Gundog Nation
A show to bring together gundog enthusiasts, trainers, and handlers with discussion focused on all breeds and styles of gundogs.
Gundog Nation
Ray Voigt - From Field Trial Champions to Purina Pro Plan
#030 Ray Voigt brings nearly three decades of retriever training expertise to this enlightening conversation about the evolution of gundog training, handling sensitive dogs, and his journey from Minnesota teenager to professional dog trainer and Purina executive.
With 53 field champions, three National Amateur Champions, and one National Open Champion to his credit, Ray offers rare insights into what separates truly exceptional dogs from the rest. "Some of the best dogs I've had were classified as sensitive, but they were extremely smart," he reveals, explaining how modern training methods have shifted toward teaching rather than pressure. Ray describes how sensitive dogs, when handled properly, often demonstrate superior problem-solving abilities in the field.
The discussion explores Ray's current role managing the retriever, spaniel, and herding segments for Purina ProPlan, where he oversees partnerships with major sporting organizations nationwide. This position keeps him constantly traveling to events—from retriever field trials to border collie competitions—building relationships and supporting the sporting dog community. Ray's lifelong loyalty to Purina stems from seeing their extensive commitment to conservation efforts and dog sports across all disciplines.
Listeners will appreciate Ray's candid assessment of current promising bloodlines in the retriever world, including descendants of Windy City's Mighty Mouse (a 2016 National Field Champion he trained), Mickey and his offspring, and the legendary Floyd the Dog. His practical advice on puppy selection emphasizes knowing not just performance qualities but personality traits that make a dog enjoyable to live with.
Whether you're training for high-level competition or developing a hunting companion, this conversation offers valuable perspectives on reading your dog, adapting your training approach, and building the partnership that leads to success in the field. Join us for this masterclass in gundog training from one of the sport's most accomplished professionals.
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Hello and welcome to Gun Dog Nation. This is Kenneth Witt, coming to you from Texas, and I want you to know that Gun Dog Nation is much more than a podcast. It's a movement to unite those who love to watch a well-trained dog do what it was bred to do. We are also here to encourage youth to get involved in the sport of gundogs, whether it's hunting, sport or competition. I want to build a community of people united to preserve our heritage of gundogs, whether it's hunting, sport or competition. I want to build a community of people united to preserve our heritage of gundog ownership and to be better gundog owners. Stay tuned to each episode to learn more about training, dog health, wellness and nutrition from expert trainers, breeders and veterinarians. Be sure to go on our website, wwwgundognationnet, and join our email email list. You'll receive newsletters from trainers and vets and breeders. That will also help you being a better gundog owner. And be sure to listen to some of our supporters mo pitney, who is a very good country musician and bluegrass musician. He has a bluegrass project with called pitney myers and he's getting ready to come out with a new album on curb records, so stay tuned. Also, the music provided on our show is from Sean Brock, originally from Harley, kentucky, just across the mountain from me. He did all the music that you hear on our introduction and our outro for the show. He played all the instruments except for Scott Vest on the banjo and Jerry Douglas on the dobro. Check them out. Thank you for listening. Hello, this is Kenneth Witt with Gun Dog Nation.
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Speaker 1:Hello, welcome back to Gundog Nation podcast. It's a pleasure to be here today. I'm talking to y'all from Texas. I have a good friend of mine on here who I've been trying to track down for a while. He has a lot of training experience dog experience as much as anybody I know. But I'm going to introduce this guy to you and actually I'm going to let him introduce himself to you, but I'm going to give you his name, Mr Ray Voigt.
Speaker 2:Thanks, Ken, for having me. It's a pleasure to be here.
Speaker 1:Now, Ray, where are you at today? Where are you talking to me from?
Speaker 2:I am at my house in Thomasville, georgia, right now. Actually, I've been on the road a little bit. I was up in Canada last week and did a training seminar over the weekend and then I was in St Louis at Perino's headquarters for some meetings. But home is here. But I grew up in northern Minnesota, actually.
Speaker 1:Okay, Now training seminars Tell me about that.
Speaker 2:A group got together and wanted me to come up and so I did three days. I was in ontario and people you know they'll kind of organize it open it up for for their training group or the public or whoever they want, and then people sign up. I think we had, you know, it was colder up there so we weren't in the water, so I think we actually had 15 dogs signed up that we did three days worth of setups, marks, blinds, some yard work, different things like that.
Speaker 1:Now, did you do that through your job, or is that something you do privately?
Speaker 2:More privately, I do do some stuff for Perina as well, stuff for for perina as well, um, but then I do, I'm also, you know, do a few, try to keep it to a limited number, but try to do a couple a year that I kind of do on my own.
Speaker 1:Now, ray you, you have a unique job. Probably a lot of us dog guys probably like to have your job.
Speaker 2:Tell, tell listeners what you do for a living now so now I manage the uh, retriever, spaniel and herding segments for Nestle Perina, proplan's sporting segment or sporting division. So anything that has to do any events that you go to that have, you know, hunt, test, field trials and any of those venues, like I said, retriever spaniel or herding, anything you see Perina related at those events goes through me basically. So you know we have agreements, contracts and stuff with different organizations from the Master National Club to the National Amateur Club, national Open, english Springer Spaniel Field Trial Association, english Cocker Spaniel Club of America, united States Border Collie Handlers Association, so kind of all those organizations are ones that we support and sponsor their big events and different. You know the HRCs Hunting Retriever Club is another big one, probably over I mean that one's really big. You know the overall scope of the HRC.
Speaker 1:So yeah, Anything printer related at events is me, so Ray do you have the entireC.
Speaker 2:So yeah, yeah, anything, anything printer related at events, as me.
Speaker 1:No. So, ray, do you have the entire U S? Yes, that's crazy. How do you, how in the world do you do that?
