06/01/2022
If you're not happy with the behavior of your dog I'll work on changing it while they're here. But you have to change your behavior when you take the dog home if you want it to stay fixed
Horses & Hunting Dogs
- Home
- United States
- Lewisburg, OH
- Horses & Hunting Dogs
Horses & Hunting dogs is a premier training facility for all upland hunting breeds. We also breed quality English Setters and Labrador Retrievers.
Operating as usual
04/25/2022
Trainee Chloe she cannot resist a nice mud puddle
04/25/2022
The pigeons apparently are enjoying a bath it's funny to watch them hold One Wing up and then change and hold the other one up!
02/08/2022
Pearl working on the barrel
01/24/2022
Dear future client:
This is how this is going to go….
You’ve been watching me on FB and you really like the way I interact with my dogs. You want to sign yours up. I have an in depth convo with you about goals and expectations, you’re sent a contract that literally covers everything under the sun, you send it back signed and we pick a start date. You’re excited and ready! You need some relief, your dog is ruining your life. He’s jumping on people, you can’t walk him, he’s eating your shoes, the kids toys, using the bathroom in the house…. You finally feel like you’ve made the first step towards progress.
A few days before you drop off, you call back to ask where, what time and what to bring. (All of this was discussed in the initial call and/or covered in the contract you signed).
The drop off day comes, you’re so ready…. You’ve been saving and waiting for this day for weeks! You have such high hopes, you’re going to get back the perfect dog and your life is going to be complete!
We greet you, you have your dog, his toys, his wet food, his dry food, his favorite blanket, his bed, his treats, his meds, his harness, his tracking collar, your clothing so he doesn’t miss you too much, his brushes, his bowls…. Etc.
As we meet the dog, it stands either cowering under and behind you barking in fear, or jumping up to our faces. You explain he’s really a great dog and you just don’t know how to train him to stop all of the unwanted behaviors. You call him your “baby”. We tell you we understand and that in 4 to 6 weeks you will get back a well mannered dog but you will have to keep it up after you go home and you will have to continue to use the tools and follow the program if you want it to work. You agree again to this expectation. You are ready and willing to do whatever it takes. You say your goodbyes in a squeaky sad voice and tell Your dog 1000 times you’ll be back and you love him and miss him.
Before the day is up, you’re texting to see how he’s doing. Is he eating? Has he made friends? Is he adjusting well? You just need us to understand how much you love and miss this dog already. You promise you will “not bother us anymore” during the training As per the contract you signed and this will be the last time you check in with us.
Two days go by and you just can’t live without your dog. Is he being loved on? Is he eating properly? Is anyone picking on him? Is he sleeping through the night? Does he need more food, is he getting enough attention and treats? You need pictures immediately and an update on training. You want a video of his progress…. You just have to know that he is ok. We respond, send a picture, you are appeased for the moment.
Meanwhile back at the farm…..
Your dog is shut down. He’s overweight, unsocialized, lacking confidence, manners and any guidance whatsoever. It’s taken an hour to coax him into a crate. Now that he’s in, he’s been barking nonstop. He’s already broken out once even though he was supposedly “crate trained”, he’s used the bathroom on himself and chewed his bed. We’ve now moved him to the high anxiety impact crate. He’s no longer allowed to have his bed because we don’t need an emergency trip to the vet. He’s being rewarded for calm behavior. He’s let out numerous times to relieve himself so he doesn’t have accidents in his crate. He’s turned out into the play yard for exercise and playtime and he either immediately jumps the fence or starts a fight with another dog. He now has to be hand walked only because he is a fence jumper and he cannot be turned out with multiple dogs because he is aggressive. All things that were not disclosed by you during the interview.
It takes days to get your dog motivated. He doesn’t want treats, he has zero drive to play and he could care less about pleasing a human. For his entire life he has had freedom, food when he wanted it, affection when he wanted it, free range of the house, toys at his disposal, he’s been walked in a harness and has zero clue what leash pressure is on his neck. When taught, he falls to the ground and refuses to move. He bites up leash, he pouts and sulks, he refuses to train. We try multiple times a day to motivate, and when he refuses, we give it time. The dogs owner wants immediate results - they want updates- they want to hear that their dog is the smartest most valuable one on the property. The fact of the matter is everyone of these dogs means just as much as the other does to me. I am in it to help change lives, this is my passion and that’s what keeps me going.
