Novice Bird Dog Class

– REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!  (scroll to bottom of page)

The Arctic Bird Dog Association (ABDA) is holding its annual Novice / Puppy introductory class for people and their dogs interested in the basics of training for upland bird hunting and American Kennel Club hunting tests. Weekly classes will be scheduled to begin in April. See locations below.

We’ll cover basic commands and obedience needed in the field. We’ll introduce basic training equipment and its uses, training sequences, methods and suggested resources for continued training. There will be separate classes and instructors for pointing breeds and spaniels. Following the classroom training there will be at least four outdoor training sessions. Outdoor session dates will be flexible, determined by instructor and participants. Total class length is six weeks.

Pointing Breeds:  (CLASS IS FULL)
Indoors, April 1 &  April 8 at The Paw Room in Anchorage (1200 E 68th Ave #10). 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
Outdoors, Tuesdays, April 15, 22, 29,  & May 6 at Eagle River field. Times may be based on instructor and students’ preference.
Class members should have a good stiff collar on their dogs, a 3 to 4 foot leash, and a 25 foot or longer training lead or “check-cord”.

Flushing Breeds (Spaniels & Retrievers):
This year, all classes will be held outdoors in Eagle River.  Class is on Thursdays, April 17, 24, May 1, 8, 15, 22.   Time 7:00pm, but may be flexible based on instructor and students’ preference.
Bring a leash and a pealess whistle. If you don’t have a pealess whistle, look for an Acme 210-1/2 black whistle. Online sources are Gundog Supply and Lion Country Supply for about $10. Leashes are required. Bring any retrieving article your dog is familiar with. Click HERE for flushing dog class syllabus.

E-mail for more info. Please include phone contact information in your email and indicate what dog breed you have.

      Pointers: Jessie Janowski ([email protected])
     Flushers: James Ohlinger ([email protected])

Registration:

• Novice Class: $150.00
• Class size is limited to 12 dogs each and will be filled on a first come first served basis
• NOTE – You must be an ABDA member to enroll in this class. If you’re a member, login (if you’ve setup your new account on the new website) and then register. If you’re not a member, the registration process will prompt you to become a member first; then you can register for class. Membership and class registration must be completed online.  (If you need help, please contact Dana Stewart [email protected].)
• You’ll be directed to PayPal for payment. If you don’t have a PayPal account, there’s an option at the bottom of the payment screen to “Pay with a bank account or credit card”, as a guest.

NOTE THERE ARE 2 POSSIBLE CLASSES TO REGISTER FOR! There is one for flushing breeds and one for pointing breeds. To determine whether your dog is a pointing breed or a flushing breed, refer to the Eligible Breeds list here.