Speaker 2:I spend a lot of time on airplanes, um, I have recently gotten a gold status on Delta, uh, but, and I have, uh, four consultants too that are um work with me. I can. You know they go to different events. We kind of, you know, like this fall for example, there's multiple things that are going to overlap with each other. The fall gets really busy as far as national level stuff. So, you know, with there being five of us total, we can kind of divide and conquer a little bit. You know, I can send people to other places if I can't be there. Or, you know, a lot of times there's multiple of us that each at the big events like the, the grand, the master national, there's usually two or three of us at all of those now, one of those big events was in thomasfield, georgia, wasn't it?
Speaker 2:the master national was here uh, two falls ago.
Speaker 1:I think there was 1200 dogs in it so I saw a guy at a hunt test this weekend with a cap on it said Thomasville, georgia. So you stay on the road pretty heavy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean there's a couple. You know, january, february is a little well, january is a little quieter, and then summertime, july and August, is a little quieter. As far as national stuff, I mean there's always weekend events in all those venues. But yeah, the national stuff is I try to really get to most of those. You know that's when you have your biggest audience and you have the most trainers or biggest gathering of people. So try to make sure I get to as many of those as I can and then fill in um with with other weekend events.
Speaker 2:You know I try to get to Texas to see everybody um, which actually didn't happen this year, but normally I try to come to Texas in the winter time for a week or two. Uh, montana in the summer is another big area, western Montana. So last year I went out there for a couple weeks. So so it's even on the downtime there's still a lot of, a lot of travel, but it's uh, you know, it's all it's relation. You know this business is really about relationships and you can't maintain those if you're not out there so right.
Speaker 1:Being a Minnesota native, I assume you grew up hunting.
Speaker 2:I did, did A lot of grouse woodcock and then had some friends that duck hunted and they kind of got me into duck hunting and then got my first dog and really, really enjoyed it and started running hunt tests when I was in high school and just kind of made it a career from there.
Speaker 1:Now, when you were running hunt tests in high school, ray, was it retrievers? Yes, so you've been at it a long time.
Speaker 2:Yes, let's see. I hate to let everybody know how old I am, but I think it's about 28 years total now. I started when I was 14.
Speaker 1:That's insane. I kind of wish I'd started. I had dogs and, and you know, semi-trained and stuff, but not, not at the level that you have. That's insane. And now now you also became a pro trainer, correct?
Speaker 2:Yes, well, um, after I graduated high school, um trained. We had the chance to train with a few different people and learn and throw birds and start getting my hands on a few dogs here and there. And then I got a full-time position with Mike Lardy and was there for 14 years full-time.
Speaker 1:Now where's he located. I know his name and I know he's real popular.
Speaker 2:He's central Wisconsin and south Georgia, so that's kind of how I ended up in Thomasville.
Speaker 1:Okay, I figured I'd say you got down there in Thomasville. Okay, how long have you been in Georgia?
Speaker 2:Well, I mean since winter trips, since I was 18, and then we've had the house now for five years.
Speaker 1:Okay, that's a long time. So, ray, do you have count on how many dogs you've titled?
Speaker 2:Roughly 53 field champions. I think was the last I tried to go with that when I quit training full-time. I kind of tried to go through the list. So it's somewhere in that range, I think, low to mid-50s of field champions.
Speaker 1:That's insane. What other titles have you obtained?
Speaker 2:We had one in the time that I was in charge of the Nationals. We had three National Amateur Champions, one National Open Champion, so four NFCs basically, and then the dogs, the title dogs, and then between myself and the customers. In eight years we had 40 national finalists.
Speaker 1:That's impressive, and is Mike still in business?
Speaker 2:He's not. When I went to Perino he kind of stopped training full time with the kennel. He still will do the occasional seminar or he did some day training for a little while now, but he is living retirement and loving it.
Speaker 1:Nice, how long have you been with Purina? Five years, and have you always been at this same position?
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Okay. So, ray, when you were with Mike and you were training all these years and titling dogs, did you title dogs other than retrievers?
Speaker 2:um, I mean, we didn't. We had one, we had a golden retriever, but the bulk of everything was was all labradors okay, okay, so you didn't do any like upland titles with spaniels or anything said no, strictly, we just ran strictly akc field trials wow.
Speaker 1:Well, mike, I I didn't, you know, I knew that you did stuff like that. I had no idea how deep that went with you. So let me ask you, in all your years and all your experience and gosh, you've got a lot, and I probably maybe I don't know if I ever talked to anybody, I said that many field trials or field champions on my show what differences do you see now in dogs from when you were a teenager starting to do that?
Speaker 2:I mean I think really the breeding has evolved, the training methods have evolved. Um, I think people are are much better with sensitive dogs now. They understand how to kind of get through to a sensitive dog just more teaching, less pressure. Some of the best dogs I've had were classified as kind of sensitive, but they were extremely smart and if you didn't overwhelm them they were. They were really good at thinking. You know they could figure things out. You know. I mean, I know it's a different way than humans, but they really you can almost see them figure. You can see them figuring things out in the field and thinking freely right. So I've always felt like dogs under a lot of pressure don't think freely and and just kind of watching the evolution of how more and more dogs are that way these days. And the dogs have just gotten so good it's.
Speaker 2:I mean our equipment has gotten better. You know the training collars, the time units. The other big thing is you know even when I first started, there was you had to screw in the plug and you had. You know you couldn't change the level of the collar. You put in one. You know you kind of found the level you wanted and that was the plug you screwed into the Tritronics and you know now with being able to dial up and dial down for certain situations and it's really just helped everything evolve and I think it's helped the dogs process what we want them to do in the much more clearly and freely so right with, let me have, let me see, here I'm gonna, I'm gonna really get get your expertise.
Speaker 1:So how would you handle? What advice do you get to a guy like me that wants to handle to get to pup or get to dog, and it's kind of soft, what, what? How do you treat it differently than you? Then rather say, a dog can take some heat, take some pressure.
