Winans Retreiver Kennel

[Citori16]

Had the opportunity to meet with Blaine in Dodge City Ks and have a tour of his kennel and training operation and meet his lineup of fine British labs
A fine young man and very impressed with what he has accomplished at such a young age. My next pup will be from his kennel and have him train the pup

 

[Powderhorn Jim]

Good choice. We purchased a female yellow from him two years ago. A true British hunting lab. On top of that, Blaine is a great trainer, has a triple AAA facility and knows what he is doing from start to finish. He's become a good friend.

A story I like to tell about Blaine. Most of us have had dogs that think toenail clipping is going to kill them. Blaine takes the pups, before their eyes are even open I believe, and gently takes a Q-tip and moves it around/in/on their feet. I don't know how many times he does this, but I do know my lab will set calmly, offer her paw(s) and allow me to clip her nails. A simple thing, but all part of a complete breeder/trainer, and it makes my life so much simpler.

 

[Citori16]

Good choice. We purchased a female yellow from him two years ago. A true British hunting lab. On top of that, Blaine is a great trainer, has a triple AAA facility and knows what he is doing from start to finish. He's become a good friend.

A story I like to tell about Blaine. Most of us have had dogs that think toenail clipping is going to kill them. Blaine takes the pups, before their eyes are even open I believe, and gently takes a Q-tip and moves it around/in/on their feet. I don't know how many times he does this, but I do know my lab will set calmly, offer her paw(s) and allow me to clip her nails. A simple thing, but all part of a complete breeder/trainer, and it makes my life s

Since he does not train with a e collar how does your pup handle on a whistle? That is the British way of training and the way it was done here before the e collar
I noticed he also does not remove dew claws. I do not trim nails as my dogs are on cement 50% of the time and keep the nails worn down
I never clip nails as my dogs are on cement 50% and keep the nails worn down

 

[Powderhorn Jim]

Since he does not train with a e collar how does your pup handle on a whistle? That is the British way of training and the way it was done here before the e collar
I noticed he also does not remove dew claws. I do not trim nails as my dogs are on cement 50% of the time and keep the nails worn down
I never clip nails as my dogs are on cement 50% and keep the nails worn down

I have trained our pup myself. I do use an e-collar once the pup has the basics but truthfully responding to the "tone" function is what I quickly work toward. That keeps things as quiet as possible in the field. I can hunt for an entire day and not have to say (or whistle) a word. I do not train competition dogs like Blaine does so our training methods are very different.

As far as dew claws, Blaine explained why he doesn't have them removed, but honestly it concerns me. Our pup has already ripped one completely off. It regrew but dewclaws don't touch the ground so they have to be trimmed religiously. Blaine doesn't do things without reason, but we differ on dew claw removal. If it is of concern, talk to Blaine about it. Hunting in many areas in the West is in sandy soil. Your dogs claws won't wear off. They also will wear into very sharp points. I would plan to trim claws every 2-3:weeks to avoid injury.

My last thought, when I picked up our pup I spent a day with Blaine. It was well worth it. He had 15 or so dogs in his runs. Most places, when you walk in pandemonium breaks out. Not a bark, not a whine. Friendly, calm dogs mirroring their trainer.

 

[Citori16]

I have trained our pup myself. I do use an e-collar once the pup has the basics but truthfully responding to the "tone" function is what I quickly work toward. That keeps things as quiet as possible in the field. I can hunt for an entire day and not have to say (or whistle) a word. I do not train competition dogs like Blaine does so our training methods are very different.

As far as dew claws, Blaine explained why he doesn't have them removed, but honestly it concerns me. Our pup has already ripped one completely off. It regrew but dewclaws don't touch the ground so they have to be trimmed religiously. Blaine doesn't do things without reason, but we differ on dew claw removal. If it is of concern, talk to Blaine about it. Hunting in many areas in the West is in sandy soil. Your dogs claws won't wear off. They also will wear into very sharp points. I would plan to trim claws every 2-3:weeks to avoid injury.

My last thought, when I picked up our pup I spent a day with Blaine. It was well worth it. He had 15 or so dogs in his runs. Most places, when you walk in pandemonium breaks out. Not a bark, not a whine. Friendly, calm dogs mirroring their trainer.

My bad- just assumed Blaine trained your pup as he has some training programs available.
I don’t have a concern with the dew claws as I have had dogs with intact and removed with no problems with either. Seems the current trend is to not remove with the non field trial breeders. Had one breeder say you don’t cut thumbs off babies why would you do that to a pup and that God put them there for a reason. Seems to be a personal choice.
Anyone had a dog trained the “old” way without an e collar? Results? The British kennels seem to train without e collars

Current pup was collar conditioned and I use the beeper to handle/recall also and don’t need the stimulation

 

[LC Smith]

Since he does not train with a e collar how does your pup handle on a whistle? That is the British way of training and the way it was done here before the e collar
I noticed he also does not remove dew claws. I do not trim nails as my dogs are on cement 50% of the time and keep the nails worn down
I never clip nails as my dogs are on cement 50% and keep the nails worn down

I keep seeing more and more kennels are no longer removing dew claws. From what I am reading I am in agreement with the new line of thinking.

 

[Wind River]

If my dog did have dewclaws, I would suggest 2” adhesive tape as a protective wrap to avoid trauma. Some dogs have rear dewclaws and are more prone to injury as they are not as fixed as are the front. The above analogy to a baby’s thumb is far fetched, one is weight bearing and one is able to grip.

 

[Quailnerd]

Dew claws in my opinion are an accident waiting to happen…. I don’t get the new push to leave them in. If I’m missing something I’m all ears.

 

[westksbowhunter]

Dew claws in my opinion are an accident waiting to happen…. I don’t get the new push to leave them in. If I’m missing something I’m all ears.

The Pros & Cons of Keeping or Removing Your Dog's Dewclaws - Gun Dog

To dew or not to dew.

www.gundogmag.com

"Dewclaw Dilemma: Weighing the Pros and Cons of Removing Dewclaws in French Brittanys – A Compassionate Guide for Pet Owners" - Home and Field dogs | French Brittany

Title Tag: Home and Field Dogs | French Brittany Puppies & Hunting DogsMeta Description: Get the best of both worlds! Home and Field Dogs provides high quality French Brittany puppies for sale. Our hunting dogs make excellent companions for family households. Learn about the breed, history, and...

homeandfielddogs.com

The Great Dewclaw Debate | Ducks Unlimited

Removing these vestigial toes may do more harm than good

www.ducks.org

 

[Quailnerd]

The arthritis angle is interesting, should be someone on this site that’s experienced this over the years. When did the removal of dews start happening?

 

[Chessie 67]

My latest pup came with dew claws. I had gotten dogs from her in the past. When I asked her about it she said that if the dog ever went through the ice, dew claws would be the best way for the dog to grapple out.

 

[Quailnerd]

Dog boots tape on right were the claw would have been, some parts of the world don’t deal with this but to me it’s almost every outing. I’ve even wondered if wearing extra weight and changing a dog’s gait with boots causes problems over the years?

 

[Quailnerd]

Dog boots tape on right were the claw would have been, some parts of the world don’t deal with this but to me it’s almost every outing. I’ve even wondered if wearing extra weight and changing a dog’s gait with boots causes problems over the years?