It’s the end of the first week, he’s coming around. He’s greeting us with a tail wag and he’s eager to get started. Being here is not so bad…. He gets to have treats, he is learning to be brave, he’s constantly praised and told he’s a good boy for doing simple things like sitting down! He’s made friends with a few of the other dogs although he’s not too sure about “playing” yet. He’s fine if they keep their distance.
Week 2 & 3 come and go, he’s truly loving his routine. He longs for the sessions where he gets to see the man with the beard who smells like dog food and is always kind. He’s learned a lot but there’s so much more to be taught!
Week 4- he’s feeling like a king. He’s now going out in public, people are so excited to see “such a pretty boy”and he’s just “so well behaved!”.
Graduation day comes, he’s getting a luxurious bath and a blow out with the loud machine but it’s ok because he’s confident now. He can sit, lay down, and he trusts his handler. He smells great, looks great and feels great. He has no idea what’s going on but this is a happy day he can tell.
You come for graduation, you’re sat down and the tools, The routines, the methods used, the crate, the feeding schedule, the expectations, the goals, the rights the wrongs…. everything is discussed prior to you ever seeing your dog. You’ve talked about genetics, working lines, drive, house manners, outside manners, You understand and everything makes sense, it’s like a lightbulb has gone off and you finally realize all that you’ve been doing wrong this whole time. It’s time for you to meet your dog again after the training.
The dog is brought to you and you are instructed not to be overly excited. Your dog smells you before he ever sees you and all of the memories come rushing back. His humans have returned. He’s so excited!!! He wants desperately to jump all over you like you wanted him to before! The man with the beard gently reminds him to stay in a seated position while you greet him. He immediately starts working with the trainer to show you all of the new skills. He is doing amazing, he’s a little bit excited but he is very focused on his handler and he is proud of all he has learned. After the trainer shows all of the new skills, the leash is handed over to the owners. It is the moment of truth, will you be able to carry the torch? Was all the money spent worth it? Will all the hard work be maintained? Are you up for the challenge?
It’s hot, it’s long and it’s overwhelming, this is graduation. Nobody ever said it was going to be easy. You and your dog are now learning how to dance together in a way that he understands. You are learning how to communicate with a predatory animal. He is not a “baby” he is a predator with canines meant to rip apart other animals. His ancestors were used as killing machines in the wars, are still used to apprehend criminals and seek out lost children. You have taken in so much knowledge today your brain feels like it will explode. You are fumbling, awkward, it seems you’ve forgotten everything you had just learned, you don’t know how to hold the leash, you feel like all eyes are on you and you’re not sure you will succeed. After a few minutes of struggling through and some guidance from the trainer, you’re starting to get it. Your dog is responding to the cues. You are working as a team and it is all coming together. You’re seeing a dog you’ve never seen before and you’re overjoyed.
You leave with an immense amount of gratefulness and you promise you will keep up with the training. You know that it is what the dog needs and you know that it is what you need, you will make the time, you will do the work, you will make the trainer proud.
You’ve been home now for 4 weeks. You’ve gone back to bowl feeding instead of hand feeding because it’s too time consuming to hand feed. You’re not using the crate anymore because you’re tired of cleaning accidents out of it and you don’t wanna spend the money on the one that your dog cannot break out of. Your dog has only chewed up a few things in the house since he’s been home and it was mostly your fault because you left him unsupervised so you will forgive it. A little table scrap now and then while you’re eating dinner won’t hurt he’s so cute…. how can you say no. It’s too hot to take the walks so he’s being let out in the fenced in area to use the bathroom. You never use the tools you were given, you don’t have time to deal with all of that. If you’re not taking the walks then what good are the tools anyways?You don’t have any time or energy to take him out in public. When guests come over he is allowed to greet them before you do, he has again started to jump on people, and you do not correct it. He has started showing fear aggression towards children and does not want them in his space. He does not want to share his home with strangers. This is his house and you’re his human. He has free access to his toy box again, he is on the furniture and You’re sleeping in the bed with him every night because you need somebody to cuddle.