Speaker 2:Well, I think the key with all of them is to maintain your standard. So, whatever standards you're going to set, I think you just reduce the amount of pressure it takes or the amount of correction. So the worst thing you can do with a sensitive dog is let it get away with something for a period of time and then one day decide you can't do that anymore, because now you know they're sensitive and now all of a sudden the rules change instantly and they don't know how to, how to handle that or how to take that. So to me it's more about maintaining the standard that you want to set, but doing it in a way that you can use less pressure. I mean, if you can see the dog getting a little overwhelmed're going to back up.
Speaker 2:We're going to potentially take a little longer to go through the yard and some of those steps and over. Teach some of those dogs that are a little more sensitive versus, you know, like, okay, let's just roll up our sleeves and and uh, you know, get out and get after it, you know. So then they're all a little different, that's. The other thing is it's trying to individualize and it's really just kind of being able to read them when they're starting to get a little stressed on something, when to back off, when to back up a few steps and reteach something before you try to enforce it, and then just reducing the amount of overall correction in general, but while maintaining your standard so would you even say, with this more sensitive dog?
Speaker 1:would you maybe on a training session, you know, train it for less time? Say, just for an example, you would normally train a dog for 15 minutes. Would you maybe reduce or you just keep that training time the same, or do you just play it by ear?
Speaker 2:I mean it kind of really is a feel like I don't have a set, like, okay, well, yard work should take 15 minutes every day.
Speaker 3:It's really, you know, kind of what they did, where you finished up yesterday.
Speaker 2:Sometimes it might be really quick if I, you know, if I've been trying to work on a specific thing and they've had a little bit of trouble, and all of a sudden that first five, ten minutes of today I get a little breakthrough, I'm gonna stop. Um, sometimes you get into a little something where it's like I gotta, I want to push through this, I need to. I, I know we can get get through this right now. So sometimes that takes a little longer and you know so. Also the younger the dog, or the maturity level is a big factor.
Speaker 2:You know you can just see some of them, like puppies, have the attention span of a gnat sometimes. So you know you can kind of tell when you're starting to lose that attention and then trying to get out of it before you, you know, kind of dig a hole, so to speak, with. You know when they're not trying real hard, and then you get frustrated and then you usually end up having to back up the next day instead of picking up where you left off. So there's really not a set time. It's really reading the dog and kind of keeping that attention engaged and I mean it's really with the younger dogs, it's getting them to want to learn, I think. So ways to do that, whether it's shorter sessions or certain dogs, take a few minutes just to get some of the excitement out, and then they can really focus. So, knowing the difference in which kind of dog you have and and just kind of applying it, you know, one dog it might be 15 minutes one day and five the next and then back, you know, so it really varies.
Speaker 1:I see I like that. That's great advice. So do you have, with this schedule that you have? Do you have time to let me back that up? How many dogs do you have at home right now? I have well there's two here right now, but one of them's mine. It cut out Just a second Ray. Could you repeat that? We got a little delay?
Speaker 2:Oh sorry, we have two dogs right now.
Speaker 1:one of them's mine and one of them. Uh, we're doing some puppy training with okay, so you still do some training. I know you probably don't have time to do a lot not a lot.
Speaker 2:It's really the the puppy's kind of a certain situation. It's a for a family member, so it's just it's hard to do like I feel guilty bringing a dog into train for somebody else and then I'm gone a bunch. So you know, with this it's it's kind of a little bit of a, you know, for, like I said, for a family member it's not going to be a field trail dog and uh, but my dog, that, she's four now, she's a master hunter. She's qualified all age, um, and we're just starting to run a few opens with her. So she has, but she has to do that on a part-time schedule so that's, and that's the only trials and tests you're doing right now.
Speaker 1:It's with her. When you get a chance, correct that I'm handling. And yes, correct, okay, um, do you ever handle for other people anymore?
Speaker 2:No, not anymore.
Speaker 1:Okay, let's talk about you know, one of the things we both agree on 100% is Purina, proplan, and I'm sure, ray, with your experience you could have got a job at maybe any dog food company. Did you choose Purina, or did they choose you?
Speaker 2:I mean, I'd like to think it was both. Yeah, you know, I certainly chose them. I mean, honestly, from my first dog at 14 years old. The first person I talked to said, hey, this is the best option, this is what you want to get, and I have never fed a different brand of food from age 14 to 42. Wow, so I've always had good results. I've never had issues of. You know.
Speaker 2:And then once I got into running and competing and running hunt tests in high school and then starting in field trials, and when you see the scope of what they do for the, for the dog sports, not just in the things that I do, but you know beagles, for the dog sports, not just in the things that I do, but you know beagles, coonhounds, bird dogs, police canines, I mean the scope of it is so much greater than just retrievers or spaniels. And with what they do to support the conservation community too, also, besides dogs, you know Ducks, unlimited Pheasants, forever Rough Grouse Society, all that type of stuff. It really, to me, it's the company that gives the most back to what we love and what I've loved and done my entire life. So you know, when the position became available, you know I'd like to think it kind of worked out good for both of us, yeah.
Speaker 1:Purina ProPlan. Here at Gun Dog Nation, we use Purina ProPlan for our dogs. Purina ProPlan here at Gun Dog Nation, we use Purina ProPlan for our dogs. We actually use the Sport Performance Edition, which is 30% protein and 20% fat the beef and bison. It contains glucosamine, omega-3s for their joints. It also contains amino acids for muscles and antioxidants. It also has probiotics. It's guaranteed to have live probiotics in each serving. There's no artificial colors or flavors. We see the difference in our dogs. We see the difference in their coat, their performance, their endurance and also in recovery. Be sure to use Purina ProPlan dog food. The reputation speaks for itself. There's a reason that Purina has been around for such a long time. We suggest that you use it and we are so proud to be sponsored by Purina Dog Food. That's great. No, I mean, it's nice knowing, because you're my Purina rep too, and that I've got a guy like you with a world of knowledge to lean on. You know, when I have an issue, what makes it better.
