Gundog Nation
A show to bring together gundog enthusiasts, trainers, and handlers with discussion focused on all breeds and styles of gundogs.
Gundog Nation
Chuck Williams - Building a Student Gun Dog Team, One Retrieve at a Time
#52 A small Georgia school just rebooted what “sports” can mean for teenagers—and it starts with a whistle, a lead, and a steady dog at heel. We sit down with Principal Michael Langston and Coach Chuck Williams of Gordon Lee High School to unpack how a simple idea—bringing retrievers into an ag classroom—grew into a structured gun dog team where students learn handling, safety, and the kind of composure that carries through life. Along the way, you’ll hear from the students themselves: why a football player shows up at 7:15 a.m. to practice heel and place, how a calm handler can steady a high-drive lab, and what it feels like to pass those first hunt tests.
We walk through the building blocks: safety-first protocols, parent participation, and a smart pivot from distant trials to a home-ground series that pulls in grandparents, friends, and local supporters. Coach Williams shares the partnerships that made competition possible, from pro trainers who lent dogs to clubs that welcomed junior handlers. The goal isn’t just ribbons; it’s widening the gate for non-hunters, teaching conservation through hands-on work, and revealing career paths in dog training, guiding, and animal care that most teens never see.
If you care about youth programs, working dogs, or the future of hunting and conservation, this story is a blueprint. Clear expectations, consistent reps, and community buy-in turn curiosity into commitment—and commitment into a tradition students can carry beyond graduation. Hear how Gordon Lee is inspiring other schools to follow, why reduced entry fees and junior divisions could supercharge growth, and what it takes to start a team with just a couple of steady dogs and a willing sponsor. Follow, share with a friend who loves dogs, and leave a review to help more schools find this playbook.
Gundog Nation is Proudly Sponsored by Waterstone Labradors.
Gundog Nation is Proudly Sponsored by:
I'm Kenneth Witt and welcome to Gun Dog Nation. Gun Dog Nation is much more than a podcast. It's a movement to build a community of people around the world that like to watch a well-trained dog do what it's bred to do. Also, we want to get our youth involved into the sport of gun dogs, whether it be hunting, sport, or competition. We want to build a community of people united to preserve our gun dog heritage and to be better gun dog owners. Tune in to each weekly episode and learn about training, dog health, wellness, and nutrition. We will also offer tips for hunting with dogs and for competition hunt tests, field trials, and other dog sports that involve gun dogs. Please go to our website, gundognation.com and subscribe to our email list. We will keep you informed weekly with podcasts that are coming out. We also will be providing newsletters with training tips and health tips for your dog. You can also go to patreon.com forward slash gundognation and become a member. There's different levels of membership on there. Just go check that out. Also, would like to thank Sean Brock for providing the music for this show. The introduction and the outro is Sean Brock. He played everything on there except the banjo by Scott Vest on the Dobro by Jerry Douglas. Sean is a neighbor of mine up from over in Harlan, Kentucky. I'm just across the mountain in Hyden, Kentucky, and he's a super talented guy. But most of all, I want you guys to check out the Creakers. They are also from Hyden, Kentucky. This is an up-and-coming bluegrass and country band. And these guys are hot. They're all over TikTok and YouTube. You will hear these guys because in a year or so that they will be on the radio. They are very talented. Their videos are going viral on the net. These boys are family. Two of the lead singers, one grew up with my daughters, and the other one is my cousin's son. So he's family. But check them out. Check out the creakers. Also, last but not least, if you want to buy a hat, koozie, t-shirt, or even gun dog supplies, go to shopgundognation.com and you can purchase any of those items. Thank you so much for listening. It's a privilege to have people that want to put up with me talking about dogs all the time. I actually enjoy what I do, and I'm so glad to have this opportunity. And thank you. Hello, welcome back to Gundog Nation. This is Kenneth Whitt coming to you. This is the earliest I've ever done a podcast. It's uh 8 30 central or 7 30 central time here in Fort McCabot, Texas. I'm at the ranch today. Uh I've been following this story a little bit. I was fortunate enough that uh this gentleman reached out to me and told me what they were doing, and I just got so excited I I wanted to get them on here as soon as I can. But I'm getting ready to uh have a podcast with Gordon Lee High School in Georgia, who has the first, to my knowledge, gun dog team in the United States for high school students. Uh it's that's kind of prevalent in the United Kingdom, but we don't see it here in the States. Uh we have Mr. Chuck Williams, who is their coach and a teacher, but also uh the person who helped make this happen is on here, Mr. The principal, Mr. Michael Langston. How are you doing, Mr. Langston?
SPEAKER_02:I'm doing wonderful. How are you?
SPEAKER_04:Thank you for having us. Fine, thank you. Well, let me tell us how this began. How how do we how do we end up with a gun dog team at a high school?
SPEAKER_02:Well, I I can take zero credit. Um this all goes to Mr. Williams. When we task our kids and we challenge our kids every year to get involved. Um I've been in education for a long time, and I tell the kids every year, I've never had a kid come back to me and say, Mr. Langston, I did too much while I was in high school. But every year I have kids come back and say, Coach, I wish I would have done this sooner, or I wish I would have got involved in this. It makes that experience much better. So we challenge our kids to get involved in anything and everything that we can. Um Mr. Williams came to me with the idea of starting this. Uh I'll tell you there were some hurdles to overcome just to make sure that everything we were doing was on the up and up and safe for the kids. Um but once he convinced me everything was safe and good for the kids, we started to run with it. And the thing that I like about it is we've got kids that that may not have been involved in anything other than this. Um and this gives them an outlet, something to let them enjoy their time. Over the last year, watching this thing grow, we've gone from just a couple of kids being interested to now we've got he's got more and more involved, which means he's gonna ask for more and more money, and we're gonna do what we can to try to take care of him. But again, it's about the kids and getting them involved uh in something they can do, and this is something that they can do long after high school that that can be part of their life.
