Poudre River Fall

Oil on Linen Artist Gary Buys

 

 

Tab and the Goose dog

After cruising the internet and bugging my friends about potential new labs for over a year, I finally decided to go visit Gary up in Ft Collins (It only took so long because I was working up to telling my wife I wanted to buy a new dog!) All the kids are gone now, no more training and hauling for horse shows with my daughter; its time for some "Dad" fun and I need to get that dog that can compete in the hunt tests. It doesn't cost any more to feed a good dog for 15 years than a scrub and I knew I was going to wait for a good one. I was also willing to drive a long way to get the right dog. Fortunately I only had to drive an hour north to get him.

 

When you look at the pedigrees on Gary's dogs you will see that they are as strong or stronger than anyone out there. And, they have the hardware on the wall to prove that the dogs on the ground now are just as good as those on their papers. Coupled with the testimonials on Gary's website and some plugs from friends who have pointing labs, I was set. I drove up and met with Gary for a couple minutes, took a look at Otter, watched him work Jessie a couple minutes, and then looked over the 3 or 4 dogs he had for sale. I think I could have closed my eyes and grabbed because they were all strong dogs, but I took a nice looking 4 month old blond male out of Otter, with Jessie and Delta on the bottom.

 

Fast forward 10 months. I was checking out Gary's website and saw that Otter had passed so I sent him a note of condolence. He wrote me back right away, asked about my dog, and told me about an APLA test that weekend. I have wanted to see his dogs run so I went to watch on Saturday. While we were watching, I asked Gary what they had to do for the initial certification. He said they had to find a bird and point it for 5 seconds and retrieve the shot bird to hand, then retrieve 2 ducks to hand. I said I thought he could do that so we asked and got signed up for Sunday. Understand that I had basically quit all handling/training 2 months before because Goose was being a little tentative on birds. The only work we were doing was having him run fields off-lead, and pointing up planted/launcher birds so he could get a bit more excited about things. That was working great, he was really sticking his points and was getting really excited about hunting. However, the sitting, heeling, fetching, etc. were getting a bit rusty.

 

Anyway, what the hell, I figured it would be great experience for him and me to run. Long story short, he passed the certification! Pointed and held on 2 of 3 birds, and did the water retrieves perfectly. I knew he'd hit the water just fine since we've done bumper work in the water, but I was pretty well sure he wouldn't retrieve the duck since he's never had a duck in his mouth but hey, he surprised me!  This dog is a naturally big running, hard pointing, and great marking dog that loves birds, 'nuff said!!

 

Gary, thanks for a great dog, it's going to be a great run over the next bunch of years!  I look forward to seeing you again soon.

Tab, Colorado Springs, CO

 

 

Gary,

I just wanted to drop you a note to tell you thank you for the great life experience that you have helped me with so much. I know there is much more to come and I am having a blast. After running in two hunt tests I have brought home two ribbons. APLA CPR and AKC JH pass. At first I didn’t understand why you did some of the things you did in training, but after running in tests it all came clear. Proper training and hard work equals results. Golden Oak Kid Rock Duke is truly a Rock Star. The Kid at only a year and a half old not only passes tests but passes with style. I could go on forever about your training methods and how it all comes together on test day, but in reality the proof is in the ribbons and titles. Oh and I can’t wait to hunt with this awesome dog!

 

Good Training                                 

 

And the Results

 

Sincerely,

Barry

and GOLDEN OAK KID ROCK DUKE

 

 

 

 

 

Finding a new hunting partner is not something one does on a whim; the two legged variety tend to come and go, a precession of hunters that disappear during the final days of the season, only to reappear the following year. But when it comes to acquiring a new bird dog, now that is entirely a different story, a damn fine dog is hard to come by, rain or shine, birds or not, a good dog will stick with you until hell freezes over. To me, a “good dog” is smart, athletic, obsessed with birds and has a never give up attitude.  Then after a day in the field, easily switches from hard-core hunter to a loveable member of the family.

Over the years, I have met and spoken with trainers/breeders from coast to coast. We knew that finding the ‘right’ dog would take time and commitment on our part. That is where Gary Buys enters the picture, during a casual conversation with my Physician he mentioned that his brother was a professional dog trainer and assured us he would be a great source of information (which he was). Gary is a dog man and a damn fine one at that. Better yet, Gary is a matchmaker. After numerous e-mails and phone calls, we decided to go with Poudre River Kennels. Once we quickly made rid of the niceties, Gary rolled up his sleeves to find a dog that would best fit our needs. A National Caliber Field Trial dog wasn’t really what we needed (but Gary has access to them or can train one for you) nor did we want an average back yard hunting dog. During our discussions Gary learned that I hunted twenty five to thirty five days a year, fly fished another forty plus days and spent the rest of our free time camping and exploring the back country of Idaho.

