seaboard. Pat was powerful, spirited and courageous; she had that good of a nose. She was fast-so fast that she earned the nickname Zip Zap. She would develop into a winning trials performer and a superb performer on wild quail as well.
Gaddis is the author of Jenny Willow (2004), a novel about a setter. This new memoir paints a compelling picture of a real-life dog as well as the era of plentiful Southern quail populations and the pointing-dog-trials world with its drama and colorful personalities.
Working Pointers and Setters
By David Hudson (Swan Hill Press; distributed by Stackpole Books, 800-732-3669, www.stackpolebooks.com; 2004) 160 pp. $19.95.
Let's jump across the pond. David Hudson and his wife, Georgina, have owned and worked with pointers and setters for more than 30 years; they keep a small pheasant shoot in the south of Scotland. This book, published by an English house and distributed by an American one, examines the history and development in Britain of the pointer, English setter, Gordon setter and Irish setter. The author draws clear distinctions between animals employed for show, work or pet purposes today. He presents chapters on basic and field training using English methods; how to work dogs in coordination with the Guns during walk-up shoots; and field trials. The chapter "Field Days" is a taut essay depicting the "delightful work" of pursuing red grouse in the Scottish highlands. Writes Hudson, "for teamwork between dog, handler and Gun, not to mention real intelligence on the part of the dog, there is nothing to beat trying to outwit an old grouse, running and twisting through the heather and doing his best to get out of range before he takes to his wings."
Dog Training with Mr. Perks
By Bryn Parry (Swan Hill Press; distributed by Stackpole Books, 800-732-3669, www.stackpolebooks.com; 2006) 113 pp. $24.95.
Bryn Parry contributes cartoons to the English publication The Shooting Gazette. Starring in his sketches is one Mr. Perks, a portly, mustachioed chap clad in tweed plus-fours and matching cap, cravat, gaiters-the whole nine (veddy British) yards. Opposing this florid chap is a range of canine characters. As Mr. Perks bellows, a spaniel sits with back turned and arms crossed, a sly smile on its face, wearing hearing protectors; the caption reads: "The dog must respond to his master's voice." Mr. Perks gives his dog a line using a hand signal; the dog responds by giving Mr. Perks his own line. Can't say the cartoons are sidesplitting, but they do present a certain dry humor. I particularly liked the portrait of the springer grinning fixedly, flyaway hair cloaking its ears, tongue halfway to the ground, eyes like a pair of fried eggs sizzling in the pan. (And the black cocker spaniel with the impish stare does look a bit like my dog Havoc, at least during one of his calmer moments... )
The Ultimate Hunting Dog Reference Book
By Vickie Lamb (Lyons Press, 800-962-0973, www.lyonspress.com; 2007), 450 pp. $29.95.
Vickie Lamb is a dog trainer and field-trialer from Georgia who works mainly with hounds and retrievers. She has written articles for magazines such as Retriever Journal and Just Labs and authored the book Dynamics of Hound Training (2002). She has hunted behind different dog breeds in many regions of North America.
The Ultimate Hunting Dog Reference Book, according to the publisher, is "A Comprehensive Guide to More than 60 Sporting Breeds." That's not wholly accurate. The book provides a thumbnail sketch (three to four paragraphs) for each of the different breeds, from American Brittany to Weimaraner (grouped with the pointing breeds); from American cocker to Welsh springer spaniel (flushing breeds); from Labrador retriever to standard poodle (retrieving breeds); from beagle to treeing Walker (hounds); and from Catahoula leopard dog to Jack Russell terrier (terriers and curs). Lamb then branches out into the general-topic areas of care and health, training, hunt tests and field trials, and actual hunting. Within these broad areas are numerous short chapters, themselves divided into many discrete sections ("Kennel Placement and Considerations"; "E-Collar Training"; "The Trained Retrieve-Yes or No?"; "Hypoglycemia").
Much of the information is basic, but there are enough intriguing bits to draw in more experienced dog owners. For example, I didn't realize that if a dog eats an onion, it could damage red blood cells and possibly even die (from the topic area "Poisons and Toxins"). I appreciate some of Lamb's training tips: "Always strive to put a period at the end of each command," so your dog will understand that you mean what you say. Her background in hounds qualifies her to offer observations regarding scent: "Two types of scent are left by a moving animal": that created by disturbed vegetation, which can ripen over time as "bacteria have had a chance to form among the disturbed vegetation and soil," and "raft scent," emanating from the quarry itself.