SPEAKER_04:That's right. You know, and listen, I I I have some experience in education, my undergraduate and teaching, even though I went straight on to law school and I never really got to use it to my fullest potential, but I my whole family were educators, and I want to commend you because uh I know I can't imagine the pushback that you may or may not have gotten at, you know, even above you. Uh, but I think this is a wonderful thing. And when I tell people about this, it the people just light up and they they think this is just a genius idea. I actually just did a podcast uh Friday with the University of Tennessee, uh, he's in the Department of Natural Resources, but they've got an outreach program. And uh unfortunately you're all right across the line, but they they uh talk to he's over all 95 counties in Tennessee, and he's going out and doing putting a gun dog program in middle and high school. Uh but it's not a team, it's not organized like this. But I hope this catches on. Uh, but thank you so much. Uh, you know, I I know I'm not a student there, but I I I wish that was my I wish my kids had had that opportunity.
SPEAKER_02:I wish I would have had that opportunity when I was in school. Just like again, something learn something new, um, something that you might not be exposed to otherwise. We we are very blessed. The the the the town we live in, uh, our school, our my superintendent, the boss, and our school board are very open-minded, and being such a small community and and with with great kids and good families, um, we're able to do some things that other people might not be able to do. Um, but we are very thankful, and like I said, I I'm glad to have our kids involved in something with a with a good guy like Mr. Williams here showing them how to do it.
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SPEAKER_04:Langston, you said one thing that really got my attention, and you said uh this is something they can do way beyond high school. Uh and that's so true. You know, I actually do I do hunt tests like like these kids are competing in myself at the entry level. Uh they're probably better than me. Um but I do it with a there's a lady that comes and competes and she's good and she's in her 80s. So, you know, it it's a great hobby, it's a great sport. Uh it gives kids a responsibility. Uh that's you know you guys know all that. You you're seeing it firsthand. But anyway, thank you. I know you have a crazy busy schedule this morning, and it's your school just started back, and if you need to, if you need to attend to your affairs, uh I understand.
SPEAKER_02:I I will, and again, thank you very much. If we can ever do anything, if you're ever in the area, yeah, you you said something about going fishing some places or going to see your kids, they're not far from here. Please stop by. We'll be happy to show you around. I I believe it or not, but before the school year ends, that's my intention. Awesome.
SPEAKER_04:Can't wait to wait to meet you in person. Thank you. I I say likewise, Mr. Langson, you have a great one. Thank you. You too. Yes, sir. All right, y'all. Now I'm gonna we're gonna talk to the guy that's been head of this program and has put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into getting this together. I'm on this is Mr. Chuck Weaves. Chuck, please tell everybody your background and your hunting dog background as well.
SPEAKER_03:Uh basically, I've been an educator for 24 years now, um, teaching agriculture for the last 16 years in the state of Georgia. Um blessed to be able to come to Gordon Lee High School three years ago. Um, my background at Katusa County where I worked at at Ringo High School, uh, we showed dairy cattle, and I seen the positive impact that animals have on students. Um the main goal of a teacher is we want to see our students succeed. And the day I feel like I succeed is when they walk across that stage and they get their diploma because that's what they've put their blood, sweat, and tears in for years. But I got to figure out how to engage them in all types of areas that makes them, you know, prevalent to where, hey, I want to stay in school and I want to graduate. And, you know, coming over here, uh, we're in the city, um, didn't really want to show any dairy cattle over here. Uh dairy, you know, showing livestock can be very time consuming, uh, as as with the dogs here. But um, I presented it to the principal, um, and I met Mr. Langston go way back. He actually student taught when I was teaching, um, and he came in. And, you know, I just pitched the idea to him, him and the superintendent, and I said, look, you know, I said, this is a great thing. I said, I've been raising laboratory retrievers for 20 years, and I said, you know, dogs, the good thing about them is I said, not every student is going home every day and getting the love they need. And I said, the thing about it is, though, a dog or any type of other animal will love on you, they have unconditional love for you. And so they they went with it and they've they allowed me to start this program, and uh, we actually bring we bring dogs to school three to four days a week. Um, and the kids, not just on the sporting dog team, but also in the school and general population, just come down. If they're having a bad day, maybe they failed a math test, they'll say, Hey, can I come get the dog out for a few minutes? And they just get it and they go back there and they sit and they pet on it and love on it, and then they're fine. You know, I mean, we're all gonna have, you know, failure in life, and that's what I tell them all the time. Look, we're gonna fail, but it's how do you handle that failure? Do you pick yourself back up and move on? So it's been a great program. Um, I've been blessed with wonderful students that's got involved. Most of these students didn't have any type of hunting background, which that was not a requirement. I didn't want you to have a hunting background. I want to introduce you to the new future for conservation, you know, so that their kids one day, but also I wanted to show them the career aspect of it because I do teach agriculture, and that's my job is to try to put them in a career field that they see their self being successful and you know, making a good salary one day. And so this was another avenue that I could go. And so it's been really wonderful that we've done it. Um, the school board, the superintendent, and uh, you know, they've they've all jumped right in. Uh matter of fact, we're doing a um lesson in a couple weeks at one of the churches down here, one of our school board members, she's over it, and she was telling me the other day, she said, Hey, I hope your dogs are ready. She said, Can they speak to their ABCs yet? And I said, Well, they're getting close.
SPEAKER_04:Nice. So you so you're all doing stuff in the community too, just besides practicing. Yes, sir. I like that. So now was last year was your first year. Is that right, Mr. Williams?