The training is too hard. Nobody with any sort of life can possibly keep up all these rules. This can’t be real life… the trainer expected too much. There must be an easier way to have a trained dog. Didn’t you pay the trainer to fix him? Why is he bad again? If you just keep loving him and keep feeding him and keep giving him freedom and toys then why doesn’t he just behave?
Meanwhile back at the farm…..
A whole new set of students has come in and is about to graduate. A whole new set of personalities a new set of genetics a new set of problems. A new set of hopeful clients promising they will keep up the training. As I lay exhausted in my bed scrolling through my Facebook feed I see my old students popping up left and right. Some are wearing a harness again dragging their owners down the street, some are overweight again, some are allowed liberties they clearly should not be given and others are doing amazingly well. My phone is full of unreturned messages from owners wanting updates and pictures and new students wanting to sign up. I haven’t had a day off in 3 years…. I know at 5am my alarm will go off and my Groundhog Day will begin again.
So why do I do this?
It’s the students that shine and the owners that take the program seriously that keep me going. It’s the text messages I get of thankfulness and gratitude that give me a purpose. I live for the pictures and the videos of my clients going through the training exercises and reaching goals and accomplishments. I love to get a good review with positive feedback about how I’ve helped a family and helped their dog. I am once again reminded that what I do matters. As i close my eyes and drift off to sleep, completely exhausted yet still finding the time to have worked my personal dogs after all of the other clients dogs were worked, I am reminded of my motto…. Work. Train. Repeat. Tomorrow is a new day full of new possibilities.
08/29/2021
I just want to say thank you to all my customers who have been so understanding these past few weeks. It's been a crazy ride! I will do my best to get your dogs in as quick as I can and still put out a quality hunting dog. Some days you can get caught up in all the boo-hoo things that happen in your life, but I am truly blessed to do what I do for a living and to have the clientele that I do!
08/22/2021
Fair warning to all my customers the next short hair that comes in here with claws like fake fingernails and bloodies my arm, it's going to cost you $100! I have had enough of this. get them damn dogs toenails cut!
07/07/2021
Tri dbl. Mask male from Covey/Hank litter. Crockett/Rudds Running Levi breeding. Message me for more info.
07/07/2021
One b&w female, one b&w male up for discussion in Covey/Hank litter. They have great color already, sweet temperaments, and lots of drive! Crockett/ Rudds Running Levi breeding. Message me for more details.
07/02/2021
I will be closed for July 4th weekend. Re open on July 6.
06/20/2021
Happy Father's day to all the hunting dads from the bottom of this pups heart!
06/08/2021
Covey/ Hank litter. Males and females up for discussion
05/17/2021
Tommy, on a really nice point, for his new owner
05/17/2021
Sexy, all trimmed up and ready to go home with his new owner
05/15/2021
Sexy, ready for his new owner.
05/15/2021
Little Keepers... she is a hunting machine
01/28/2021
I am seeing tons of people on here struggling with getting their dog to stop pulling and stay at heel on a leash! So in the next few weeks I will be doing some videos with a little short hair pup who is very headstrong that I own on teaching the dyckman method to get your dog a willing worker at obedience. So stay tuned!
12/28/2020
We will be closed New year's Eve and New year's day. Hope everybody has a safe and happy New year and happy Hunting!
12/24/2020
Merry Christmas to everyone. Forgive your dog for messing with the tree... Hey, he's just a dog! Lol
12/10/2020
Thanks everybody for your prayers.
12/09/2020
I will be closed Wednesday December the 9th, due to a death of the family
11/30/2020
Big baby Ben as we call him is doing really well with his training. Several points, held till we kicked the bird, gunfire conditioning is done. He's about ready to go to his new home, but I'm really going to miss hunting with him he's a cool dog!
