An article from Hunting Dogs Magazine, February 1990 by Larry Mueller, Editor. Reprinted with permission.
“Jim would want to know, before making a decision, if a young dog’s nose had been properly awakened and evaluated objectively before judging the youngster as having a faulty nose.
Speed, stamina, prey drive, bidability, style, and all those other prized bird dog qualities are important, he agrees, but he asks what good are they if the nose isn’t up to snuff? He makes a strong case for awakening a pup’s nose early in the game. Jim’s thoughts on the nose were timely and are being put to immediate use in my pup Buck’s early education.
In his letter, Jim says, “I am dedicated to helping the nose in puppies and young dogs by set-ups [planted birds]…arranging for every possible thing to allow and induce the nose to do its work. Awakening of the nose is the start of every single thing that is important in a bird dog. It only makes sense to get as much scent experience as possible. We need to get that nose discovered, going, usable, improving, and expanding,” he insists..”