Training Plays Important Role With Hunting Dogs

Training Plays Important Role With Hunting Dogs The first thing Tim Thompson learned when he bought his first hunting dog was that it needed training. After more than 30 years of breeding retrievers and winning trophies at national field trials, training is still key. “I’d been in the field with poorly trained dogs, and it made for long days,” recalls Thompson, co-owner of Mitimat Kennels. “I started out trying to train my dog and soon sought advice from professional trainers.” All the responses were similar. “A guy is coming in from Canada. You need to talk to him.” Thompson met with him, and after the trainer looked over his dog, said he would take the dog. “I need him for three months,” said the trainer. “I’ve had dogs in training since then,” says Thompson. “I’ve also participated in training and hope to do more. The training he gave my first dog also got me started competing in American Kennel Club (AKC) field trials.” Thompson maintains a busy schedule with a farm in Illinois, a pine tree farm in Georgia, and a career in the crop protection industry. With a co-owner’s help, he also breeds purebred labs and competes multiple times a year in field trials. “A champion retriever is a combination of breeding and training,” says Thompson. “We only breed when we’re looking for the next set of field trial dogs. If we find a very good female, we try to get one or two litters from her to stock up for national competitions.” Thompson notes that it usually takes about 6 1/2 years for a dog to achieve field championship status, and they may compete until around age 10. One of the dogs he bred was an exception. Rock Paper Scissors, or Rocky, competed in his first national at age four. At 11, he was a finalist in the 2019 National Retriever Championship. Training creates a seamless partnership between the dog and his handler. That partnership and the training are tested in the three-day AKC field trials. “Trials can start with 100 dogs,” says Thompson. “About 10% will finish.” He and his partner compete with their dogs when their schedules allow. “Our dogs compete in 20 to 25 trials a year,” says Thompson. “They live with the trainer about 10 months out of the year. When they’re home, they’re treated like part of the family.” Typically, Thompson or his partner will fly in and work with the dog as much as possible before the field trial. “It’s a gift when you find a dog that knows his job and can get the job done, no matter who is driving the boat,” he says. Thompson is very clear that Mitimat Retrievers isn’t about the money. He estimates that a puppy going to a field trial home can start at $3,500, depending on genetics and the performance of its parents. But that’s just the beginning of the investment. “Early on, I thought I would get a dog, compete, breed her, and have a litter to offset the costs,” he recalls with a laugh. “I quickly learned that it doesn’t work that way. The hobby is for those with a passion and the time and resources to put the effort into it.” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Tim Thompson, Franklin, Ill. (tim.thompson0128@gmail.com).

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