SPEAKER_03:Uh, last year was the first year that we competed in hunt tests. The year before was the introduction of the dogs to the classroom. Um, they would come one day a week, and then we then I went a little further. You know, it's teachers were never happy with just getting one thing. We all want more, you know. And so I kind of put the dogs in the classroom and then I pitched the idea to the superintendent. I said, hey, I said, you know, this would really, really cool. And I said, you know, I said, this has never been done, or I don't know of it being done. I said, we're kind of just going off the hip here. And I said, you know, we're gonna learn and go, but I said, everything's gonna be safe, you know, and I said, safety's first, and that's what the kids will tell you that, you know, our safety is our number one concern. And she was like, well, hey, you know, go with it and let's see what happens. And she opened the door and we went to four different AKC hunt tests last year with students, and of course, counting the practices during the week, and then this year we're actually running our own little uh series that actually uh Gun Dog Nation is going to be a sponsor of at the end. I talked to Mr. Witt other day, and he's you know joyfully jumped on and said, Yes, I'll take care of the awards at the end for the students. And so we're building small putting blocks in place.
SPEAKER_04:Hello, this is Kenneth Witt with Gun Dog Nation. Many people quickly become frustrated and confused when training the retriever. Cornerstone Gun Dog Academy's online courses eliminate all the guesswork by giving you a proven training system that will help you train a dog that anyone will be proud to have in their blind. Learn where to start, what to do next, and what to do when problems arise. Visit Cornerstone Gundog Academy.com to learn how you can train your retriever. I have used this method myself. I have been through it a couple times with different dogs. I refer back to it lots of times when I'm trying to get dogs fresh and back up for hunt test season. I highly recommend them. I have actually been a subscribed member of Cornerstone Gun Dog Academy since 2016, and I would suggest anyone use it. I highly recommend it. They have an app that you can get to on your phone. You can do it from your phone, your laptop. You can't get any more convenient than that. I I've used it, it's proven and tried, and I know literally hundreds of people that have done the same thing that I've talked to. Visit Cornerstone Gun Dog Academy.com and learn how to train your own retriever.
SPEAKER_03:We reached out um last year before we started our hunt test. Uh, we were very fortunate. Um I do not know everything about the hunt test and you know, the gun dog world, definitely. I I learn every day, and that's what I challenge my students to do. Um my number one thing for them is that um my saying to them is do not let someone else use your pen to write your story. You write your own story. And so I said, you know, sometimes stories though, you have to involve other people in your story. And so I reached out last year to a lady named Tyler Kuhn. She is in Sunsage Sporting Dogs in Eatington, Georgia. I talked to her on the phone. Matter of fact, it was the day of my son's wedding, and I was uh doing the officiating of the wedding, and you know, of course, my my brain runs about 90 miles a minute. I, you know, I knew that I could read off the paper, and I called her and I'm on the phone, and he's about 10 minutes from getting married, and he's motioning me and needing me. But anyway, she jumped in with both feet with us, um, put on a hunt test for the students, lined us up, um, got different owners of dogs because, as you know, me and you talked about it before, um, these dogs, they're not they're not cheap. Um, and so she lined up owners to bring dogs to the test for them and let them run them, uh, get to bond with them and things like that. And it was really neat to see the outpouring when we would go to tests, the parents and the students seen all these people take them in, and I told them, I said, if you look, they're starving, these organizations are starving for young people to come get involved. They're not, they just don't know where to start. They need an organization like us to start and come get involved with them. And I said, then they open the doors for you for everything else. That's exactly right.
SPEAKER_04:You know, I uh everything that you're that you're more or less preaching, Mr. Williams, is is what I one of the one of the main factors I started this podcast for. And it and it's so good that we've got to meet and and I'm getting to learn about your team. But uh now I this being your kind of your third year, I guess. Yes, sir. It has grown each year, is that correct?
SPEAKER_03:Yes, sir. Um, you know, last year was the first year we ran um eight students, I believe, the last year on our team, and not everybody got to run every test. Um, you know, the financial you know strain of, I mean, you know, we all know that these hunt tests are not free in the travel, and that does put a little hardship sometimes on things, but we tried to do the best we could to make sure every student succeeded if they wanted to go the test. But we've got a very cool uh makeup of the team. We have football players, we have um cross country, we have basketball players, uh, you know, and then you know, then you got the students that work a job in the afternoon. Uh we practice this morning at 7.15 in my room because I've got two students that work in the afternoon, one that plays football, or two that play football. They're like, Well, I'll be there at 7.15 in the morning. So I load the dogs up and they're here, and we work in the classroom on table manners and things like that with them, you know, force fetching, things of that nature, and they get a good 40 minutes in, but they're still involved. And that shows the dedication of the kid, you know, and that means a lot.
SPEAKER_04:That is something, you know, because it it's it's hard to get kids motivated. There's so many distractions these days with you know, games and internet, and changed so much since you and I were young, and and uh so yeah, that I'm that's impressive. Uh, how many students we you have on this year's team?
SPEAKER_03:This year we're gonna have probably about the same amount. Uh we'll probably have seven to eight students uh compete. And that's one reason this year is uh I've kind of taken a different approach. And like I say, when you're starting something new, you learn. Um, and maybe it's not always about running to the HRC or the AKC test, you know, four hours away. So that's the reason I came up with the idea. I was sitting in here a couple Fridays ago because I called you out of the blue, um, and I said, you know, I said, why can't we just run our own little series with the students? And so that's what we did. We just, you know, and I came up, I said, we'll run three in the fall, then we'll run three in the spring, and then we'll throw in a AKC or UKC test in there somewhere, you know, and that's what makes it really cool for them that they're going to be here on their home ground, and I wanted to be able to have the students, their grandparents be able to come, their parents, their aunts, uncles. That's the way you get more people involved. You know, so running that series I think is going to be really awesome for the students and the parents and just as a community as a whole.
