Karen Pryor wrote a book that I've read many times called Don't Shoot the Dog. It is a training manual for dog owners that I encourage everyone to read at least once. Anyone with a love for animals will get something from her advice and story that they may not find elsewhere.

Responsible dog owners love to hike outdoors with their four-legged companions and seldom is there a problem. But while our beautiful wilderness looks safe enough, the wild outdoors can become life-threatening in an instant.

In the eyes of working dog enthusiasts everywhere, AKC Field Trials are the Olympics of retriever performance. It is where dogs and handlers are judged as a team for their combined abilities to perform at the highest stakes of competition. In the history of the sport, few have reached the top of the podium as often as Mike Lardy of Handjem Retrievers.