At the ripe old age of 14 years, Silversnipe Reflex “Roxy” continues to well represent the Wildrose pack in her retirement career, Animal-Assisted Intervention. Wildrose Roxy is a therapy dog phenom. She sleeps a lot now and is a little hard of hearing, but her nose is still remarkable and her regal appearance, calm demeanor, magnificent fox red coat with white highlights invites everyone to reach out and pet. This past week Roxy was invited to visit with an extended family while they struggled through the passing of their patriarch in hospice care. Even in the most difficult of times, a great therapy dog can help provide a tranquil moment in retrospect. Roxy never complains about her age, and she always responds to a call for action even though she no longer dives into cold water or crashes through heavy cover to retrieve birds. Action for Roxy is now riding in the car seat beside her handler on the way to a therapy visit where she meets total strangers, gets lots of grooming, regales the audience with tales of her exploits, and brags about her teammate. The perfect job for a retired Gentleman’s Gun Dog.
I was a college student with too much time on my hands and an emptiness in my heart that needed to be filled. My father and I being avid duck hunters and having hunted all four flyways and multiple countries came up with the idea of getting a duck dog/ companion to keep me company in good and bad times. I knew I needed a well-mannered dog that is great in the house and around groups of people but could also hunt in extreme conditions for long consecutive days. After doing some research I determined that Wildrose Kennels was the perfect match for me. Boy, was I right. We reached out to Kirk Parker and Steven Lucius with Wildrose Carolinas to put my name on the list for a yellow lab female. This began the longest eight months of my life while I waited for the call that a puppy was available. Finally, after eight months. Kirk Parker called us with a puppy ready for pick up in Texas with Guy Billups and the Wildrose Texas Crew. My father and I flew to Dallas to pick up an 8-week-old yellow lab female. Out of five puppies I was last pick and as fate would have it, I received the perfect duck hunting companion.
After bringing Ivy home, she immediately started showing interests in bumpers and decoys that I had in the yard. The first 7 months of Ivy’s and my journey flew by faster than I could calculate. Little did I know how hard it would be to send my new best friend off for training to the Wildrose Carolinas crew. September of 2021, Ivy was sent off to training and began the Wildrose Way process of becoming a gentleman’s gundog. Steven Lucius and Chris Torain took special interest in teaching me the proper ways to train/work Ivy. Every Wednesday I would drive to Wildrose Carolinas to work with Ivy and get lessons from the Wildrose Carolinas crew. This continued for 7 months until Ivy was finished gundog training, and I was a knowledgeable gundog handler. It was then time to put the hard work to the test and put Ivy on some birds.
We began chasing Wood Ducks in local swamps in North Carolina to get some experience under Ivy’s belt before bigger adventures. After a few duck hunts and minor corrections, we decided to take our first journey together. We packed our bags and drove up the Atlantic seaboard to New England. We spent a week chasing Eiders in Cape Cod, Old Squaw in Plymouth Bay, and Atlantic Brant in Long Island, New York where Ivy was consistently retrieving birds in 38-degree water and strong currents like a champ. This concluded our first duck season together and marked the beginning of many adventures.
During our first off-season together, while I was focusing on graduating college on time, we started planning an even grander adventure… a season guiding for an outfitter in Saskatchewan Canada. Our journey began with a 3-day drive just to arrive to our destination. Once arriving in Saskatchewan, Ivy worked alongside of me for 7 days a week for 6 weeks as we scouted, guided, and entertained clients in camp. Ivy was by my side every step of the way. All the training that Wildrose Carolinas provided us was on full display for all to see where it mattered most. Ivy picked up nearly 1000 birds in six weeks while handling casts and 400-yard blinds like a champ. I could not be more happy and thankful for Ivy and the Wildrose Carolinas crew. We had our best hunt together in a pea field where our group harvested 164 ducks and geese. Ivy picked up half of the birds and was given off for the rest of the morning. After returning to the lodge, Ivy slept on her place for a few hours then was back on the move scouting with me. Ivy has made this journey of ours much more special and has molded me into a better person and duck hunter. We concluded this journey with a few North Dakota Pheasant, then headed home to plan the next adventure.