Early on, we made the decision to go with a started dog, preferably female. It wasn’t too long before Gary informed us that he had a hand picked female chocolate for us. We picked up Mesa from Gary in October, she was 10 months old and utterly full of “it”. “It” being boundless energy, personality and an intelligence rarely found in the Labrador breed these days. 

Training dogs is truly Gary’s passion. His willingness to share his knowledge and philosophy of gun dogs was truly the selling point. After spending a day instructing my wife and me on his handling methods, Gary has made regular calls to check on our progress. Needless to say Mesa has more then met our expectations as both a gun dog and as a member of the family. She is easily one of the best “thinking” dogs I have been around. You can see the desire in her eyes and our daily training sessions challenge not only Mesa, but myself as well. We are eagerly awaiting the next hunting season.

We wholeheartedly recommend Gary Buys for any of your gun dog needs.

John & Melinda
Shelley, ID

 

 

 

My yellow lab is 3 years old now, and his early experience with Gary Buys of Poudre River Gun Dogs has proven to be invaluable!  Gary's methods covered every aspect of what the dog needed to know, as well as what I needed to know in order to continue the training and evolve with the dog.  As a rookie lab owner, this was extremely beneficial and we are so pleased with how our lab has turned out!  This year, he did well with ducks and geese - making many blind retrieves and behaving perfectly during the hunt.  He also has had a few days in the field for upland birds, which was an awesome experience.  I'm a member of a waterfowl club with 20+ members, most of whom have labs, and am proud to say that mine is absolutely the best - thanks to Gary!  If I had not sent our dog to Gary, he would be a fraction of what he is today - I could not have accomplished this training on my own.  

Sincerely,
Paul

 

 

 

 

Gary:

 I want to thank you for the work you have put into Porter’s training.  When I brought him to you he was a one and half year old energetic and strong willed Chocolate Lab.  Porter comes from top breeding and I have him marked to be the top stud dog for Thorncreek Kennel’s breeding of Pointing Labrador Retrievers.

 I just took him on his first pheasant trip to South Dakota and he performed like a champ.  His strength and energy was directed to the hunt in an impressively controlled manner. Porter and I worked together to produce the birds. He wasn’t hunting for himself – he was hunting for us and was easily controlled in the field. We had up to three other dogs in the field at the same time and his cooperation with them made it a real joy.  He was all business even with a major distraction like another dog that was in “heat”.  He quartered, pointed, and retrieved to hand with ease! 

 

Porter is a thoroughbred of a Labrador.  He has passion, speed and strength that set him apart from many other Labs.  Your training has channeled the best of his traits into an absolute joy to hunt with.  I am looking forward to getting him credentialed and watching him realize his potential.  With your help, I know we will!

 

Thank you for your hard work!

 

Sincerely,

 

Eric (Porter’s hunting buddy)

 

 

 

 

 Gary,

I wanted to thank you again for the great puppy we have now from Jesse x Sally

 I can see the potential with him already. He is fearless and charges thru the thick stuff at 3 months on our daily walks

 I can’t say enough about him and the hopes/dreams of what he will become for hunting next year for upland & ducks & geese

 My GSP friends are all thinking of getting pointing labs now

 I also wanted to thank you for all the time you have spent with me over the last 8 months listening to my needs and suggesting possible litters and really educating me on “training”

 It has been a very positive experience throughout the entire process and I’m really glad to see that there are still people who love what they do and care about what’s right

 My researching a new pup started about a year ago when I finally convinced my wife that my other Pointing Lab who is now 10 years old is starting to slow down and its time for a new pup

 Wow had things changed since I got Luke 10 years ago, it seems that everyone now has “Pointing Labs” for sale

 I must have spoken with over 10 breeders based on information from their websites and past experiences and based on my initial conversations it was obvious you were not try to sell me a dog, you were looking to make sure I got the dog I was looking for.