SPEAKER_04:You know, I like that too. And and I just uh this is something I don't know if you thought about, but now do you have local retriever clubs around you? Are there any close to you?
SPEAKER_03:Uh there's none right close. I mean, probably the nearest one is about an hour and a half away. Um, so I mean that's you know, and like I say, the logistics sometimes are our biggest, you know, obstacles just getting there, you know, and things like that. And so that's the reason, you know, I thought, okay, let's back up a little bit. Maybe, you know, we started running before we started crawling, you know, and and and it was okay, but it's still they're getting the same aspect, and I feel like we're gonna have better handlers as we keep growing, and it's gonna teach the kids, and then I think we're gonna have the more community support when they can see the stuff on a local level. And we may even start on our club here.
SPEAKER_04:Well, now, Mr. Webs, just may show up my age, but do they still have clubs in high school like you know, like the drama club and they they do.
SPEAKER_03:Um mine is a intercurricular because I I do FFA, which is a national organization because it goes along with a gag. Um we have Key Club still, uh HOSA, several, you know, they've got several clubs in the school, and you know, which is pretty cool. And, you know, like I say, you could have a HRC sporting dog club here at our school, and we could elect officers here at the school and things like that too. You know, it's not well that's what I was thinking too.
SPEAKER_04:You know, if you had a club, the hunting dog club or however you want to refer to it, because maybe you want to do more than just retrievers, uh pointing dogs and then have a club, and that way it might help get more involvement. Even if they don't want to compete, they can learn to train and learn to work dogs. Yeah, but no, I love it. Uh now the so you have some returning students. Do you have some students that are brand new this year have zero? I do.
SPEAKER_03:Um I want to I want to introduce them real quick to you. Uh they do have to go back to class, unfortunately. Um they would love for me to get them out all morning. Uh we'll start with uh Luke here. Luke, you want to come on over and sit with me and you can introduce yourself. They they didn't they were like, I hope they don't ask a whole lot of hard questions because I don't know all the answers yet. No, we didn't introduce you.
SPEAKER_00:I'm Luke McBrior. Uh I'm in ninth grade and this is my first year doing the sporting dog team.
SPEAKER_04:Mr. Luke, what got you involved? What got you interested in being on this team?
SPEAKER_00:Well, Mr. Williams was talking about it in AG in the first week of school, and you know, it just sparked my interest because I'm not a hunter, but when he brought up the dogs, it just made me think like I've always wanted to train dogs and I I love dogs, so that's really what made me want to do it.
SPEAKER_04:I love it. Hey, listen, and don't feel bad. Uh honestly, I I never did duck hunt or upland hunt. I big I hunted deer and stuff, but I was training dogs to find sheds because that's kind of a sport too, actually, shed hunting. And now there's competitions for that. Any and any, and I realized I had these dogs that had this all this bird hunting ability and retrieving ability, and I was wasting their talent. So I got me into duck hunting and upland hunting. So uh and believe and I didn't grow up in a hunting home. Even on from Southeast Kentucky, uh, my dad's a musician. And and so I my but my friends hunted, and that's what got me into it. So yeah, don't don't feel don't feel like you're uh you're not just as qualified to do this as anybody else. And just the fact that you wanted to learn to train dogs uh is is a great motivator. Well, what have you got to do so far? I know school just started, but have you gotten introduced introduced anything so far? Hello, this is Kenneth Whipp with Gun Dog Nation, and I've got to tell you guys about something that I've gotten hooked on lately. It's Folicious. These are gourmet instant faux and ramen bowls that actually taste like the real deal. When I'm out in the field all day, and the last thing I want is a settle for bland camp food. Folicious is what I go to. It's authentic, the flavor, it's real ingredients, it's ready in just minutes. It's perfect for hunters, fismen, or anyone on the go. And you can get them over 1900 Walmarts nationwide, your local HEB here in Texas. Or you can just go online and get foolicious.com. Trust me, once you try it, you'll keep a few stocked in in your back, in your pack pack, or for your next adventure. I just want to say this, I'm gonna add this to this commercial because I know the owners of this company. They've hunted on my ranch. Uh Joseph, uh, he and I were actually met in Colorado on a hunting trip uh that was a real adventure. They are true hunters. They've hunted the ranch, you know, and I've I've hunted with them. And Anna, she is just amazing. She's the one that came up with this idea. They were both on Shark Tank. They are amazing people. So it's I love seeing people like this have a business. And I just had to say that in addition to the commercial because I really believe in the product and I believe in the people that made the product. Be sure to go to foalicious.com or go to Walmart or HEB and try their product. I promise you you will like it.
SPEAKER_00:Uh so far, uh we had practice on Monday and we had practice this morning, so I got to just build some trust with the dogs, have them walk around and just kind of learn the reps a little bit on just like commands and stuff. And that's really what we've been doing so far.
SPEAKER_04:Now, are you involved in any other sports?
SPEAKER_00:Yes, sir. Um, I play football, I'm playing football right now, and in spring I'm probably gonna be playing some other sport. Not sure yet.
SPEAKER_04:So what's your friends, what's your uh your fellow players think about you being on the gun dog team?
SPEAKER_00:Well, I don't think they know much what to think of it yet, because they heard this morning I got to get out of class and they were real interested about it. That's about here after class today.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah. Whatever brings them out in the in the door, right? That's it, that's it. Well, hey, don't give up. And and uh I'm fifty I'll be 57 years old, Luke, in a couple weeks, and I still learn about dog training every day. Uh I've got to go train someone when I get off this podcast my own. So don't give up. Be just be patient and cons and be consistent, and uh, and you've got a good teacher out there to take you through it. But hey, as a pre- I know you got other students on there and you guys gotta run. I will thank you for for being on here, and I it's a pleasure. Hopefully I'll get to meet you guys in person when you have an event uh down the road.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, sir. Thank you.