Ivy and I will have plenty of adventures together, but little will top what we have done in the first two years of our journey. As I sit here and reflect on our two-year journey together, I couldn’t be more thankful for the choice I made with choosing Wildrose Carolinas. They have helped create a lifelong bond not only with Ivy but with the Wildrose crew themselves. Wildrose Carolinas and Ivy have helped make my life brighter in all aspects and for that I am forever grateful. I look forward to more adventures with Wildrose Ivy and the Wildrose Carolinas Crew.
Living a diverse life as a country girl on a cattle farm during the weekends and then traveling to the city for school and therapy during the week, an extraordinary 8-year-old girl, named Helen, has found her constant companion and friend. In a world where she encounters many who do not accept or understand – there is now an Angel.
Diagnosed with Autism and a severe language delay at a young age, Helen’s journey has been filled with challenges. We had learned about the potential benefits of service dogs for children with Autism and were encouraged to pursue it by our Occupational and and Speech therapists. With divine intervention at work, we connected with Wildrose Kennels who had just the dog we needed. We have tremendous gratitude for the Wildrose Service Companions organizations and the Brock family for helping us bring her home! We are honored to share how this gift has impacted our family and others.
Our journey began the first of September 2023, in Oxford, Mississippi. We want to share some heartwarming glimpses of the impact Angel has already had on our lives. Angel’s training with Danielle Drewrey made her the perfect match for Helen. Angel’s calm demeanor and innate ability to understand Helen’s needs was something hard to understand. From the moment we brought Angel home, we could see an “Angel” is what we had all been needing.
Helen was not used to dogs responding to her. She has a vibrant personality that can sometimes be hard to read. She has a big heart for animals and having a companion love her back is special. Helen quickly learned Angel was friendly and responsive. The first big moments were sharing of the Kuranda bed. Helen would crawl in bed with a blanket, and they would snuggle, and Angel was very welcoming!
Angel begins her days riding next to Helen in the back seat on the way to school. Then she goes to work with me. I am a Mental Health therapist, and Angel has enjoyed comforting clients both young and old, with her quiet and kind demeanor. She has also started visiting schools to help students! After working in the office, we pick-up Helen from school and attend speech therapy or tutoring. Angel joins us for all the things! From hiking, paddle boarding, retrieving, therapy, reading and even getting dressed for the day – there is Angel.
Angel responds to Helen’s sensory sensitivities and emotional cues. She has a unique ability to sense when Helen is overwhelmed or anxious. Angel will gently nudge her to provide comfort or sit next to her. One day Helen had lost a toy, and she was very upset! Angel walked over to her, sat down, and placed a paw on her leg seeming to convey the message – I’m here. Beyond her assistance in times of distress, Angel has become a consistent source of companionship and steadiness. Helen’s difficulty with communication can make it a challenge sometimes for her to connect to words. Angel doesn’t need words – she just loves her little girl.
As Helen and Angel continue growing together, the future holds endless promise. The gift is still opening. It reminds us all – that love knows no bounds and that sometimes a furry friend can be the key to unlocking a brighter, more connected world for those facing unique challenges. Again, thank you for the effort and work behind this beautiful gift – Wildrose Kennels, Danielle Drewrey, Wildrose Service Companion Foundation and the Brock Family.
Wildrose is honored to be featured in the Dec/Jan issue of Covey Rise Magazine. The story begins on page 40 and was brilliantly written by William Jack Stephens. Jack perfectly captured the Wildrose heritage of the Gentleman’s Gundog and our mission as well as the unique training of the Wildrose Way. Photographs by Dwayne Bratcher (Mallard Media) complement the article perfectly. Thanks to our friends at Covey Rise for this beautiful presentation. Be sure to check it out!
There are stories that deserve to be told and K9 Quinn is among them, a Wildrose Labrador hero. Many stories have been shared about Wildrose service companions impacting the lives of others in retirement homes, in counseling centers, as search & rescue tools, veteran support and medical alert companions. All are heroic stories about the amazing abilities of these fine dogs, but Quinn’s journey is a bit different. He is a working narcotics detection dog with an amazing reputation.
Quinn, Narcotics Detection K9 Special Emphasis Team King County Sheriff Department Seattle, Washington
The story begins in the summer of 2022 when Wildrose was contacted by a deputy with the King County Sheriff’s Department about acquiring a dog to be certified for narcotics detection. Quinn, a Deke grandson, was in training in Colorado being developed as an upland gundog. He had the temperament, drive, and scenting ability to qualify for such work. All that was necessary was a re-direction of his talents to make a transition from searching for game afield to searching for substances in urban settings. Wildrose Labradors are well known for their amazing scent discrimination abilities and Quinn loved to hunt so we just rewarded him for finding a different object.