 I plan on sending Jack back to you for his training towards the end of February (If the kids will let him go)

 I hope I can make the trip as well,

 Thanks again for everything,

 Brian

 

Big Man is in Upstate New York

Gary, wanted to give you some feed back on "Big Man".

Jim-
Big Man has been the perfect addition to the family. As Gary described he was fully trained for both Upland and Waterfowl. Took him out for Pheasant and Quail right away. On Pheasant it was a pleasure just watching him work. My buddy has flushing retrievers so it is really cool watching him hunt'em and lock up pointing. Once he is locked up he does not move a muscle. After shot I release him to retrieve and he returns perfectly on here, heel, sit and drop. First day out I winged a quail through a hedgerow and the bird was still flying but only 5-6 ft off the ground. I released him and he ran the bird down and snatched him right out of the air.... Unbelievable.

On ducks we told him to mark, released him to retrieve, once he had the duck he worked perfectly on here, heel, sit and drop. He is so enthusiastic and wants nothing more than to please.

He is completely obedience trained. No jumping on family members, guests... understands the meaning of no perfectly. He is an absolute bundle of perfectly mannered joy... Talk about a happy dog.

Will-
I wanted a really happy loving dog and that is Big Man. He and I play outside every day.... He chases deer, chipmunks, and last night brought me a mouse. He is soooooo happy. I love to lay down with him after dinner and he licks my face and I scratch his tummy. Big Man is my best friend.

Ian-
Big Man is my retriever. Whatever I throw he brings back. It is a lot of fun throwing a tennis ball into the snow and watching him find it and return it. He hunts it down by smelling it in the snow. I throw a bumper into the woods and he FLIES thru the air to get it. Jumping off mounds, over fallen trees, he is awesome.

Jimmer-
I wanted a dog like Big Man all my life. He is so friendly around the
house, but he is a killer in the field. Hunting with Big Man is fun
because he wants it way more than I do. He is really aggressive
hunting. He would go forever down the Mohawk river to bring back my
duck. He would love to do nothing but hunt all day.

Betsy-
I love dogs a lot and Big Man is a really loving dog. He is
affectionate and gives you his heart... I love Big Man.

Maureen-
We resisted getting a dog until we got the right dog. Big Man is a
perfect addition to our family. He is a dream. Everyone loves him and
he loves everyone. I have never seen a happier dog.

 

Luke is in Colorado

 

Poudre River's Lucky Luke is a fun and fast learner.  He's shown to be an amazing bird dog inthe field.  He never stops entertaining his family with little three kids, and for such a wild boy, he's pretty gentle.  He's the faithful friend of a 9 year old Scottie who keeps him in his place.  Overall a super family dog, very smart and naturally sweet.

 

Gary,
 
I just wanted to give you an update on Cricket.  First of all...Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.  Cricket is an extrordinary dog!  What a wonderfully natural and gifted hunter she is.  She moves through the uplands with great ease and looks like she is having the time of her life!  She's very responsive and obeys any and all commands without a second thought.  It's kind of like having a little robot hunting machine!
 
She has a great nose and finds birds every time we hit the field.  Her talent is evident in the water as well.  She heels to the line, waits until released and hits the water at Mach 1.  I'm really looking forward to her hunt test debut this fall and using her on guided hunts this coming winter.  She's a 42 lb. bundle of energy and brings a smile to my face every day!

See ya this fall,
 
Rob

 

Dear Gary,

I'm writing this note to thank you for a job well done. Training my two German Shorthair Pointers, Chief and Zeke. You took them both from out of control 10 month old pups to well finished bird dogs. Because of your training expertise, we had a great upland season last year and and are looking forward to many more.

Thanks again Gary,

John

Mountain View Hunting Club. Colorado.

 

 

 

 

Brad Fox's son Ty with Reds first AKC Ribbon 5/9/08. Red Also Passed His CP two weeks ago here in Colorado. Red passed two AKC teasts and an HRC test. He will be picking up titles in the AKC, APLA and HRC this spring and summer. Red Man is on a mission.

 

 

 

Gary,

YOU’RE THE MAN!! I wanted to thank you for sharing with me your knowledge and understanding how to train pointing labs the last three days. Phenomenal to say the lest. Over the years I have went to several dog training seminars throughout the country. Paid a lot of money to train with PRO’S, but honestly you have taught me more in several ways. Specifically by teaching me how to read a dog’s body language then what approach is needed for that individual dog. I also enjoyed the different training methods with a high energy dog compared to an average dog. The last pro I went to had one training method, which was called pressure. My intention is to thank you and praise the Lord that I found you. Even though I live in Iowa you’re still able to teach me via the phone or email.

