Hazel Went to Bird Dog Bootcamp

Two weeks. That’s how long I sent Hazel off to boarding school for bird dogs—and yes, it made my wife and kids upset with me a little for sending her away so long.

The plan? Let the pros at Prince’s Quality Gun Dogs in Pittsburg, Kansas, introduce her to the real hunting world. She’d get bird work, some early gunfire exposure, and maybe—just maybe—come home a little more field-ready and a little less “look, a butterfly!”

Drop-Off Day

After the 5 hour drive (one way!) Hazel was excited to be anywhere other than the car. She got out in the field a little curious of her new surroundings but confident, like she knew what she was there to do. Her nose was going a mile a minute, ready to explore every inch of the training grounds.

Before I even had a chance to second-guess leaving her, the trainer let her chase a bird for the first time. She was electric—eyes locked in, legs pumping, tail wagging like a blur. Then came her first blank pistol shot from about 40 yards away. Bang! No flinch, no fear—just Hazel thinking, “Cool sound, what’s next?”

Driving away, I told myself this was good for her. Still, the house felt way too quiet when I got home.

The Two-Week Glow-Up

Fast-forward fourteen days. Hazel was out in the field, waiting to get turned loose on some birds. She barely flinched when she saw me. She was locked in, waiting to get released on some quails that were place out in the field. When she was let go, she sprinted all over, nose to the ground, and found her first quail within 20 seconds. Moments later, she arrived near a tree and stopped on a dime. Then raised her paw. SHE WAS POINTING! She held steady and then moved to flush the bird, jumping after it until she snagged it out of the air. She was hunting!

The trainer walked me through what I just watched along with what she’d been up to: tracking quail (check!), holding points (check!), flushing birds with confidence (check!). She was engaged, focused, and clearly loving her new job.

Then he mentioned the shotgun. After a lot of successful blank pistol shots fired around her, they’d tried a shotgun being fired once over her in the field, and… she wasn’t a fan. No panic, but no tail wag either. Just a clear “Uh, not cool, guys. I think I’ll stay right here”. So, we’ll take that one step back and re-introduce it slowly.

Where We’re At

Hazel’s not a finished bird dog—that’s fine and that’s also not what she was sent there to be. She’s got the drive, she’s got the nose, and she’s starting to understand the game.

What I’ve got now is a pup who’s a little more polished in the field, a little more confident in herself, and still every bit the goofball who steals socks out of the laundry.

We’ll get the shotgun thing sorted. For now, I’m just proud watching her figure it all out, one bird at a time.