Upland Bird Dog: Bird dog training camps and recall pens

Bill Gibbons releases chukars for bird work.

Dog Camp

Johnny House Revisited part 1: A closer look at Johnny Houses. NEW

Johnny House Revisited part 2: The inner workings and barrel JH. NEW

Sage's pedigree (National Champion Whippoorwill Wild Card x Ch. Heyu Victor Dancer). NEW

Dog Camp: West/West/Gibbons training camp.

An American Field Trial: Raymond R. Rucker Derby in Oklahoma.

American Field Hall of Fame: Dogs inducted

Whelping Chart: See when pups are born.

To effectively train bird dogs, wild birds, or birds that act wild, are a necessity. Many years ago when birds were plentiful, many trainers worked their dogs solely on wild birds. Young dogs bumped and chased wild birds at a young age and became proficient handling them. However, due to the decline of bobwhite quail and other birds, the need for pen-raised birds was evident. Birds that are successfully raised in pens, such as bobwhite and chuker, are often used for dog training. Other non-game birds (i.e., pigeon) that has sufficient scent to entice bird dogs to point, also came into favor.

Below are pictures of various Johnny Houses, designed to house and protect game birds, taken at West/West/Gibbons and Gleber dog training camps.

Bobwhite quail ready to take flight from a Johnny House (JH). Birds are trained to recall to the JH before being used on dogs.

Another example of a JH. The wire fencing is used to protect the JH against bird dogs and other predators. The entrance to the JH is covered by a tarp for protection against hawks. Notice the mechanical recall that mimics the call of bobwhites (upper left). The green bucket provides water.

Depending on how they are used, pigeons can be wonderful or a curse to the trainer. Pigeons are also used either as a one time use or repeatedly, if allowed to home to their loft. Racing pigeons can be successfully used 100s of miles away when properly conditioned and trained.

For ultimate semi-wild bird conditions, the use of feeder and water stations are required. Although, the setup is wonderful, but more birds are lost due to predators. Fencing helps protect the station. Check with your state Game and Fish Departments for regulations regarding feeder and water stations.