A Retriever masters 6 basic commands for it to be the hunting sidekick you need.
Retrieve to hand, a gun dog is trained to wait for the command to give the fowl to the hunter (dropped at foot or at hand).
Mark command, this is given before any shot is done. This signals the dog to be on the look out for the game you shoot over head. Without the “Mark!” command, your gun dog will be looking up at you and not at the fowl you just shot. If this ever happens, never blame the dog, it was waiting for your signal you know….

Hand Signals, when game is down in the water, your Retriever needs to be guided to where to get the fowl. Hunting is a lonely sport at times, if you talk to your gun dog don't expect for him to understand beyond the hand signals. Again it is pointless to blame the dog for not understanding your language- Retrievers are intelligent but not multi-lingual.

 Shake, a pet dogs first impulse when drenched in water is to shake the water off, in a hunt a gun dog waits for the signal to do so. Shaking on the boat can cause an accident and shaking without retrieve to hand command will get you a damaged fowl no matter how soft you claim your pets mouth is. The shaking will let him bear down on his bite to keep the fowl in place…

Just like dogs, a Retriever's secondary role is to flush game. Quarter train your dogs to work in a grid pattern to find upland game fowl. The gun dog stays within range so it doesn't flush out of shooting distance.

The Steady command is for your Retriever to sit when a game bird flies and when a gun is fired. The gun dog usually marks where the shot bird drops. A good Retriever is ready  and steady on wing and shot.

Keep in mind even from a line of Retriever breed, each dog is unique in character, talent and potential. There are gun dogs that exceed anyones expectations while others are just like your own kin, they may not be perfect but they do it with heart.
 

Pet dogs have come a long way from their ancestors, they are domesticated and do not hunt to eat nor are they about attacking in packs. Dog breeds of any breed are ideal home pets and family members, its strangers that should beware of unleashing the wolf in every pet dog.
An expert attack dog trainer  used working protection dog breeds such as the Bulldog, Mastiff, Malinois and the Dutch Shepherd to observe traces of its ancestor when commanded to attack. A Bulldog gets an assailant by the limb, hangs on and and twists its bite to inflict pain to get it down.  A Mastiff works more like a wrestler and uses its weight to get an assailant down, its bite force by the way recorded over 500 on a bite meter. The Malinois recorded a bite at 194 and used speed and coordination to bring the assailant down. Among the dogs, the Dutch Shepherd attacked on command using its weight, speed, coordination and bite force to bring attackers down-its bite measures 229 on the meter.
In the study, effectiveness in command attack was seen in the Dutch Shepherd, which is said to be just like ancient wolves would do to bring down much larger prey.
Attack on command and protection protocol using dogs takes careful study and exact training for both the safety of the pet dog and the family itself. Before having your pets trained to provide you protection, making sure you get the proper handler or trainer that would understand your pet dog's breed and capabilities and not just train it to attack on command. Vigilance has its price and getting the best trainer money can buy is well worth it.

Ever since my first hiking trip, 'first trips' are often the most exciting. Exploring the same old grounds week after week can get tiring (my opinion). The anticipation of going to a new territory builds up as soon as you read about the place you are about to conquer. I guess reading about how challenging a mountain or landscape is gets you rearing to go. As much as th build-up of excitement makes it interesting, safety is prime. Once in a while news about hikers trapped or needing emergency pull-out  come up. Most scenarios are because of natures unpredictability and sometimes because of hiker's arrogance and ignorance (dangerous combo).

Basics should never be forgotten, early this year one group went up the wrong way and ended up lost. They were rescued with 2 hikers having broken legs and arms. Another fatal adventure was when adventurers don't bother with the weather report. This time there were 2 bodies to bring down both dead from hypothermia and exposure. 

I guess things to learn from these unfortunate incidents would be to remember the basics: compass and map reading, sign-in at local government (-informing them of your timetable and approach on the mountain even where you'd be setting camp) and weather (news).  

The 1st day of January 1996 the Swedish Vallhund became an official dog breed of the United Kennel Club. Eight years later the American Kennel Club recognizes the breed and has finalized its breed standards by 2005. By 2008, this very same dog breed takes its spot at the Westminster Kennel Club. For a dog breed used well over a 1000 years by Vikings it is a long and complicated journey validating its claim to existence (history doesn't offer any assurance of dog breed authenticity).

The Swedish Vallhund or cattle dog or Vasgotaspets is a muscle packed breed that comes in a compact body. According to standard breeding, which is best quoted from AKC as “The relationship of height to length of body, as measured from the prosternum to the rearmost portion of the buttocks, should be 2:3.”  The ratio of its length to its height is specific and precise just as its light harness-like markings and light colored mask along the eyes.

What I find fascinating about this breed is the varying tail configurations which is allowed by the UKC. The tails are Spitz-like, Long (over 4 in. of any shape), Stub (max. of 4 in. long), Naturally bobbed (no tail at all) and the Kup (docked tailed). The long list of conformation for this dog breed has been passed down from the Dark Ages when Vikings lorded over Europe.

These dogs were very much like the Afghan Hounds, treated more as a worker more than as part of the family. Which in those days was honorable, being one of the boys. The Vosgotaspets never are inferior dogs, they are known to single handedly guard and protect their master's territory no matter how small they are for the area.

Swedish Vallhunds of today are just like other dog breeds are good as family pets and hunting companions. They are also full of energy and would place well in agility competitions and lure courses. Just like most skilled and talented dog breeds, the turn out of technology has put their assets in the back burner.

Though an official dog breed of the American Kennel Club since 1988, the Plott Hound has just made its way to being an official Westminster Kennel Club breed. The Plott Hound is a scent hound originally used to track and hunt bear and boar in the 1700's. Just like some hounds, the Plott is made to confront, flush and point at big and dangerous game.

This dog breed is just as loyal as any other dog, but among the dogs that have to confront game thrice as big, they are among the bravest. Unlike the Saluki or the Afghan which hunt and attack cougars in pairs, the Plott is a non-stop tracker and attacker of bear and boar. The Plott is described to have a striking color since it is brindle on black. Brindle is usually seen on a lighter base coat, while the Plott looks more like a dark striped tiger.

More hunters are depending on Plotts to get them good hunts, some say even better than the other hounds.