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Why/What made you become a pro trainer ?

5K views 13 replies 12 participants last post by  Nick Toti 
#1 ·
Sittin in the house today watching the rain, waiting for it to stop so I could go train my pup, And I got to thinking how hard it must be to try and fit in training for several dogs when the weather does not coperate, or when you have several dogs at so many diffrent stages in there training! Ya'll guys and gals have my vote and respect !


So What made ya'll decide to start training professionally ? Did someone push you to start ? or just a dream you had ? How many dogs did you train before you decide you was ready to start doing it for a living ?


Just courious ?
 
#13 ·
I heard how you handle dogs, you could run the entire McDonalds Corporation! :)
 
#5 ·
I remember that I received my first bird dog as a gift from dad at age 12. Sometime around that time when I was 13 dad took me to the sportsman club meeting. I watched a man show how his dog would hold bread on it's nose. I went home and in a short time taught my dog that trick . Then it was not good enough I got her to walk across the floor with it , lay down and roll on to her side , get back up and give me her paw . Then she could throw it up into the air and catch it. I still train my own field dogs to do tricks. ::lol::

At the age of 17 I won my first field trial event in GSP trial and then my dream was to become pro. At 19 I did that and worked for big time bird dog pro. By the time I was 26 I worked over 500 pointing dogs. If I had any regret it would be that I did not know about field trial retrievers and duck hunting at the time , I would have gone to work for retriever pro. But never less Retrievers have been my focus and passion in part for the pass 30 years .

It is the year 2013 and I have been pro for 41 years this pass June and I am driven even more to train and also to learn from others. How exciting the Life of a dog trainer has been and to be able to keep learning something new all the time.

Rain , wind ?Heck no that never stopped me . I take advantage of those conditions.

What stopped me almost 12 years ago was cancer , but folks I beat that one that time.

It is impossible to put a price on the good times, On the long hours , on the dogs I have seen and trained and last but more important the great people I have met and have known all through training Gun dog / Hunt test and trail dogs.

I would never trade my experience and life as pro dog trainer for any other occupation.

JIM
 
#8 ·
#11 ·
Great story James Seibel,thanks for sharing.
 
#12 ·
I started running retrievers in field trials in 1958. A couple of years later, I had the top derby dog in the Western N.Y. Retriever Club. Soon, friends asked me for help with their dogs. In the 60's, I spent many week-ends and holidays working for Cal Barry, at Wayland, Ohio. What a great man! I have always loved working with these remarkable animals, and have seen the great improvments in training methods, and the ability of dogs, over 40 years as a pro trainer. Apart from hundreds of gun dogs, I have trained 13 Field Trial Champions, and have loved every hour spent afield.
I am now 83, and still enjoy judging, seminars, and helping people starting young dogs. What a great life!
 
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