Dog Years Training and Boarding Center, LLC

08/30/2026

Zephyr was one of those dogs that just developed so gradually and well that sometimes it made me laugh. Here he backs the silhouette from across the barnyard, as they say.
Just going through some older pointing dog footage and came across this. I sure enjoyed training him.
**g

08/28/2026

Hey, if you have the patience, you can watch a dog bail me out of a poor blind retrieve setup.
I was sure I wasted Colleen's best effort but she showed me a thing or two!

08/27/2026

Update on Sam's retrieving:
The pressure is off, the motivation is on, and he is learning to run a line in preparation for blind retrieves.
I don't often force fetch dogs these days, but when I do, they carry no resentment, only dummies and birds. 🙂😉

08/21/2026

I am very excited to lead this seminar. It will be a fun and informative day.
Hope to see you there!

2026 Blue Ridge Boykin Spaniel Club Upland Seminar featuring Kirk McConnor

October 10th, Advance, NC

Have you ever wondered what goes through a judge’s mind at a hunt test or field trial? Have you ever wondered how dogs place or why your dog was dropped? Have you ever wondered what the non-written rules and nuances are?

This seminar will focus on how judges view your dog and will give you practical experience viewing dogs from a judge’s perspective.

Format:
12 working dog/handlers will have the opportunity to run their dogs over live birds for 2 series with the participants following. After each series, Kirk will lead a discussion on what he saw with the run and will challenge the gallery on what they see and what the handler could have done differently.

There will be unlimited non-handler/participation slots available
Working/dog handler slots are $200 and non-handler participation slots are $100.


Agenda
8:00 - Coffee at OTM
8:30 - Classroom lecture from Kirk discussing the judging process, nuances, and unwritten rules.
9:30 - Head to the field for the first series
12:00 - Lunch – Provided by the club
1:00 - Head to the field or words for the final series
4:00 - Recap by Kirk

08/20/2026

There's nothing more beautiful than a stylish point in the morning light.
Sam was happy to feed my soul this morning.

08/17/2026

I had myself a little birthday party early this morning. Invited some dogs. They all ended up getting me the same thing. I mean, what do you want, they're dogs! Couldn't be happier!

08/15/2026

If I sound happy, it's because I am happy! When Sam came back for retrieve training, he was sure that was some other dog's job. He would often go out and blink the dummy, lift his leg, (🫣) wander around and generally play games.
I established a new behavior chain, starting with the end of the chain (hold and deliver) and worked backwards from there, setting clear expectations. Now we have a dog that has changed his mind about retrieving and is ready to get really good at it.

08/15/2026

Looks like a Cocker Chorus

08/13/2026

Who wants it the most?
They all want it! But they all know it's not always their turn and are waiting intently to hear the sweet sound of their own name.