From the Editor

Dogs have been in the news a lot lately. With the popularity of the movie “Marley & Me” and the raging White House debate regarding a new First Pooch (last I heard the choice had been narrowed to either a Portuguese water dog or something called a “Labradoodle”), dogs have wagged their way into the spotlight of America’s consciousness.
    I should confess that I am partial to dogs with a purpose—those who have jobs for which they earn their supper. Generally speaking, these include dogs from the AKC’s hound group, herding group, working group and sporting group, although there certainly are breeds of questionable value within each of these divisions. (The Portuguese water dog, by the way, is a member of the working group and at one time served to herd fish into nets and retrieve lost or broken fishing gear. Perhaps the Obamas would teach one to retrieve “lame ducks” . . . .) Having watched cairn and Jack (or Parson) Russell terriers extract and then worry small varmints—and having read the late Bob Jones’s accounts of his Jack Russell, Roz, ferreting out pheasants—I’ll lump terriers with the “useful set” as well.
    Of course it’s the sporting group with which we’re concerned here—the dogs that accompany us to the fields and blinds and work tirelessly on our behalf. It is to them that we dedicate this issue and our eighth annual Special Hunting Dogs Section.
Planning this year’s dog section, we did a lot of brainstorming regarding feature subjects. One topic we kept returning to, however, was nutrition. Just as an army is said to march on its stomach, a hunting dog requires proper nutrition to perform to its potential. We asked Colorado guide and dedicated dogman Gary Hubbell to look into the issues surrounding choosing the right food as well as determining the appropriate rations. His eye-opening report, titled “Food For Thought,” appears on page 82.
    The other half of the equation is conditioning—making sure your dog is fit to hunt. I remember the South Dakota pheasant opener in 2003 when an estimated 100-plus dogs died of heatstroke. To blame was not only the high temperatures but also the fact that a lot of the dogs were overweight and out of shape. When your dog has been languishing in the kennel all summer, you can’t expect optimal performance right out of the box.
    Thankfully, it’s spring as you read this, and there’s plenty of time to prepare for fall. So this year make a commitment to your canine—and to yourself. Pledge to do something with your dog every day. Take him for a run in the field or an open-water swim, or road him with a four-wheeler or mountain bike. On the “off” days go for a jog or even a brisk walk—anything to get out of the house for exercise.
    And don’t forget training on birds and in the yard. Ideally, you’ll be able to set up drills using real birds, but even 20 minutes per day doing benchwork, or tossing bumpers, or practicing obedience will help your dog stay sharp and also cement that bond between your dog and you that is so important for teamwork in the field.
    With proper nutrition and conditioning, your dog will have the tools it needs to hunt efficiently, effectively and to the best of its abilities. You can’t ask for anything more than that.