Hunt Test Hobo Podcast
Welcome to the Hunt Test Hobo Podcast, your place for truck side chats and deep insights into the retriever game await.
Hosted by Chris Rud, a fellow retriever enthusiast and student of the game, this podcast is your go-to resource whether you're just dipping your toes into the retriever world or you're a seasoned handler looking to sharpen your skills.
Join us each week as we delve into the intricacies of retriever training, offering a blend of tips, tricks, and wisdom from both amateur enthusiasts and seasoned professionals. From tales of triumph to strategies for overcoming challenges, we explore it all, with a shared passion for forging unbreakable bonds with our loyal companions.
So grab your coffee, hop into the truck, and let's embark on this retriever adventure together. This is the Hunt Test Hobo Podcast, and I'm Chris Rud. Let's dive in.
Episodes
73 episodes
EP 73: Andy Attar: When to Push a Dog and When to Back Off
Andy Attar is back on the Hunt Test Hobo Podcast, and this conversation goes deep.After more than 40 years in the retriever game, Andy shares how his approach to training and evaluating dogs has evolved. We talk about the seasonal rhythm...
EP 72: Teaching Dogs to Think in the Water with Marc Patton
In this episode, Marc Patton and Chris take a deep dive into water work, including swim-by, cheating singles, angles, reentries, corrections, and how to develop a dog that understands what you're asking rather than simply becoming a robot.<...
EP 71: Let the Dog Figure It Out with Luke Cour
Crown Champion Luke Cour joins the Hunt Test Hobo Podcast to talk about his journey through the retriever world and the lessons he's learned from Rody Best and Danny Farmer.We talk about trusting the process, building confident dogs, kno...
EP 70: Getting Ready for the Grand: Marks, Blinds & Everything In Between
In this episode of the Hunt Test Hobo Podcast, Chris Rud sits down with Tyler Brenner to talk about one of the most important parts of running the HRC Grand: how you actually prepare a dog for it.Instead of simply throwing harder ...
EP 69: Build a Confident Water Dog: A Transition Guide
Water work can make—or break—a retriever.In this episode, Chris Rud sits down with Dan Ihrke to walk through the complete progression they use to develop confident, reliable water dogs before advancing to Seasoned and Finished level work...
EP 68: Stop Skipping These Retriever Training Drills (With Dan Ihrke)
Most retriever handlers know what drills to run... but very few understand why they run them or when to introduce each one.In this episode, Chris Rud sits down with Dan Ihrke to break down the complete land progres...
EP 67: Why Good Dogs Fail: Breaking Down Real Hunt Test & Qualifier Setups
Most people only see the ribbon. They don't see the decisions, mistakes, and lessons that happen on every bird.In this solo episode, Chris breaks down actual qualifier and finished hunt test setups from the past month—including Autumn's ...
EP 66: Marcy Wright & Kenny Trott on Building Better Retrievers
National Champion Marcy Wright joins the Hunt Test Hobo Podcast alongside Kenny Trott to share decades of experience training retrievers from eight-week-old puppies all the way to the highest levels of competition.Marcy ref...
EP 65: Craig Koshyk Explains How Labradors Were Created
Craig Koshyk has spent decades researching the history of sporting dogs, traveling the world to interview breeders, historians, and experts in search of one question: How did our dogs become who they are today?In this episode, w...
EP 64: The Philosophy of Great Dog Training with Andy Attar
What makes a truly great dog trainer?In this episode, Chris sits down with legendary retriever trainer Andy Attar for a wide-ranging conversation that starts with Andy's journey alongside Pat Burns and Mike Lardy and evolves into a maste...
EP 63: 50 Years of Retriever Wisdom | Jim Van Engen
This week on the Hunt Test Hobo Podcast, Chris sits down with Retriever Hall of Fame trainer Jim Van Engen for a masterclass in developing young dogs. With more than 50 years in the game and countless champions, national champions, and Hall of ...