SPEAKER_04:Yes, sir. Thank you. This is LJ Gann. Hello, Miss Gann, how are you doing?
SPEAKER_06:Hi, I'm doing very well. How about you?
SPEAKER_04:Fine, thank you. Now, is this your first year?
SPEAKER_06:Uh yes, sir. I'm a freshman and this is my first year on this warding dog team.
SPEAKER_04:Now, what drew you to to belong to this team?
SPEAKER_06:Well, I was in class and uh Mr. Williams was talking about it to us and it seemed if we were interested, and I knew I just loved dogs, and I kind of am in a hunting home-ish. Um and it would just seem very interesting, and I thought I might like it.
SPEAKER_04:Well, good. Uh don't don't give up, don't quit. It'll be the it'll be one of the most rewarding things you ever do when you train your own dog and you get to compete with that dog or hunt with that dog. It's very rewarding. So when you say a hunting-ish home, tell me what that means.
SPEAKER_06:Well, um my second and his family. Yes, I'm winning.
SPEAKER_04:Okay. And did you have a dog?
SPEAKER_06:No, we were we were just having a beer on the training.
SPEAKER_04:Okay. Nice. Um, so what so far that you I know you're brand new to this. What do you think your favorite breed will be? Your favorite breed of dog. I once you start training, you'll figure that out real fast. Of course, you might love them all, you know. You might want one of everything.
SPEAKER_03:And LJ's another one that got up this morning and got here at 7.15. She's also on the softball team here, so you know, they practice in the afternoon. So, like I say, to see that dedication of the students is really phenomenal. And it makes me feel like we're doing the right thing because I'm building um responsibility in these students, and that's what we all want from our employees one day when they go out into the workforce. We want them to be, you know, great providers and be responsible.
SPEAKER_04:Well, Miss Gand, it's a pleasure meeting you. I hope that your enthusiasm is infectious and the other students want to do it too. Well, you have a good morning, and uh thank you so much for taking time to come down here and getting up early. I'm jealous. I I've even filled it, I even filled a couple this year. So you did well. How do you like it? Well, and so this is your second year, so you like it. Did you come from a hunting family? Nice. And uh are you interested in it now, you think? Um hey, at least you're with the dogs and you're you're enjoying that, and that's fine. You may never want to hunt, but you're you're at least learning it, you know. You believe it or not, w w we don't have time to talk about all this, but there's a lot of money in dog training. Uh it's a very lucrative business. If you're good. Um, what's your favorite breed so far since you've been working with dogs?
SPEAKER_01:Well, I'm working with um, that'll be my favorite since I've worked with MMS.
SPEAKER_04:I've got one too. There there the the yours the one you're working with is it high energy? Um Yeah. And how do you manage that? What do you do to manage that energy when you when you're working with it? How do you talk to it?
SPEAKER_01:Um I just like had it, you know. You just kind of be calm.
SPEAKER_03:Daniel, Daniel's very calm. Um anytime he would place last year, people would the you know, when you're the amateurs, you know, I mean, I'm just like you can. Um if I get that pass, boy, I'm just ecstatic because I feel like you know, me and the dog work good together. Daniel is so calm in his demeanor when he works with the animal. You know, it's just unreal to watch him. And we had a lot of people last year talk about like, that kid is so awesome.
SPEAKER_04: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 uh amino acids for muscles and antioxidants. And it also has probiotics that's guaranteed to have live probiotics and eat 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 Puriana Pro Plan Dog Food. The reputation speaks for itself. There's a reason that Purian has been around for such a long time. We suggest that you use it, and we are so proud to be sponsored by Puriana Dog Food. Well, Daniel, I'm jealous because actually I had a judge this year tell me to breathe. She said, I need to calm down. So I need to be like you. And that's a great, you have a gift. And being able to be being calm, you it it extends to your dog. And if you're amped up and anxious, your dog's gonna be amped up and anxious. So you you have it you have a gift. And uh now do you play sports? Um okay, so this is your sport. Yeah, this is my sport. So you got a good one. And and don't don't quit. Stay with it.
SPEAKER_03:And uh Daniel was actually our um handler of the year last year. We gave a uh Tyler Coon a handler of the year, and he competed in all the events we went to and never missed any practices, came to everything that we had, just so determination. And one thing about Daniel, um, and he'll you you know, he may not tell you, he's so humble about stuff, but his demeanor, his personality is infectious. I mean, people just love being around him, and he's just calm, cool, and collective, you know. And he's, you know, like I say, a lot of the older handlers at these events, they'll come up and they'll just they'll they'll compliment him on his style and how he stays so calm and he just, you know, respects the sport.
SPEAKER_04:Well, Daniel, I might come over there and get some lessons from you. And uh, like I said, I've got some friends that's been on this podcast that make a really, really, really good living as a pro trainer. So it sounds like you're on the right road. Hey, don't give up. You might have found a career, you might have found something that you can do for a living. But listen, I know you got a lot going on this morning. I appreciate you taking time to be on my podcast, and I know uh y'all on limited time, but it was very nice to meet you. All right, you have a good one.
SPEAKER_03:Aubrey Viverito. I know that I never say right and I've had her for three years, but you know, she'll correct me.
SPEAKER_04:Well, she helped me this morning, so I'm gonna give it a whirl. Miss Viverito, how are you doing this morning?
SPEAKER_05:I'm good, how are you?
SPEAKER_04:Was that right? Did I get it right?
SPEAKER_05:You did. Thank you.
SPEAKER_04:All right. Um, so is this your first year?
