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Terry and Laura,
I was just enjoying the videos of
Colt's pointing demonstration again.
What a great year for us with Lute
getting his master title and Colt doing so well with his pointing!
We can't thank you enough for all of
the great training you have given to Ole, Garth, Lute and Colt (and
Patrice and I!) since we picked up Ole and Garth in 2007.
Our dogs mean so much to our family,
and to have had all of them be such nice dogs, and to do so well in
the field, has been very rewarding. You have helped us pick pups,
learn how to deal with them, take them to a high level of performance,
and even deal with loss.
Thank you, we wish you continued
success!
Chad T. Nelson
Terry & Laura,
Holzinger’s Black Ice (3-2-12 Riley x Baily)
Ice is doing great. He is by far the
best dog I have ever owned. I do not remember Terry mentioning that he
might point. Man does he ever.
He started pointing almost immediately
and seen a lot of birds last fall in North Dakota.
Ice has an amazing nose. He can wind a
bird from 30 yards (and more), whirl around, lock up on point and hold
it until I get there. The instincts are really coming out as he is
getting more experienced. I cannot say enough about the breeding you
are doing and cannot wait till the time comes for another dog. I will
expect to pick something from one of your breedings. Please keep up
the excellent work.
I entered him in all 3 of the Lake
Country Retriever Club competition hunts this winter. He pointed every
single bird without fail. He had 4 runs between 3-5 minutes (10 months
old at the time). By the 3rd hunt, I had people asking if they could
walk with me to see the “super dog” in action. I have had no less than
5 club members (one whom I have not seen in 2 years) compliment me on
how well Ice is doing (word travels fast I guess).
Since the day I brought him home he has
enjoyed heavy cover. He is especially fond of the cattails. We were in
North Dakota between Christmas and New Years and the only cover left
with all the snow was cattails. All the birds were crammed into the
cattails after we drove them out of the trees. Ice absolutely had a
field day with all the birds holding so tight. It was the ultimate
hunt for him at an impressionable time. From then on, he just attacked
the cover. He never just walks down the path.
Now we are training for more of the
hunt test type activities. Marks, more formal obedience and yard work.
He definitely likes finding birds better than training, but hey,
nothing wrong with a bird finding machine, right?.
What would a great hunting dog be
without being a wonderful citizen in the house. Now I do more with my
dogs than many, but still, much of the downtime is spent in the house.
Ice is absolutely spectacular in our home. He lays on his pillow and
watches hunting shows with me. What more could you ask for?
Thanks for everything,
Todd Fuchs - Secretary, Greater
Minnesota Hunt Test Association
P.S. The best part about this dog is:
My wife likes him
Terry:
I just wanted to
touch base on Toby. To remind you, we got Toby last December (Bailey
and Riley litter October
2011). Toby is just coming up on a year old. About 2 weeks ago he
completed 10 weeks training with Terry: on leash, field off leash,
forced retrieve, retrieve to heel, even intro to duck hunting.
According to Terry, he was a very fast learner. I joined a Hunt Club
about a month ago to keep Toby on regular birds. He has seen about 25
birds out there already: chukars, huns and pheasants. He also went
dove hunting Sep 1.
I cannot say enough about how awesome Toby is already! The instinct
bred into him, and the training Terry did are paying off hugely for
me. Toby is the 5th hunting dog I have had, and at 11
months old he might already be the best yet! I just got home from the
Club after shooting 10 pheasants, and the guy I hunted with is very
experienced, has a Holzinger lab about 7 years old, and he gushed
about Toby. He could not believe how good his nose is, the drive, the
speed, athleticism. And this hunt was all uncut milo and corn – thick,
dry and tough. We had two dogs down, but Toby found 10 of 12 we
flushed and was on the retrieve fast. It was just a thrill for me
watching him work.
At home he is a very affectionate family dog – getting spoiled by all
of us.
Thank you for making me a very happy hunter and dog owner. If you
ever want a referral or testimonial, do not hesitate to contact me.