Previous training that mattered:
Public access
Social skills
Comfortable in buildings
Controllable around distractions
Introduced to gunfire
Excellent obedience and steadiness to distraction
Bold, strong prey drive, a passion for the search
And an amazing “nose,” scenting ability
The prerequisites for narcotics work were quite easy to establish switching the reward from game recovery to locating substances. The environments of the search, of course, are different from working in fields and cover to hunting at different times of day and night, varied weather conditions, and searching a variety of occupied locations and structures. So, Quinn’s background training in Colorado was focused on searching for scented tennis balls (a passion for him! Huge reward!) placed on or in vehicles, buildings, residences, motel rooms, bars, kitchens, laundry rooms… a wide variety of locations where competing scent and distractions would likely be found in an urban setting. Quinn was a natural. These dogs smell in parts per billion while humans can only identify a scent in parts per million. Also, Wildrose Labs have been proven to scent discriminate in layers, identifying a particular scent among competing others. Their Nose Knows.
There were some basic training modifications required:
Control. Over enthusiasm during the search had to be controllable such as working an area systematically & thoroughly. No jumping on vehicles causing scratches. No damaging personal property because of an aggressive hunt.
Don’t touch the target. Retrieving a located game bird is a natural instinct. Touching detected narcotics would be deadly. We needed a passive alert when drugs were detected.
With basic training completed, Quinn departed Colorado late August with Deputy K9 handlers from King County to continue his training for certification with his handler and future partner.
In the fall of 2022, Quinn and his deputy handler completed their required, advanced training in Washington to become certified by the state to identify various controlled substances in. Quinn lived in the home of the deputy and was quickly made part of his family. He hit the streets of King County as their only narcotics detection dog serving a population of 2.2 million people in November 2022. He went to work straight away with stunning results.
The following is a recent article published about Quinn’s fabulous work.
Burien Police, led by K9 Quinn, seize county’s largest-ever fentanyl powder bust
Local detectives confiscated 95 pounds of methamphetamine and 41 pounds of fentanyl powder after making a traffic stop led by K9 Quinn in Burien last Friday.
King County sheriff’s detectives intercepted a suspected large-scale drug trafficker in Seattle’s Industrial District, leading to the agency’s largest-ever individual fentanyl powder bust.
“I can’t thank your detectives and K9 Quinn enough for their exceptional work in protecting our community,” the Burien Police Department said, according to The Burien Town Blog.
In a separate previous operation, Burien officers seized 44 pounds of methamphetamine during the previous weekend in another traffic stop spearheaded by K9 Quinn and his K9 police unit. K9 Quinn indicated to his handler there was something illegal in the car. After acquiring a search warrant, police verified there was a whole lot of “something illegal” in the car and eventually uncovered 44.3 pounds of methamphetamine.
The combined street value of the drugs was an estimated $2.6 million.
“Sometimes people ask why we do interdiction stops,” Burien police stated according to The Burien Town Blog. “According to the DEA’s calculations, this amount of fentanyl powder has the potential to kill 10 million people. Think about the capacity for harm in this one shipment and you understand why we will never stop our balanced approach to this complex issue, both supporting our partners that work to reduce addiction and holding those who bring this poison into our community accountable for their criminal behavior.”
The figure for the suspected amount of fatalities came from calculations by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.
The alleged drug trafficker, Bruno Moreno Camacho, was arrested Oct. 27 and faces two counts of violating the Uniform Controlled Substances Act and one count of conspiring to violate the same statute. Camacho, 27, is currently in jail with a $100,000 bail.
The investigation into Moreno, who is from Sinaloa, Mexico, began in September when detectives learned about him from a confidential informant, according to charging documents acquired by The Daily Chronicle. Once he was arrested, Moreno told detectives he was trafficking drugs for his boss in Mexico
Quinn is a former Purina Puppy Chow model who has been on Burien’s police force since last November. Quinn’s first bust occurred when he joined the tail end of a year-long investigation into a highly organized group of alleged drug distributors with family connections to Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel. Quinn helped uncover an estimated $2.5 million worth of crystal meth, fentanyl and black-tar heroin, according to The Seattle Times.
