Building a Grouse Dog: From Puppy to Polished Performer by Craig Doherty, is the most comprehensive, how-to manual there is for taking an eight-week-old little squirmer of any pointing breed and turning him or her into that most coveted game bird finder there is: a finished grouse dog. Unlike many general pointing-dog training books, this one concentrates on one species – the ruffed grouse. Grouse are notorious for their caginess, their wariness, and their difficulty in being pinned down so a hunter can get close enough to flush and shoot. It takes a dog that has been trained nearly from birth to handle that task, and no one knows how to do it better than Craig Doherty. Craig was the driving force behind Field Trial Magazine, is a columnist for The Pointing Dog Journal, regularly competes in grouse trials throughout the Northeast, professionally trains grouse dogs for clients from all over the country, and – this is important – guides grouse hunters using his own dogs trained in his outstanding methods; important because paying clients need results, and those results can only come by following dogs that know the game. A number of how-to training books tell you what to do from beginning to end; but if you have started your own training, run into problems, and consult the literature, many times you’ll find that the advice is something along the lines of, “Well, you messed up because you didn’t do X, Y, and Z. Remember that so you won’t ruin your next dog.” Not Craig – if you have run into a snag with your current dog, Craig tells you what to do to get past it and on with the dog’s completed training. So if your aim, your goal, is to own and hunt behind a finished grouse dog that knows what’s what in the coverts, Building a Grouse Dog is the best guide you’ll ever have.

This is a revised and expanded second edition.

This classic, practical book on bird dog training is now updated and expanded with material on the latest field-training equipment and live-game training techniques with released quail and recall pens. A useful chapter on the services and guidance offered by organizations for owners, amateur trainers, and those who wish to participate in field trials and other bird dog competitions is also included. The Complete Guide to Bird Dog Training covers all pointing and flushing breeds, and also offers sensible approaches to buying a dog, bringing up a pup, yard and field training, and equipment. In addition, the helpful appendices list recommended books and periodicals, other literature, breed registries, organizations, and suppliers of equipment and accessories to help bird dog owners with all of their training needs. Complete with dozens of instructional photographs throughout, The Complete Guide to Bird Dog Training is a gem of a book that any serious new or veteran owner or trainer of bird dogs should get their hands on.