Retriever Accessories

Sharing a day in the blind with an excellent retriever is a treat. When a command is given, it's obeyed immediately. Aside from directional instructions, however, commands are rarely needed. When it's go time, a good retriever knows exactly what to do. Such a dog is like a machine, driven by a combination of instinct and training, with a single-minded purpose of finding and retrieving a downed duck or goose.

A good hunting dog is rarely an accident. Breeding provides the raw material. Training sculpts the retriever into a performer. Care and love help ensure longevity.

The owners of such animals are a privileged lot. And they'll be the first to say so. They want the best for their hunting partners -- the best food, the best care, the best training equipment and the best transportation.

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Premium Food
Kent Feeds Native Performance Dog Food is offered in several different blends for active dogs. There are four levels of Native Performance, each featuring different mixtures of ingredients designed for varying levels of activity. The food's protein, fat and fatty acids increase from level to level to give dogs the fuel they need -- depending on how much they train, exercise and/or compete -- while also allowing them to maintain healthy weights.

Loyall Professional Formula Dog Foodmeets the demanding nutritional needs of working dogs involved in hardcore hunting, training and field trials. The formula contains Loyall's highest levels of nutrients for maximum endurance and repletion recovery after work. This formula also can provide for the nutritional needs of pregnant and nursing dogs. Because working and competition dogs are under a higher stress level than house dogs, they are prone to stomach ailments and loss of appetite. Professional Formula is highly palatable and specially cooked to optimize digestion.

Purina Pro Plan Performance Formula is specially formulated to give sporting dogs the nutrition they need to do the job in the field. The formula starts with real chicken as the main ingredient, providing plenty of protein in every serving. The formula's 30/20 protein-to-fat ratio helps dogs optimize endurance, stay mentally alert and maintain excellent body condition. Other key ingredients, such as carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals, are added to promote a healthy coat, immune system and digestive system.

Check out retriever health care products on page two

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Health Care
ZoomDog nutritional supplements aim to keep your hunting dog healthy and in the field. The Hunt Dog Hunt formula is designed to improve joint strength and prevent joint injuries. Itchy Dog should ease allergies and other skin problems that lead to excessive licking, red, irritated skin, dandruff and other maladies. Easy Dog calming formula can help your dog cope with intense situations, such as traveling and separation anxiety. And Daily Dog is a mixture of 21 key vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants you can give your dog every day to improve overall health.

Intervet Animal Health offers a pair of vaccines that will help keep your dog safe from two debilitating sicknesses. Canine Influenza Vaccine H3N8 protects against this influenza, a highly contagious respiratory infection. It can also reduce the length of time dogs are sick if they contract the illness. The vaccine is administered in two doses, two to four weeks apart. Nobivac Lyme triggers antibodies that can thwart the onset of Lyme disease, and also helps prevent the development of arthritis. Two doses are administered two to four weeks apart, followed by an annual booster thereafter.

Happy Jack Flea Beacon controls fleas in homes without using chemicals or requiring expensive visits from a professional exterminator. Fleas are attracted to the heat and light, so they jump in and become stuck to strip at the bottom. Plug in the Beacon near your retriever's sleeping quarters and perform a flea body count in the morning. The sticky strip contains no pesticides, so it is harmless to children and pets.

Learn about some of the latest retriever training aids on page three

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Training Aids
Mendota Products considered both the dogs and their handlers in designing the Super Cord and Dura-Soft Collar, which can be used in tandem or independently. The Super Cord is a 30-foot-long check cord that floats, so corrections are immediate when working with dogs in water. For field work, the cord has a hard finish, so it won't pick up burrs, and its fluorescent yellow color makes it easy to spot. The Dura-Soft Collar is made of an antibacterial, synthetic material that won't absorb water or odor. It will stay pliable on even the coldest, wettest days in the blind.

Dokken DeadFowl Trainer is made to teach retrievers the right way to carry a duck or goose -- by gripping the body in its mouth. The dummy has a soft, life-like body that can be injected with scent to further stimulate your retriever. Conversely, the free-swinging head is hard, so it can deliver a stinging rap to the snout of any dog that shakes the dummy, which should cure problems with unwanted head shaking. Dummies come in a variety of sizes, from

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models imitating small ducks, such as teal, on up to Canada geese.

Lion Country Supply offers a versatile training tool for handlers and dogs working on retrieves with its Universal Bird Launcher II. Suitable for pigeon-sized birds and small bumpers, the launcher can be operated manually or via remote from up to 400 yards away. Lion Country has its own transmitters and receivers for remote operation of the launcher, or it can be used with electronics from Tri-Tronics, Dogtra, D.T. Systems and Innotek. An adjustable spring allows trainers to change the height to which birds or bumpers are launched.

Master's Voice Canine Training Systems has released the two-disc Gunshy Cure audio CD designed to help your dog cope with the sound of gunfire. Disc 1 teaches behavior-modification methods used by psychologists to cure phobias in humans. Disc 2 is the Kennel Calm CD, which features music specially designed to calm dogs. The Kennel Calm CD accelerates the training process when used in conjunction with the Gunshy Cure CD. A detailed instruction manual is included. Training takes just a few minutes a day, with results in three to six weeks.

Check out transportation tools on page four

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Transportation Tools
FA Brand wants your retriever to have all the comforts of home while on the road chasing ducks and geese. The Dog Kennel Coveris available in two sizes and slides over your dog carrier. Window and door flaps can be closed when it's cold or you can fold them up for increased airflow when it's cold. Two pouches with removable liners are designed to hold dog food, and there's also a built-in, 1-gallon water bladder. A stowable, elastic rain cover can be removed from its pouch and stretched over the entire kennel during inclement weather.

Mud River Dog Products aims to keep your dog comfortable, whether riding in the back of the pickup to the blind or traveling via airplane to a distant hunting destination. Available in four sizes, the Dixie Kennel Cover is a weather-resistant, insulated shell for your dog carrier. A non-skid, protective bottom keeps the carrier from sliding during transport. The cover has plenty of pockets to stow gear, as well as strategically placed handles for easy carrying. Removable window flaps increase airflow in warm weather.

Jones Trailer Company can help ferry hunting dogs comfortably and safely to and from the field with the WJ Model Trailer. Available with four, six or eight stalls, each WJ trailer features all-aluminum construction, insulation, a 15-gallon water tank, exhaust fan, floor mats and storage compartments. WJ models now have a top storage lid that can be opened from either side of the trailer. The doors have louvered vents for airflow and are lockable and keyed alike for convenience. A wiring harness powering tail and side lights, 2-inch Bulldog hitch and swivel tongue jack are standard.

READ: Six E-Collars For Your Retriever