When I received this article, I asked Quinn’s partner to comprise a list of Quinn’s recoveries for his first year on the street, November 2022 to November 2023. The results are stunning.
Total Seized December 2022 January to November 2023
Methamphetamine 221.9 lbs. 146.5 lbs.
Heroin 5.7 lbs. 46.6 lbs.
Fentanyl pills 68,000 725,700
Fentanyl powder 4.2 lbs. 83.4 lbs.
Cocaine 20.6 lbs.
These seizures only reflect the drugs recovered as a direct result of the probable cause developed to obtain search warrants based on Quinn’s searches and alerts. They do not include many scenes where Quinn was used in support of searching premises, vehicles, and buildings that were already secured, just to help locate hidden narcotics on scene. Nor does this report include the hundreds of thousands in currency seized during these searches along with firearms (many of which were stolen) and even body armor. Some of the perpetrators arrested worked with and were controlled directly by known Mexican Cartels.
Quinn has earned the respect and trust of his law enforcement team members. He reportedly can search an entire residence in 20 minutes which would take officers hours to complete. He successfully works a scene through all manner of distractions without regard to people present, scattered food, other dogs, pet toys, even small amounts of drug residue present, etc. He is deadly focused on the job.
To quote his handler, “He continues to be great, and the team has all the confidence in him! A great benefit is that he is a super morale booster and stress reliever for the team.”
Wildrose is proud of this K9 hero and his dedicated handling partner. They are making a difference taking large quantities of extremely dangerous drugs, offenders and guns off the streets.
According to Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) statistics, Quinn and his fellow officers’ combined seizures of illegal substances over the last 12 months are enough drugs to kill every person in the United States, possibly even more.
… all in Quinn’s first year of service.
A Wildrose Labrador trained the Wildrose Way once again is recognized as a
1 lb ground venison 1 lb ground beef 1/2 lb ground sausage 1 3oz pkg sliced prosciutto 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 3 stale hamburger or hot dog buns or 4 pieces stale bread 1/4 cup milk 1 medium onion 1-2 stalks celery 3 cloves fresh garlic or 2 tablespoons granulated garlic Celery tops if available Handful of fresh Italian parsley 2 eggs 1/4 cup soy sauce 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons ketchup 1 teaspoon hot sauce 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pull the stale bread into crumbs about the size of the end of your finger. Put it in a bowl and add the milk. Allow the bread to soak while you continue the recipe.
Combine hamburger, venison, and sausage in a large bowl. If your ground venison is processed with ground pork, you can use 2 lb of the mixture in place of separate venison and sausage. Distribute salt and pepper over the meat.
Finely chop onion, celery and garlic. (If using granulated garlic, add it directly to the meat mixture.) Separate parsley stems from the leaves. Finely chop the stems and add to onion and celery. Place these vegetables in a bowl, add about 1 teaspoon of olive oil and microwave for 1 minute. Add vegetables to the meat.
Lightly beat the eggs. Add soy sauce, Worcestershire, ketchup, and hot sauce. (I like sriracha or Cholula, but anything hot will do.) Pour over the meat and vegetables. Add moistened bread crumbs, discarding any extra milk.
Gently using your hands, partially mix the meatloaf. Chop the prosciutto into 1/2 inch squares. Add prosciutto, Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley leaves and chopped celery leaves to partially mixed meatloaf. Mix meatloaf completely. Shape into a loaf in at least a 9 x 12 inch pan. A sheet pan may be too shallow to collect all the juices from the meatloaf. Cover and bake at 375 for about 40 minutes; uncover and cook for 15 more minutes or until the loaf is slightly brown over the top.
(If you have a pan that is big enough, I like to add potato chunks and carrot sticks to the meatloaf. The juice from the meat makes a delicious cooking liquid. If you do this, cover and cook the meatloaf for 15 minutes. Then add carrots and potatoes, recover, and cook for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook for another 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.)
It is expected that a properly trained gundog brings back birds, preferably uneaten, and delivers them to hand. Game recovery remains a high priority of the retriever and making solid deliveries is a requirement.
Delivery Desirables:
· No occasional dropping of the bird.
· No dropping to shake at the water’s edge.
· No playing with the bumper or bird.
· No chewing, mouthing, chomping, or crushing of any retrieved object.
· No plucking of a bird afield.
· No dropping at the handler’s feet.
Delivery Expectations:
· A clean, fast pickup of the object
· Return directly without dropping.