The book makes a good reference for a beginner deciding on a breed and wondering how to train his or her first canine hunting companion. It also has value for veteran dog owners who may be contemplating changing breeds or who enjoy gleaning tips from a trainer working within a different realm of sporting dogs.
Training Retrievers: The Cotton Pershall Method
By Bobby George Jr. (Countrysport Press, 800-685-7962. www.shootingsportsman.com; 2005) 167 pp. $25.
The late Cotton Pershall was a highly successful field-trialer and former chief trainer at the famed Nilo Kennels, in southwestern Illinois. In a foreword to this reprint of a book first published in 1990, Michael McIntosh writes that "if the task is to induce a dog to willingly perform a prescribed set of behaviors, Cotton Pershall [could] do it. If the methodology is intelligent, imaginative, effective, reliable, and sound, Cotton Pershall either invented or refined it." Writes author Bobby George, a protege of Pershall and himself a professional retriever trainer: "The objective of this book is to give the would-be trainer a simple program by which a dog can be trained to a relatively high level of competency... You can start a puppy with this program or you can start a year-old dog."
The book includes anecdotes about Pershall and his methods, some of them written in the present tense-it's as if you are there while Pershall explains the desired outcome of a lesson, handles a dog on dummies or birds, or recalls a hunting or trial situation from the past. Separate chapters explore the early training of puppies and young dogs; how to teach the "forced retrieve" (so that the dog will understand the useful commands "fetch" and "hold"); land and water retrieving, including marked and blind retrieves; what can be expected of a mature, trained hunting retriever; and how to keep a dog in peak mental and physical condition. Perhaps the greatest strength of the book-certainly the aspect I found most intriguing-is the way Pershall was able to get inside a dog's head, understanding and then putting into words exactly why a dog did what it did and how to reinforce or change that behavior.
Training the Versatile Hunting Dog
By Chuck Johnson (Wilderness Adventures Press, 866-400-2012, www.wildadvpress.com; 2006) 211 pp. $24.95.
The North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) recognizes 27 breeds in the category of "Versatile Hunting Dog." Some, such as the Brittany and German shorthaired pointer, are well known. Others are not exactly household names, like the Stichelhaar and braque du Bourbonnais. All are expected to search cover thoroughly, point birds, retrieve game and swim when necessary. They should be intelligent and friendly toward people, including children. "Do-it-all dogs" is how Chuck Johnson characterizes them. Johnson, who lives in Montana, has trained and hunted with German wirehaired pointers over almost three decades. He also writes a column on versatile dogs for Pointing Dog Journal.
Johnson covers the expected ground, including how to select the right puppy (first, choose the right breeder), basic and advanced training, developing a dog's ability to search for game, honing retrieving skills, how to use an e-collar, and methods and tactics for handling in the field. There are thought-provoking sections on how to promote the development of a slow-to-mature dog and how to care for an older dog, maximizing its hunting abilities and its quality of life. The book includes stories of gunning for sharp-tailed grouse, pheasants and waterfowl. Black & white photographs by Blanche Johnson, the author's wife, illustrate training techniques and convey the glories of hunting in expansive Western landscapes.
The Working Lurcher
By Jackie Drakeford (Swan Hill Press; distributed by Stackpole Books, 800-732-3669, www.stackpolebooks.com; 2007) 164 pp. $34.95.
A lurcher's task is to run down and kill other animals; the name probably comes from the sinister verb "to lurk." In Britain, where this type of dog has been bred for millennia, lurchers have been used to take rabbits, hares, mink, squirrels, rats, foxes, even deer. They were poachers' dogs in the past. Now they are embattled, on account of the hunting ban emplaced in February 2005 (the same ban that made fox hunting illegal; let us hope this meddling wrongheaded legislation does not survive the legal challenge that The Countryside Alliance has mounted against it). At present only rabbits and rats can be taken with lurchers. Though as author Jackie Drakeford puts it, "Lurcher work is conducted quietly and unobtrusively, much of it clandestinely."