EP 62: Well-Placed Birds and Better Marking Dogs
This week, Chris is joined once again by Tyler Brenner for a laid-back but information-packed training discussion. The guys start with a handful of practical training tips, including simplifying problems, knowing when to quit on a success, usin...
EP 61: Building the Future of the Retriever Game
This week Chris sits down with Tim Kingsfield from WISILL HRC to discuss what it takes to build a thriving retriever club, bring new people into hunt tests, and create a culture that keeps handlers engaged for years.Before the interview,...
EP 60: Grand Recap: There’d Still Be Dogs in Kentucky Looking for That Bird
This one is a full-on grand debrief with Tyler Brenner, Bill Schaffer, and Clark Kennington after surviving one of the toughest International Grands in recent memory.We break down the tests, the brutal cover, birds nobody could see, drag...
EP 59: Bill Hillman on Balance, Multiples, and Amateur Mistakes
This week on the Hunt Test Hobo Podcast, Chris sits down once again with legendary retriever trainer Bill Hillman for a deep conversation on balance in dog training, teaching multiples, building true marking dogs, and why amateurs often move to...
EP 58: The Most Powerful Tool in Retriever Training??? With Dan Ihrke
This week on the Hunt Test Hobo Podcast, Chris is joined once again by Dan Ihrke for a deep dive into one of the most important — and misunderstood — concepts in retriever training: denial and steadiness.Before getting into the training ...
EP 57: Dale Swiderski: Building the Dual-Purpose Dog
Dale Swaderski joins the podcast to break down the world of pointing Labradors—and why they might not be what you think.From early controversy to modern versatility, Dale shares how pointing labs have evolved into high-level dual-purpose...
EP 56: Grace Williams: Building Better Dogs from Day One
This one’s a deep dive into the beginning of the retriever journey — before force fetch, before handling… before most people even think about training.Chris sits down with Grace Williams to talk about whelping, puppy development, and wha...
EP 55: From Hunt Tests to Field Trials w/ JD Babb
JD Babb joins the podcast to break down one of the most interesting transitions in the retriever game—going from hunt tests to field trials.We dig into what it actually takes to make that jump, the mistakes that will humble you fast, and...
EP 54: Building Better Marking Dogs with Marc Patton (Part 2)
In Part 2 of Chris’s conversation with trainer Marc Patton, the discussion dives deeper into the mechanics behind developing elite marking dogs and building cleaner fundamentals in retrievers.Marc breaks down how he approaches ...
EP 53: Marc Patton (Part 1) A Different Way to Think About Retriever Training
In this episode of the Hunt Test Hobo Podcast, Chris sits down with professional trainer Marc Patton of Green River Retrievers to dive deep into some innovative training concepts that are gaining attention in the retriever world.M...
EP 52: When Hunting Season Breaks Your Dog’s Training
In this episode of the Hunt Test Hobo Podcast, Chris Rud and Tyler Brenner sit down for a classic truck-side style conversation about the realities of training dogs as an amateur.Chris shares the latest adventures of “hobo training”—gett...
EP 51: Clark Kennington and One of the Toughest Dogs You’ll Ever Hear About
In this episode of the Hunt Test Hobo Podcast, Chris Rud sits down with pro trainer Clark Kennington during pre-Grand training in Paducah to talk about one of the biggest events in the retriever world—the Crown.Clark breaks down the test...
EP 50: Designing a Dog That Can Win Anywhere
Season 3 kicks off with a deep dive into what it really takes to build a “Grand Slam” retriever.In this episode of the Hunt Test Hobo Podcast, Chris sits down with multiple Grand Champion Ron Anderson and training partner Scott...
EP 49: The First Wirehair to Pass the Grand – Landon’s Incredible Journey
In this episode of The Hunt Test Hobo Podcast, Chris sits down with Landon—a trainer who’s breaking boundaries in the retriever world. Landon’s dog, Harker, isn’t your typical Labrador—he’s a German Wirehaired Pointer and the first of ...