· No mouthing or hard mouth in the process
· Holding the object until the hand accepts the item and the command to release is given.
· A direct delivery from pickup to hand of an undamaged bird. No frolicking about in route.
The issue I continue to observe in dogs coming for basic training, returning for advanced or pre-season tune-ups, and participating in workshops is mouth and delivery problems. This is too important an issue to ignore so it is time to address the problems.
It’s always best to avoid dysfunctional delivery habits altogether but problems are obviously persisting. So, we will look at the topic from three categories, each presenting its own challenges:
1. Pregame – before basic training, puppy backgrounding
2. Game Day – hold conditioning during basic training
3. Post Game – maintaining expectations after basic graduation
Pregame – Puppies (8 weeks to 7 months of age), The early days of backgrounding where learned behaviors develop into enduring habits.
Please practice Wildrose Law #4 – Don’t condition in a problem that must be trained out later.
Puppies are learning sponges. They are developing behaviors that will likely endure into adulthood, whether desirable or dysfunctional. Keep this in mind… If a young pup repeats an enjoyable behavior with consistency, the behavior will likely become an entrenched habit. You own it!
I realize the following list of tips may be redundant for many of our readers. (you may be thinking, “I’ve heard this before.”) If so, I have a question that needs to be answered, “If understood, WHY do so many of our followers continue committing these listed dysfunctional practices?” People continue to put in problems in their pups that must be eliminated later, time and time again. WHY?
Therefore, the first step to improve a dog’s delivery will be to address What Not to Do with a pup, 8 weeks to 7 months of age. The No-No list of violations of the Wildrose Way for pups includes:
1. No chew toys, possessions, squeaky objects, chew bones…EVER!
2. No playing chase especially with an object in the pup’s mouth.
3. No edible treat delivery from anyone’s hand.
4. No chewing, mouthing, or licking of anyone’s hands.
5. No chewing of objects picked up such as sticks, bumpers, clothing articles, leads, etc. Just gently take the item away.
6. No free romping with a ball or bumper which can foster indirect returns, dropping, chewing, or toying with the object.
7. No scuffling with other dogs or kids over an object. Think “dog park frolicking or tug-of-war.”
8. No overuse of cold game birds or feather-laced bumpers at an early age. Bird introductions are ok in controlled spaces but chomping, chewing, or plucking is not allowed. STOP!
9. No allowing the pup when retrieving to drop the bumper at your feet. Get it fast in hand.
To conclude our pre-game category to promote solid delivery is to think about “an ounce of prevention” in every interaction with our pups.
Game Day: Basic Retriever Training
Basic retriever training has 7 primary parts, one of the most important is hold conditioning…. delivery to hand. We begin formal basic training with a puppy at about 7 months of age. After ensuring our student is enthusiastic about retrieving or at least going out for an object, we can begin hold conditioning, usually at about 8 months.
The Wildrose method of conditioning delivery is not with the use of force fetch. It’s a blend of shaping and rewarding the desirable “hold” behaviors through praise and our unique massage technique. The method is explained beginning on page 118 of Sporting Dogs and Retriever Training, the Wildrose Way and can be viewed on our Basic Gundog DVD which is now downloadable to the mobile platform of your choice as is our book mentioned above. Both are available at wildrosetradingcompany.com.
In addition to the lessons available through both resources, here are a few tips that are important to the development of Delivery to Hand.
· We are teaching three commands in the process:
1. Fetch – to accept the object.
2. Hold – to securely grasp the object and not chew.
3. Release – to give the object to hand on command.
· During hold conditioning, stop all retrieving.
· During hold training, practice recall to the handler, negotiating cover and obstacles, and presenting their muzzle to the handler as their hand reaches toward the dog. We want to condition a direct return when the dog is called and a proper presentation to the handler’s hand.
· When practicing holding an object, get it right on land before going to the water.
· Do not rush the process. Ensure each step is completed before moving to the next. No skipping steps or rushing.
· Three lessons to include in hold conditioning while your dog is carrying an object:
1. Entering and exiting the water.
2. Negotiating obstacles: under a fence, up a ramp, jumping an obstruction, entering a hide, moving through thick cover, etc.
3. Using a partially frozen bird while practicing hold and recall. Cold game should be the final step.
· Limit hold lessons to 5 successful repetitions per session. Do not bore the dog.
· Conduct sessions when the dog is alert and enthusiastic and not overheated. Panting is not conducive to the process.