Speaker 2:Well, I'll say this I mean I think there's a lot of quality foods, right so, but what I think makes Purina better is the amount of research and development that goes into a lot of their products. I mean I think we have over 500 veterinarians, nutritionists and scientists on staff that develop all the formulas. Everything we do or put out there is food tested, is feed tested on. We have our own, we have a kennel where we conduct feeding tests. I mean they've conducted lifetime studies over, you know, which took, you know, 12, 14 years over the whole lifetime of the dogs.
Speaker 2:So I think the research, the development and the testing that goes into it, I think is above and beyond. You know there's. You can find somebody that can help you. You know, if, say, you have a nutrition question for me and I don't know the answer, I have a whole team that I can go to to try to get the answers that anybody needs. Just, you know the way it's formulated for working dogs, with the protein to fat ratio, the oxygen metabolization, the VO2 max. Just you know all that stuff I think really is catered to what we want the dogs to be able to do and to be able to perform. But you know. So I think those are the things that set us apart.
Speaker 2:I don't I'm not going to sit here and tell you that all the other companies aren't quality, right, I mean, I think there's a lot of quality foods, but I think our research, our development and the people that you have, the company behind you and the support that they have is, I think, that's what sets us apart.
Speaker 1:Well, I'm even going to add to that, ray, and I agree with everything you said. And I've used other foods and it weren't that they were bad, but I had better results with ProPlan and the other foods I've got. I thought they were good until I tried ProPlan and came back to it and I saw the difference. And I've got I thought they were good until I tried ProPlan Again, I came back to it and I saw the difference. And I've got six, seven dogs. Right now I do protection dogs. Two of my protection dogs are Dobermans. They're very hard to keep weight on because they're so energetic, they work so hard and they're really hard to keep weight on them. And when I switched them back to pro plan, it was a, it was a world of difference and there I never had a problem keeping weight on them again. So I believe in it. But what what even takes it a step further is I really feel proud to you know that you guys sponsor this show because you do so much for the community this podcast, and I don't want to bore you do so much for the community, this podcast, and I don't want to bore you so much with all that. But this podcast my.
Speaker 1:I have a goal to do this. It's not just to get up here and talk. I want to bring a whole community of gun dog owners together and I want us to preserve our sport, but I also want us to be better owners, know more about nutrition. I have veterinarians on here from Texas A&M. I've had two, I've got a new one.
Speaker 1:Well, I've got two episodes with veterinarians and we'll continue doing that and, uh, I'm going to have, I'm going to have a whole episode dedicated to dog nutrition. Uh, and I'm going to talk to you about that too. Uh, but anyway, no, I I really like what they do, how they support the hunt test world, the field trial world, the conservation world. You know how they support the hunt test world, the field trial world, the conservation world. I saw you guys at Pheasant Fest. I was down there too, and you all had a huge presence there and you gave on seminars. You had Ronnie Smith on stage, who's one of my favorites. I actually go to his. I just went to his seminar three weeks ago in Oklahoma Amazing dog trainer. I've never seen a guy like him, and his wife too.
Speaker 2:She's as good as he is and better people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they're all the fine people. I stayed up there all weekend and was treated, you know they. They had the red carpet rolled out for us, fed us good. You know it was worth every dollar. Um, and now that I know you do seminars, I'm going to talk to you about that too. Ray, I know you're busy as heck. I know it because I text you sometimes. I hate to even bother you because I know how busy you are, but if someone wanted you to come and put on a seminar, are you available? Is it limited, I'm sure?
Speaker 2:This year I'm usually a year or two out. So 2026 potentially? Um, this year is already, you know, has been scheduled since last year. So, okay, you know. So, yes, the answer is yes, but it has to fit into, it has to work around events and other things that are going on. So obviously my first priority is to cover everything that I need to with perina and make sure I'm doing my real job properly first, and then I'll try to fit in a couple, like I said, a couple a year here and there. So certainly a possibility, but just trying to get dates that work for everybody and times, and that gets a little tricky sometimes. But yes, that was a long-winded answer to yes.
Speaker 1:Well, so that's okay, I'm the's a long-winded answer to yes. Well, so that's okay, I'm the king of long-winded. Uh, how would, how would one get a hold of you, ray, if they wanted to say a retriever club wanted to get up with you to maybe put a seminar on for them, what would you?
Speaker 2:uh, let the listeners know how they can get a hold of you, if you don't mind um, I mean usually somebody, just you know somebody in the club would know me or, you know, have somebody that would have a con, my contact and they would just reach out and say, hey, you know we're thinking about holding this seminar. Can I get some information on it? Um, you know, I know I've been talking to habitat flats kennel up in missouri about potentially going up there next year. Um, I'm going to be in colorado later this year. Um, so it's just kind of, uh, you know somebody wants to do it. They, you know I've been to roadie's place. You, I know you've done podcasts with roadie before. So just somebody like that, like you know somebody's like, hey, roadie, we ought to get, we should try to get ray in here for the lost pines retriever club and then roadie reaches out and see if we can make it work.
Speaker 1:I was just down there at hunt test this weekend and actually I'm now AKC junior judge. I did my apprentice down there Sunday roadies and I did. I ran a dog Saturday. He's got a beautiful place he does. I loved it. Yeah, I had no idea it was that nice, so I got out there. That's another good, like Ronnie Smith. That's another good bunch of people too, Dakota and Rhodey. So the dog behind you in the picture, tell us about that.
