As we all know, women can do many things better than men and, in my opinion, training dogs is one of them. There are many reasons for this but I believe the main reason is that they often have more patience, which is a very important quality when training a dog, especially a hunting dog.
I came across a perfect example of a great woman trainer while working on my last column on Chesapeake Bay Retrievers. As I learned more about Spendthrift Kennels in LeRoy I discovered that the real person behind the Spendthrift Kennels is an amazing woman trainer named Susan Keroack. Sue has been training and breeding these rugged dogs since 1976, training and titling nine of her own dogs.
What sets her apart from the rest of the women trainers in the business is that she is also a hunter herself. This is fairly uncommon among women trainers; the fact that she is a waterfowl hunter is really rare. Sue can and has trained dogs for bench or the field but as a hunter herself, she has a real passion for hunting dogs. Her experience with the Chesapeake Bay retriever makes her friend Tom Frew seem like a piker. No offense to Mr. Frew, but it turns out that Sue taught him everything he knows about the breed … and Tom agrees. He says, “Without the patience, knowledge and skills of Susan Keroack I would never have enjoyed this level of performance as a trainer. I have Sue to thank for bringing me as a dog trainer to this level of performance.”
Sue is the actual owner of Spendthrift Kennels and Tom Frew is the head of her breeding program. I reached out to Sue when I found this out and apologized for just assuming Tom was the owner. I especially didn’t want her to think I had a chauvinistic outlook on hunting dog training. During our conversation I immediately recognized that this was an interesting person and her knowledge on dog breeding and dog training must be tapped into. I sheepishly asked if I could write a column about her and she hesitantly said “OK, but don’t bother me anymore today, the Vikings are playing.” I agreed and reached out to her the following day; here is what she revealed.
“I began breeding, training and showing Chesapeake Bay retrievers as a hobby thirty-two years ago. I sought education from successful breeders and trainers, attended as many clinics and seminars as possible, and read everything I could get my hands on. My hobby ultimately became a lifestyle, and the knowledge I gained over the years allowed me to create a training business in 1983. Since then I have taught hundreds of clients to train their own dogs of all breeds and ages. I taught obedience training classes as a continuing education instructor, conducted working clinics as a regional director for the American Chesapeake Club, and also taught privately. I have bred, trained, handled and titled my dogs in AKC obedience trials, NAHRA hunt tests and ACC working tests, finished my own AKC conformation champions, and spent 13 years guiding waterfowl and upland hunts on a commercial shooting preserve with my dogs. My clients have trained their pets and gun dogs, and some have gone on to achieve titles in obedience, hunt tests, conformation, agility, flyball, and tracking. My breeding program has produced some pretty nice dogs, epitomized by CH Spendthrift Storm Warning SHR, CGC, WDX, a stunning girl who was also a stone hunting dog. My training methods produced WR NAHRA All-American Mtn. View Katmai Bay CGC, WCI, WDQ, and a dog which single-handedly changed a lot of opinions about the breed by showing folks that not all Chessies are the nasty, sullen, bone-headed creatures they were reported to be.
“All lessons are conducted at my property in Mumford, NY (about 20 miles southwest of Rochester). A heated indoor area is used in inclement weather. A Sunday gundog group is generally held at a property in Le- Roy, about twelve miles from my place, and occasionally at other places such as DEC wildlife management land.
“These days I am still teaching – and learning. I no longer view dogs as slaves, but as equal parts of a whole. I fully recognize the importance of starting with good genetics and planned, goal-oriented breeding; and my breeding program reflects that. I continue to hunt my dogs as much as the law allows, and they continue to amaze me with their ability to learn and problem solve without any “help” from a “master.”
“My latest project revolves around the creation of a new website, and writing training notebooks which will be available for purchase via the website. I am writing them in the hope that what I have learned will help folks avoid the mistakes I have made with my dogs, and enable them to truly enjoy their canine companions.”
I want to thank Susan. You can read more about her and her training business at http://www.spendthriftkennels.com. My bet is if you take your dog to Sue for training you will both be better off for it. Just don’t bring up the Minnesota Viking playoff loss.
