Retriever Rehab
Expert tips on how to restore an older dog to top retrieving form. By Wade Bourne.
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Pure Goldens
Golden retrievers have a long history as splendid gun dogs. By Gary Koehler.
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Drake the DU Dog: A First in Conservation and Waterfowling
More than two-thirds of Ducks Unlimited members own dogs, but as the organization's official mascot for 13 years, Drake belonged to every DU member. Along with his owner and trainer, Mike Stewart, Drake regularly appeared on Ducks Unlimited Television (DU TV) and ducks.org. Stewart and Drake traveled widely, hunting waterfowl across the United States and Canada and attending numerous DU national conventions, outdoor festivals and other events.
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Ducks Unlimited K9 Club
Enroll your dog in the all new Ducks Unlimited K9 Club, and he will be part of an organization committed to ensuring that the future of waterfowl hunting is brighter for generations to come.
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Retriever Training: Pigeons on a String
Mike Stewart of Wildrose Kennels explains how he uses live pigeons on a string to teach his retrievers basic obedience, steadiness and crucial hunting skills.
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Preventing Hard Mouth
Advance preparation is the best way to keep your retriever from mangling birds
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Favorite DU Photos: May 2013
Member photos of the day from the month of May
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Retriever Training: Shed hunting
Mike Stewart of Wildrose Kennels explains how to get your retriever to find shed antlers.
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Retriever Training: Using Bird Feathers
Mike Stewart of Wildrose Kennels explains how to use real bird feathers to train your retriever.
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WF360 Retriever Photo Contest
AJ Layton's photo received the most votes in this year's WF360/Winchester Ammunition Retriever Photo Contest and will receive a prize package worth $1,000 from Winchester.
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Retriever Training: Finding birds deep in the woods
Mike Stewart of Wildrose Kennels demonstrates retriever training tips for your dog. Featuring Deke the DU Dog.
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Retrievers: Remote Control
The ability to direct your retriever with hand signals is invaluable in the field
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Retriever Training: Getting your dog to focus
Mike Stewart of Wildrose Kennels offers trainers a few lessons in getting your retriever to focus on you for commands.
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Retriever Training: Look to the sky
Mike Stewart, of Wildrose Kennels explains how he trained Deke the DU dog, to look towards the sky for birds.
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Canine Communicators
Understanding, then applying the principles of canine communication is fundamental to achieving performance, compatibility, and excellent behaviors in any dog, whether it is for sport, working, or family companionship.
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Retriever Training: Steadiness on a Stick
Mike Stewart from Wildrose Kennels explains how he trained Deke, the DU dog, on steadiness by using a pigeon on a stick.
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Retriever Training: Deke versus the Heat
Mike Stewart of Wildrose Kennels provides tips for keeping your dog from overheating during summer training exercises. Keep your hunting partner cool while getting ready for opening day with the help of Wildrose and Deke the DU Dog.
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Retrievers: Retrieving to Hand
Expert advice to prevent your dog from stopping short or dallying during bird delivery
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Tips to Shoot Quality Retriever Photos
Shooting quality retriever images takes knowledge, skill and cooperation between dog and photographer.
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Retrievers: Hazards Afield
During the late season, protect your retriever by teaching him to be aware of likely hazards.
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Q and A with DU Magazine Field Editor and "Closing Time" columnist E. Donnall Thomas Jr.
E. Donnall (Don) Thomas Jr. isn't your average outdoor writer.
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Retriever Training: Working a Lower Stand
Mike Stewart, Wildrose Kennels, explains how to get your retriever ready to hunt a dog stand, beginning with a lower-level stand.
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Retriever Training: Steadiness
Mike Stewart with Deke, the DU Dog explains an enjoyable way to teach steadiness.
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Preseason Retriever Conditioning Tips
Even with opening day fast approaching, it's not too late to get your dog in top shape
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Retrievers: Healthy Choices
Developing a sensible routine will help keep your retriever in top condition
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Picture Perfect
Stunning images from the winners of our 2nd annual Ducks Unlimited magazine photo contest
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2011 Honorable Mention Retriever Entries
Enjoy the Honorable Mention entries from the Retriever category in the 2nd Annual DU Member Photo Contest for 2011.
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Retrievers: All in Good Time
Chris Akin of Webb Footed Kennels explains that patience is key a virtue when training a young dog.
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Ducks Unlimited Hunting Dogs Screensaver
We hope you enjoy the Ducks Unlimited hunting dogs screensaver, celebrating those loyal canine companions that follow us each morning into the field.
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Photo Essay: Retrievers
A photographic tribute to our favorite hunting companions
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Picking the Right Retriever
Retrievers come in all shapes and sizes. Temperament and trainability also vary from breed to breed. Think about your lifestyle, and exactly what you are looking for in a retriever, before taking the plunge and purchasing a waterfowl-hunting dog. This simple exercise could save you considerable anxiety later on.
