Hunt Test Hobo Podcast

EP 73: Andy Attar: When to Push a Dog and When to Back Off

Andy Attar is back on the Hunt Test Hobo Podcast, and this conversation goes deep. After more than 40 years in the retriever game, Andy shares how his approach to traini

EP 72: Teaching Dogs to Think in the Water with Marc Patton

In this episode, Marc Patton and Chris take a deep dive into water work, including swim-by, cheating singles, angles, reentries, corrections, and how to develop a dog tha

EP 71: Let the Dog Figure It Out with Luke Cour

Crown Champion Luke Cour joins the Hunt Test Hobo Podcast to talk about his journey through the retriever world and the lessons he's learned from Rody Best and Danny

EP 70: Getting Ready for the Grand: Marks, Blinds & Everything In Between

In this episode of the Hunt Test Hobo Podcast, Chris Rud sits down with Tyler Brenner to talk about one of the most important parts of running the HRC Grand: how you actu

EP 69: Build a Confident Water Dog: A Transition Guide

Water work can make—or break—a retriever. In this episode, Chris Rud sits down with Dan Ihrke to walk through the complete progression they use to develop confident, rel

EP 68: Stop Skipping These Retriever Training Drills (With Dan Ihrke)

Most retriever handlers know what drills to run... but very few understand why they run them or when to introduce each one. In this episode, Chris Rud sits down with Dan

EP 67: Why Good Dogs Fail: Breaking Down Real Hunt Test & Qualifier Setups

Most people only see the ribbon. They don't see the decisions, mistakes, and lessons that happen on every bird. In this solo episode, Chris breaks down actual quali

EP 66: Marcy Wright & Kenny Trott on Building Better Retrievers

National Champion Marcy Wright joins the Hunt Test Hobo Podcast alongside Kenny Trott to share decades of experience training retrievers from eight-week-old puppies all t

EP 65: Craig Koshyk Explains How Labradors Were Created

Craig Koshyk has spent decades researching the history of sporting dogs, traveling the world to interview breeders, historians, and experts in search of one question: How

EP 64: The Philosophy of Great Dog Training with Andy Attar

What makes a truly great dog trainer? In this episode, Chris sits down with legendary retriever trainer Andy Attar for a wide-ranging conversation that starts with Andy&

EP 63: 50 Years of Retriever Wisdom | Jim Van Engen

This week on the Hunt Test Hobo Podcast, Chris sits down with Retriever Hall of Fame trainer Jim Van Engen for a masterclass in developing young dogs. With more than 50 y

EP 62: Well-Placed Birds and Better Marking Dogs

This week, Chris is joined once again by Tyler Brenner for a laid-back but information-packed training discussion. The guys start with a handful of practical training tip

EP 61: Building the Future of the Retriever Game

This week Chris sits down with Tim Kingsfield from WISILL HRC to discuss what it takes to build a thriving retriever club, bring new people into hunt tests, and create a

EP 60: Grand Recap: There’d Still Be Dogs in Kentucky Looking for That Bird

This one is a full-on grand debrief with Tyler Brenner, Bill Schaffer, and Clark Kennington after surviving one of the toughest International Grands in recent memory. We

EP 59: Bill Hillman on Balance, Multiples, and Amateur Mistakes

This week on the Hunt Test Hobo Podcast, Chris sits down once again with legendary retriever trainer Bill Hillman for a deep conversation on balance in dog training, teac

EP 58: The Most Powerful Tool in Retriever Training??? With Dan Ihrke

This week on the Hunt Test Hobo Podcast, Chris is joined once again by Dan Ihrke for a deep dive into one of the most important — and misunderstood — concepts in retrieve

EP 57: Dale Swiderski: Building the Dual-Purpose Dog

Dale Swaderski joins the podcast to break down the world of pointing Labradors—and why they might not be what you think. From early controversy to modern versatility, Da

EP 56: Grace Williams: Building Better Dogs from Day One

This one’s a deep dive into the beginning of the retriever journey — before force fetch, before handling… before most people even think about training. Chris sits down w

EP 55: From Hunt Tests to Field Trials w/ JD Babb

JD Babb joins the podcast to break down one of the most interesting transitions in the retriever game—going from hunt tests to field trials. We dig into what it actually

EP 54: Building Better Marking Dogs with Marc Patton (Part 2)

In Part 2 of Chris’s conversation with trainer Marc Patton, the discussion dives deeper into the mechanics behind developing elite marking dogs and building cleaner funda