SPEAKER_05:It is not. Um, my freshman year, Mr. Williams came to me, or I was in here. The only year I've had agriculture and I've stayed in agriculture, but um, I came in his class and he was like, I need you to speak to the school board. And I was like, You need me to do what? And he was like, I need you to speak to the school board. I was like, okay. And so I went to the school board with him and we spoke to get dogs passed into the classroom. So we made a PowerPoint and presented it, and that's kind of how we got here.
SPEAKER_04:So, what do you think of it so far?
SPEAKER_05:I love it. I love the spaniels and I love Miss Talla. She's great and she works with us well. I love traveling and going. It's hard whenever I work a job, so it's hard to like work around everything, but I'm trying to figure it out and we'll get there eventually.
SPEAKER_04:Now, did you come from a hunting background?
SPEAKER_05:So, my family actually owns 28 acres of land and we deer hunt and stuff like that. So, yeah, I did. Not with dogs, but like separately, like with deer and squirrel. Yes, I did. Yes, sir.
SPEAKER_04:Nice. So is you've never had a hunting dog in your home or anything, correct?
SPEAKER_05:No, I actually had a King Charles Cavalier, like a spaniel breed in my home before, but and I can tell the similarities, but no, we never had a hunting dog in our home.
SPEAKER_04:Is this something you've ever considered doing long term, like dog training?
SPEAKER_05:I have considered it, but I'm not a hundred percent sure yet. But I would love to, or I would love to at least support it and go like not full time, but like I would love to go to hunts whenever I get older, but not necessarily full time.
SPEAKER_04:Now, what are your classmates, your friends at school? What do they think? Has any of them gotten interested just from seeing your excitement?
SPEAKER_05:A lot of them have been like, wait, what do you do? And I'm like, Yeah, like I'm on the sporting dogs team. So a lot of people, a lot of my friends are interested because they see every like opportunities that I get and stuff like that, and it's opened the door for a lot of opportunities for me. So they do see that and they think it's cool and they like it. So yeah.
SPEAKER_04:You're gonna have to go out and start recruiting some now since you're a record.
SPEAKER_05:I know I need to.
SPEAKER_04:Now, did you complete her? Does she?
SPEAKER_03:She has a sister, Emery. Um, and I, you know, like I say, just time limit-wise, but uh Emery also runs on the sporting dog team, so I've got both the sisters. Oh, great. And just a great family to be around and have um with us. Um and she does a really good job. And and like I say, that's the point. You heard Aubrey talk about working, you know, and Emery's the same way she has to work. But then we do the 7:15 in the morning practices for them. Uh sometimes we'll even hit a Saturday morning, you know, with they don't have to work.
SPEAKER_04:Well, I well, I'll tell you what, I admire your dedication, Miss Fiverito. And is your sister? I guess she's younger, correct?
SPEAKER_05:No, she's a senior this year, actually. She's one year older than me.
SPEAKER_04:So is this her first year or have she been in it a while too?
SPEAKER_05:No, she was on it last year with me. She's not in our picture because she couldn't get out of class, but um, she was on it last year. We did both run tests together and stuff at some fun pictures and stuff together too, and our dogs were sisters too. So we got to run as sisters with sister dogs. Oh wow.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, I love that. And both of y'all got hunt test passes, correct?
SPEAKER_05:We did both hunt tests that we went to it. We went to a two-day, so it was Saturday and Sunday, and both days we did pass.
SPEAKER_04:So well, listen, I I I admire you both. You tell her hello and uh and keep it up, don't quit. Take it on beyond high school.
SPEAKER_05:Absolutely. Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_04:Thank you. I know you got to get back to class, but thank you for being on here.
SPEAKER_05:Thank you for having us.
SPEAKER_04:Okay, bye-bye. Hello, this is Kenneth Witt, and Gundog Nation is proud to have one of their sponsors as Retriever Training Supply based in Alabama. Retriever Training Supply offers fast shipping on quality gear. Your dog will love it. Visit Retriever Training Supply dot com to purchase gear to help you train your retriever. Listen, they have some of the best leases I've ever found. It's stuff's made in America. Their leases are and they source them locally. They have anything you want, fast, friendly service, fast shipping, just good people. Retriever training supply. Well, I tell you what, Mr. Williams, you can see it in their faces. They love it.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, yeah, and it makes a joy for me, you know, to come in and like I say, I was rushing this morning to get here, and the kids start beating me to the classroom, you know, and it's like, okay, I gotta hurry up, you know. And it's just, you know, like I say, it it makes it makes you know that you're doing the right thing when you can have kids show up at 7.15 in the morning, four o'clock in the afternoon, stay till 5, 5.30, have dog slobber all over them, and you know, just you know, they're out there just having a blast, though. They're learning so much.
SPEAKER_04:Now, logistically, do you all keep the dogs at school?
SPEAKER_03:How how does that take place? So basically, um, I purchase the dogs personally, um, the two that I have here, and then they they of course stay with me, and then I transport them back and forth every day, and they have kennel. We bring them in here and put them in their kennels. But we have a really cool deal set up. Um, every kid in class gets an opportunity to work with them. Um we have a um we have our lesson plan set up on a board outside for the uh students that are working with them, even if they're not on the sporting dog team. Every student signs a waiver when they come in or they take it home and they get their parents to sign it that, hey, we will be working with dogs in class, um, you know, are you allergic? Um, you know, just different things like that, you know, and the parents sign off on it. And I do not force any of the students, though, just because they bring the waiver back, if you do not want to, that's fine too. But if you want to, and I stick them in pairs because we have two dogs, um, they'll work on, they basically work on Place Hill, they take them on field trips, basically walk into other parts of the school, uh, just you know, socializing the dog to where it's a good dog. You know, and that's what I always tell them. I said, Look, everybody wants a good dog. I said, you know, you don't want one that's a jumper or you know, running all over everybody or doesn't listen to you, and so you're kind of in the, you know, you're learning here how to train the dog, and then you can go home and train yours. I said, because there's a 95% chance that you're gonna own a dog some point in your life if you're a dog lover. You know, so why not have a well-behaved dog, whether it's a hunting dog or just your, you know, lap dog and you want something to set with you.
