Bird Dogs,Bird Dogs & Training  |  02/04/2015

Join Purina at National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic


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Meet top bird dog trainers and get expert advice on nutrition and conditioning while visiting the Purina booth at the 2015 National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic at Des Moines’ Iowa Event Center, Friday, Feb. 20 through Sunday, Feb. 22. 
 
Kicking off with a Bird Dog Parade featuring about 40 breeds, Purina Pro Plan brand dog food and SportDOG Brand are bringing the country’s best bird dog trainers to the Bird Dog Bonanza Stage at National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic for hourlong seminars throughout the weekend. These trainers also will be on hand at the Purina and SportDOG booths to answer your questions. 
 
Here are a few of the professional trainers who will be present at this year’s event:
 
  • Delmar Smith, a member of the Field Trial Hall of Fame, honed his skills at teaching the public how to get the most from their dogs over his 55-year training career operating Delmar Smith Kennels in Edmond, Oklahoma. Smith dogs have performed in all 50 states and some foreign countries.
  • Bob West, director of sporting field operations for the Purina Professional Engagement Team, is passionate about sporting dogs and those who own and train them. He also walks the talk, having put 75 titles on sporting dogs over the past 40-plus years as a part-time professional trainer at his Napsinekee Kennel in Le Claire, Iowa. West is a longtime contributor to the Pheasants Forever Journal, Pheasants Forever Television, Cabela’s Television, and Gun Dog Magazine
  • Rick Smith, of Crozier, Virginia, joins his cousin, Ronnie, in continuing the Smith family tradition of presenting bird dog seminars across the country—a tradition started by Rick’s father, Delmar. He has handled dogs to win three National Open Brittany Championships, seven U.S. Open Brittany Championships, six International Brittany Championships, and more than 100 Open Brittany All-Age stakes. He recently was inducted into the Brittany Field Trial Hall of Fame. 
  • Tom Dokken, with more than 30 years of experience, is the owner of Dokken’s Oak Ridge Kennels—the largest gun dog training kennel in the upper half of the United States—and Dokken Dog Supply based in Northfield, Minnesota. He is the inventor of the DeadFowl Trainer, author of “Retriever Training: The Complete Guide to Developing Your Hunting Dog,” and leading innovator in shed antler hunting with dogs. 
  • Josh Miller and his dog, “Easton,” are one of the leading shed dog hunting teams in the United States. Miller also is the only two-time North American Shed Hunting Dog Association World Champion. He operates River Stone Kennels in New Richmond, Wisconsin, where he trains gun dogs of all breeds.
Photos and Samples at Purina Booth
 
Stop by the Purina booth to pose for pictures with your bird dog and Purina’s professional trainers, even take home a souvenir print. While there, visitors can also learn more about the Purina Pro Plan SPORT dog food portfolio and nutritional supplement bars. While limited supplies last, Purina Pro Plan SPORT Performance 30/20 Formula samples will be available in 2-pound bags.