· Do not lose patience, show frustration, or become angry. End on a win and reward small improvements as progress is made. Make haste slowly.
Post Game – After Graduation – the Standards Must Remain
The desirable delivery-to-hand behaviors entrenched in basic gundog are standards that should be maintained throughout the dog’s life. Be aware during training and daily activities of the dog’s delivery. Do not allow proper delivery skills to fade and diminish. Usually, this erosion is a result of the owner and the family not maintaining the standards of basic gundog training whether it’s whistle response, steadiness, or delivery.
Sloppy delivery becomes acceptable due to inattention, lack of work, laziness, or ignoring minor infractions such as chewing, dropping on returns, or not holding at delivery until the command to release is given. These become habits the dog gets away with. Simply, the standards are not maintained by the handler when training afield, on exciting hunts or around the home when active with the family.
Just this summer, I experienced these very conditions with some dogs arriving for training at Wildrose Colorado which prompted me to write this article:
1. Mouthing/chomping at delivery
2. Dropping on the return repeatedly
3. Dropping at my feet at point of delivery
4. Quick release as I reached for the bumper
5. Mouthing feather-laced bumpers
6. Chomping tennis balls
7. Dropping to shake when exiting water
8. Dropping frequently while moving through obstructions such as weeds and light brush
9. A young pup with mouthing problems resulting from chew toys and treats from the hand
All but number 9 had basic training experience in the past and were in for advanced work.
What’s To Be Done?
Problem 1 – Dropping to shake at water’s exit: Get in shallow water yourself. Reinforce delivery by accepting the retrieve just as the dog returning regains footing while still in the water. Praise a few successes then gradually back toward the bank. Continue backing out at the water’s edge praising the hold.
Problem 2 – Dropping at delivery. Reinforce the “hold” command while sitting, heeling, and then recall. Accept the retrieve in front requiring the dog to hold firmly until the object is grasped. Wait momentarily holding the object in hand before giving the command to release.
Problem 3 – Dropping while running through high cover. Practice hold recall and heel work in tall cover with the dog carrying a long object pushing through cover without dropping. With my dog Pappy I used a 3-foot beaver-cut willow stick. While holding the object he learned to avoid solid obstacles and push through thick grass and light brush carrying the stick at heel and recall without dropping.
Problem 4 – Mouthing tennis ball. The balls are great for hunting and scent work but often dogs do chomp them a bit. Just use a larger tennis ball that can be acquired at Tractor Supply and pet stores or switch to a Wildrose puppy bumper as it, too, is small for hunting and holds scent well.
STOP! If you don’t maintain proper behaviors desired in the field, marsh, or trail, they will fade, that is erode, and new less-impressive behaviors will develop.
If sporting dog excellence is valued, then the three categories of delivery must be embraced:
Pre-Game – avoid mistakes in puppyhood.
Game On – train proper delivery to hand to the point of a predictable habit.
Post Game – maintain the standards.
Parting thought:
A novice trains until he/she gets it right. A professional trains until he/she can’t get it wrong.
From the first day that Wildrose Midwest moved into their new facility, they had the weekend of September 22-24 circled for The Wildrose Cup. For the next four months, the team worked feverishly to transform the property and be ready to host the inaugural event. “We decided to combine a grand opening and the Wildrose Cup all into one giving us a real deadline to get as much done as we could,” said Al Klotsche owner of Wildrose Midwest.
The Wildrose Cup is a British-style field trial in which dogs and their handlers work side-by-side and shoot live birds throughout the competition. The Wildrose Midwest team had the grounds prepared beautifully with manicured lawns surrounding the kennels, a purpose-cut field for running drills, and a technical training pond that provided plenty of opportunities for both training and competing. The kennels had also recently been completely remodeled with epoxy fleck floors, a new healthcare room, feeding rooms, and a new retail showroom filled with Wildrose gear and training gear.
Participants came from as far away as Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, and one contestant even boated in from Ontario Canada!
The event began with a non-judged training day on Friday which provided contestants and dogs an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the property. After the training, all gathered together in the renovated storage building for a cocktail reception and dinner. Joined by the award-winning field trial hall-of-fame couple who Al bought the property from, neighbors, farmers, realtors, fellow trainers, and friends, the facility was officially opened and the party had begun.