Speaker 2:He is the 2016 National Field Champion. His name was Windy City's Mighty Mouse. He was a dog that we had and I raised from a puppy, so charlie hines owned him. I had him. Charlie gave him to me, I think seven or eight weeks old. Um, I had him until he kind of went off for formal basics training with bruce curtis and then he came back to us. Oh, I think he was about a year and a half old somewhere in there and then char Charlie does a lot of training on his own in the summers. He would take the dogs home.
Speaker 2:But you know, we had him for a period of time until he was kind of ready to start running, and then he went back and forth between us and Charlie and he was just got elected into the Retriever Hall of Fame here a couple years ago. Had, you know, just shy of 200 lifetime points, won the national, finished four or five others and because now produced he's produced um, several, several high point open dogs. Um, the one year he had the top three open dogs in the country were all out of him with three different litters. Um, so has become a pretty good producer and yeah, yeah so that's what's important, isn't it?
Speaker 1:you know, a lot of dogs can reach that. Dogs can reach a high level, but not necessarily produce themselves and it's.
Speaker 2:I'm going to tell you it's hard to get to that level. I mean, when we're talking that, I mean we're looking at the top one percent of retrievers and uh, you know it's a it's a tough sport, it's a lot of time. It and you know it's a tough sport, it's a lot of time, it's a lot of effort, it's a lot of blood, sweat and tears and that goes into it and then when it works out, it's really, really special and it might. You know, you gotta really enjoy the journey, part of it. You know a lot of people get wrapped up in the results and they get frustrated if they get a jam in a field trial and didn't place and but at the end of the day, think of all the effort it took to get there, and just finishing field trials is not an easy task. So you got to really try to slow down a little bit and think about it and I was certainly not that way when I was doing it every weekend. It about you know results and and making phone calls to owners and you know I could. You went, you get three placements out of four and you got other people that didn't get out of the first, other dogs that didn't go to the first series, so you know. So trying to enjoy the whole process is is cool.
Speaker 2:And now when you look back and actually you can't really see the picture Above the door. There there's another one. It's kind of blurry, but that's 2015 National Amateur Champion, roxy McBondon. She was another one we had from. Bill Benson owned her and he was a little less hands-on, so she stayed with us. I mean, he was I shouldn't say he wasn't hands-on, but he lived close enough where she was with us more and I mean he was a great owner and took her home. I mean she lived a great life. So don't take that as he just put her on the truck and left her there, but we were, had her more full-time and, like I said, she won the 2015 national amateur in Montana and so, yeah, that was. That was another pretty special one.
Speaker 1:How many? And?
Speaker 2:uh, so yeah, that was. That was another pretty special one. Um, how many dogs have you put that you've trained, have gone the hall of fame? Oh, let's see that I've had my hands on. Let's see, I think five. Wow I think, I think five, and when it's all said and done, I would hope two more have a pretty good shot of getting in.
Speaker 1:Nice Ray, are you familiar with Floyd the Dog?
Speaker 2:I mean I've watched him run. He's amazing. I mean I've watched him at the Nationals. You know, with them being in Oregon, it's not a part of the world that I get to spend a lot of time in or get to see, but I mean just watching him perform. I mean, when we just talked about what sets dogs apart and being able to think things, figure things out, I mean he is the prime example of that. Um, those, both those nationals he won. I mean he's just phenomenal dog. He's done it now twice in canada too, and um, so yes, I'm just, he's a great dog.
Speaker 1:Do you know his owners or handlers? I do. Are they the same, the owners and handlers?
Speaker 2:so, um, he's owned by amy heninger who, um amy and john john, primarily was training the other dogs, but john and amy have True Line Kennel out in Oregon. Okay, but I think Amy runs Floyd all the time.
Speaker 1:Okay, I need to reach out to them. I've got a Floyd son and he looks just like him. I've never seen him in person, but in pictures he looks and he's a little over. He's getting seen him in person, but in pictures he looks and he's a little over. He's getting ready to hit a year old. Yeah no, he's a little over a year old a little over a year old and I've heard some good things.
Speaker 2:I've heard some good things from people that have puppies. I personally haven't really seen them, but I know more West Coast some of the mountain area trainers and a lot of them have. I've heard some good things about the way the puppies look yeah, I've seen.
Speaker 1:I haven't seen other litters from other breedings from him, but just the one I have. I've seen his litter mate sister hunted with her and uh and him and she was impressive too. But I think he's going to be something else. I'm trying to work with him and I may have to get some guys to help me take it a little higher.
Speaker 1:Never any shame in that. No, no, I've reached out to a couple of pro trainers here in Texas, but yeah, I'm going to have to get some help. I think I think I've done all I can do with him, but anyway. So I assume you just have one dog. You've never really been a breeder then, have you.
Speaker 2:No, no, that is not. I mean. Obviously you're familiar with a lot of the pedigrees and things, but no, there's no whelping box anywhere near me.
Speaker 1:That's me too. I don't think that's a lot of work.
Speaker 2:And it's hard. I mean it seems like it's just so. There's so many things that can go wrong and it's so hard and the amount of time and effort and what you, what I I have plenty of friends that do it and it's just, it's a hard case. You know, you put so much into it and emotionally get wrapped up in it and then something can happen to one of them and before you, I mean, it's just, it's a draining process.
Speaker 1:It is, you know, and people think all these pups are high. But really if you buy a well-bred pup and it's a really responsible breeder and they're doing everything that they can to make that pup the best it can be health and everything they're not really making a big lot of money. I mean, you know? No, I mean like where I got where I got our dog from.
Speaker 2:I mean she was, I mean I'm not going to say she was housebroken, but I mean they were used to going outside after they ate and I mean so all those habits, the exposure to different things, exposure to birds and water, and raised in the house, not in a kennel, you know. And, like I said, they feed the puppies and then they take the puppies outside to potty right away. You know, from the time they started eating solid food and just the extra effort and the time that goes into it. Um is correct, and you can see the difference when you get, when you get one that's raised like that versus, you know, potentially a puppy that just is raised in the kennel its whole life.