Lurchers are not a registered breed. Writes Drakeford, "only the finest are bred from, and therefore their pedigrees are written in the work of their sons and daughters." A typical individual may be 25-percent collie and the rest greyhound or greyhound/whippet cross. Other breeds that may find their way into the mix include terriers, salukis, kelpies, pit bulls and German shepherds, depending on the intended quarry. The resulting dog is fast, lithe, strong, long-backed, deep-chested, cooperative and courageous. "Poacher to the eyebrows, as all the lurcher clan/Silent as a shadow, and as clever as a man"-so says a rhyme by Patrick Chalmers used as an epigraph to the book.
Read The Working Lurcher to learn about an intriguing subculture and an amazing dog, one in which form utterly follows function. Leafing through the book, I was transfixed by a photo of a lurcher pelting along in full chase: the dog a blur, one long limb askew as it powers through a turn, jaws opened wide, teeth about six inches behind the tail of a hare. The caption: "A tableau as old as Time."
Zip Zap
By Mike Gaddis (Stackpole Books, 800-732-3669, www.stackpolebooks.com; 2006) 304 pp. $24.95.
A lot of bird hunters probably consider showing off a particular dog in a field-trial setting-especially when a truly brilliant performer comes along, that proverbial once-in-a-lifetime dog. A little English setter bitch whelped in 1976 became that kind of dog for Mike Gaddis. Her name was Pat, and she galvanized him to hit the field-trial circuit in his native North Carolina and ultimately throughout the Eastern seaboard. Pat was powerful, spirited and courageous; she had that good of a nose. She was fast-so fast that she earned the nickname Zip Zap. She would develop into a winning trials performer and a superb performer on wild quail as well.
Gaddis is the author of Jenny Willow (2004), a novel about a setter. This new memoir paints a compelling picture of a real-life dog as well as the era of plentiful Southern quail populations and the pointing-dog-trials world with its drama and colorful personalities.
Working Pointers and Setters
By David Hudson (Swan Hill Press; distributed by Stackpole Books, 800-732-3669, www.stackpolebooks.com; 2004) 160 pp. $19.95.
Let's jump across the pond. David Hudson and his wife, Georgina, have owned and worked with pointers and setters for more than 30 years; they keep a small pheasant shoot in the south of Scotland. This book, published by an English house and distributed by an American one, examines the history and development in Britain of the pointer, English setter, Gordon setter and Irish setter. The author draws clear distinctions between animals employed for show, work or pet purposes today. He presents chapters on basic and field training using English methods; how to work dogs in coordination with the Guns during walk-up shoots; and field trials. The chapter "Field Days" is a taut essay depicting the "delightful work" of pursuing red grouse in the Scottish highlands. Writes Hudson, "for teamwork between dog, handler and Gun, not to mention real intelligence on the part of the dog, there is nothing to beat trying to outwit an old grouse, running and twisting through the heather and doing his best to get out of range before he takes to his wings."
Dog Training with Mr. Perks
By Bryn Parry (Swan Hill Press; distributed by Stackpole Books, 800-732-3669, www.stackpolebooks.com; 2006) 113 pp. $24.95.
Bryn Parry contributes cartoons to the English publication The Shooting Gazette. Starring in his sketches is one Mr. Perks, a portly, mustachioed chap clad in tweed plus-fours and matching cap, cravat, gaiters-the whole nine (veddy British) yards. Opposing this florid chap is a range of canine characters. As Mr. Perks bellows, a spaniel sits with back turned and arms crossed, a sly smile on its face, wearing hearing protectors; the caption reads: "The dog must respond to his master's voice." Mr. Perks gives his dog a line using a hand signal; the dog responds by giving Mr. Perks his own line. Can't say the cartoons are sidesplitting, but they do present a certain dry humor. I particularly liked the portrait of the springer grinning fixedly, flyaway hair cloaking its ears, tongue halfway to the ground, eyes like a pair of fried eggs sizzling in the pan. (And the black cocker spaniel with the impish stare does look a bit like my dog Havoc, at least during one of his calmer moments... )
- By: Charles Fergus
