DOGS & BREEDING
Our hunting dogs also play a large role in making Ringneck Retreat a place for incredible hunts. Darik’s first lab, Duke, helped start his guide service years
ago, and now Ringneck Retreat has six dogs expertly trained to accompany hunters. Each breed has its own style, and each dog has its own personality. As
each of our dogs offers a different hunting experience, Darik will custom match a dog to each hunter or group. Ringneck Retreat also welcomes your own hunting dog(s) as well.
We treat our dogs with the same admiration and respect as our human hunting buddies. If you join one of our hunting expeditions, you’re sure to meet them. We train each hunting dog in the intricate skills of pointing and retrieving, and, unlike most dogs, our much–loved dogs, benefit from exploring a 2500–acre prime hunting ground every day.
ago, and now Ringneck Retreat has six dogs expertly trained to accompany hunters. Each breed has its own style, and each dog has its own personality. As
each of our dogs offers a different hunting experience, Darik will custom match a dog to each hunter or group. Ringneck Retreat also welcomes your own hunting dog(s) as well.
We treat our dogs with the same admiration and respect as our human hunting buddies. If you join one of our hunting expeditions, you’re sure to meet them. We train each hunting dog in the intricate skills of pointing and retrieving, and, unlike most dogs, our much–loved dogs, benefit from exploring a 2500–acre prime hunting ground every day.
Tank
Tank
This eleven year old German Short-haired Pointer was named for his size; He truly is a large dog with a extraordinarily calm demeanor for a Shorthair. White with black tic marks, Tank has a stylish and showy hunting style and loves a camera on him both in and out of the field which we nicknamed him "Pretty Boy" for. Don’t let his size fool you though, he’s just a loveable puppy trapped in a big dog’s body. Excellent in pointing and very fast on his retrieves. He is also exceptional at finding down birds. Tank comes from excellent bloodlines. Tank is available for stud service. Tank’s Tournament Placings in the Bird Dog Challenge (BDC) World Championship 2007 -5th Place Nebraska State Pheasant Championship Tank’s Tournament Placings in the Dakota Outdoor Gundog Series (D.O.G.S.) 2008 – 1st Place Singles Pointer (Championship) 2009 - 1st Place Singles Pointer 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017 - Ladies Division Dog of the Year 2014, 2015, 2016 - Single Pointer Division Dog of the Year 2015 - Doubles Pointer Division Dog of the Year Runner Up 2016 - Doubles Pointer Division Dog of the Year Scooter
Scooter
This ten year old Black Labrador Retriever is very calm and well mannered around everyone, but don’t let that fool you. It’s all business when he hits the field! He loves crashing through the cover and never seems to wear down. At eight months old, he went to Fly-N-Gun Kennels in Thorp WI to be trained by Craig Steinbach. He returned home as a fine tuned, hunting machine. Thanks Steiny, you once again did a first class job. Scooter comes from excellent parents who have both won several NBDC titles. His mother placed in the Nationals and his father received “High Point Flusher of the Year” as well as winning the “World Championships” in 2009. Scooter had already started following in his parent’s footsteps when he was just a puppy. As with all of our dogs, Ringneck Retreat is proud to have Scooter as a part of the team. Scooter’s Tournament Placings in the Dakota Outdoor Gundog Series (D.O.G.S.) 2009 – Two - 1st Place Puppy Flusher Puppy Flusher - Dog of the Year (Championship) 2010, 2015 - Double Flusher Division Dog of the Year 2011, 2014, 2016 - Single Flusher Division Dog of the Year Noisy Boy
Noisy Boy
After four years, Noisy Boy has really grown up & with a heart & prairie drive as big as he is now! Another Scooter & Mae puppy who was not named "Noisy" because he barks a lot but because he really loves to make some “Noise” when he hits a field! This soft hearted, lovey dog is just a Puppy in a Huge Dog’s Body & he’s always happy! 2014 NBC Region 1 – Puppy Flusher of the Year Noisy Boy ’s Tournament Placings in the Dakota Outdoor Gundog Series (D.O.G.S.) 2014 - DOGS – Puppy Flusher Division Dog of the Year 2016 - DOGS – Double Flusher Division Dog of the Year Dixie
Dixie
This five year old Deutsch-Drahthaar (German Wirehair Pointer) has proven she can "run with the big dogs". Dixie has proved to be afraid of nothing and with her nose always on the ground and she is a hunting, tracking machine. Her drive & determination is incredible to say the least. It takes a tough female to run with this pack and Dixie is all of that & she adds great diversity to each hunt! Dixie's Tournament Placings in the Dakota Outdoor Gundog Series (D.O.G.S.) Gauge
Gauge
This three year old yellow Labrador Retriever is another pup out of the 3rd Littler from Scooter & Mae. He is Darik’s son Raistlan’s dog that is learning to hunt as a guide dog here and is still very much puppy but he's all heart too with lots of potential of becoming a great hunter! Gauge is so excited learning that he sometimes out runs his nose but when he matures & clams down a little, he will make a great addition to the Ringneck Guide Dog Family! Gauge's Tournament Placings in the Dakota Outdoor Gundog Series (D.O.G.S.) 2016 - Amateur Flusher Division Dog of the Year If you raise your own prize hunters, contact us for information about our stud services. |
A Hunting Dog's Prayer  Hooch Why Title a Dog...
Not just a brag, not just a stepping stone to a higher title, not just an adjunct to competitive scores, a title is a tribute to the dog that bears it, a way to honor the dog, an ultimate memorial. It will remain in record and in memory for as long as anything in this world can remain. Few humans will do as well or better in that regard.
And though the dog itself doesn’t know or care that its achievements have been noted, a title says many things in the world of humans, where such things count. A title says your dog was intelligent and adaptable, and good-natured. It says that your dog loved you enough to do the things that please you, however crazy they may have sometimes seemed. And a title says that you loved your dog, that you loved to spend time with it because it was a good dog, that you believed in it enough to give it yet another chance when it failed, and that, in the end, your faith was justified. A title proves that your dog inspired you to that special relationship enjoyed by so few; that in a world of disposable creatures, this dog with a title was greatly loved, and loved greatly in return. And when that dear short life is over, the title remains as a memorial of the finest kind, the best you can give to a deserving friend, volumes of pride in one small set of initials after the name. A title earned is nothing less than love and respect, given and received, and permanently recorded. Credit: Sandra Mowery |