Speaker 1:Yes, Since you're obviously out on the circuit I know you're not competing that much now what are some of the really good bloodlines that you're seeing right now that you like? If you had time, you would.
Speaker 2:Well, I mean right there, he's been producing really well. I mean he's since passed, but you know a lot of his sons are doing well and starting to produce well, are doing well and starting to produce well. This puppy we have that. Like I said, we're not a field trial future, but all the go in the world. She's out of a dog named Rimfires, Once in a Blue Moon, which is a Mickey Sun, and I've heard some really nice things about his puppies. I've watched him compete through his career.
Speaker 2:Another Flex, flawless Execution. I've seen some really nice dogs out of him. Um, you know, I'm really curious to see more of the floyd. You know now that because it's you know, it takes a few years to get where you're going to see him on a national level. So now his puppy should be starting to get to the age where we'll start to see what they're like.
Speaker 2:Um, I mean certainly um, those three are big. I know there's some others, I'm not, I'm not thinking of right now, but those ones are really good. There's a couple. There's another, um, there's another mickey sun named champ. Uh, outback's rising star. That was uh high point open dog a couple years ago. I've seen a few puppies out of him that that looked really good. So, yeah, I mean, you know a lot of it goes back like to carbon and chopper and you know a lot of that stuff. Yeah, so that's that's what I kind of you know we've we're, we are potentially breeding our dog next year. So we've had many conversations over what would work, and most of them revolve around a Mickey frozen breeding or a Mickey son. Okay.
Speaker 1:And your female's out of.
Speaker 2:She's out of a dog named Rush. Js gets your rush on who's a field champion. That we had, um, until we kind of when when we stopped training then he went to andy attar and qualified for a few nationals, was a field champion, I think, as a three-year-old um really liked him. And then the mother's side there, grady, who we had, and several other dogs that we had that were field champions and you know. So just a strong pedigree of dogs that I know.
Speaker 2:You know, I mean I really like, I like knowing the dog's personality because to me there's a lot more to it than performance. So I want to know what they're like to live with. I want to know what they're like to be around. You know, when we get done at the end of the day are they going to be fun to hang out with? You know, are they going to be pacing around and activity and noisy, and you know all those little traits. And I knew all the dogs on the mother's side and I knew Rush. So it was kind of a no-brainer for me to not only kind of get something out of a lot of dogs that I'd had my hands on, but dogs that I all knew and wanted to be around.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there's things that those titles can't tell you. Right, that's right. So, ray, when you were in Minnesota and you're obviously in really nice upland hunting country once you got into retrievers did you go back to upland hunt. Do you still do that?
Speaker 2:Not as much as I would like, but yes, like I said, I grew up grouse hunting with my Labrador and that was, I mean, I really enjoyed that. That's kind of got everything started. And then waterfowl and also big game up there, which of course doesn't have much to do with gundogs, but I mean that was kind of everything together. And then uh started as we got into training, got some opportunities, went to south dakota. Some did some pheasant hunts in south dakota which I absolutely loved.
Speaker 2:Uh haven't been back there in a little while now but um would 100 love to do it, doing more um, and get to waterfall hunt quite a bit more now than than I used to. Just kind of, with some of the connections that we've that I've gotten. You know, you people like yourself that say, hey, I got a duck club, you want to come hunt with me for a couple days days, and so that those opportunities have have been great as well. So I think I got to duck hunted more this past year than in more States than I have have gotten to before.
Speaker 1:So Nice Did you get to take your dog much.
Speaker 2:No, that's the one downside. I didn't. She didn't go at all. I've I've taken her a couple of times, but it's kind of hard. Sometimes it's a, it's a flight somewhere, sometimes it's. You know, it's hard when you get invited somewhere. And oh, by the way, can I bring my? You know they all have dogs and, by the way, can I bring my dog? And she's going to have to sleep with me because you know she'll probably not like being outside because she's not used to that, and so that makes it a little harder. That's the only thing that I mean. I can't complain about any of the opportunities I've had and I'm so thankful for them. But yeah, I would love to get her out a little bit more. But you know it's all right.
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Speaker 1:What do you look for when you were doing? I mean, you've done so many field trials and won so many you know accolades in that world. What's some of the things you look for in a dog when you think, okay, I think this dog's got what it takes.
Speaker 2:I mean that's really a hard thing because kind of my old thinking was the top 5%, you can tell, or top 10%, like you know right away, they're special, they have some of the trade, they just have the it factor. And then there's probably the bottom 10% that you can tell. They just don't really have the desire, don't really have the want to middle that you got to let them develop and you don't. You know, let them mature and just experience and how, how they can learn and all those things come into play as they get older, whether they develop into a good competitive dog or not. But really, I mean, obviously marking is a huge part in the sport, but hunt, test, field trials and, um, if they're, if they can mark well, if they're a team player, you know, compliant.
Speaker 2:There's a lot of really good dogs that are a little hard to manage. So I was like you know ones that like to sit there watch their birds. You didn't have a whole commotion, you weren't constantly worried about their line manners. Now there's I've had some really good dogs that that we had to keep our eye on, that sort of stuff, right. But if I'm trying to pick the ideal dog, I want one with enough go, but that's not completely crazy.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah, I think that's exactly what I look forward to and the dog that I want to have. What I look for, too, and the dog that I want to have. Um, so I assume all your travels in your job, you've probably got to meet some influential, famous people here and there um, yeah, a few.
Speaker 2:I mean as far as like in, like celebrities in general, or dog training celebrities, both, yeah, I mean from a dog training standpoint.
