Nationally recognized as one of today’s top professionals, George Hickox has owned and campaigned numerous field champions and Dog of the Year.
23 X Champion Chelsea Thunder Bolt is the winningest dog in the history of Open Shooting Dog Field Trials, having won the Purina Dog of the Year four times & the Us Open Shooting Dog Invitational 3X. For over three decades, George has conducted clinics, private one-on-one training, and Bird Dog Schools for owners and their dogs. He has guided from Alaska to Georgia, appeared on TV, written articles for magazines, worked with elite Special Forces canine groups, and produced award winning dog training DVDs. The George Hickox School of Bird Dog Training has helped thousands of owners and their dogs across the US.
Additionally today George and Debbie design and implement programs providing proven beginning and advanced canine training fundamentals.Their group and individual training support hunting, upland hunting, pointing dogs, flushing breeds, and field trial competitors.
In addition to being an Emergency Medicine physician, Debbie is a professional bird dog trainer. Debbie currently owns and campaigns Silver W JillZ, the winner of the Purina Open Shooting Dog of the Year & 6 X Open Shooting Dog Champion. Debbie”s expertise and passions centers around developing puppies and young dogs into bragging rights companions and hunters. Debbie incorporates clicker training and implements initial canine behaviors with positive reinforcement. She is responsible for the the conditioning, health, and training program for the dogs of a private wild quail plantation. and guides wild quail hunts..
Together, George and Debbie offer one on one training for owners and their dogs at their facility near Thomasville, GA. in the winter and in the prairies of North Dakota during the summer.
This is part one of a series on bird dog training compiled by George and Debbie.
Ever feel embarrassed that you’re a dog breeder? Julie Swan with The Honest Dog Breeder, answers a lot of hard questions about why ethical dog breeding isn’t a bad thing. In fact, her website and company, just like it sounds, is all about helping dog breeders make their breeding program something to be proud of.
TDJ: Dr Fran, Good day, and thanks for joining us for this interview. I’m very glad to have you here, and I, along with our readers, have a lot of questions we hope you can answer. Why don’t you start by giving us some history about yourself, the OFA organization, and your position within it.
Held at the Allentown Fairgrounds in Allentown, PA, from Friday, Feb 2, through Sunday the 4th, this event had something for everyone who loves pets, from snakes to dogs to cats and more.