Thanks again - Mark Guidinger
Terry Holzinger (Holzinger
Kennels) has trained two of my dogs, the second one for formal
obedience and gun dog training (which went great but more on that
later) but the first dog I brought to Terry was a “last chance” effort
to rescue a young gun dog I had bought elsewhere, that dog was not
properly socialized and sadly fearful of humans, constantly cowering
and unmanageable because of the constant retreating, disobeying and
hiding due to its fear. The dog was frustrating to own but
simultaneously would break our hearts. I tried two full time trainers
to help this dog and graciously the last trainer told me “I can do no
more for your dog, you should contact Terry Holzinger, I think he may
be able to help your dog”.
It took patience and a couple days to even coax “Remy” from their
training kennels but I am so happy to share that Remy responds well to
basic obedience today and hunts and retrieves with a waging tail.
While he will never be a lap dog with strangers he is fully integrated
into our family.
I share this story because Terry’s ability with gun dogs deserves the
accolades that are common within the gun dog training world but this
is the kind of “unsung hero” story only possible with someone with a
gentle understanding of all the nuances of dog behavior that come from
such experience and care.
Per that second dog – this time we bought a pup from one of Terry’s
blood lines – Terry did the training and she was just awarded High
Point 2012 “Pro Flushing Puppy of the Year” in N.A.T.H.A. (North
American Tournament Hunting Association).
Belle traveled the circuit and made the podium the majority of the
time. We love both our dogs; my thanks to Terry and Laura at Holzinger
Kennels for helping us realize our hopes. You are more than welcome to
contact me for more details. - Tom Gertz
Our family has known Terry
Holzinger for more than 20 years. During that time he has trained 6 of
our hunting dogs and we have purchased 3 wonderful Labs from him.
Terry has a natural, innate instinct for dog training. He is patient
but insistent. The dogs know what to expect from Terry. He is
consistent with his expectations. It is apparent that Terry likes dogs
and they know that too. Reward is also part of his training. Terry
just knows dogs.
The 3 Labs we bought from Terry were wonderful hunting dogs as well as
great family pets. In the field it is all business but at home they
are lovable and eager to please. Our current Lab, the Mighty Quinn, is
outgoing, curious and just plain loves people. We could not ask for
more in a hunting dog or a companion.
All in all we consider ourselves fortunate to have crossed paths with
Terry Holzinger. - David Karan
As a rule, I don’t like to
post recommendations or reviews of products and services. Here,
however, I’m happy to make an exception.
From my first telephone conversation with Laura to my last training
session with Terry and Joe (and every telephone call and e-mail in
between), I simply cannot say enough good things about the experience
I’ve had with Holzinger Kennels.
Being a novice in the world of hunting dogs, I appreciated Terry and
Laura’s responsiveness to every question I had along the way.
Particularly important to me was Terry’s willingness to teach not only
the “how” but also the “why” when it comes to his training program.
And, of course, the level of training my Pointer pup has received is
absolutely fantastic and her development (both in the field and around
the house) reflects that.
I don’t doubt that there are other very fine dog trainers and dog
training facilities out there. But I can honestly say that based upon
my experience, I would not consider sending my dog anywhere else. -
James Anderson
In 1995 my husband George
and I contacted you regarding purchasing a puppy. It turned out to be
one of the greatest decisions of our lives. We got a male from a
breeding of Brock and Redfield's Flying Nun. Our new puppy flew to
Montana by himself and walked out of his kennel like he owned the
world. Because we took a chance on buying a puppy sight unseen, we
named him "Chance". One of our saddest days was when he passed away.
We do have reminders of him though in dogs we bred for ourselves and
our son. I just wanted you to know how great we think he was and the
dogs we have now carry on his hardworking, kind personality. Chance
did receive his Senior Hunter Title. We no longer do Hunt tests
because of time. The reason I am writing is because we have a friend
looking for a puppy so I looked your kennel up on line. I am glad to
see that you are still producing amazing dogs. I am going to recommend
that our friend contact one of the breeders who have litters coming.
Thanks again. - Susan Schmidt
I brought my 7 month old
male Lab “Rufeo” (a Holzinger-Baker pup) in to Terry for his
“Kindergarten” and “Grade School” training. I was really impressed
with both programs and pleased with how quickly he had improved and
how thoroughly the lessons had been taught. Terry is a skilled
professional, demonstrating patience, knowledge and has always taken
the time to help me better understand how to maintain the skills Rufeo
had learned and how to continue setting him up for success.
Now Rufeo is a great hunting companion, he is ‘birdy, marks well and
has a fire for retrieving, He also handles well and is well mannered.