Speaker 2:I've gotten to meet a lot of people, a lot of really good trainers in a lot of different venues. Some of the bird or not bird dogs sorry, the herding people I mean trainers from South Africa, from Canada, came over here, from Scotland. I mean some of the best in the world, and so that that's really cool to have some of those relationships. And same thing with the Spaniel trainers that have won, you know, won everything and I'll continue to compete at a high level. And, um, you know you, then you got the Mike Lardy's and the Danny farmers and the Alan Pleasants of the world that you know, those are retriever, retriever, field trial royalty, you know. So, and getting to work for Mike for 14 years was, was a great experience. And you know, I mean there's, yes, some sports people Michael, michael Phelps and Aaron Andrews and some of the Michael Phelps and Aaron Andrews and some of the Livvy Dunn, you know, some singers, riley, green, things like that. So that's been kind of cool.
Speaker 1:Was it because they were dog people?
Speaker 2:Yes, it was Um, and all of them are uh have an affiliation with pro plan.
Speaker 1:Okay, wow, and Michael Phelps too. He has a great name that his dog eats pro plan sport, nice that's. You know, I hadn't heard that name in a while. That's, that's pretty neat, uh, so now, so you, you know, like I said, uh, there's a lot of guys like us love to have that job, that that's a great job and I think you're the man for it.
Speaker 2:Definitely, uh well, next time, you see my boss, just make sure he thinks that too I will, I'll put in a word, and I'm good at that stuff.
Speaker 1:Um so what's next for you? What, what? What's this year look like for you? What big events do you have coming up?
Speaker 2:um, well, I'm actually headed. Uh, tuesday I go to nashville to host the High Point Retriever Field Trial Awards. So basically we honor last year's High Point Dog in the Open, the Amateur and the Derby. So that travels around every year. Last year it was down here in Thomasville, this year it's in Nashville. So we switched time zones.
Speaker 2:So that's one of my biggest events just as far as not in terms of amount of people but in terms of what I have to do. So it's organizing, getting all the stuff for the winners they get portraits of the dog, they get plaques and banners and just kind of organizing venues and caterers and all that sort of stuff. So that's coming up next week and then May may I have two big sheepdog events, one in kentucky, one out in uh utah. So I'll be at both of those. Then the national amateur retriever championship is in june up in wisconsin and then I get a little break and I mean, come fall we have the herding national finals, the derby national, the open national, both cocker nationals and both springer nationals are all in the, you know, between September and end of November.
Speaker 1:Now the herding dog one in Kentucky. Where is that at Lexington? Wow, I didn't know. You know, I've had a couple of really nice Border College cattle dogs. It's the herding dog one in Kentucky. Where is that at Lexington? Wow, I didn't know. You know, I've had a couple of really nice Border Collies cattle dogs, and one was a Scotland import. I love them. They're so smart.
Speaker 2:It's fun to watch the trials. It's actually the one sport that's really universal across the world on how they're scored and what kind of the pattern you'd say this, so to speak, like what the dogs have to do with gathering the sheep and moving them around and how all that goes. That's universal. If you compete in the US or over in Norway, you're going to find the same system. So they actually host a world. They have a world trial every three years, which was last year over in Northern Ireland. They have a world trial every three years, which was last year over in Northern Ireland, and I think that US came in third, which was a pretty good. I mean, when you think about I like watching those too.
Speaker 1:I've never been to a live one. Well, I've seen exhibitions like the Houston Rodeo and stuff, but I love to watch them work and I'd like to attend one of those the venue in Nashville. Where will it be at?
Speaker 2:It is in Smyrna, tennessee, which is south of Nashville, maybe probably 20 minutes from the airport, very close to the Middle Tennessee Amateur Retriever Club grounds they host. We also kind of do it in conjunction with the field trial. So next weekend is the Middle Tennessee field trial. We'll come in. I'll leave Tuesday, spend Wednesday kind of doing preparations and then we host a free one-day training seminar every year the day before the trial starts. So free to anybody. We cap the dogs, but as many people that want to come are welcome, we provide lunch for everybody and just do kind of a one-day training seminar. And then Friday night after the field trial gets over, we have the banquet where we do the presentation of all the awards. And so it's in Smyrna, there's an event center there and that's actually where we're going to have it this year.
Speaker 1:Man, I wish I could go there. My brothers live in Nashville and I actually have a house there. My mom has a place there too, but yeah, that's well heck if you've got free time. One of my brothers plays at the Redneck Riviera, down there on Broadway. Oh yeah. My other brother plays all over the place. I don't know half the time where he's playing, but you have to go check him out. But no man, I wish I could attend that. I actually know some guys at the Middle Tennessee Club Okay.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it'll move around Like next year. We'll be out on, I think it's Pacific time zone again, so we'll have to get that hashed out here, probably next week. We actually have an awards committee that people from a person from each time zone across the country and then we'll get together. They all come in for the awards as well and we'll decide where next year's are going to be held and all that sort of stuff.
Speaker 1:Wow, okay. Well, so you, you do have a versatile, you know pretty versatile job, not just for the so Cockers, I mean the Spaniels, are they mostly Cockers or Springers and Cockers Both?
Speaker 2:both and Boykins as well.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, well, let me ask you this because I don't know, again, don't know the answer. So when they have the field trials for spaniels, is it all spaniels or is it just cockers, just springers, just boy?
Speaker 2:um, they'll have a cocker trial or a or a springer trial. Now, sometimes they're all in conjunction with each other. So you know, maybe they'll run uh run a trial with springers and they'll run a trial with cockers, but they can be the same weekend in the same place, but one's cockers and one's springers, and do the Boykins have something separate, or how do they do those?
Speaker 2:The Boykins are more hunt test-like, like you would see retriever, more retriever. I mean they do have upland trials for the boykins as well, but a lot of their weekend tests and they're actually the boykin national was just last week in south carolina, so they, that's, it's it'll. It would look more like a hunt test where the you know multiples and run blinds and things like that okay, yeah, I guess that's the South Carolina state dog.
