Gallant Gun Dogs / Small Munsterlanders

Gallant Gun Dogs / Small Munsterlanders Veteran owned kennel; building and breeding bold versatile hunting dogs for feather, fur, and finding.

05/24/2026

This yard drill is similar to the steadiness drill that we use for the pointing dogs. In this drill Timber, our 6 month old springer spaniel, must sit when the bumper is launched. This will eventually be shaped to develop a sit-to-flush, or “hup.”

We can use this same drill to develop a stop-to-flush for pointing dogs, which is particularly helpful for creating safe shots on birds that flush wild.

Of particular importance is the mark when the dog is fully seated, and the reward in place. This helps to solidify the behavior and to promote impulse control.

Timber will be flushing and retrieving ruffed grouse and woodcock under our small munsterlander’s points this fall as we guide for Superior Upland.

05/22/2026

Since we’re retraining and both small munsterlanders are already steady to wing, shot, and fall, we’re jumping a few steps and incorporating steadiness into our yard retrieving. S***t must remain steady through the bumper launch. She’s rewarded in place to identify and capitalize on the desired behavior, then she’s awarded the retrieve occasionally. She only gets about one out of every three retrieves even if she does everything perfectly. This curbs anticipation and helps her control her own impulses using inconsistent rewards.

This drill is applicable to steadiness on point as well as in the blind.

Special thanks to Mike Strup of Vom Haus im Wald for showing me this drill.

05/19/2026

POURING rain here in Central Indiana, but that’s no excuse. We’re training.

Can you build a good duck search indoors? Probably not. But you can set the conditions.

What do you need?

✅A reliable fetch.
✅A strong retrieve.
✅A non reinforcing marker for when the dog comes back before the search is complete.

It’s all done in building blocks. Very small building blocks!

PM for more info on getting your dog to search, fetch, and retrieve reliably!

PS - ignore the squeaky micro mutt in the background. I sure try to 🤣.

05/15/2026

Our puppy program focuses on obedience first. Many folks don’t like doing obedience with puppies, instead they focus on free runs and building desire and independence.

But then they end up with an adolescent dog with tons of desire and drive, but it can’t control its impulses. We like to teach impulse control early and let the dog earn rewards. You’d be surprised how quickly dogs learn in the field when they understand that their actions determine the reward!

Besides, why build all that drive and desire for birds and then take the rewards away with a bunch of arbitrary rules?

05/14/2026

Moving to the grass, now she has to move to the object, pick it up, return to “place,” and present.

A couple important notes: this is spring time retraining. We’re tightening up skills that degraded during hunting season. We can afford to skip a few small steps because the dogs are already familiar with the tasks.

S***t is doing the same skills concurrently but I always seem to end up with video of Covey. I’ll get some S***t footage soon.

Also, Timber is doing good puppy stuff. More to follow.

Oh, there’s still room for your pup in our reliable retrieve program. DM for more info.

05/13/2026

More “Unforced Force Fetch,” this time with Covey. From here we move to picking items up from the ground, then more traditional retrieves and longer carries. Our low pressure trained retrieve program culminates with blind retrieves and searches over land and water.

DM for more info.

05/08/2026

Them: What am I supposed to do, bring treats to the field?

Me: Why not? You bring positive punishment and negative reinforcement, why not negative punishment and positive reinforcement?

Careful. Your dog might turn out really good.

Interested in having your dog trained in a modern, balanced system? Contact us to get on our schedule.

04/29/2026

Every once in a while we get a dog that’s just plain easy.

Meet Bruno. A young male small munsterlander from Ascheland Kennel - Small Munsterlanders. Bruno came in to gain some confidence in the water, which seems to be a new “thing” here in our training program. But he got it, quickly. And we’ve moved on to bigger and better things.

I love it when a dog loves to learn. Bruno does. He free shapes faster than any dog I’ve worked with so far.

This is Bruno in our “Unforced Force Fetch” program. You’ve probably heard of it before; we learned it in a clinic with Nate Czarnota and Randall Lykens. And the dogs seem to prefer it over early aversives, so we use it.

Interested in improving your dog’s retrieve in a low pressure way? Contact us for more info.

If there was one photo that describes life with a springer spaniel this would be it. I was getting the munsters lined up...
04/15/2026

If there was one photo that describes life with a springer spaniel this would be it.

I was getting the munsters lined up for a spring wildflower shot when Timber sprang into the perfect photo bomb 🤣🤣🤣.

S***t is one step closer to her AKC Certificate of Merit!
03/19/2026

S***t is one step closer to her AKC Certificate of Merit!

Address

Paragon, IN
46166

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Gallant Gun Dogs / Small Munsterlanders posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category