Holzinger Kennels
Minnesota

chad Nelson, Todd Fuchs, Mark Guidinger, Tom Gertz, James Anderson, Susan Schmidt, Chris Hussman, Di | Oct 13, 2017

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, Holzingers 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 Terrys 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 Terrys 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 dont like to post recommendations or reviews of products and services. Here, however, Im 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 Ive had with Holzinger Kennels. Being a novice in the world of hunting dogs, I appreciated Terry and Lauras responsiveness to every question I had along the way. Particularly important to me was Terrys 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 dont 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 Holzingers are a bird dogs 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