Tory is a great looking labrador retriever and an accomplished gundog.  She earned her started title with my son Cole, then 7 years old, running her in tests.  From upland to waterfowl she excels in the field.

Rommel is the star of SportingDog Adventures.  He has also made appearance on Outdoor Wisconsin as well as having his Master Hunter title.  Whether on the couch or in the field…..Rommel always has an animated, fun personality.

These yellow and black labrador retriever pups will be ready for homes in the middle of August.  Dont miss out!!

Please feel free to email or call about this black labrador retriever. He is available for a home on Saturday, April 24th. This labrador retriever litter had been sold out since March, so dont miss out on the opportunity!!

This is a repeat breeding with many of the pups from the last litter being highly successful as hunting dogs, and all successful as pets.

The puppies from Soggy Acres Dixie Belle and HR Soggy Acres Desert Fox SH AWC are doing well. The pups from SHR Soggy Acres Mighty Mojo WC and Candlewoods Little Trooper MH are a tad smaller, but doing equally as well.

Both litters have their eyes open and are growing exponentially. These little future gundogs will be ready for homes the last weekend in April. We may have one black male labrador retriever puppy available due to a cancellation. Ill have more info on that in a few days.

Weather you are looking to run hunt tests, field trials, hunt or need a buddy, these pups will be perfect and up to the job.

We have an Hour to discuss how to find a pup, training issues and all things Soggy Acres. This will be a great chance to learn about our breeding program, training techniques and any other questions about us…

Im partial, but we had the best booth there. Rommel and Lucy were photographed by over a dozen media types as they hung out in their custom made Soggy Bunk Bed. We had great pics from our sponser Sporting Dog Art and our promo video playing throughout.

Our seminar we did each day was well attended and we got great feedback. For all that were in attendance please feel free to contact us if you still have questions. We ended up presenting our seminar to hundreds of people over the course of the three days.

We took several deposits at the show and expect more to come in as the week goes on. Please let us know if you are interested in one of our upcoming litters….dont miss out!!! I also spoke to a good number of people about our Stud dog Rommel and upcoming stud dog (March 18th) Pickett. These two guys are great additions to a pedigree for either yellow, black or chocolate pups.

Lastly, I met up with a bunch of different companies ranging from dog food to training supplies to magazines and talked at lenght about partnering our business their products. I think we gave and received some great info and are hopeful for some quality partnerships in the near future.

Thanks to all for attending and for Pheasants Forever for putting on a quality show…..and thanks for the fishing gear we won at the banquet as well!!

Soggy Acres Retrievers will have a booth at the S.E. Wisconsin Fishing and Hunting Expo.  We will be in booth number 41 and have our full compliment of training supplies, litter info and ofcourse Rommel and Lucy in attendance.

This show is at Olympia in Oconomowoc, WI from March 5th thru 7th.

This is the first time we are trying this particular show.  I felt it was a great opportunity for us to connect with Soggy Dog Fans in the area.  It likely wont be as busy as other shows so it will be a great chance to talk everything Soggy Acres!  If you cant make our other shows this one should be smaller, but have a lot of great attractions (besides Lucy and Rommel).

Feel free to shoot us a call or email if you want any particular info at the show.

Dog breeder Jeff Fuller of Delavan, shown with his Labrador retriever Lily, wants to teach people how to find the right dog.

For Jeff Fuller, owner of Soggy Acres Retrievers in Delavan, making sure people walk away with the right dog for their families is important.

At the Journal Sentinel Sports Show, Fuller will give a seminar on “Picking a Pup and the First 6 Months.”

According to Fuller, doing some research is one of the most important steps to finding the right dog.

“It’s more than picking a puppy, it’s finding the right breeder,” he said.

Fuller and his wife, Robyn, started Soggy Acres in 1998 with their first Labrador puppy, Lily. They started with only one or two litters a year. But, after a squad car accident forced Jeff to retire from his position as a police sergeant in Muskego in 2005, the couple expanded their breeding program and training facilities.

Whether you’re looking for a Labrador retriever or any other dog, there are a few things to keep in mind.