Saturday morning everyone got down to business as the rules for the Wildrose Cup were explained to the contestants. Cards were drawn for pegs and armbands were assigned. The morning drills consisted of a simulated driven hunt with shooters on the front row and pickers tucked back behind them deep in the tall grasses; a walk-up hunt with shooters in the front row and pickers being sent from behind; and finally, a continental shoot over the technical training pond. The drills were challenging for the dogs and the shooting provided to be equally as challenging with great flying birds. After lunch and a little relaxation, the group headed out for the shooting portion of the contest. In partnership with a nearby gun club, contestants shot trap, five stand, hunt and cover and ended with an Annie Oakley shoot off. Five boxes of shells later, contestants were ready for some rest and relaxation.
Contestants and their guests were treated to a 5-star dinner at the secluded, private River Wildlife Club. After elk medallion appetizers, smoked salmon, and an assortment of flatbread pizzas, guest were treated to a gourmet dinner. The choices were many with the Walleye being a crowd favorite followed by the duck breast, veal medallions, and beef tenderloin. With an open bar and full stomachs, the group was ready to retire.
Sunday, the final day, came early and the contestants were back out on the property for more work. Sunday’s drills included a simulated dove hunt followed by a duck hunt over a cattail slough and another continental shoot, but this time over land. In each of the drills, there were banded birds released. Contestants who retrieved a green-banded bird got to choose a piece of glass wear from the retail showroom, a blue band received a Dokken or bumper of choice, and a red band was a long-sleeve or short-sleeved T-shirt. We won’t comment what the ratio of retrieves to banded releases was on Saturday, but the shelves in the Trading Post were reduced with some much better shooting on Sunday.
The event closed with a nice lunch and awards ceremony. The winner of the Top Gun for shooting was Mike Gougeon from Ontario Canada. The winner of the Gunner’s Choice (also a strong finisher for the Cup) was Prince, run by Bruce Broquet. The winner of the Wildrose Cup was Wren run by Dana Williams. Mike Stewart and Chris Korff served as judges for this year’s event.
In his acceptance speech, Dana remarked about how many hunt tests he had run and won and how truly unique and challenging the Wildrose Cup was. In his closing remarks, Al Klotsche said; “I am so grateful for the support and friendship of all of you who travelled from long distances to show your support for our newly opened operations. Your friendship is a special gift for me.”
Al Klotsche Photos by Jake Birrenkott Wildrose Midwest jake@birrenkott.net allan@uklabs.com
After four months of suspense, Fred and Terrie H. were selected as the winners of the 2023 Purina Pro Plan Ultimate Outdoor Adventure Sweepstakes. Fred and Terri came from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Sheboygan, Wisconsin, home of Wildrose Kennels Midwest for their award trip.
The adventure began with Fred taking a fly fishing lesson and then hitting the river with local guide Gordy Martin of Tie One On Fly Service. Fred did an amazing job, learning how to cast a fly rod and strip a streamer through the river. Before the morning was over, Fred had hooked into four smallmouth bass and landed two of them. While Fred was busy fly fishing in the river, Terrie visited the Kohler showroom, museum, and specialty boutique shops.
Fred and Terrie’s next outing was a relaxing hike with the Wildrose dogs on the River Wildlife trails along the Sheboygan River. The day was absolutely beautiful and the changing colors of the fall leaves framed the views around every bend in the river. Fred was even able to point out where he landed the “big one.”
The following day, Fred and Terri visited Wildrose Midwest kennels for The Wildrose Experience (something that we modeled after Adare Manner in Ireland). Fred and Terri have had dogs for most of their lives, but never Wildrose dogs. We were fortunate to have a wide array of dogs in training, and were able to teach the Wildrose Way, in an accelerated fashion, with everything from seven-week-old puppies to backgrounding dogs to dogs in the Basic Gun Dog Program all the way up to finished dogs. After explaining our training philosophy and methodology and showing Fred and Terrie how to handle the dogs, we handed over the lead and let Terrie run our dogs on a variety of drills. Eventually, we showed how all of the skills chain together to help a very experienced dog run a 250 land, water, land, water, land blind retrieve.
Not all parts of the Adventure were outdoors and the next stop for Fred and Terrie was a tour of the John Michael Kohler Center For The Arts. With a vast array of works by contemporary and self-taught artists, the Art Center has gained a worldwide reputation.
