Acclaimed trainer gives dog owners a few pointers in Puni

Hunting dog enthusiasts from around New Zealand gathered in Puni on Sunday, to train with acclaimed versatile hunting dog trainer, author and Pudelpointer breeder, Bodo Winterhelt.

Bodo, who is German but now lives in Oregon, is the founder of the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association, and has trained more than 3000 dogs during the past 65 years.

The versatile hunting dogs are a group of European breeds, which include the Hungarian Vizsla, German Wire and Short Haired Pointers, the Cesky Fousek and the Pudelpointer, among others.

These dogs can perform in every area of hunting –- finding and pointing' to game, tracking game once shot, and retrieving it from land or water.

Bodo was invited to visit Puni during his New Zealand holiday, by Margaret Cotton, secretary of the NZ Versatile Hunting Dog Test Association.

The NZVHDTA was established three years ago, based on Bodo's testing system, to enable owners to determine how their dog performs in each hunting task. MORE>>