Big Water Dreams Retrievers

06/24/2026

Baby Boone 🐾🐾
Jude and Cache puppy.
He will be going home around the 4th of July and we are going to miss this boy so much! He will be back later on though! Super excited!!
Owned by Damon Boyd

06/23/2026

Maple girl owned by Billie Rae Larkins transitioning from 3 hand cast to T work. What an incredible dog. She is so much more biddable than her mother Mary. Level headed and a team player even with her extreme drive. She's come a long way in a couple of weeks. Finished up her SHR title a couple if weeks ago. Now on to big dog stuff. Proud of this girl.

06/23/2026

Yep

BLOAT: THE EMERGENCY EVERY DOG OWNER SHOULD RECOGNIZE 🚨🐾

Most dog owners have heard the words “bloat” or “torsion,” but many don’t realize just how quickly it can become a life-threatening emergency.

Bloat occurs when a dog’s stomach fills with gas, food, or fluid. In some cases, the stomach can twist on itself, cutting off blood flow to vital organs. When that happens, every minute matters.

Knowing the warning signs could save your dog’s life. A swollen abdomen, excessive drooling, pacing, restlessness, signs of discomfort, or repeated attempts to vomit without bringing anything up should never be ignored.

Over the years, we’ve spent thousands of miles traveling with dogs for training, hunt tests, field trials, and competitions. While no one can completely eliminate the risk of bloat or torsion, we’ve developed routines that help reduce risk and keep our dogs as safe as possible.

As Rody always says, “The dogs eat before we do.”

When traveling, keeping dogs cool is a priority. On hot days, we often provide ice during travel rather than simply filling water bowls. As the ice melts, the dogs have access to cold water while helping them stay cooler throughout the trip. Our dogs travel in an air-conditioned trailer, and they’re monitored closely along the way.

Once we arrive, we don’t immediately feed and head back down the road. Dogs are aired out, allowed to settle, and then fed. We often add a little water to their food, let them rest, take them out to potty again, and make sure everyone is comfortable before moving on.

At home, many veterinarians recommend avoiding vigorous exercise around mealtime, feeding multiple smaller meals when appropriate, and keeping an eye on dogs that may be at higher risk.

The most important thing isn’t memorizing every prevention tip. It’s recognizing when something isn’t right and acting quickly.

Any dog can bloat.

Recognizing the signs early could save your dog’s life.

06/23/2026

Clifford really doing amazing with his casting and T work. He's such an amazing dog. I'm so proud of him. He's a Luna and Drake pup. I'd love to repeat that breeding. These are very special dogs. He's truly the total package.

06/23/2026

Now sweet Ella. She's not the most elegant or most beautiful point. But I'm not looking for a show pony. I'm looking for a hunting dog. And she absolutely is that. She was my project bird dog. Started her training at 5 years old. I think she does incredible for those circumstances. She's a sweet as they come in the house. Very smart and biddable. I love the little dog.

06/23/2026

Bird dogs out first this morning. Skeeter and Dutton. Some nice dog work. Skeeter is the baddest little dog I've been around. Bird finding machine. Some good backing by Dutton. Blessed to stand behind these boys.

06/23/2026

OK this. Lots of people that saw Banner or Luna lately wanted me to out those trainers that were abusive. But I won't. I can go on and on justifying why I won't. But the main reason is because their are more trainers like that than not like that. I see them at hunt tests or training days. Do your research. I make lots of videos showcasing dogs and their abilities, talents and short comings. You can see dogs and their behaviors here. It's evident. Most trainers don't do that because they would never train a dog again. I say this all the time....
Your wife may lie for you and you kids might lie for you. But your dog will NEVER lie for you. They don't have that ability. You owe it to your dog to do your "due diligence" when selecting a trainer. We used to train dogs outside our breedings. And when we did a good percentage were either from dogs that were messes up by another trainer, or dogs that the owner hunted with or trained with and knew they didn't want them touching their dog. It's a cruel world. But we can flatten that curve by doing our part with research. You wouldn't drop your kids off with some random stranger, why do that with your dog. Your kids love is conditional. Your dogs love is not. I have a funny saying, lock your spouse and your dog in the closet for an hour and see which one is happy to see you! Funny not funny. But it proves that point exactly. Please don't do that 😝 it won't end well for you.

NOT ASKED FREQUENTLY ENOUGH…

If you’re considering a training program for your dog, ask for a tour. Ask to walk through the kennel. Ask to watch dogs working. Ask questions. Lots of questions.

Most people know how to evaluate a building, an office, or a website. Very few people know how to evaluate the dogs. Unfortunately, the dogs are often the most important part.

When you’re watching dogs at a training facility, don’t look for perfection. Look for confidence, enthusiasm, understanding, and respect. Watch how the dogs interact with the trainers. Do they seem excited about the opportunity to come out and train? Do they appear comfortable around the people caring for them? Do they look engaged and confident in what they’re doing?

At the same time, pay attention to what may be concerning. Do dogs consistently move away from staff? Do they appear hand-shy or uncomfortable being touched? Do they seem confused rather than understanding? Do they appear to be waiting on pressure instead of understanding what is being asked of them?

One dog may simply be having a bad day. A pattern across many dogs tells a much bigger story. Dogs are constantly communicating. The question is whether we know how to read what they’re saying.

A respectful dog should not be fearful. A confident dog should not be out of control. The goal is a dog that understands, trusts, and enjoys the learning process.

Every dog owner should know how to recognize quality training when they see it. The more we learn to read dog behavior, the better decisions we can make for our dogs.

The trainer can tell you about their program. The dogs will show you the results.

06/23/2026

Now one of my personal dogs Remy. She's a Skye/Reddy pup. Shes a sister to Gauge. Both her and Gauge are very nice upland dogs. As well as duck dogs. Remy marks about as good as any dog I've ever owned. She's level headed and a team player.

I mention that I messed her up for a period of time. By using too much collar to keep her from getting a bird out of the winger one day several weeks ago. If I mess up I'll tell you. You won't buy them as a ready to hunt dog and figure it out on your own. I make lots of mistakes a day. But I own up to mine. I think we have worked it out with her. She now trusts that it's OK to go out by the hides. But she was very leary of them up til last week. It's very easy to mess up a dog with the collar. So we are mindful of that responsibility everytime we use one. We collar condition all dogs that come thru here. They are an incredible tool. Just like any tool, they can be misused.
Super proud of Remy and her progress lately. She picked up a ton of birds this past winter and spring. Her quartering is perfect. She's the total package to me. Sweet, driven, a team player and a problem solver. Plus she's gorgeous. So there's that. Lol.

06/22/2026

Little Boone a couple of weeks from graduating the puppy head start class. He's a Jude/Cache pup. What An amazing little pup he is. Not crazy like most puppies his age. Plenty of go and love for the game. But not over the top. He's gonna such a solid dog. He's got smarts to boot. And looks for days. Such a blessing having him here for the first 3 months and watching him grow and learn. Boone is owned by Damon Boyd

06/22/2026

I almost forgot ol Titan. I was making the post about Roux and remembered Titan got a couple more started passes a few weeks ago. Titan is MJ/Maverick. Titan is alot of dog. I'm so proud of these guys for the work they have done with Titan after he went home a few weeks ago. He's alot of dog. I mean ALOT. But that didn't stop Joey Herm from believing he could get it done. And they did. Man what a dog. And team. Super proud of these guys.