I am very excited to say the lest about my Abby which is from Delta. She has the most natural point in my kennel. She is very affectionate to children as she is my son’s favorite. Her retrieving is just like you said it would be.  Like a laser range finder with radar precision. It has taken me several attempts to find a successful dog like Abby.  Thank you for your sincere kindness and love for these great animals. My kennel would not have the caliber of dogs it does without your knowledge and guidance.

Tim

 

I purchased Elvis from Gary in October 2007 as a started dog. He quickly won the hearts of my wife and me and is now a significant part of the family. Our resident Akita even decided he was okay  His obedience training was evident from our first meeting and his eagerness to please and go for birds amazed me..  During the 2007/2008 hunting season Elvis and I hunted over 60 days together. During this time he  retrieved over 15 mallards in AR, several dozen ducks along the Rio Grande and stock ponds where we live in southern NM, one pheasant (the only one I saw in NM), and over eighty scaled, Gambels, and Mearns quail in NM and AZ. He has a nose for birds and a determination to put them in my hand.

Gary was supportive from the first time I called to talk about pointing labs and answered numerous questions over email. I have learned a lot from our association.  As difficult as it was, we took Elvis back to his birth home with Gary this spring to further his training and have him Certified by the American Pointing Lab Association. After obtaining this title he will come home to us and then back to Gary to polish off his genetic potential for a great dog.

Randy
Hillsboro, NM

 

 

Brad has a PRG started dog out of APR Jesse James JH and APR OD's Cobra Jet Sally JH

Gary

Hope you have had a great holiday. I thought i would drop you a line and let you know how red is doing. He is one hell of a dog don't think i could ask for more. He just keeps coming up with new ways to get the birds. We spent a weekend in Kansas hunting pheasants the wind and weather was as bad as it gets and he keep going after the 3 other dog's gave up.  He can find a bird in 45 mph wind and driving snow all the guys could not believe it. 26 birds the first day and 20 the second day out of 46 birds Red pointed or flushed 31 of them and retrieved all but 4. I will get some photos out to you soon.

Brad

 

 

Gary,

 

 

The Wood's have a Jesse x Sally started dog Zman who is doing some amazing things in the south.

Gary, Terry and I really enjoyed meeting you.  We also enjoyed meeting the three generations of great dogs from Otter on down.  What a neat thing to have them all together right there.  I wouldn’t take anything for watching Sally and Jesse point those chukars.  When I missed Jesse’s bird, it was something to behold to see him sitting there and his head turning on a swivel as he watched the bird fly away.  I’m sure he was wondering “what’s up with this guy” when I missed. Terry had started a list of twenty names for our dog and we have “whittled” the list down to 6 names.  Wish us luck.  She agrees with me that we want to get the name to you right away so I will be emailing and or calling you with the name Monday.  Gary, we are really excited about the sweet nature of our pup, the birdiness, and the obvious love of what he was born to do.  He will have a great life with us and will certainly be spoiled with affection. 

Thanks again.  Warm Regards, Rusty

HOLY COW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 Zeke is off the charts with his desire and effort. We went to Alabama for a three day weekend where I told you 1000 quail were put out on two thousand acres three weeks ago. The Z man is an absolute "psycho". Did he make mistakes- - -sure. Did I screw up - - -absolultely. But, Z has "It". Lot of questions but I got myself a hunting fool.

Great job Mr. Buys!!!!! RW

Gary, Just got back from Alabama and the Z man hunted Saturday morning and Sunday morning. I did a much, much better job following your directions. Zeke was absolutely awesome. No ifs, ands or buts. He was a MACHINE !!! IN the quail woods he is the BOSS !!
RW

Gary, I tagged on to an oldie email from you.  In the uplands, Zeke is a FINISHED DOG.  I went out with Zach this morning to see if Zeke could find any leftover birds from the previous day’s hunt.  He found’em, pointed ‘em, and retrieved ‘em !!!   He is now asleep at my feet in the office.   Zeke is awesome.  Zach said that Bobby doesn’t have a single dog in his kennel that can compete with Zeke!!!!  If that wasn’t music to my ears.  I will not send you continuous “braggings” on Zeke but that was quite a statement from Zach when he is able to observe bird dogs three days every week.