SPEAKER_04:Yes, I agree. Um, what do you see uh where do you want to? I I know you're a goal-oriented person, Mr. Wimbs. What what do you want to see next level? What's your vision?
SPEAKER_03:Well, the next level is uh what we're gonna do is we'll we'll run this series this year. Um I've got a couple schools um that we're going to reach out to that I done I was very fortunate I was able to do a um little conference for ag teachers in Georgia this summer, and there was about 20 teachers there. Um so I've sent them my information as far as you know how did we start it, how did we get them in school, different things like that. And like I say, all this was brand new, so there's really no right or wrong way. It's just you gotta, it's trial and error, you start doing stuff, and and you know, always keep in mind the number one thing is safety, you know, of everyone, the dogs and the students. And, you know, because like I say, you know, when you go to the AKC test and you mentioned there's gunfire, you know, and so when my parents, before we ever even talked about the very first meeting, I told them, I said, look, I said, now there is gunfire. These people have been trained, they're they've gone through a class on shooters, but we are all humans too. And I do not transport any kid to the hunt test. The parents bring their students to the hunt test. Because I told them, I said, I am, you know, I figured that if you're gonna go to a football game on Friday night or go watch your child in band or whatever, this is no different. You know, you should be there to support your child. And when they went to the very first one, um, we had all eight students there, the first uh test, and the parents came up after it was over and they're like, this is amazing. They thought this was so well ran, and we didn't realize, you know, we were just thinking, like, okay, they're just gonna turn them loose, and you know, it's gonna be a free-for-all, and they seemed the way it was run. Then they were like, oh my goodness, this is great. I mean, I even had a parent, no hunting background whatsoever, and she's like, Well, I want to know how to plant birds. So I stuck her with the plant the bird planter, and next thing you know, she's out there planting birds. She's like, Hey, I'll do this. I figured it out, you know. So, like I say, that just to answer your question, our goal is to get some other schools involved. Um and, you know, hopefully AKC or uh HRC or even SRS um, you know, will kind of catch on and say, hey, you know, uh SRS, the Super Retriever Series, you know, they have a college division. Um maybe somebody will catch on and say, you know, to build the to build the growth, you've got to start something. And there's gonna be lumps to it. There's gonna be times, you know, that you have to put into it. But maybe start a high school division for junior handlers, you know, and I think that's, you know, and I hope that we're kind of on the forefront of getting that started now that we're in our third year. Um, and like I say, you know, I think a lot of it is not running before you learn how to walk, and you know, and so we've kind of backed up a little bit, like, okay, let's do this series, and I think the students are gonna really be involved in it. We try to make sure that they get all the swag. Um, hopefully you enjoyed your hat that I sent you the other day. Uh, that's our sporting dog team hats. And then the students, they uh they all receive uh two hunting shirts uh during the uh you know season that you know we I have sponsors that purchase those or you know, and we're looking for um any sponsor that wanted to sponsor them, you know, whoever it may be, um, you know, will wear their clothing, you know, and just trying to teach the kids there's people out there willing to help. They just got to know you exist.
SPEAKER_04:I I agree. I'd like to hope help in that respect too. You know, I've had Shannon Narty who founded one of the founders of SRS and still runs it on here. Uh I may reach out to her too and you know mention a high school program. Uh yeah, I think I think it's just beginning, you know, while while y'all were talking, I was thinking, you know, hey, maybe we could go to the AKC and UKC and and and maybe we can get fees waived for high school students and to help alleviate the burden on the parents. Yes, sir.
SPEAKER_03:Right. And a lot of clubs, uh, I did I was able to uh talk to the president of the uh HRC other week, and he was kind of like, you know, some clubs, it's up to them. They don't tell them how to operate, but some clubs do a reduced fee. And and you know, teachers, you have to learn sometimes how to um be innovative and getting fees and stuff. And, you know, I told myself I'm not above calling the president of the clubs and asking, hey, you know, can we have a reduced, you know, fee to kind of help? You know, because it is kind of hard when you're sitting there telling the kid you're gonna pay$200 and it's not really your dog that you're running. But also in the same aspect, I told my kids and parents last year when we started this, I said, look, I said, you've got to have some skin to game. I said, because I am not gonna go through the trouble of getting the dogs lined up. These owners are traveling 200 miles to bring you a dog to run, and then you call me on Friday night and say, hey, I'm not going. I said, you know, you gotta have something on the line. I said, you're gonna pay for that dog's entry fee, you know, for that owner, you know, to get there, because I feel like that's the least that you could do. And then that way, if you back out, you know, then you've you've lost something, you know. And and it and I think that builds that goes back to the responsibility, you know, and that's what I'm trying to create with them is the responsible, good character young, you know, people to work.
SPEAKER_04: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 stack together to create the most diverse and efficient line of shot shells in the industry. It doesn't matter what flyaway, what state, or what the weather. The standard remains the same. At Myra, reliable loads that perform in any condition every single time. We're proud to have Migra Ammunition as a sponsor for Gun Dog Nation. Well, it sure would be nice to see it as a as a a school event, you know, like all over Georgia, all over the U.S. I mean, in the United Kingdom, and I've had people on here that's been members, but like each each state, I guess you would call it, like Ireland has a gun dog team in Scotland and Wales and England, and they all compete, you know, for the team championship. Uh it should be nice to see something like that here in the high school level.
