End of the Year 2025 Listener Questions
The Accidental Bird Dog Podcast
For the third year in a row, I’m wrapping up the year with an end-of-year listener Q&A. In this episode, I answer questions submitted by you—covering everything from how I taught my dogs whoa, to whether it makes sense to start with field trials or NAVHDA first, and how to keep making progress when you have limited access to birds. Thanks to everyone who submitted a question and thank you for listening to my podcast this year! Cheers to 2026! 🥂 -- The Accidental Bird Dog Podcast is sponsored by and part of the Podcast Network.
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The Accidental Bird Dog Audiobook Teaser
The Accidental Bird Dog Podcast
This week on the podcast, I’m doing something a little different—I’m reading a few chapters from my book, The Accidental Bird Dog: My Journey with an Extraordinary Vizsla. If you’ve ever wondered how my story began—or if you’ve read the book and want to experience it in a new way—this is for you. And yes…this is a teaser, because the audiobook is officially in the works. ☺️ The paperback and ebook versions are currently available on . -- The Accidental Bird Dog Podcast is part of the Podcast Network and sponsored by .
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The Mental Side of Dog Handling
The Accidental Bird Dog Podcast
Do you feel nervous when handling your dog in competitions and events? Even after competing for 10 years, I still feel anxious every single time. In this episode, I dive into the mindset challenges that come with running your dog in tests and trials. I share my own experiences with negative self-talk, including moments when I nearly talked myself out of competing altogether. We explore what pre-performance anxiety feels like, why it’s completely normal, and how to work through it so you can show up as the best handler for your dog. I also break down practical...
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Building Engagement to Train Skills for Hunting Dogs
The Accidental Bird Dog Podcast
In this episode, I’m joined once again by Cristina Ralph to explore how building engagement and a positive relationship with your dog sets the stage for effective training so they want to work with us. We break down how marker systems create a clear communication language, and we discuss the difference between drive and arousal—plus real-world examples of how these concepts show up in hunting dogs. If you want a dog that wants to work with you, not just goes through the motions, this episode is a must-listen. You can find Cristina on Instagram at or . You can reach her by email...
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Field Trials vs Hunt Tests vs NAVHDA: What Should I Do With My Dog?
The Accidental Bird Dog Podcast
If you’re new to the bird dog world, one of the first big questions you’ll face is: What should I do with my dog? In this episode, I break down the main types of pointing dog events — hunt tests, field trials, and versatile dog tests — and talk about what makes each one unique. We’ll cover the organizations behind these events, what kinds of dogs are eligible, and how to decide which might be the best fit for you and your pup. I’ll also share a few things to think about when choosing where to start, like what kind of training you enjoy, your dog’s natural strengths and...
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NAVHDA's Oldest Versatile Champion
The Accidental Bird Dog Podcast
In this episode, I sit down with Geri Orta to talk about her incredible German Shorthaired Pointer, Ranger (VC TC AFC OTCH2 Sageflyer Gorta's Ranger UDX8 OGM GO VER RE MH NA CA BCAT). Ranger made history as the oldest dog to pass the NAVHDA Invitational and earn a Versatile Champion title—at an astounding 12 years and 9 months old. Geri shares how she set ambitious goals for Ranger from the very beginning, aiming for him to become the breed’s first AKC triple champion. Even after retiring him from the field, Ranger wasn’t content to slow down. At age 10, he returned to competition, and...
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Tales of Accidental Bird Dogs: Adrienne Barber
The Accidental Bird Dog Podcast
I interviewed Adrienne Barber in our latest installment of the Tales of Accidental Bird Dog series. Adrienne got a Spinone, Fig, as an active running and adventure companion in 2016. After a while, she noticed that Fig wouldn't stop pointing tweety birds while she was walking her in the city, so she decided to look into hunting. She got involved in NAVHDA and eventually ran Fig in the Natural Ability test for evaluation only as she was a little past the age cut-off. Since then, Adrienne started hunting and recently got another bird dog, a Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla, named Frankie. We...
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Rule Change: ATVs Approved for Judging AKC Field Trial Walking Stakes
The Accidental Bird Dog Podcast
The AKC just made a major change to field trial rules: judges in walking stakes can now use ATVs and UTVs instead of being required to ride horses. To unpack what this means for the sport, I sit down with Paul Hermes — a Florida-based AKC field trial and hunt test judge — to talk through the impact. Paul is realistic about the situation and in an ideal world, he would prefer to have horses for judging. But he also recognizes the practical challenges: horses are increasingly hard to source, and many younger participants don’t own them. We discuss the upsides of this shift, the potential...
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Teaching Steadiness to Your Pointing Dog
The Accidental Bird Dog Podcast
Steadiness can be one of the most challenging things to teach to your pointing dog. In this episode, I talk about the general process of teaching steadiness, regardless of the method you are using. I discuss common mistakes I see people making and those I was guilty of with Zara. I also go into detail about the process I'm using to teach Lanka to be steady on birds. Links mentioned in this episode: NAVHDA Aims, Programs, Test Rules booklet, page 44 for the steadiness diagram: My upcoming group coaching program: My online course: -- The Accidental Bird Dog Podcast is sponsored...
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Readiness for Testing and Trialing
The Accidental Bird Dog Podcast
How do you figure out if your dog is ready to enter a hunt test or field trial? In this episode, I break down what readiness really means. From evaluating your dog’s skills to assessing your own confidence and long-term goals, I’ll walk you through key questions to ask yourself before signing up. I also share how time constraints and mental preparedness play a role in deciding when to enter—or hold back. I hope you find this episode useful whether you are entering your very first event or an advanced level test or trial. The Accidental Bird Dog Podcast is sponsored...
info_outlineThis episode kicks off a new series for the podcast! Every few episodes, I will be featuring interviews with other people who got bird dogs as pets and then got into hunting later because of their dogs.
The first tale of a fellow accidental bird dog owner is Sara Kline. Sara lives in Alaska with her three dogs: a vizsla named Jack, and two Deutsch Drahthaars named Dicky and Rufus. Sara originally got Jack as a running buddy when she lived in England, but it wasn't long before Jack decided he liked pointing pheasants along their runs, too. Sara has grown a lot in her journey training her dogs and is very forthcoming about the mistakes she's made along the way and how she's trying to use the lessons she's learned with her new puppy. Sara's story is very relatable and I know you will enjoy it!
You can follow Sara on Instagram at @journeyswithgundogs.
The Accidental Bird Dog Podcast is sponsored by OnX Hunt and Boss Shotshells. We are part of the HerUpland Podcast Network.