303-644-4300 info@machunts.com

Russell MacLennan

Trainers

Russell MacLennan is a respected bird dog breeder, trainer and upland hunting guide. He began his amateur training career in 1989 with a black lab named Buddy. Since then he has trained all breeds of sporting dogs and their owners for performance in the field and basic obedience in the home.

Russell is no stranger to competition, at age 14 he competed in the Colorado Pheasant Hunting Championships, hosted by Pheasants Forever. Along with the help of Sir Hershey of Surrey and Delery Guillory they won top honors. Since, Russell has trained for, and competed in a variety of competitions including:

  • National Bird Dog Challenge Association
  • A.K.C. hunt tests and horseback trials
  • A.P.L.A. qualifiers and many local hunting trials
  • Russell and his dog “Boo” own the record for the fastest time set in the Colorado Open Pheasant Hunting Championships. In 1997, Russell and “Boo” completed a six pheasant run in less than 5 minutes, posting one of the highest scores ever.

Russell was born with a gift to understand dogs and the patience to teach their owners.

Contact Russell at: russ@valhallahuntclub.com

Available by appointment only

Russell MacLennan - Dog Trainer at Valhalla Kennels and Gun Dogs

“A dog is man’s best friend! So why can parrots talk?”

Handler Training at Valhalla

Blog, Training

Well it is the “Dog Days” of summer as they say and unfortunately for all you bird-hunting enthusiasts we still have a little ways to go until the nationwide dove opener in September.  But don’t despair, summer is a great time to train dogs or even better train your self!  This summer instead of sitting on the couch watching “Hunting with Hank” reruns get on the phone and reserve your handler training session at Valhalla today!

Handler training participants get to spend the morning training along side Valhalla’s Pro Trainer, as he works sporting dogs of all breeds.  You will see first hand the intricacies, nuances and “tricks of the trade” when it comes to working all breeds of sporting dogs.  You will learn everything from how to gun break a young puppy to watching mature dogs getting professionally trained to retrieve.  Pointing dog owners will learn how to teach dogs to hold their point, honor other dogs as well as yard work basics including quartering the field and “whoa” work.  Flushing dog enthusiasts will benefit from learning drills like sitting to a whistle and the flush, honoring pointing dogs and advanced water work.

Whether you have an older dog that needs some polishing up this summer, awaiting your first bird dog puppy or are just looking to broaden your knowledge of bird dogs and sporting breeds you can benefit from signing up for handler training today.  Chances are you will learn more in a morning of training than by reading every gun dog book on the shelf!  Do yourself and your current or future four legged best friend a favor and sign up for a handler training session at Valhalla today, you’ll both be glad you did!

For more information or to reserve your spot, call Valhalla Kennels and Gun Dogs today at 303-644-4300.

Young Guns

Blog, Dogs

There is nothing like starting a new pup and the only thing better than one little rascal is two! Starting a new young pointer isn’t as time consuming as many people think. As a young puppy the most important things we want to accomplish are getting the dog well socialized with humans, building prey drive and running style and acclimated to the shotgun…

For young dogs socialization is key, we want to build a happy, confident and well-adjusted young dog. Take that puppy with you everywhere you go! One of the unique things about a young dog coming into the world is that they seem to enter the world liking humans and us the same, a truly unique relationship that is to be cherished.

As far as prey drive and running style, young pups are too immature for advanced training. Now is the time to let your dog chase around some crippled pigeons and just have fun. Now is not the time to look for pointing perfection, we just want the young dog fired up about birds! At this point in the puppies development it is also advantageous to do some wing on the string drills to bring out the pointing and stalking instinct within your dog. Never let the pup catch the wing and eventually he will become frustrated and start stalking the wing and showing you the beginnings of his pointing instinct!

Young dogs really are a lot of fun, if you are looking for help developing a young dog be sure to visit Valhalla Kennels for Saturday morning puppy classes allowing you and your pup the opportunity to socialize with other people and their dogs and get proper bird and gunfire exposure.

We look forward to seeing you in the field this winter!

Happy hunting,

Valhalla Kennels & Gun Dogs

Get Your New Pup Ready for Bird Dog Training

Blog, Training

You spent a lot of time researching dog breeds and checking out litters to find just the right pup to be your new bird dog. You know your new hunting companion will take a significant amount of training to become an amazing bird dog. There are some things you can do now, when your pup is little to help with their bird dog training. Here a few simple tips to help train a great bird dog.

Tyler & Bourbon

Socializing

Your new pup is a little one so many things might seem scary to them. It is important that you socialize the new pup early. Once your puppy has become comfortable playing with the other people and dogs in your home, it is time to venture out. A puppy class at Valhalla is a great way to introduce new smells, sounds, people, and dogs in a safe environment.  Classes start every Saturday at 8:00. Puppies as young as 14 weeks are welcome to participate (more…)

The Three Stages of Professional Gun Dog Training

Blog, Training

Professional gun dog training takes time and patience. It also takes commit to a proven program, consistent handling, and a dog with a love of the game. Only when a dog masters one stage is it appropriate to move on and increase the difficulty, physical conditioning and command structure. So, what are the three stages of gun dog training and how do they benefit dog and hunter?

  1. Rookie training.This is the introductory stage for the dog that has had little or no exposure to any prior gun dog training.  Puppies should be at least 16 weeks old before being enrolled in this stage. The dog learns to point and chase. They are exposed to birds, guns and hunting grounds.  Rookie training is all about establishing a good foundation.  Prey drive and basic field commands (here) are the primary focus.  The training program at Valhalla is all about developing a confident dog but don’t expect a tremendous amount of discipline in this stage.
  2. Seasoned training.Once your dog behaves with confidence in the field and has mastered the basic command, it is time to move up to the second training stage. Terming it the seasoned stage, this level is open to dogs that are at least six months of age. At this level, there is more differentiating between the training received by pointing and flushing dogs. Pointing dogs learn the “whoa” command while flushing dogs train to sit by whistle command. Dogs must learn to control their impulses to chase game birds by pointing without engaging and by letting other dogs take the lead when instructed.  The rate at which dogs complete this stage varies.  On average this is a 6-8 week program that we recommend be completed 100% and not broken into multiple visits.  This is also the stage in training where you will see a more disciplined dog that is ready to go to the field.
  3. Trained Retrieve.This intense 8-10 week program is the finishing touch for any bird dog.  There is a misconception that just because the dog likes fetching this program isn’t necessary.  The truth is, this program is all about the respect of the command and respect of the handler and fetching is just the by product.  Our Valhalla guarantee is that every dog leaves the program happy and with their tail wagging.  Valhalla trainers compare a dog that has gone through this program to driving a car with power steering.  Sure, you can drive a car without but it’s no fun.

Contact us today for more information on the importance of the three-staged training approach.  Moreover, find out what a dog with professional gun dog training under its belt will offer to you, the hunter, while in the field.