When selecting a breeder, Fuller said it’s best to narrow down your search to about four or five breeders. It’s important to find out the pedigree of the dogs, seek a quality health guarantee and look at the fine print. Some breeders will offer a health guarantee, but if a dog has health issues, they will make owners return the dog – which may have already become part of the family.

And, there are other warning signs.

“The first thing that would stop me in my tracks is if they didn’t want me to visit their kennel,” Fuller said. “Second would be that they don’t want us to see all their dogs.”

Once you feel like you have found the right breeder, the next step is letting the breeder know exactly what you want.

“My suggestion is to tell breeders what you’re looking for in terms of personality,” Fuller said.

Breeders will be the ones spending the most time around the puppies and will have notes on each dog.

“You can tell which one’s the little stinker, which one’s the bold one and which one cowers in the corner,” he said.

Although it’s hard to tell what kind of dog a puppy will grow into, Fuller said he wouldn’t suggest the cowering puppy for a hunter; instead he’d go with the bold one.

Does it mean the cowering dog will not become a good hunting dog? No. But the bold one would be a better choice.

At Soggy Acres they not only want you to get a good hunting dog, they want you to get a good companion.

“Here, we breed for temperament first because if (a dog) can’t perform in the house, it doesn’t matter how great they are in the field,” he said.

He said although some breeders ask you to select a dog weeks before you take it home, Fuller likes to wait until the day a customer comes to take home their puppy.

Fuller selects three puppies he thinks would be a good match and then lets customers play with the dogs for about an hour to really see which one is best suited for their new family.

Taking the time and not making an “impulsive” decision is key.

During his Sports Show session, Fuller will bring one of his latest “success stories.”

Lucy, a 19-week-old chocolate Labrador, was one of a litter of 15 who had suffered from a bacterial infection and was nursed back to health by the Fullers. Now, their newest family dog is training to run American Kennel Club and Hunting Retriever Club hunt tests this summer.

Fuller also will give tips on how to research breeders, more things to look for when selecting a dog and how to begin training your dog. He will have a question-and-answer portion, too.

“They will get tips on finding a pet as well as a hunting dog,” Fuller said. “We’re trying to help people find the right breeder and the right dog.”

Jeff Fuller will give a seminar on Picking a Pup and the First 6 Months at 2 p.m. Sunday.

The original article, written by Ana M. Menendez, appeared on jsonline.com on February 27, 2009.

To Treat or Not to treat

Well you have successfully chosen your puppy. Now the training phase begins. The question is posed, should treats be utilized for motivation during training? There are varying opinions on this subject. Some trainers say to use the insatiable appetite possessed by a pup or young dog. Others say that using treats is amateurish and unneeded.

What a dog owner needs to look at when deciding whether or not to use treats, is how the treat will be used to motivate their pupil. Using treats can be a great tool for getting their attention and motivating a pup or young dog. There are different methods that can be used, in concert with treats to teach these young pupils how to respond appropriately to certain commands. Once the pup understands and performs the command the motivating morsels can slowly be replaced with a soothing compliment. After the performance is perfected in response to the current command, you can use the well known puppy prize for a head start on future skills.

What matters most when deciding how to proceed with your early training is looking at what motivates your student. If the answer is “treats” then play on your puppy’s love of kibble, milkbones, or hot dog chunks. You can use their love for food to accomplish training goals with greater ease.

If you are still skeptical about the method of using food rewards for training then incorporate it for teaching at least one command. Hopefully after using this style for one facet of your pup’s education you will be able to decide “to treat or not to treat.”

Well, Floppy Ears needs to be introduced to his/her new electric friend. No, its not a television with that fancy DVD. It’s not a radio with a book on tape. Floppy needs to meet the electric training collar. There are many models out there so take heed in purchasing the model and manufacturer that works for you.

Once the collar has been fitted, work with Floppy for a few days on each command. Make sure that Floppy has no doubt what you are asking with each command. Now use the collar to reinforce the command “Sit.” When Floppy understands, due to proper timing, what the command and consequences for disobeying are move onto the command “Here.” Again, work with Floppy until you have your obedient, desired response.

If Floppy’s fearless leader and head trainer is a novice find a good book or DVD to assist in the correct timing and application of your electric request for performance.