In the Kennel: March 2008

Meet the Native™ Dog Food Pro Staff

Native™ Performance Dog Food, a line of premium foods for working and performance dogs, is the new official dog food of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever.

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  Susan Barnes
  Team MyTDog - Des Moines, IA

  Susan Barnes is a certified remote collar specialist and experienced trainer who operates MyTDog, a full time dog training company. Sue, Kris Rose and their dog, Tanner, got their first taste of Dock diving in 2005. They were only able to attend one competition that season but the experience fueled a passion that has since brought them great success.

  Their unique approach landed Team MyTDog in the Pro finals of every competition entered in 2006-2007 and they finished 2007 with a 1st Place, National Championship in the Master and Veteran Divisions. Tanner and Team MyTDog ended the National Dock Dog season with many accolades including #1 Ranking in the Veteran and GSP categories as well as winning the Gracie and GSP of the Year Awards.

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  Jason Givens
  Lighthouse Kennels - Cambria, WI

  With two dozen field championships, Jason has been working with Spaniel breeds and competing in field trials since the early 1990s. Jason has been training professionally for twelve years, specializing in training Spaniels for hunting, hunting tests and field trials. Since 2000 he has consistently made the Spaniel field trial top 10 handlers list and has judged field trials in both the U.S. and Canada including the Cocker National Open Championship trial and the English Springer National Open Championship trial.

  Jason has been published extensively and his career includes major highlights such as handling a dog he bred, NFC FC Lighthouse Reverence, to the 2003 National Field Trial Championship title, and being the recipient of both the 2004 and 2006 Hogan awards as the top Professional handler of English Springer Spaniels in the country.

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  Chad & Jodi Hines
  Willow Creek Kennels & Hunting - Little Falls, MN

  Chad and Jodi Hines specialize in breeding and training German Shorthaired Pointers to excel at both upland and waterfowl hunting. As an Orvis endorsed breeding and training facility, Chad and Jodi have trained and titled over 30 master hunters including many of their own stock.

  As professional guides and trainers, their full time dedication allows them to evaluate and train every dog to ensure maximized ability. Over the past decade, Chad and Jodi have built a solid reputation for correcting problems in dogs and helping them become the hunting companion their owners always wanted.

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  Rick McConico
  Old Oak Retrievers - Blooming Prairie, MN

  Rick is the trainer at Old Oak Kennels, a breeding, training and boarding kennel in Southeast Minnesota. In addition to being a serious hunter all his life, Rick has been training dogs for 22 years and knows the skills demanded by the hunter for his dog. Rick has been a serious hunt test competitor for nearly as long as he has been training dogs so he also knows the demands put on the dog in these types of competition. He has put Master Hunter titles on numerous dogs, one as young as 2 years old, along with numerous Senior Hunter and Junior Hunter titles.

  Rick has apprenticed under a number of different professional trainers for many years in order to see and experience different manners and methods of training dogs. Through this approach he was able to develop the system he uses today. It also allowed him to have assorted methods and techniques at his fingertips to use as needed for each individual dog. This knowledge gives him the ability to train the softest dog to the hardest going overly energetic dog and customize each dog's training to that individual dog.

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  Bill Monk
  Good Time Kennels - Zanesville, OH

  Dog training and competition are family affairs for Bill Monk and Good Time Kennels. Family and friends are heavily involved in training and conditioning, and sons Wiley and Owen have already competed successfully at the ages of 6 and 4. Bill is heavily involved in NAVHDA, AKC Hunt Test and AKC Field Trials and has been very successful in each.

  While maintaining his amateur status, Bill is a licensed AKC Judge and a serious competitor in pointing dog field trials and hunt tests all over the country. Bill has finished 2 AKC Field Champions and Amateur Field Champions and 1 National Amateur Gun Dog Champion. He has accumulated over 50 placements and wins and many passing scores in AKC Master and Junior Hunt Tests.

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  Steve Ries
  Top Gun Kennels - Alburnett, IA

  Steve and his family at Top Gun Kennel have over 15 years experience in breeding champion quality German Shorthaired Pointers as well as training many breeds. Top Gun Kennels won national recognition in 2007 when their own Top Gun Jake was named Hunt Test Sire of the Year for 2006 by the German Shorthaired Pointer Club of America.

  Steve's recent focus has been teaching others to become successful dog trainers. He is an experienced competitor in AKC Hunt test, Field Trials, NSTRA, NAVHDA Tests and Trials and is a licensed judge for AKC Hunt Tests and NSTRA. Through breeding, handling or training, Steve has accounted for 56 Master Titles, 7 breeder award litters, a National Field Champion and the youngest recorded AKC Master dog.

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  Todd Sterrett
  Arrowhead Kennels - Hudson, IA

  With more than 10 years of professional training experience, Todd brings tremendous familiarity and knowledge of retrievers to his training approach. He hones his training skills by staying active in AKC events throughout the spring and summer, competing with dogs of his own as well as many client dogs.

  Todd is an active member of both the Mid-Iowa Retriever Club and Eastern Iowa Hunting Retriever Association. He participates in Hunt Tests and club trials as both a competitor and a judge and has AKC titled more than 50 dogs with 10 Master Hunter Titles. Todd also conducts training seminars for various club events and was a featured speaker at Pheasant Fest 2008.