ABOUT, HISTORY & PHILOSOPHY

In late summer, 2010, Tom decided to create “The Dog Yard,” providing a resource to both canines and their companions. In addition to training Pointing and Versatile breeds, The Dog Yard serves as a facility for all dogs and their owners – helping with not just training, but giving owners the confidence to continue building a quality alliance with their dog. The decision to put your dog in the hands of a professional trainer is a big one. The “value” of your dog is intangible…far exceeding the dollars poured into purchase, food, vet bills, etc. The hopes and expectations for your “prospect” are understandably high – confidence in a trainer should be no different. Our 5 Wirehaired Pointing Griffons don’t just hunt 70 plus days a year – they are welcome in the house, comfortable in the kennel, fed ‘top of the line’ dog food, and kept in excellent physical condition throughout the year. At The Dog Yard, you can have confidence that your prospect is not only receiving the highest standard in training, but that it is being cared for in a healthy and positive environment.



Tom Healy, owner and operator of The Dog Yard, has bred and trained Wirehaired Pointing Griffons for the past 8 years. As a passionate hunter and advocate for “public land,” Tom has hunted over numerous breeds of both pointing and flushing dogs for the last 3 decades. Over the past 2 years, Tom has had both the pleasure and opportunity to hunt and train dogs with Ed Erickson – owner/operator of Autumn Breeze Kennels near Isle, Minnesota. With a greater appreciation for “quality dog work” than “birds in the bag," Tom and Ed, along with a cadre of accomplished hounds, have chased wildfowl and upland birds around the open plains of north-central Montana. Working at Autumn Breeze, one of the premier kennels for pointing and versatile dog training in North America, Tom’s “Continued Education” with Ed has been an invaluable experience. Table, Yard, Field and Water Work, with more than 15 different breeds has provided great insight into not just the best techniques and equipment, but also the nuances and subtle differences between individual dogs and breeds.

THE DOG YARD PHILOSOPHY
Training dogs requires a unique combination of talents that includes adhering to traditional techniques in concert with an ability to “think outside the box.” It’s about more than just you “reading the dog,” but understanding that the dog is constantly “reading you.” Most importantly, it’s about building a relationship in which the dog trusts you and your actions. Whether it’s on a television show, the internet, a book, or a DVD, we constantly hear about the importance of “Dominance Training.” Expressions such as “alpha role,” “leader of the pack” and “it’s not a democracy” are frequently used when trying to express the importance of traditional “Dominance Training.” Unfortunately, what is almost always lost in the discussion is that “dominance” is not the objective….but a route to arrive at the greater goal of cooperative dog. If this weren’t the case, we’d be content with a dog that retrieved a bird with a “tucked tail” or heeled perfectly through the neighborhood - but with caution in its eyes. When cooperation and synergy transcend dominance, we begin to understand the concept of a “well-trained dog” – a dog that heels with confidence or delivers a bird with a tail wagging back and forth.