About this episode

Scott Linden interviews bird-dog training legend Bob West about training techniques, nutrition, and handling for hunting dogs.

Kneel at the foot of bird-dog wisdom. Here's a reprise episode that will turn you into a better dog handler. Hunter, dog trainer, nutritional guru, magazine writer, an Upland National treasure ... Bob West of Purina joins me for a wide-ranging discussion full of reminiscences. Besides talking about his fellow legends, Bob's backstory might just prove he was the first "influencer" in our world ... back when TV was still made on magnetic tape and in 4:3 screen ratios! Bob is semi-retired but still a fixture at bird-dog events where you can bend his ear about fueling a hunting dog, training it, and hunting it. His insights, built on a foundation of trials and tests, are invaluable for anyone with a bird dog. We'll learn why trials and tests are a critical part of hunting-dog training, find out why sometimes giving up is the best strategy with a recalcitrant dog (at least temporarily), how important "wins" are on the training table, what the "three action introduction" is and why it's integral to a dog's performance in the field and at a hunting test. But there's more: pad care and what we miss, how a dog's G.I. tract is really affected by food during a hunt, the best reason yet for…

People in this episode

Host: Scott Linden

Guest: Bob West

Topics covered

• bird-dog training
• hunting dogs
• dog nutrition
• training techniques
• dog handling

Keywords

• bird-dog training
• hunting
• dog nutrition
• training commands
• pad care
• feeding regimen
• dog handling

Sponsors

Sage & Braker Mercantile, LandTrust.com, HiVizSights.com

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Purina

More episodes of Upland Nation

• Chukar-crazed Eric Forrester talks wingshooting, video, public access and how to hunt 'em · April 28, 2026 · 1h 8m
• Insider on feeding, trialing, hunting, and your most common questions, answered · April 26, 2026 · 34 min

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