Buying a hunting dog can get expensive fast—especially when you get the dog home and realize it isn’t anything like what you thought you were buying.

In this episode of Thoughts of a Dog Man, I’m talking directly to new and beginner handlers about some of the questions I think you should ask BEFORE money changes hands.

This episode came from a real conversation I recently had with someone who has been trying to build his beagle pack. After buying a few dogs that didn’t quite fit what he was actually looking for, one thing kept coming up:

“I wish I would’ve known what questions to ask.” So that’s what we’re getting into.

Before you start asking the seller questions, what do YOU actually need?

What does that seller mean when they say a dog is “started”? Has the dog only been worked in a starting pen, or has it actually been hunted on wild game?

When somebody describes a dog as fast, medium-speed, hard hunting, close-working, or a good check dog—what are they comparing it to?

We also talk about asking the question a lot of buyers forget: “What DON’T you like about this dog?”

If possible, go watch the dog yourself. Bring your own dogs or dogs you’re familiar with so you have something to compare against. Pay attention to what you actually see—not just what you were told before you got there.

And most importantly, be willing to walk away.

You don’t owe somebody a purchase because you drove three hours, used their time, or feel bad leaving without the dog.

The goal isn’t necessarily to find a perfect dog.

The goal is to gather enough information to decide whether that particular dog actually fits YOU.

🐾 JOIN DOG MAN INSIDER:

https://www.skool.com/dog-man-insider-5478

📘 PRODUCING A FUTURE RABBIT DOG — BOOK + 3 BONUS AUDIOS:

https://bawlinoutkennels.com/products/rabbit-dog-starter-bundle-book-3-bonus-audios

🐆 ALCBA ONLINE REGISTRATION:

https://forms.gle/ZzTbuJkBXsf6Rec97

🐆 ALCBA REBUILD / PERMANENT REGISTRATION PAYMENT:

https://buy.stripe.com/8x228kcui1PZ5Wu2bV7bW04

🌐 BAWLIN OUT KENNELS:

https://bawlinoutkennels.com

🎙️ Thoughts of a Dog Man Podcast

One question to remember before you hand over the money:

If you hadn’t driven all this way and spent all this time looking at the dog… would you still buy it?

There are a lot of little things I do when training hunting dogs that probably wouldn’t sound like “secrets” to everybody—but they’re techniques I’ve picked up over the years that have helped me get more out of my dogs.

In this episode of Thoughts of a Dog Man, I break down five of those little training techniques and explain how I actually use them.

We talk about teaching a hunting dog to hit the ground running so that when you cut that dog loose, it already understands that it’s time to GO HUNT. I explain how I work toward that with beagles and how I use a similar idea with tree dogs.

We also get into using tracking bells, knowing when to stop a training session while the dog is still at its most excited, and why I believe young dogs need opportunities around enough game to learn that putting in the effort can actually lead to success.

None of this is magic, and none of it guarantees that every dog will turn out the same way.

These are simply small things I’ve used over the years to increase the chances of developing the habits, confidence, excitement, and hunting desire I want to see.

Sometimes getting more out of a hunting dog isn’t about finding some complicated training system.

Sometimes it’s about paying attention to the little things.

🐾 JOIN DOG MAN INSIDER:

https://www.skool.com/dog-man-insider-5478

📘 PRODUCING A FUTURE RABBIT DOG — BOOK + 3 BONUS AUDIOS:

https://bawlinoutkennels.com/products/rabbit-dog-starter-bundle-book-3-bonus-audios

🔔 COASTAL PET PRODUCTS — MY AFFILIATE LINK:

https://s.creatorcommerce.club/1dbbc452

🔔 WATER & WOODS TRACKING BELL:

https://www.coastalpet.com/products/detail/?id=WWCB1

I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through my Coastal Pet Products affiliate link.

🐆 ALCBA ONLINE REGISTRATION:

https://forms.gle/ZzTbuJkBXsf6Rec97

🐆 ALCBA REBUILD / PERMANENT REGISTRATION PAYMENT:

https://buy.stripe.com/8x228kcui1PZ5Wu2bV7bW04

🌐 BAWLIN OUT KENNELS:

https://bawlinoutkennels.com

🎙️ Thoughts of a Dog Man Podcast

What’s one little training technique you use that has made a difference with your dogs?

What does a Nite Champion title really prove?

In this episode of Thoughts of a Dog Man, I take a deeper look at competition titles and ask a question I think is worth discussing: does the title tell us enough about the dog, or do we need to know more about the road it took to get there?

We talk about the difference between a dog that earns its wins quickly versus one that needs considerably more opportunities, how much the handler behind the leash can influence competition success, and whether home-field advantage matters when a dog is competing on familiar ground.

