Question: I have a two-year-old male Visla. He is very active and hard to handle both in the field and around the house. My wife is ready to get rid of both the dog and me. What should I do?

Dave Q., Pinckney.

Answer: Dave was at wit's end when he came to me last year. He purchased a dog from a well-known breeder and although the dog was healthy, it was completely out of control. He had received advice from several people on how to handle the dog on-leash, but nothing worked. When he showed up at my kennels, he was using a halti lead and a choke collar with a chain simultaneously, with no results.

Dave's problem was rooted in the fact that his dog was from field trial stock. High-energy, big-running, independent dogs do not normally make good house pets. In order to make a house pet out of this type of animal, the owner needs to spend at least three days a week running the dog off-leash for at least forty-five minutes to an hour per outing. I do not want to sound “anti-field trail”. But the truth is that very few people know how to handle this type of dog.

When you purchase dogs from field trail stock, the incidence of this type of behavior is greater than from common foot hunting stock. Most litters from the field trail stock will produce far more foot dogs than trial dogs, and by purchasing from trail stock, you can eliminate the guesswork as to whether the dog will bird hunt or not, which is a problem that can come up with dogs out the straight show stock. The buyers of bird dog puppies need to keep in mind that whenever you buy a pup, there is a certain degree of risk. Will it serve your needs as a good house pet, a good hunter, good with the kids? If a dog doesn't fit the need, you must be prepared to place the dog with someone else, or suffer with it for the next ten to fifteen years.

Charlie Linblade

Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club

Michigan Pheasant Hunting

Michigan Bird Dog Training