 

We have been extremely pleased with the services of Poudre River Gundogs. 

We first used the one-on-one training consultation when our Pointing Lab puppy came home around eight weeks of age.  We came in for another lesson at 13 weeks to introduce her to birds.  We were very satisfied with the information and knowledge Gary shared with us during these early puppy development times.

When our puppy turned five months old we dropped her off for beginning obedience training and planned to leave her at Poudre River Gundogs for one month.  When we visited three weeks into her stay we could not believe the dog we were seeing was the same one we had left with Gary.  Her obedience training went so well we left her at Poudre River Gundogs for an additional two months to further her training and development.  When she came home we were very satisfied with how well trained she was and what a pleasure she is to train with, hunt with, and most importantly, to have around the house as a family pet.  We have received many compliments from friends, family, and neighbors about how well mannered she is, both in the field and in the home.  We are very proud of our dog.

Since she came home, we continue to use the one-on-one training consultation service as we progress with the training of our dog.  We keep in contact with Gary on issues we are having and how to work through them and when we need hands on instruction, we schedule a lesson.  Gary has used his own dogs on occasion to show us examples of training techniques and what we should expect of our dog at various stages of development.  Gary has excellent dogs of his own and he is very proud of them, as he should be, they are all well trained and have the titles to show it.

Gary is an excellent trainer and a good businessman as well.  Communicating with Gary is open and easy as he promptly returns phone calls and emails.  We are able to reasonably schedule lessons any time we need one and Gary makes sure we are comfortable with what he is teaching us in our lessons. 

Poudre River Gundogs’ facilities are always kept in good condition.  Gary keeps the kennels clean, safe, and secure.  He uses a top quality food and keeps dogs in great condition.

Chris and Lisa
MC2 Smokin Citori of Loveland “Tori”

Gary,

   What can I say about my pup Drake? He is awesome! I have had puppies the last 30 years and Drake truly has been the most amazing puppy I have owned to date. He is very socialized so much that he captured the hearts of my 6 children and lovely wife, Staci. I have never seen such intense drive to retrieve. Totally impressive!  We started out by throwing a ball down the hallway as you suggested but had to stop doing that because Drake would go so hard and fast he would practically knock himself out as he would hit the door at the end of the hallway. The first time we went to the lake you suggested let him get his feet wet. Wrong. He did 15 yard retrieves the first time we went to the water.
We started going to a retriever training class with Drake and no credit to me but he was the star of the class in obedience, intelligence and retrieving. Head and shoulders above all the other dogs. Also his natural pointing ability is the most impressive thing about Drake. The first time we put him on a pheasant around 6 months he pointed it like a true pointing dog. He just froze until it got up. I shot it and the he retrieved it back. Drake had never had a bird in his mouth until then. I was shocked that a dog that young was so bold. When I saw that I new that I had something special.
Drake has totally transformed my family in our relationship with dogs. The sad news is we will be sending him to a professional retriever trainer for the next 3 months. You know we have 6 children to feed but we decided that we want the best for Drake. It is like having a NASCAR race car in your garage. What do you do with it? The trainer only live’s 40 miles down the road so we will be able to see Drake on the weekends.
When I talk to breeders/trainers they all say this is the litter, etc. But your honesty and product in my opinion is second to none in the pointing lab arena. Which you know I have been burned more then once on these so called high performance pointing labs. You have helped me before I purchased Drake and have continued to coach me along the way. I value your opinion and our relationship that has developed. So much so that I have sent you a check for a $1000 for a yellow female out of Delta X Jesse litter. I realize that Sally x Jesse litter is a long time off but hear is a check for deposit on the first female pick. Thank you for all your help and dedication to the betterment of Labrador retrievers.

Sincerely,

Tim

 

I got Cody as a started pup with ' a big motor' from Gary Buys and he's been sensational.  I've had alot of Labradors since 1968, with Cody's pal Buck, who just turned 14 (a decendant of King Buck the 1959 Federal Duck Stamp Dog) still hunting. I really think I've got a good sense of dog flesh and Cody is something else...he runs like the wind and swims faster than any duck.  He's got a little Pointing Lab in him that makes him steady at the hip and in the field...he really listens and wants to please.  My wife and I take him back to Gary every year for 3 months while we're in Florida so he can get tuned up and spend time as Gary puts it "being a dog". Thank you Gary for this great new best friend!  John, Steamboat Springs, Colorado.