09/17/2020
Had some time last night to play with wing with little Riot. This is really a nice puppy
09/16/2020
I got a dog in yesterday for training and I go to put the leash on her and immediately she grows and snaps at me! and the sad part is the owner is standing right beside me and sees what's going on and doesn't correct the dog, who then leaps out of the truck past both of us and runs a muck growling at every dog I have on the place with his hair standing up on his back! So we finally tackled the dog and get a leash on it and drag it to the kennel now mind you this dog has been through obedience training he tells me! this is a joke! Have your dog on leash under control when you take it to the trainers. I'm really getting annoyed with putting up with this kind of behavior from dogs! So we get her in the kennel and I go out to feed her last night and she growls at me again, which tells me that this dog has not been socialized correctly nor has it ever been left anywhere by itself. and then it screams all night long and this goes on every time I get a dog in anymore and this is not acceptable! It then takes weeks for this dog to acclimate to even be able to be trained it's a waste of my time and your money so please get the dog under control and make sure that it can spend time away from you without losing its mind before you call a trainer! my job is to teach the dog to hunt, my job is not to fix these behavior problems!
09/16/2020
If you get a puppy and you want to get some puppy training done please do not use an AKC type trainer! The first thing they want to teach is sit! You do not want to teach sit before you do the whoa work, very few dogs know the difference! and if you can't make your dog heel and come to its name after using a trainer, you need to ask for your money back! time and again I get people that says oh I've hired a trainer and I already have their obedience work and they get here and they run loose like nuts and they won't come when they're called this is not acceptable! just because the dog has spent 30 days with the trainer does not mean they are fully broke! keep your dog on a leash, on a training collar at all times and under control or they will never learn to do obedience if you intermittently do this. So put in the time to do the training with the right equipment and your dog will become truly obedient.
Address
8231 Swamp Creek Rd
Lewisburg, OH
45338
Opening Hours
| Monday | 10am - 6pm |
| Tuesday | 10am - 6pm |
| Wednesday | 10am - 6pm |
| Thursday | 10am - 6pm |
| Friday | 10am - 6pm |
| Saturday | 10am - 12pm |
Telephone
http://www.horsesnhuntingdogs.com
Alerts
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Videos
This is a perfect example of how the dyckman method works if you do it correctly. Notice that it has nothing to do with the rope in your hand and it has everything to do with your feet and your voice commands. this dog now understands that it's his responsibility to stay at heel and not Jim's responsibility to keep him at heel. And that difference means that the dog now understands where he is and that it is his responsibility and his alone to stay there!
Tux loves that pool
Megan, one fine gsp
Waylon has lockjaw! Day one
Good boy!
Spot is starting to do pretty good with his retrieval work
Megan doing some whoa work
Feb. hunt with new friends! Goose had a good time in the field. He is a handsome chestnut pooch
I guess Goose got to hot today # sillysetter
I was so proud of this puppy I don't know if you could tell from my voice or not! Lol
Thunder is a good old puppy
Jax is a goober
Making sure Tuff understands whoa I think he's got it! Now to shoot some birds over this puppy and he can go home. What a nice pointer
ODIE made it to the field this week! And he is working better at obedience. Yay
Odie is kicking around a ball
Arrow on her first bird. She's a nice little short hair with a ton of the Hunt Drive
Nothing escapes Arrow!
Cruise working on "place"
Love chasing Quail with Cash
Well we're all done now on to FF
Doing a little whoa work today. It feels good to get back to work
Comanche is about ready to go home.
Mister tank is starting to retrieve like a professional!
Jake's first bird
Freaky loves to retrieve
Tank did good! Yay Tank! Nice retrieve
Jake the lab puppy. Day one, he did really good.
Nearby pet stores & pet services
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45338
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7775 Swamp Creek Rd
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10816 Verona Rd.
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Prices Creek Veterinary Service
6799 US Route 40 E -
Brookville 45309
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Lewisburg Unleashed- A Dog Park
300 E Dayton St -
Gordon 45304
Other Lewisburg pet stores & pet services
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Lewisburg Unleashed- A Dog Park
300 E Dayton St -
7775 Swamp Creek Rd
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45338
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4049 US Route 40 E
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Prices Creek Veterinary Service
6799 US Route 40 E -
5102 Pyrmont Rd
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10816 Verona Rd.
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45348
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6555 Lewisburg Ozias Road
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45338
-
45338
Comments
Anyone know of a 4 place dog trailer for sale?
My little Hunter tan and white bitch has just had 6 pups. From great working stock all coulers including trios and tan and white. Pm for price. All will be up to date with everything plus wormed till they are ready to leave at 9 10 weeks.
Snoopy and Fred hunting quail in a fence row
Every single day, right?