Side by Side Upland Dog Training

I've been training with Dave Bale for the past three months (2025). I can honestly say this has been the best experience I've had training my dog for the past five years. I've been training consistently with our NAVHDA chapter, but meeting and training with Dave four days a week has surpassed everything else I've done with my GSP. Dave managed to train the chase out of my dog, which was a miracle. He instilled competence and confidence in me as a handler. He's a gifted trainer and coach. I cannot recommend him or the Huntsmith method of training more highly. It's hands-down the best money I've spent on training my dog. The method combines consistency, progression, and building on the dog's successes at the dog's pace. And most of all, my dog loves working with Dave.

Being completely new to upland birds, and to hunting, finding Dave genuinely changed our lives. Dave trained our pup Ghillie, but he also trained us. Sometimes, when he’d give us clear, gentle cues in the field, we’d know we were being trained. Other times, I’d look back after a month and realize Dave had been inching me along toward a goal without me even realizing it. After a few months of spending 3-4 hours per week with Dave, I looked up and we were suddenly hunters. It was remarkable to witness the changes in our pup and in ourselves. Our pup Ghillie went from a rambunctious pup with infinite energy to a driven hunter with a strong understanding of her role and our expectations of her both in and out of the field. Dave, thank you for everything you have done for us and our pup. There aren’t words sufficient to describe our gratitude. We are so grateful and so lucky to have you in our lives.