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Dangers of Dogs and Ice
Having your retriever prepared for icy hunting conditions will help you and your dog avoid the dangers of ice.
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Fetching Divers on Big Water
Diving ducks are incredibly tough birds. This is when a retriever is an invaluable asset.
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Retriever Training Tips & Tactics
Tips, tactics, video and more from expert dog trainers. Your ultimate resource for retriever training tips.
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A Lesson in Limber Tail
Most of the time, hunters can tell when their dog needs to stop, but this troublesome condition seems to show no signs in the field. Learn more about limber tail.
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Air Travel With Your Retriever
For any hunter traveling to hunt this season, it's important to be prepared for airline travel with waterfowl dogs. Mike Stewart of Wildrose Kennels shares essentials tips for making sure you and your dog make it to your favorite hunting destination this season.
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Retriever Training Video Tips
Mike Stewart, owner of Wildrose Kennels in Oxford, Mississippi, demonstrates retriever training tips in this video series starring Deke the DU Dog.
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Shooting Dogs...With a Camera
Getting a few good photos of your best friend can add to the great memories of your hunt.
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River Dogs
Mike Stewart of Wildrose Kennels outlines advice for developing and training your river-hunting retriever.
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Summer Drills for Retrievers
The months leading up to opening day provide time to hone your retriever's skills. Gary Koehler provides diagrams and tips for summertime training drills for your retriever.
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Duck Dogs and Doves
Warm weather requires handlers to use common sense when dove hunting with their retrievers.
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New DU Dog Has a Name!
Offiicial announcement of the new DU dog's name: Deke, chosen from 3,500 submissions.
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Pre-Season Training Tips
A summer workout program will help get your dog ready for duck season
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Gun Dog Gear
Products that will improve your retriever's performance this season
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10 Retriever Tune Up Tips
Pepare your dog for the season and keep him sharp all year
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Summer Training: Avoid Heat Stroke
Understanding how to avoid heat stroke and what to do in case of emergency can make all the difference when training your dog through the hot summer months.
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Retriever Training in Summer
Take different approaches as the mercury rises this summer
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Retriever Training: What Not to Do
11 things to avoid during training
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10 Tips to Prepare Your Dog Hunting Season
With hunting season just around the corner, it's important to make sure our retrievers are ready for action. The following is a brief refresher course, per Mike Stewart's instruction, on how you might start readying your dog for what everyone hopes to be a banner hunting season. Most tips best apply to retrievers that have had at least some previous training.
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Four Common Problems and Solutions in Dog Training
These four tips will help your dog overcome common problems during training.
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Canine Encounters of the Wrong Kind
What to do if your dog gets sprayed, quilled or bitten
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Adding Polish and Style
Instilling confidence in your dog during training will result in top performance in the field.
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The Essential Golden Retriever
Whether in the duck blind, field-trialing, or competing in hunt tests, this breed is more than capable of holding its own
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Better Blind Retrieves
One trainer insists that straight lines are essential
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The Unholy Time Schedule
One of the biggest mistakes a dog owner can make is being too rigid in training
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Retriever Training Plan
Make a plan and constantly evaluate
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5 Key Points for Training Your Retriever
The most common deficiency in the average hunter's gundog training program is a lack of emphasis on obedience and steadiness.
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The Top Ten Practices That Interfere with Training
Avoid these major culprits
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Puppy Selection Tips
How to select the best pup from a litter
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Introducing Pups to Guns
Have a friend with a dog help show your pup the ropes when it comes to guns and shooting.
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Delivery to Hand
Develop a gundog that always delivers undamaged birds to hand
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Steadying the Retriever
Among the most important attributes of a quality retriever is steadiness to shot and fall of game.
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Prepare Your Retriever for Duck Hunting
Too often we don't think ahead and expose our dogs to these normal hunting conditions. And it costs us. You don't want to be training during a hunt. You want your dog at peak performance at all times during the hunt.
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10 Tips for Starting out on the Right Paw
Get Rover Ready for Duck Season
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Puttin' on the Polish
The development of the polished retriever is largely a factor of time invested in a dog of average or above-average aptitude.
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10 Pitfalls in Retriever Training
Top pitfalls trainers face and how to correct them
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Marking off the Gun
It has been said that great markers are born, but the marking skills of any gundog can be enhanced through practice.
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Marking Enhancement
Among the most valued skills of a retriever is his ability to effectively mark fallen game
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Tips on Caring for Your Senior Dog
A senior dog doesn't equal a slow dog; there are merely a few more precautions you can take.
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Balance in Training
Successful training methodology involves balance in its structure.
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4 Fundamentals of Blind Retrieves
One of the most exhilarating and rewarding aspects of developing a finished waterfowl retriever is training the dog to run blinds, that is to pick up birds the dog didn't see fall.
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