Speaker 1:I guess that's fitting. So, as far as Purina goes, I guess, cause I've got a lot of friends, I've had some on the show that's a world champion. Coonhound guys, I don't guess that's not your department, right?
Speaker 2:That is not my department. We have. I was just when we were in St Louis. The whole sporting team was together for some meetings and and I was just with the person, but he lives in Louisiana. We're all remote Our bird dog guys in Wisconsin, our beagle and coonhound guys in Louisiana and I'm here, and then our boss lives in Colorado.
Speaker 1:Okay, All right, so that's how it's divided up. So you have a bird dog guy. So you like setters pointers.
Speaker 2:Anything that points he does. Yep, okay. So the way we look at it is it's more of our area, of what we know, right. So, being in the Southeast, there's a ton of bird dog trials, but I don't know anything about training a bird dog, so it'd be hard for me to show up and be relevant and in the in that world when I just don't have the, the background or know the people. So same if somebody else shows up that has never been around a retriever before, then it's a you know. So it makes more sense to do kind of our segment is what we call it like, like the retriever segment, the bird dog segment.
Speaker 1:Well, I just like the fact that Purina hires experts in the field.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean the Sporting Group is not nobody that sits in a cubicle. I mean we're all remote, we're all out in the field, we all have dogs. Our bird dog guy got a dog elected into the Hall of of his personal dog, into the hall of fame last year. So you know it is. It's a collection of outdoor people that you know. Not everybody necessarily was a professional trainer, but they all have the background, they all have, they all have dogs, they all love the outdoors and conservation and all that sort of stuff.
Speaker 1:I like that. I like that. Well, it just makes you feel more confident. Like I said, it's nice having you on the other end. If I need something, I try not to bug you. So if you want to do this pheasant hunting thing, I'm going to have to hook you up to go with me in October. My favorite saying is don't threaten me with a good time. I tell you, ray, I've and I my very first episodes with scott knee, neighbor out of huron, wisconsin, and he's a guy and I've been going there this be my fourth year in a row and it's wild birds and it's. I'm hooked. As long as I'm alive and I can't make it, I will be there hunting. Opening day.
Speaker 2:There's nothing like a pheasant flush. I mean it's just that rooster coming up out of the cattails or whatever I mean it's. I love to duck hunt but I love. I mean there's just, I guess anything with the dogs is fun to watch, but yeah, I mean it's something about a pheasant flushing. You know, frosty morning, a bird coming out of those cattails, cackling. It's an experience that everybody needs to have it is.
Speaker 1:It's fun. It's another way to hunt with my dog, obviously, but it's just something I enjoy. I think I deer hunted for so many years and had to sit still and be quiet and have no smell on my body. And you know, now I can stink and be loud and walk and talk and still shoot stuff, so it's all right.
Speaker 2:We used to go late in the year where you had to be a little careful about how loud you were or you weren't going to get very close.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, that's true, you get smart quick, but and get very close. Yeah, yeah, that's true, you get smart quick.
Speaker 2:But that's half the fun of it too trying to figure out how to hunt a field where they're not all going to just run out the end. That's part of the fun too. The strategy of it all.
Speaker 1:It is. Most of what we hunt up there is probably 75% cornfields, okay, and then we'll hunt sorghum, milo or something like that, and then a little native grass, maybe a little bit Cattails. Well, ray, I was trying to think if there's anything else. Is there anything else you want to add about your job, anything you want to speak about as far as your products and stuff?
Speaker 2:I mean I think we, I think we covered that pretty good really. I mean, just like I said, I mean we kind of touched on why what it's meant to me for my entire career, from, like I said right now, from 14 to 42, and it's uh still, it's always been a big part of my life and it still is, and you know just everything with the dogs and the sporting world and it's yeah it's a big part of it.
Speaker 1:I want to thank you for keeping this alive. You know this is a sport and it's a fun sport. It's a great sport. You meet some of the best people in the world. You meet in this business or in this sport. Not just a business, but it's a sport. And you know, I also think I'm so thankful that Purina is such a supporter of this, so I can't say enough good things about it. But, ray, it's been a pleasure. Now I know a little bit deeper about your training. I might be aggravating you some for some training tips, but I'll try not to hit you up too bad. And then, like I said, if you get down in Texas, come out to ranch. I've got a few exotics on the place.
Speaker 2:Oh, cool yeah.
Speaker 1:If you get a desire to shoot something, I've got plenty of predators. If you want predator hunt too.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, I've got my 25-06 ready.
Speaker 1:There you go, that's perfect. Yeah, that's a nice round. I like that. I don't own a 25-06, but I've shot it and I've killed something with one A buddy of mine had. But anyway, well, ray, thank you so much. This won't come out for a little bit, but it's Good Friday and I hope you and your family have a wonderful Easter weekend. And thank you for taking time on your Friday and your busy schedule to come on the show. It's been a privilege.
Speaker 2:Well, thank you for having me. Same to you Happy Easter and to everybody listening. And yeah, hopefully we'll run into y'all down the road. If you don't know me and we're at an event, come over and say hi and love to love to meet new people and and talk dogs and so, yeah, it's been a pleasure. I appreciate it.
Speaker 1:We'll have to do it again you said we'll definitely do this again, right? Well, thank you very much, and I'll talk to do it again. You said it will definitely do the skin Ray. Well, thank you very much, and I'll talk to you later when you're getting ready to go on your next hunting trip, make sure you pack the most efficient and reliable ammunition on the market. Migra ammunition brings you the most diverse loads on the market. Migra's patented stacked load technology is the epitome of efficiency Two shot sizes stacked together to create the most diverse and efficient line of shot shells in the industry. It doesn't matter what flyway, what state or what the weather. The standard remains the same At Migra reliable loads that perform in any condition, every single time. We're proud to have Migra Ammunition as a sponsor for Gun Dog Nation.