He has won the Pointing Division Championship at a local hunt club at
the age of 9 months, is now an AKC Junior Hunter and I am confident he
will complete his last two passes for his Senior Hunter title this
coming spring. These successes came from the solid foundations that
were taught by Terry at Holzinger kennels.
Terry and Laura maintain kennels that are clean, modern, safe and
secure and the training grounds at Holzinger’s are a bird dog’s
paradise offering every learning environment necessary (e.g. technical
ponds, fields, birds etc.) for a winning training experience.
Rufeo will be back! - Chris Hussman, Champlin, MN
Terry - Good morning, just
returned from 4 days of upland hunting in western ND and thought I
would give you some thoughts!! First, I have known you now for more
than 20 years and thru the kelsey years ,the 3 years of trying to
reach closure on losing her which still has not happened and likely
never will and now with 3 years of Rosie both products of your skills
I have to tell you that no matter how big the bucket of financial
gain, collection of toys, and quality of life you have earned and
enjoyed I am not sure you take time to reflect on the impact you have
on likely thousands of pet owners who you have directly impacted there
lives with your high level of talent in training. I hope no matter how
busy your days are you and Laura take an occasional timeout to really
appreciate all the great days you are responsible for in the world of
the outdoors.
As for Rosie I am simply amazed. Her solid points, her 100% retrieve
to hand on 16 birds, her refusal to move an inch when first rooster
flushed and died and yet she knew another one was coming, then when it
also hit the ground her ability to mark both and retrieve both was
very impressive. Great, great days and Rox and I THANK YOU !!
The best to both of you. Cheers. - Dick and Rox Burtness
I purchased a yellow lab
via Holzinger's website and Taylor is the stud dog. My dog Jaws is 2
years old and has exceeded my expectations. I've put my dog through
12+ weeks of training and he continues to learn, expand his
capabilities and wants more.
Jaws is more white than yellow has a blocky head and taller than most
labs. Which I love as he stands up taller in pheasant grass and swims
faster than other labs. Jaws is a thinker....I've witnessed him making
amazing retrieves and is outsmarting the wiliest roosters and he's
only 2. He has a calm demeanor around the family, loves attention and
being petted but when it's hunting time he has energy and excitement
that I've not witnessed with my previous dogs. Several of my friends
who I hunt with own pointers or labs would like to purchase a puppy
from me if/when I breed Jaws.
I've had an excellent experience with Jaws and will continue to
recommend and purchase dogs from Holzingers. - Jeff Kosek
I can't say enough about
Holzinger Kennels! Terry trained Chili my female lab a few years ago.
Thanks to Terry Chili went from a basic hunting dog to a AKC. SH. and
a APLA Cert. pointing retriever and is now used as a Professional
guide dog in S.D. and MN. for upland and ducks.
Besides Terry's great training skills, his knowledge of dogs and
breeding is second to none. Terry has produced some of the best dogs
out there. Terry and Laura are the best out there when it comes to
training and breeding dogs. I have been lucky enough to breed Chili to
two of Terry's great stud dogs that produced some great all around
dogs. Thanks Holzinger's for everything. - Pat Cunningham
I've known Terry for a
very long time and have followed the success he has achieved over the
years with his bloodlines and training methods. Back in 1998 I
purchased a yellow lab pup from Holzinger Kennels out of one of his
bloodlines that was extremely successful. A select yellow male lab
that was producing some of the best dogs out there in both competition
and for the average hunter. I had Terry train my yellow female
beginning with the Kindergarten session up to the High School level
Terry offers in his training course. (he offers higher levels of
training) I was blown away with my dog's ability and drive along with
how well she was trained to commands and in both water and afield. I
recently committed to another yellow lab pup out of one of Terry's
bloodlines that will no doubt exceed my expectations. This time an
English bloodline with the ability to point.
Holzinger Kennels is an household name in gun dog breeding and
training with so many successful dogs over the years connected to his
pedigree's and training at competitive events. But the most important
value for me is Terry's honest and ethical approach in knowing a dogs
potential along with his training and experience. He uses training
methods that make it fun and encouraging for dogs which in turn
produces enthusiasm and the willingness to constantly please their
owner. His reputation speaks for itself! - Greg Williams~ Maple
Grove, MN
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