I also get into the idea of different “conferences” or regions of the country and how terrain, game population, weather, and hunting conditions can create very different challenges for dogs depending on where they compete.

Then we take it a step further and ask whether a dog’s competition record should follow the title.

Would seeing something like:

NITECH — 5 wins / 7 starts

tell you something different than:

NITECH — 5 wins / 22 starts?

Would that information matter to you as a hunter? A breeder? Somebody looking at a potential stud?

I’m not taking anything away from anybody’s title, and I’m not saying I have the answer.

Maybe the title system is doing exactly what it was designed to do.

Maybe the bigger question is whether we’re asking the letters in front of a dog’s name to tell us more than they were ever intended to tell us.

A title may tell us WHAT the dog accomplished.

The record, the handler, the country, and the story behind it may tell us HOW.

🐾 JOIN DOG MAN INSIDER:

https://www.skool.com/dog-man-insider-5478

📘 PRODUCING A FUTURE RABBIT DOG — BOOK + 3 BONUS AUDIOS:

https://bawlinoutkennels.com/products/rabbit-dog-starter-bundle-book-3-bonus-audios

🐆 ALCBA ONLINE REGISTRATION:

https://forms.gle/ZzTbuJkBXsf6Rec97

🐆 ALCBA REBUILD / PERMANENT REGISTRATION PAYMENT:

https://buy.stripe.com/8x228kcui1PZ5Wu2bV7bW04

🌐 BAWLIN OUT KENNELS:

https://bawlinoutkennels.com

🎙️ Thoughts of a Dog Man Podcast

What do you think? When you see NITECH in front of a dog’s name, what does that title mean to YOU?

Rabbit season is open here in Iowa, and before we get too caught up in the dogs, the races, and putting rabbits in the bag, I wanted to spend some time talking about safety.

In this episode of Thoughts of a Dog Man, I go through several things I think every rabbit hunter—especially somebody new to hunting with dogs—should think about before heading to the field.

We start with muzzle control and the habits that matter while carrying a gun around other hunters and dogs. Then we get into knowing where your dogs are before taking a shot, being selective about who you hunt with, and why I think a quick safety conversation before turning dogs loose can save a lot of problems later.

I also talk about choosing which dogs to put on the ground when hunting with somebody new, paying attention to roads, property lines, weather and dog condition, and remembering that you never HAVE to take the shot.

There will always be another rabbit and another race.

A successful hunt is everybody—and every dog—making it home safely.

🐾 JOIN DOG MAN INSIDER:

https://www.skool.com/dog-man-insider-5478

📘 PRODUCING A FUTURE RABBIT DOG — BOOK + 3 BONUS AUDIOS:

https://bawlinoutkennels.com/products/rabbit-dog-starter-bundle-book-3-bonus-audios

🐆 ALCBA ONLINE REGISTRATION:

https://forms.gle/ZzTbuJkBXsf6Rec97

🐆 ALCBA REBUILD / PERMANENT REGISTRATION PAYMENT:

https://buy.stripe.com/8x228kcui1PZ5Wu2bV7bW04

🌐 BAWLIN OUT KENNELS:

https://bawlinoutkennels.com

🎙️ Thoughts of a Dog Man Podcast

Sometimes the safest and smartest shot is the one you never take!

When you’re working with a young tree dog, it can be easy to focus on one question:

Is he treeing yet?

But there’s a whole lot more I’m watching before I ever decide what I think that young dog might become.

In this episode of Thoughts of a Dog Man, we talk about some of the things I look for while a young tree dog is developing—hunt and desire, how they use their nose, whether they seem more track-minded or tree-minded, problem-solving ability, independence, confidence, and how they respond when things don’t go perfectly.

Treeing is exciting, but it doesn’t tell you the whole story.

How did the dog get there? What did he do when the track got tough? Can he correct his own mistakes? Is he making his own decisions, or depending on another dog or the handler to do everything for him?

And maybe most importantly, are we judging that young dog off one exciting moment—or are we paying attention to the patterns he continues to show us over time?

Especially for beginners, I think there’s a lot you can learn about a young tree dog long before everything completely comes together.

Hopefully this episode gives you a few more things to watch for the next time you’re in the woods with a young dog.