On their final evening, the trip culminated with a romantic dinner with a very special pick-up. Fred and Terri were met outside their hotel by the Bulitz Carriage Company and departed in a horse-drawn carriage for a one-hour tour of the Kohler area with a drop-off at the secluded, private River Wildlife Club. After an amazing dinner and three fun-filled days in Kohler, Fred and Terrie sadly needed to return to reality.
Upon their departure, Fred and Terrie remarked; “The service and attention that we received in planning this trip, and during this trip were truly spectacular. This area is so beautiful, we will definitely come back. The highlight of our trip was seeing the Wildrose facilities and getting to train with your dogs.”
To our friends at Purina who made all of this possible, we thank you for your trust in Wildrose Kennels – Midwest. We look forward to hosting your national sweepstakes winner again next year!
The 2023 Wildrose Double Gun Classic is fast approaching. This is a limited participation event and is selling out quickly. Double Gun is a capstone exercise for your dog right before hunting season. The weekend is filled with training events, three live bird shoots and catered meals. Your dog will be exposed to real hunting scenarios demonstrating his/her ability to mark, honor other dogs and be steady to live birds being released and shot. Not only is the training fantastic, but the camaraderie and fellowship with like-minded Wildrose owners dressed in true British attire creates a unique and captivating experience. Come join us Oct 20-22 in beautiful Oxford, MS. To register, log on to www.uklabs.com and select destinations and events or call Graham in the store at 662-234-8636.
Schedule of events:
Friday:
1-2pm Registration
2-5pm Field training scenarios
Saturday:
8-830am Safety brief and movement to field
830-1145am Live bird shoots
Lunch
1-430pm Safari-style training scenarios
430-end Cocktail hour and dinner
Sunday:
8-845am Safety brief and movement to field
845-1145am Continental live bird shoot
12pm-close Lunch and awards
Hollywood Farms and Wildrose International
Training the Upland Gundog
Jeffersonville, GA
December 8 – 10
Training the Upland Gundog: Wildrose joins Hollywood Farms for a unique and wonderful experience at their beautiful Georgia setting. Learn about training your dog for hunting quail, pheasants and doves the Wildrose Way. Enjoy the finest in southern hospitality and lodging in a beautiful 1850 historic home. The weekend is complemented by specially selected wines and libations along with table-served meals prepared by an award-winning chef. Accommodations are included and, of course, dogs are welcome!
The Wildrose Training event is a TSR: Train, Shoot Retrieve. The experience is designed to share the principles of developing an upland gundog to become a classic hunting companion: quail, dove, partridge, pheasant and picking up on continental wingshooting events. The course will emphasize steadiness, game recovery, handling, steady to the point/backing and quartering/flushing. Exercises will also include participants shooting in simulated hunting situations while working their gundogs (Transitional Training – “Practice as we will play.”)
The weekend event concludes with actual quail hunts with handlers working their own dogs in the pursuit of the “king bird.” For more information, contact Taylor at 478-256-5125, taylor@hollywoodfarmsga.com
Smokies Cup
Asheville, North Carolina
October 12-13, 2023
Friends of the Smokies proudly presents the Annual Smokies Cup, a premier outdoor lifestyle event and friendly sporting clays tournament hosted at the exquisite Biltmore Sporting Clays Club, nestled within the picturesque surroundings of Asheville, North Carolina. As a cherished and eagerly anticipated fundraiser, the Annual Smokies Cup has not only become a celebrated tradition but also an incredibly impactful one. Throughout its history, this event has raised over $325,000 to benefit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, an iconic and beloved destination renowned as the most-visited national park in the United States.
Once again, the Smokies Cup will feature a sporting dog expo by Wildrose International, the oldest, largest and most diversified producer and trainer of British and Irish Labradors in North America.
Participants of the Smokies Cup will enjoy an entertaining, informative demonstration of these highly trained sporting dogs as well as personal interactions with the Labradors, the trainers. You’ll get a first-hand look at why Wildrose sporting dogs are regarded as the finest, most versatile sporting dogs in the world.
2nd Annual Wetumpka Wildlife Art Festival
Wetumpka, Alabama
November 11th
Wildrose returns to the beautiful town of Wetumpka for the second appearance of our sporting dog demonstration pack. Join us to experience “The 7 Habits of the Highly Effective Sporting Dog”, an educational and action-packed event. Contact: (334)478-3366 or WeWA@TheKelly.org.
The Wildrose Journal 