Wow, I guess thanks for telling me what I am, and not interested in. I will send you a PM with my info...

And I did send Judd a PM, he was the one who asked for my name. Thanks I do know the difference between different venues within the breed. Just because therapy is an interest to me and you do not "train" for that, you may have techniques that might help me...

You might have a passing interest but from you have said so far, there isn't anything that leads one to believe my time and training ability would be put to good use answering your questions.

Therapy is completely different - other than basic training that applies to all fields there aren't too terribly many similarities. Like I said - do the research.

If you would like to continue to harass me, take it to another thread or a PM. It's interesting to see you "respect he/she doesn't want to hijack the thread" yet you continue to badger me. Leave nogeese's thread for the topic he originally posted for. I'm done here with this particular subject.

Wow we have been talking nicely via PM and now you are posting this? I am very confused??

I don't want to get in the middle of this, but y'all really should stop this conversation in this thread. PM each other and do it on there. There is a difference in stating your point, and debating it, but y'all, really?

And on a side note, if you are a professional trainer, you should probably go ahead and list your information, just so those of us who aren't pro's, can get intouch with you if we would like, whether you think we are interested or not.

NoGeese, I know we've got different opinions on some things, but this thread started out great.

Agreed.... Sorry!! We had taken it to a PM which is why I was confused about the last post from them...

Absolutely. Matter of fact, this is, nogeese, one of the ways I keep it interesting for me! It's rewarding to help a new dog owner/handler/hunter build the handling skills that will help him/her bond with that new canine companion. For me, coaching, working with the dog AND the hunter is a special challenge with accompanying, special rewards. I enjoy empowering someone to be a better handler and grow in his or her abilities to train their own dog. It leads to a great handler/dog relationship which makes hunting - and all other shared activities - all the better. There are a lot of folks on here who have commented or complimented me for the 'free advice'... they don't realize I got 'paid' when they said that, or shot me an email saying "Thanks Iron Spikes - it worked!"

TG no offence taken if we all did it exactly the same way nothing would ever change

lol... nogeese, I see you said "...and please! Don't get all crazy..." How's that workin for ya? ROFL...

From a training perspective, I absolutely remember each pup. And yeah, it breaks my heart when ANY dog is lost - even if it's not one of 'mine', cuz these hunting buddies play a special role in our lives.

I do develop a separate relationship with each pup - they're all different and I don't do 'cookie cutter' training with them. So, getting to know the pup is half the challenge and at the same time, half the fun. Over the years, I've gotten pretty adept at picking out temperaments and pack order early on and then it's fun to watch 'em grow, see how well I sized up the pup. That's probably the part I remember most about each dog, too... their quirks - not how WELL they performed, but HOW they did... gusto? calm? focused? hard-headed? competitive?

One other great aspect about working with gun dogs... the great folks they've helped me meet! No, it hasn't gotten old hat yet and I hope it never does... but if it does, I'll be layin' down my whistle cuz no dog needs to be subjected to a trainer that doesn't have his or her heart - and that dog's best interest - in it.

I do try and put in a qualifier... but to no avail!

now that we are back on topic I would add that I would love to train dogs (preferably labs) but I could probably make more money stocking shelves at wal mart... and my wife and kids have come to expect a certain level of living... If ya know what I mean.
It is definatly something I will do on my own with my own personal dog for the rest of my days. I will prolly outlive my current dog but I can assure you that I will not live another day on this earth without one by my side.

They have that kinda effect on ya, don't they? And hunting with a dog vs without one... two different sports.