🐾 NEW JOIN DOG MAN INSIDER:

https://www.skool.com/dog-man-insider-5478

📘 PRODUCING A FUTURE RABBIT DOG — BOOK + 3 BONUS AUDIOS:

https://bawlinoutkennels.com/products/rabbit-dog-starter-bundle-book-3-bonus-audios

🐾 DOG MAN INSIDER FACEBOOK GROUP:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1562828264897293

🐆 ALCBA ONLINE REGISTRATION:

https://forms.gle/ZzTbuJkBXsf6Rec97

🐆 ALCBA REBUILD / PERMANENT REGISTRATION PAYMENT:

https://buy.stripe.com/8x228kcui1PZ5Wu2bV7bW04

🌐 BAWLIN OUT KENNELS:

https://bawlinoutkennels.com

🎙️ Thoughts of a Dog Man Podcast

Don’t get so caught up asking whether that young dog is treeing yet that you miss everything he’s showing you before he ever gets to the tree.

Practice what you preach.

Recently, Bawlin Out Kennels crossed 10,000 followers on Facebook. It’s a milestone I’m proud of, but it also made me think about the process it took to get there and how similar that process is to developing a young dog.

There were times when 10,000 followers felt a long way away. Times when growth was slow, things didn’t work, negativity showed up, and I questioned whether I was even headed in the right direction.

Sound familiar?

Because we go through the exact same thing with our dogs.

You start with a young pup and have an idea of what you hope he’ll become. You put the work in, see little glimpses of progress, hit plateaus, have setbacks, and sometimes wonder if that dog is ever going to put it all together.

In this episode of Thoughts of a Dog Man, we talk about continuing to show up before the results are obvious, dealing with plateaus and outside opinions, knowing when to adjust without abandoning the process, and paying attention when those breakthroughs finally happen.

Because a breakthrough isn’t just something to celebrate; it’s something to study.

I spend a lot of time telling new handlers to be patient, trust the process, stop comparing their dogs to everybody else’s, and give that young dog time to develop.

Sometimes I have to remind myself to practice what I preach!

Thank you to everybody who has followed, listened, shared, commented, and supported Bawlin Out Kennels along the way. 10K is a milestone, but we’re nowhere close to finished.

📘 PRODUCING A FUTURE RABBIT DOG — BOOK + 3 BONUS AUDIOS:

https://bawlinoutkennels.com/products/rabbit-dog-starter-bundle-book-3-bonus-audios

🐾 JOIN THE DOG MAN INSIDER COMMUNITY:

https://www.skool.com/dog-man-insider-5478

🐾 DOG MAN INSIDER FACEBOOK GROUP:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1562828264897293

🐆 ALCBA ONLINE REGISTRATION:

https://forms.gle/ZzTbuJkBXsf6Rec97

🐆 ALCBA REBUILD / PERMANENT REGISTRATION PAYMENT:

https://buy.stripe.com/8x228kcui1PZ5Wu2bV7bW04

🌐 BAWLIN OUT KENNELS:

https://bawlinoutkennels.com

🎙️ Thoughts of a Dog Man Podcast

Whatever you’re working toward, whether it’s developing a dog, building something of your own, or improving yourself, don’t mistake slow progress for no progress.

Keep showing up!

Are you helping your young dog too much?

In this episode of Thoughts of a Dog Man, we talk about something that can be easy to overlook when training a young dog: sometimes the best thing you can do is step in—and sometimes the best thing you can do is get out of the way.

We get into the difference between teaching a dog and doing the work for him, why a little struggle can actually help build problem-solving ability, and how constantly directing a young dog can create one that starts waiting on you for every decision.

I also talk about knowing when help is actually needed, recognizing when your help may have become a crutch, and why different dogs need varying amounts of support depending on their confidence, maturity, and personality.

One question I think every handler should ask from time to time is:

Did the dog actually learn it… or did I just make it happen?

Especially with young tree dogs, the goal isn’t to manufacture every success. The goal is to help them understand the job, build confidence, and eventually be able to go do it without needing us to walk them through every step.

Hopefully this episode gives you something to think about the next time you’re working with a young dog.

📘 PRODUCING A FUTURE RABBIT DOG — BOOK + 3 BONUS AUDIOS:

https://bawlinoutkennels.com/products/rabbit-dog-starter-bundle-book-3-bonus-audios

🐾 DOG MAN INSIDER COMMUNITY:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1562828264897293

💳 DOG MAN INSIDER — $10/MONTH:

https://buy.stripe.com/7sYcMYdym52b4Sq8Aj7bW02

🐆 ALCBA ONLINE REGISTRATION:

https://forms.gle/ZzTbuJkBXsf6Rec97

🐆 ALCBA REBUILD / PERMANENT REGISTRATION PAYMENT:

https://buy.stripe.com/8x228kcui1PZ5Wu2bV7bW04

🌐 BAWLIN OUT KENNELS:

https://bawlinoutkennels.com

🎙️ Thoughts of a Dog Man Podcast

What’s one situation where you’ve learned to step back and let your dog figure it out?