SPEAKER_03:Well, and like I say, I think you can eventually get something like that down the road. Um, you know, now bass fishing has taken off. Um, you've got colleges offering scholarships to students, and and it all started by a couple people just getting together and saying, hey, this is what has to happen. And that and that's what I tell the kids, you can't create something if you're not willing to participate it in yourself and put the work, blood, sweat, and tears into it. You know, and I said, you know, like Aubrey and Daniel, being the first, you know, beginners of this, yes, they'll graduate next year, but they'll have three, Daniel will have three years, he actually graduates this year, but he'll have three years that he competed in this. Aubrey will have competed in this since the inception of it. So, you know, that's something to look back on. Because when you graduate Gordon Lee High School, it's very important that you're an alumni of Gordon Lee. Um, they have a great tradition here, the community's wonderful. Um, and so bringing that to the forefront of like I was on the first boarding dog team, you know, and it's just amazing.
SPEAKER_04:Now, uh Mr. Weaves, how how many students will on average does Gordon Lee graduate each year?
SPEAKER_03:Probably between 90 and 100, I would say. Yeah. Yeah. It's it's a very small city school. Um I the school I came from, you know, we had about 1200 students, so I come over here and like I know all 400, you know, or 420, you know, it's kind of like, whoa, this is kind of cool. But it's a great thing. Um, the traditions here at this school are like none other. It starts at the elementary school and goes all the way through to the high school. And, you know, to see these students pour into each other is great because like Aubrey, I know she's got some friends that couldn't do the sporting dog team, but they would come, hey, can I come to practice and watch Aubrey? Yeah, you can come. You know, that's fine. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04:Do you have you had any schools in the since you've started this program, have you had any other schools around anywhere reach out to you and ask you about it?
SPEAKER_03:There was um there's a school in Alabama um that's talked to me, and then like I say, when I done that teacher meeting this summer, and you know, and a lot of it is, you know, when we when we do agriculture, FFA, we have a lot of different stuff that we offer. Um these students get put into tractor operation competitions, um floral design competitions. So that's what I love about the ag field, that you know, it is so diverse in so many areas, you know, that any student can be involved because I count this as their agricultural recreation because this is basically what it is. But, you know, we done a thing yesterday. Um I'm teaching Hunter's Ed in my two basic level classes. Um I'm a certified Georgia Hunter's Ed teacher, so all my first level students get their hunters' education in class, and we were talking about hunting guides. Can be a very profitable, you know, career. And you know, a lot of kids were like, oh, I didn't even know that existed. So that's where I look at the agriculture class. I'm kind of like throwing a buffet out every day, and you just eat what you want, you know, and that and that's what makes me enjoy teaching it.
SPEAKER_04:Well, I love it. It's uh, you know, I really hope this catches on and I hope your program continues to grow and succeed. Um I'll do everything in my power to help what what I can and and you know I'm gonna help you um I'm gonna try to help you guys get a get a dog too. The pup to drink. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. That's my goal. Hopefully that's in motion. Um is there anything else you'd like to add? I know you gotta get back to work, Ms. Williams. Is there anything else?
SPEAKER_03:Uh if there's any if there's anyone that watches the podcast um that's schools, uh, you know, and you don't have to be the ag teacher. Um you can be, you know, just a teacher or you might want to start a club. Uh you can reach me at my email. It's uh chuck.williams at glschools.org. So if you need any information on kind of how we got started, I'll be glad to share my information. We and like I say, it's not professionally written or anything like that. It was just something, you know, I had a you know feeling, you know, a burden on my heart that this needed to be started. And if it helps one kid graduate and be successful, then we've done our job.
SPEAKER_04:I love it. And I'll I'll also add this any any sponsors or any companies out there that are listening to this podcast, if you want to support a good cause in the gun dog community, this is it, and reach out to Mr. Williams. Uh but anyway, Ms. Williams, I I'm so excited, I was so happy when you reached out to me. I I I couldn't I couldn't talk to you fast enough. And I'm just it's a wonderful thing.
SPEAKER_03:Uh I'm glad you're thank you for allowing us to come on here because like I say, I followed you for a while and you've got some great, you know, stories, and you know, um educational-wise, that comes out, you know, from having your um arena people come on, you know, veterinarians, people like that, and other dog trainers, it's amazing the education you can get off the podcast nowadays, you know. And I've never been a big reader, and I know that shocks the community when a teacher said it, you know, but I'm not you know, but uh you know, reading articles now, and we um we basically uh Covey Rise sends us a magazine every quarter, and my students we read a story out of there in class and talk about it, and you know, just phenomenal stuff that's coming up. But like I say, I truly, you know, feel you know blessed to have you, you know, let us on your show uh to highlight these kids. And you know, it's nothing I've done. Um I'm just a little tool in a basket and we're just trying to put all the you know tool chests together so that you know we can be successful.
SPEAKER_04:Well, it's working, and I just you know you've told me about these kids and about your that's on the team, but seeing them today and and seeing it in their faces, I I I understand it now. Yes, sir. Um well I know you got a busy day, Mr. Williams. I thank you so much for taking time. You're I please thank your principal again for taking time to be on here and and tell your school board that they're they've done a good thing.
SPEAKER_03:Yes, sir, I sure will. Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_04:Have a great day, and I'll be seeing you in the future. Yes, sir. Thank you. Hello, this is Kenneth Whipp with Gun Dog Nation. I'd like to encourage all you listeners and viewers on our YouTube channel to check out patreon.com forward slash gun dog nation. For ten dollars a month, you can become a member of our community and we'll have access to lots of stuff. Mainly we'll do a monthly forum, an open forum where you can ask me anything gun dog related and we'll learn from each other in the community. Should be a lot of fun each month. We will do that. So check it out patreon.com forward slash gun dognation.