Bird Dogs,Bird Dogs & Training  |  02/01/2017

Meet Purina Pro Plan and SportDOG at the 2017 National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic


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Going to the 2017 National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic Feb. 17-19 in Minneapolis? If so, visit the Purina Pro Plan booth to meet top bird dog trainers and get expert advice on sporting dog nutrition and conditioning!
 
Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic kicks off Friday, Feb. 17 with a Bird Dog Parade featuring nearly 40 breeds. Then, through Sunday, Feb. 19, Purina Pro Plan brand dog food and SportDOG Brand are bringing the country’s great bird dog trainers to the Bird Dog Bonanza Stage for hourlong seminars. Following each seminar, the trainers will be on hand at the Purina Pro Plan and SportDOG booths to answer all of your sporting dog-related questions. 
 
Here are a few of the pro trainers who will be presenting at this year’s Pheasant Fest:
  • Ronnie Smith, like dog trainers in previous generations of the Smith family, knows that bird dogs are more than just a business — they are a passion and a way of life. He has operated Ronnie Smith Kennels in Big Cabin, Oklahoma, since 1982.
  • Rick Smith continues the Smith family tradition of his father, Delmar, and cousin, Ronnie, as he presents seminars across the country. A Brittany Field Trial Hall of Fame member, Rick has handled dogs to win three National Open Brittany Championships, seven U.S. Open Brittany Championships, six International Brittany Championships, and more than 100 Open Brittany All-Age stakes.
  • Karl Gunzer, as a former professional retriever trainer, has trained five National Finalists and a two-time Canadian National Champion. Competing in eight National Championships with 24 different dogs, he has won more than 40 Open stakes and 60 Derby stakes. Today, as Senior Manager of the Purina Sporting Dog Program, Karl’s team attends more than 500 field trials and championships a year, some of nearly 1,600 sporting events sponsored annually by Purina.
  • Bob West led the development of the Purina Sporting Dog Program for nearly 30 years. He’s been a longtime contributor to the Pheasants Forever Journal, Pheasants Forever TV, Cabela’s TV, and Gun Dog magazine, and also serves on the board of the Bird Dog Foundation.
  • Tom Dokken, with more than 40 years’ experience, is the owner of Dokken’s Oak Ridge Kennels, the largest gun dog training kennel in the upper half of the United States, and Dokken Dog Supply, based in Northfield, Minnesota. He is the inventor of the DeadFowl Trainer, author of Retriever Training: The Complete Guide to Developing Your Hunting Dog, leading innovator in shed antler hunting with dogs, and president of the North American Shed Hunting Dog Association (NASHDA). Dokken is also a member of the SportDOG senior prostaff.
  • Josh Miller is the Product Training Specialist for SportDOG Brand and owner of River Stone Kennels. Josh has more than 13 years of training experience, and has been successful running in horseback field trials, AKC/HRC hunt tests, and is a 5 time NASHDA Championship winner.  
Photos & Samples at Purina Pro Plan Booth
Stop by the Purina Pro Plan booth to pose for a picture with your bird dog and Purina’s pro trainers and take home a souvenir print. While there, you can also learn more about the Purina Pro Plan SPORT dog food portfolio and pick up a sample of Purina Pro Plan SPORT Performance 30/20 Formula while limited supplies last. See you there!