Spangler Creek Farm and Kennels

08/24/2026

Things a bird dog trainer says approximately 400 times a week:

“WHOA.”

“Here.”

“Get in the box.”

“Quit.”

“Leave it.”

“Easy…”

“WHOA means WHOA.”

“Where did that bird go?”

“Who left this gate open?”

“He KNOWS better than that.”

And our personal favorite:

“Well… he’s never done THAT before.” 😂

Bird dog training: where patience is required, birds have their own agenda, and the dogs keep everybody humble.

What did we miss? 👇🐦

08/22/2026

Part of saving the sport of field trialing is realizing that sometimes we have to slow down to keep it moving forward.

It’s easy to get caught up in the dogs, the horses, the competition, and the next brace. But if we want this sport—and the traditions that come with it—to still be here years from now, we have to make time for the people who are just getting started.

That means letting a kid tag along. Handing them a lead. Explaining why a dog is doing what he’s doing. Answering the hundred questions. Showing someone how to plant a bird, scout a dog, read the wind, or recognize what’s happening in front of them.

And it isn’t just about kids. It’s about anyone who shows an interest and wants to learn.

Nobody is born knowing this sport. Somewhere along the way, somebody took the time to teach every one of us.

So when someone wants to walk along, ask questions, or learn how it all works—make room for them.

The future of field trialing probably isn’t found in doing things faster.

Sometimes it looks a whole lot more like this. ❤️

Slow down. Teach them. Bring them along. That’s how you leave a legacy.

08/20/2026

The next generation is coming along nicely.

Right now, “bird work” mostly consists of gentle pets, big smiles, and trying to convince every quail to sit still.

One day he’ll be handling dogs…

For now, we’re just working on not taking the birds home in his shirt. 😂🐦

08/17/2026

The Foundation Nobody Sees

Everyone loves the picture of a stylish point.

The big find. The covey rise. The polished retrieve. The ribbon at the end of the day.

But what most people don’t see are the hundreds of little moments that made them possible.

The extra birds.
The repeated lessons.
The quiet mornings.
The days we chose to slow down instead of push forward.
The confidence built one successful experience at a time.

A great bird dog isn’t made in one spectacular training session—it’s built in the ordinary days, when no one is watching.

Around here, we’ll never sacrifice the foundation for a shortcut or a flashy social media post. We’d rather spend the extra time building a confident dog that understands the job and enjoys the work.

Because when the foundation is right, everything else has something solid to stand on.

Anybody can celebrate the finished product. The real work happens long before anyone is watching.

08/15/2026

Don’t shoot the messenger… but field trial season is closer than you think. 😂

The countdown to December has officially begun, and that means t-shirt sales are OPEN for the 4th Annual Lynn McKinney Memorial Field Trial!

We know it feels early, but trust us… if we wait until October, someone will inevitably say, “I didn’t know y’all were selling shirts!” 😅

Grab yours early, support the club, and help us continue one of our favorite traditions.

📅 Order Deadline: November 16, 2026

We can’t wait to see everyone at Utopia Plantation this December.

Forever in the Field. 🐴🐦

08/13/2026

Comparison is the fastest way to ruin a good dog.

Social media has a funny way of making us think our dog is behind.

You see a 10-month-old that’s steady to wing and shot.
A derby making beautiful finds.
A puppy that’s already backing.
A polished retrieve that took months to build… posted in a 30-second video.

What you don’t see are the hundreds of birds, the early mornings, the setbacks, the do-overs, and the countless hours that happened before someone hit “record.”

Every dog is different.

Some mature early.
Some take a little longer to put the pieces together.
Some have all the natural ability in the world but need time for their mind to catch up with their talent.

And that’s okay.

We don’t train dogs to keep up with Facebook.

We train the dog standing in front of us.

If that means slowing down, we slow down.
If that means repeating a lesson, we repeat it.
If that means celebrating the little victories before chasing the big ones, we’ll do exactly that.

Because when the foundation is solid, the flashy stuff takes care of itself.

Your dog’s journey doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. It just has to be the right one for your dog.

🐦

“Comparison steals the joy. Patience builds the bird dog.”

08/10/2026

🐴 Help us welcome the newest member of the Spangler Creek team… Luke!

Or should we say… Luke Skywalker. 🌟

He earned that name fair and square after making his debut on May the 4th, and let’s be honest… there was never really another option. 😂

Luke is a 2-year-old c**t who recently joined our family and will spend the next couple of years doing what young horses do best—eating, growing, learning, and occasionally reminding us that he’s still just a kid.

Our goal is to let him mature into Austin’s next field trial partner. Just like our dogs, we don’t believe in rushing horses. A solid foundation, plenty of miles, and time to grow will always beat trying to hurry the process.

We’re excited to watch Luke grow into his job and become part of the Spangler Creek family.

And while we’re on the subject of horses…

Finding the right field trial horse can be just as important as finding the right bird dog. Whether you’re looking for your first gaited horse or your next seasoned partner, we’re always happy to help our clients and fellow competitors find a horse that fits their needs. We love connecting good people with good horses.

Until then, Luke has one very important job…

Grow. Eat. Stay out of trouble. Repeat. 😂

Welcome to the crew, buddy.

May the horse be with you. 🐴💚

08/08/2026

08/08/2026

The calendar doesn’t train dogs. Birds do. Experience does. Time does.

We don’t believe in rushing dogs just because the season is coming, a test is scheduled, or everyone else’s dog seems to be “ahead.”

Every dog learns differently, matures differently, and deserves to be trained accordingly.

A solid foundation isn’t flashy, but it’s what creates a dog that will perform for years—not just for one weekend.

Around here, we’ll never skip steps just to get to the finish line faster.

We’d rather build it right than build it twice.

08/07/2026

Around here, dog food isn’t just dog food.

It’s fuel.

Fuel for early mornings…
Long training days…
Horseback miles…
Wild bird hunts…
Field trials…
And occasionally doing 47 laps around the yard because a butterfly looked suspicious. 😂

We’re proud to be a Trusted Inukshuk Professional Dog Food Reseller and to feed the same performance nutrition to our own dogs that we recommend to our clients.

If you’re interested in trying Inukshuk or need to restock before bird season, shoot us a message—we’ll help get you fixed up.

Because great dogs deserve great fuel. 🐾🐦