Gun Dog Forum

Just curious if anyone has read this book? And your thoughts on it. One of my co-workers gave it to me as he hasn't had any dogs for sometime and doesn't plan on getting another. TIA

Yep, but haven't read it in a long time. It covers a lot topics all done old school of course (1927). It's definitely worth a read.
He ran an Irish Setter called Smada Bird and wrote another book by that name. I can't remember which book it was that gave me a tip for how to fix an issue I had with one of my setters.

Beware - the only bird dog breeds mentioned are pointers and Irish, Gordon, and English Setters. I guess there weren't any continentals running at that time

Lytle was somewhat local to me, but my copy of this book came by way of San Francisco and San Diego. Go figure.

Thanks Shags well at least I have pointer. I received this locally her in Oklahoma not sure where it came from I'll have to ask. I do know he picked it up at an estate sale.

Lytle was a very good writer - "How To...' is very entertaining and you'll pick up an old school training tip or two as well. His book about his Irish Setter "Smada Bird" is titled "Gun Dogs Afield" and another great read. I found a copy a year or so ago.

The book was written in 1942, and inside the front cover is hand-written "John - Some day I hope you read this book. Don't read it all at once - just a story now and then is enough. I think you'll get the most enjoyment out of it that way. And if you get a catch in your throat now & then, or a tear rolls down your cheek, well your old man was that way, too. Love, Dad, 2/6/45.

I'd like to have shared a hunt or two with John's dad, and wish I could find a grandson of his out there who might treasure the book and his grandfather's inscription. I'm probably too sentimental but I'm sometimes amazed at what people fail to hang onto.

I started collecting old bird dog books several years ago and must have well over a hundred now. Babcock, Rutledge, Whele, Ruark, Hill, Ford, etc. Check Alibris out - run a search for "bird dogs" and you'll find a bunch to choose from. Usually pay more in postage than you do for the book.

Great stuff, Craig - thanks for that, both the literary insight and the personal touch put into it.

MG

Thanks ckirsch as stated already great insight both personal and literary wise I appreciate you taking the time to respond. I started reading last night and I am enjoying it so far.

There are some pretty good short stories and books also, that aren't necessarily about training. Check eBay, Alibris, abebooks, and Amazon. Lots have been reprinted but there are still old copies to be found. Pretty Boy, My Dog Lemon, Raff, are older examples. Jenny Willow and Zip Zap are contemporary. My fave is Diomed - The Life, Travels, & Observations of a Dog.

If you're into competition and pedigrees Hochwalt's The Modern Setter and The Modern Pointer are interesting. Wouldn't it be cool to see how far back we could trace our dogs' pedigrees? I'll have to get on that

For those interested. Looks like a cheap read I use Book Finder all the time. They have multiple copies

https://www.bookfinder.com

ckirsch wrote: ↑

Mon May 11, 2020 3:11 pm

Lytle was a very good writer - "How To...' is very entertaining and you'll pick up an old school training tip or two as well. His book about his Irish Setter "Smada Bird" is titled "Gun Dogs Afield" and another great read. I found a copy a year or so ago.

The book was written in 1942, and inside the front cover is hand-written "John - Some day I hope you read this book. Don't read it all at once - just a story now and then is enough. I think you'll get the most enjoyment out of it that way. And if you get a catch in your throat now & then, or a tear rolls down your cheek, well your old man was that way, too. Love, Dad, 2/6/45.

I'd like to have shared a hunt or two with John's dad, and wish I could find a grandson of his out there who might treasure the book and his grandfather's inscription. I'm probably too sentimental but I'm sometimes amazed at what people fail to hang onto.

I started collecting old bird dog books several years ago and must have well over a hundred now. Babcock, Rutledge, Whele, Ruark, Hill, Ford, etc. Check Alibris out - run a search for "bird dogs" and you'll find a bunch to choose from. Usually pay more in postage than you do for the book.

Ruark is one of my favorite authors. Does he have a book on gundogs/training or just his books like The Old Man and The Boy ?

Ruark's "Old Man and The Boy" and "The Old Man's Boy Grows Older" both contain some stories about his experiences hunting quail behind his setters and pointers, as well as tales about fishing, waterfowling, and big game hunting. He's probably my favorite writer as well. I've given copies of that book as gifts to quite a few friends. Ruark seems to resonate with almost anyone who's spent time behind a shotgun or fishing rod. If you like him, you might also enjoy Havilah Babcock's "My Health is Better in November".

ChrisW74 wrote:Just curious if anyone has read this book? And your thoughts on it. One of my co-workers gave it to me as he hasn't had any dogs for sometime and doesn't plan on getting another. TIA

Read it a long time ago. Have it on the shelf. What I remember was the part about mixing food for the dogs. Apparently no available commercial dog food in those days.


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Thanks everyone for the replies and all the other suggestions I will make sure to check them out when I have a chance.

Followed Shag's advice and checked out abebooks. Picked up the Hochwalt's "Modern Pointer" and another Horace Lytle book, "Breaking A Bird Dog".

Both are interesting. Hochwalt provides a thorough history of the breed, and Lytle provides training tips that remain relevant almost a hundred years later. I've been working with a new pup and found Lytle's perspectives on training to be very solid. Obviously coming from a time long before e-collars and launchers, his focus is on capitalizing on the pup's inherent worship of it's master, and taking care to not ever do anything to erode that. He was big on patience, giving the dog credit for being much more intelligent and perceptive than most of us do, and trusting that good breeding will eventually show through if given the opportunity. He advocated light-handedness when training, and felt that he got more mileage by speaking to his pupils almost as he would to children. Rarely raised his voice, and even more rarely administered any punishment. His most memorable advice was that dogs are more likely to suffer from too much training than too little.

That's something I'm going to keep in mind as I try to develop my new pup. I think I have some pretty good material to work with; his pedigree reads like a Who's Who in the pointer world, so I'll trust that his ancestry will surface if I'm just patient enough. I'm seeing some evidence of that already. I'm planning on using just a fraction of planted birds in training this pup as compared to my previous dogs, and leaving more of his education to our South Dakota sharptails, chickens, and pheasants.

Lots of great old-school training advice out there in these classics. Not to mention that they look pretty nice on your bookshelf....

I started a Lawn Mowing business when I was 11. One of the yards I mowed was for an elderly widow with a giant Weimaraner in the fenced in back yard. Her recently deceased Husband's last dog. She had a garage sale where she sold all kinds of Sporting Goods treasures judged through the eyes of an 11 year old kid.

One of the items I bought was this book written in 1942. Read through it again just recently. I expected it to be dated and crude in its methods. I was mostly wrong about that and would say the vast majority of what was written still sounds like pretty solid advice to current day.

50 years later now I can see the possibility for my Wife to be in these same circumstances at some point in the future. There was so much about that widow woman living with her deceased husbands last dog and selling his Sporting Goods possessions that was lost on an 11 year old kid that now hit home in big way.

Just thought I would share the thought.



Another great read (not a great training reference, just great entertaining writing) is The Rufus Chronicles by Charles Gusewelle.