Kennel trains hunting dogs

[bigdoglover]

Weatherford Democrat

By Melissa McClendon

BIG CABIN, Okla. — For 50 years Ronnie Smith Kennels, in Big Cabin, has proven to be a respected name in the bird dog training world. Ronnie Smith Sr., passed down the family business to his son Ronnie Smith Jr. Ronnie and his father are not the only ones in the Smith family to get involved in the dog training business.

Delmar Smith, Ronnie’s uncle, is a Field Trial Hall of Famer known for his training and quality dogs. Ronnie and his cousins Rick and Tom Smith have continued the family tradition. Training dogs is more than a business for Ronnie. It’s a way of life.

“This is all I know,” said Ronnie. “I started out doing chores when I was 5 years old.”

Ronnie took over the Kennel operation in 1982 and has expanded. He takes in two rotations of dogs each summer for three months at a time. The first rotation begins in May and continues through the end of July. The second begins in August and ends in October. Smith likes for the owner to join the dog for an initial consult, before the training begins. Owners who send their dogs from out of state often fly them into the Tulsa airport where Ronnie picks them up.

The dogs are evaluated before being accepted into the program for prey drive, intensity and socialization. Once a dog has been accepted the training is a three-level process. The first level is foundation. The foundation level establishes points of contact on the neck and flank of the dog. By using the points of contact, conditioned responses are taught. This shapes the behavior of the animal.

The second is the intermediate level. The intermediate level “transitions a dog from mechanical cues to remote cures in the field,” said Ronnie. According to the ronniesmithkennels.com Web site, at this level dogs are becoming steady on game, learning to honor another dog’s point and quarter on cue. This is also when work is begun on the dog’s natural retrieve.

In the advanced level, the dogs reach a point of learned behavior. “They learn to work scent in adverse conditions, how to look for and recognize backing situations, mark and hunt dead, retrieve, and take direction and go with you in the field,” Smith said.

Once the dogs have completed their training the owners are asked to come to the 40-acre training facility in Big Cabin, to spend time with their dog for a transitioning period.

“They’re just like kids - when the owner shows up they go right back to the old behaviors,” said Smith. “We’re reshaping their behavior.”

He also has a strict health regime for the dogs. The dogs must have proof of vaccinations and be free of internal and external parasites before coming to his facility.

He also offers puppy development for young dogs. The training gives the puppies exposure to birds in the field and helps them develop their prey drive.

When Smith’s not training dogs he’s traveling to seminars to speak. His cousin Rick also gives seminars.

Ronnie Smith Kennels can host about 50 dogs per rotation. The kennel runs are 5 foot by 15 foot. A stake out chain or the “classroom”, is shaded and has a misting system to keep dogs cool during training.

The training begins early and ends before the heat of the day sets in. Ronnie gets help from his kennel manager, Chris Larson. Larson said one person cleans the kennel and catches homing pigeons, which are used for training, while the other brings the dogs out. They also take care of any grooming needs of long haired dogs.

Smith also takes apprentices. This rotation, Smith has accepted apprentice Jeff Vincent of Canada. Vincent brought along two of his dogs for training. Vincent, involved in oil field consulting, said he heard about Ronnie through the Internet and word of mouth. He hopes to one day open his own kennel when he retires.

“This is a program that puts you knee deep in the operation of running a kennel,” said Vincent.

In the winter Ronnie continues to stay busy. He and Rick lead guided hunting tours on the Mariposa Ranch in South Texas and leads hunts on the 6666 Ranch in Texas. Mariposa Ranch offers commercial hunts while the 6666 Ranch hunts are private.